For the first time in program history, the UTEP men’s basketball team will venture to Europe next week. The Miners will depart on Thursday, Aug. 4 for Spain, where they will stay until Monday, Aug. 15.
The Miners will arrive in Madrid on Friday, Aug. 5 and spent two days there before traveling to the Canary Islands for eight days.
UTEP will play four games in the Canary Islands against various foreign club teams.
The trip is financed by the Rebounders Club, the fund-raising arm of UTEP basketball.
“It’s going to be a tremendous cultural experience for our student-athletes,” said UTEP coach Doc Sadler. “It’s an unbelievable opportunity for them to see another part of the world and to be educated on its unique history. From a basketball standpoint, it was a great year to do this because we have so many returning players and a pair of transfers [Edgar Moreno and Tremaine Fuqua] who had to sit out last season. This trip will give us a good head start on next season, but we’re going to spend as much time doing other things as playing basketball.”
The nine-man Miner roster includes seniors Fuqua and Moreno, who transferred from Oklahoma State and Texas respectively. The returning players making the trip are seniors Miguel Ayala, Will Kimble, Brent Murphy, John Tofi and Jason Williams, as well as sophomores Vernon Carr and Kelvin Davis.
Fans are invited to follow the Miners’ foreign tour with stories, diaries and photographs on UTEP’s official athletic department website, www.utepathletics.com.
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