Post by wtm97 on Aug 12, 2014 5:59:48 GMT -5
www.coxhub.com/
A FRIAR FAN'S GUIDE TO ITALY
Daniel James
A FRIAR FAN'S GUIDE TO ITALY
Daniel James
The Providence Friars are taking to the road a few months early. Head Coach Ed Cooley’s three years of planning will come to fruition when his Friars head out of the USA and into Italy for a ten day, three game journey. The trip will give the Friars an opportunity to play against international opponents while Coach Cooley can see what his team’s all about, as well as provide the educational experience of a lifetime.
This international tour will give Cooley his first glimpse at what his team can do. However, he’ll be doing so with a depleted roster. Recent issues with the NCAA’s Clearinghouse will prevent freshman Ben Bentil and Pascal Chukwu from being able to join on the trip. In addition to these problems, freshman Jalen Lindsey will not be able to join the team in Italy due to sickness, which he has had for the past few days.
Cooley, however, felt the biggest loss for these three wasn’t the lack of game participation, but the experience they could gain from such a trip.
“I don’t think that court time is a huge deal,” Cooley was quoted in the Providence Journal. “What is probably more important is the experience they’d get educationally and the ability to bond with their teammates and coaches.”
Along with these three freshman not playing, Friar point guard Kris Dunn will be joining the team in Italy but will not be able to play in any games. Dunn is still recovering from a shoulder injury sustained at the beginning of last season. After being out the first half of his freshman year and only participating in four games his sophomore year, nobody wants to take the chance the McDonald’s AA guard could hurt himself again before being fully recovered. Instead, Cooley told the Providence Journal that Dunn will be an assistant coach.
Despite these setbacks the Friars are excited to get out to Italy to play. Freshman Kyron Cartwright and transfer Junior Lomomba will be joining in their first games as Friars, and Rodney Bullock, who missed all of last season, will be participating with the team in the games. In addition to seeing what some of the latest Friars will be able to do this will also be a chance for LaDontae Henton, Carson Desrosiers and Tyler Harris to demonstrate their leadership on the court.
While the games will be a first glimpse of the Friars, there's no denying that some of the real excitement in this trip comes from a chance to experience all that Italy has to offer. From the fashion of Milan to the gondolas of Venice, the Friars are going on a study abroad program for athletes, and there'll be plenty of opportunities to learn something new at each stop.
First the Friars will head to Milan, where they’ll have the opportunity to go sightseeing at Lake Como and visit the town of Bellagio. Those on the trip will also have the opportunity to go sightseeing on their own and experience the fashion districts and the cathedrals.
Next, the Friars will be heading to Venice where they’ll be given some educational opportunities to see St. Mark’s Church and St. Mark’s Square, the central hub of the city. St. Mark’s Square provides a unique opportunity to experience not only the church but also Doge’s Palace (which was once Venice’s political and judicial hub) and St. Mark’s Clocktower.
After Venice the Friars will travel to Florence, where those on the trip will have plenty of time to soak in the history of the city. The opportunity to see Via Chiantigiana - considered to be the most beautiful street in all of Italy with winding roads through vineyards and woodlands all the way to Siena - will likely be a popular destination for those on the trip, but there’s also going to be opportunities to see the Accademia Gallery, where a guided tour will take the Friars through some of the most famous artistic works in the world, including Michelangelo’s David.
After Florence, the Friars will head to their final stop in Italy, Rome. There the Friars will get a chance to tour the Colosseum and sightsee on their own. Knowing Ed Cooley’s “toughest team on the floor” mentality, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Friar team felt most at home during their time here.
The Friars are set to leave on August 12. The once-in-a-lifetime experience has been developed by Ed Cooley over the past three years, and will give the Friars more than just a few games to help prepare for the season, it will give them the educational opportunity of a lifetime.
For exclusive access of the Friars' trip to Italy, follow us on instagram and Twitter (we'll be using the hashtag #CiaoFriars) and check CoxHub for updates.
This international tour will give Cooley his first glimpse at what his team can do. However, he’ll be doing so with a depleted roster. Recent issues with the NCAA’s Clearinghouse will prevent freshman Ben Bentil and Pascal Chukwu from being able to join on the trip. In addition to these problems, freshman Jalen Lindsey will not be able to join the team in Italy due to sickness, which he has had for the past few days.
Cooley, however, felt the biggest loss for these three wasn’t the lack of game participation, but the experience they could gain from such a trip.
“I don’t think that court time is a huge deal,” Cooley was quoted in the Providence Journal. “What is probably more important is the experience they’d get educationally and the ability to bond with their teammates and coaches.”
Along with these three freshman not playing, Friar point guard Kris Dunn will be joining the team in Italy but will not be able to play in any games. Dunn is still recovering from a shoulder injury sustained at the beginning of last season. After being out the first half of his freshman year and only participating in four games his sophomore year, nobody wants to take the chance the McDonald’s AA guard could hurt himself again before being fully recovered. Instead, Cooley told the Providence Journal that Dunn will be an assistant coach.
Despite these setbacks the Friars are excited to get out to Italy to play. Freshman Kyron Cartwright and transfer Junior Lomomba will be joining in their first games as Friars, and Rodney Bullock, who missed all of last season, will be participating with the team in the games. In addition to seeing what some of the latest Friars will be able to do this will also be a chance for LaDontae Henton, Carson Desrosiers and Tyler Harris to demonstrate their leadership on the court.
While the games will be a first glimpse of the Friars, there's no denying that some of the real excitement in this trip comes from a chance to experience all that Italy has to offer. From the fashion of Milan to the gondolas of Venice, the Friars are going on a study abroad program for athletes, and there'll be plenty of opportunities to learn something new at each stop.
First the Friars will head to Milan, where they’ll have the opportunity to go sightseeing at Lake Como and visit the town of Bellagio. Those on the trip will also have the opportunity to go sightseeing on their own and experience the fashion districts and the cathedrals.
Next, the Friars will be heading to Venice where they’ll be given some educational opportunities to see St. Mark’s Church and St. Mark’s Square, the central hub of the city. St. Mark’s Square provides a unique opportunity to experience not only the church but also Doge’s Palace (which was once Venice’s political and judicial hub) and St. Mark’s Clocktower.
After Venice the Friars will travel to Florence, where those on the trip will have plenty of time to soak in the history of the city. The opportunity to see Via Chiantigiana - considered to be the most beautiful street in all of Italy with winding roads through vineyards and woodlands all the way to Siena - will likely be a popular destination for those on the trip, but there’s also going to be opportunities to see the Accademia Gallery, where a guided tour will take the Friars through some of the most famous artistic works in the world, including Michelangelo’s David.
After Florence, the Friars will head to their final stop in Italy, Rome. There the Friars will get a chance to tour the Colosseum and sightsee on their own. Knowing Ed Cooley’s “toughest team on the floor” mentality, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Friar team felt most at home during their time here.
The Friars are set to leave on August 12. The once-in-a-lifetime experience has been developed by Ed Cooley over the past three years, and will give the Friars more than just a few games to help prepare for the season, it will give them the educational opportunity of a lifetime.
For exclusive access of the Friars' trip to Italy, follow us on instagram and Twitter (we'll be using the hashtag #CiaoFriars) and check CoxHub for updates.
