ACC Basketball News Boston College off to Europe in August

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It must be nice to be a student-athlete, the perks of being associated with a sports program can leave some people a little evensious. The Boston College men’s basketball team will have a chance to get that kind of reaction in early August when they head to Italy and Spain for a 10-day trip that begins on August 2 and ends on the 13th. Sightseeing, cultural experience, and yes a little basketball are all part of this once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Head coach Earl Grant calls this “A tremendous opportunity for our players and the program. It is hard to argue with that theory. For a team that won 16 overall games and nine in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2022-23, this trip will provide a chance for this team to bond with one another before school begins. We will get an idea of what kind of team coach Grant has heading into the 2023-24 season. Boston College will return four starters and eight overall members from last year’s team. Grant has added four new members to the team who will get a chance to make this trip. The time with their new teammates could be valuable for them once the season gets underway.

As for the trip, it will begin in Rome where the traveling party will get a chance to visit some of Rome’s most noteworthy sites. They will see the Colosseum, and the Forum, along with the Vatican City. There will also be the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. From there, it’s on to Florence where the party will get the opportunity to tour Florence Accademia Gallery. This is considered to be one of the artistic capitals of the world. The final stop on the tour will be in Barcelona, Spain to visit the largest unfinished Catholic cathedral La Sagrada Familia.

On the court, the Eagles will be allowed to hold 10 official practice days, and they will be permitted to hold summer workouts that are permissible under NCAA guidelines. The time on the hardwood for this group will go a long way toward getting this team ready for the upcoming season. This will include early season tests against Vanderbilt in the ACC-SEC challenge, and a trip to Kansas City to play in the Hall of Fame Classic with Colorado State, Creighton, and Loyola Chicago in November.

The last time the Eagles made a summer trip was in 2018 when the team headed to the Bahamas for a little fun and hoops. A nice getaway is in store for the coaching staff and team before the rigors of the season take over.