Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics
The Wichita State men's basketball team will travel to Greece for a 10-day exhibition tour, Aug. 1-10, first-year head coach Paul Mills announced today.
"I'm thankful for this opportunity to take our team to Greece," Mills said. "These summer months preparing for our games will ignite chemistry and lay a critical foundation for the approaching season. It's also phenomenal cultural opportunity, giving our players exposure to the people and rich heritage of Greece."
The Shockers will play three games against international competition during their trip (dates and opponents to be announced) and can take advantage of 10 extra practices in the days leading up to it.
Greece is a country with thousands of islands throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas and is famous for its beaches. Influential in ancient times, it's often called the cradle of Western civilization.
The itinerary includes stops in Thessaloniki, Athens, Kalampaka and Corinth for site-seeing opportunities at world-famous landmarks such at the Acropolis, the Parthanon, Meteora, the Isthmus of Corinth and more.
The journey begins with two days in Thessaloniki, along the Aegean Sea. Rich in history, culture and beauty, it's the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region. Evidence of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history remains in the form of museums, monuments and an intricate culinary scene.
Words nor pictures can sufficiently describe the magic and beauty of Meteora, the famous rock formation located just outside the city of Kalampaka in central Greece. The Shockers will have a day to soak it all in and a chance to visit the Meteora Monasteries, perched precipitously atop the formation's collection of large pillars and rounded boulders.
The second half of the trip takes place in and around Athens, the capital of Greece, which is home to legendary landmarks like the 5th-century B.C. Acropolis citadel and the Parthenon temple.
While in Athens, the team will take a full-day cruise through the islands of Poros, Hydra and Aegina and later tour Corinth, an important historical and archeological site that was once one of the most powerful cities of the Classical world.
"I'm grateful to the many Wichita State fans and supporters who contribute to our athletics program to make this possible," Mills said. "Shocker Nation is giving these young men an experience they will not forget. Thank you!"
NCAA rules allow for one foreign tour every four years. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WSU last took one in 2016 when it played a series of games in Montreal and Toronto. Previous teams visited Brazil (2011) and Vancouver, British Columbia (2016).