Aug. 25, 2004

Columbia, S.C. –
The University of South Carolina men’s basketball team will take advantage of fall break by taking a trip of its own Oct. 13-17 when the Gamecocks will travel to Canada for three pre-season games. The foreign tour will allow USC to travel with its four newcomers, as well.

“This is a very exciting trip for our team and I would like to thank the administration for having the foresight to make it possible,” said USC Head Coach Dave Odom. “We are playing some of the very best teams in Canada and that should be a beneficial experience for our ball club. The idea for this tour has always been in the back of my mind since we were unable to play in another exempt tournament – like the Guardians Classic last year. This is an excellent opportunity for our team to get to know each other and get ready for our upcoming season. One of the best things about an in-season foreign tour is that you can involve your newcomers unlike a summer tour.”

“We will prepare hard for this trip and when we return, we will take three or four days off and then go back at it,” Odom continued. “We are excited because we will be able to progress more rapidly, identify areas that we need to improve upon and have a good opportunity to play everyone in game-like situations.”

The trip is being arranged by basketballtravelers.com. Other schools taking similar type trips this year include Florida, UCONN, Xavier, Southeast Missouri State and Purdue.

USC will play its first two games in Ottawa on Oct. 14 against Carleton University – the Canadian national champions the past two years. The Gamecocks will play the University of Ottawa on Oct. 15 and then travel to Montreal to take on Concordia University on Oct. 16.

South Carolina will have 10 days of practice to prepare for the trip. All practices are closed to the public and will begin on Sept. 27. Coach Odom says the team plans to practice every other day.

South Carolina is making its first international trip since 2000 when it traveled to the Spain and the Canary Islands.

The following are the details of the trip to Canada (OCT. 13 – 17):

Wednesday OCT. 13

FLY FROM COLUMBIA TO OTTAWA

Thursday OCT. 14

GAME VS. CARLETON UNIVERSITY – NATIONAL CHAMPION OF CANADA LAST 2 SEASONS

Friday OCT. 15

GAME VS. UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA

BUS TO MONTREAL AFTER GAME

Saturday OCT. 16

GAME VS. CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY

Sunday OCT. 17

FLY FROM MONTREAL TO COLUMBIA