Men's Basketball Bound For Costa Rica
7/28/2016 10:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The 2016-17 Sam Houston men's basketball season will get an early start as the Bearkats head to Costa Rica for a series of exhibition games against international competition.
The Kats will depart Texas to fly to San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, on Friday, August 5. The team returns home on Wednesday, August 10.
“It's a neat experience for our guys and the first time in program history that we have been able to do something like this,” Sam Houston head coach Jason Hooten said. “We will have a great opportunity to learn more about ourselves through the competition. Plus the guys have some time for sight-seeing and experiencing a different country.”
Sam Houston will play the University of Ottawa from Canada on Saturday, August 6; the Costa Rica national team on Sunday, August 7 and a second team from Canada on Monday, August 8. The first two games will tip off at 7 p.m. while the third will begin at 10 a.m.
The experience will not be all basketball. The Sam Houston players will visit the Holy Spirit Orphanage in San Jose on Saturday, take a sight-seeing tour of the city on Sunday and spend time at Los Suuenos beach on Monday.
“This is a good time to take this trip for a number of reasons,” Hooten said. “With the experience and the depth we will have this season, we felt that getting to play early in the year can help us get some of the kinks out and be important towards what we see as an important season.”
All five starters plus six other top reserves from last year's 18-16 squad return. Sam Houston finished third in the Southland Conference race and reached the semifinals of the Southland Conference tournament. A last second shot in loss to A&M-Corpus Christi was all that kept the Kats from a third consecutive tournament finals appearance.
Aurimas Majauskas and Dakarai Henderson, who led the Kats in scoring with 14.2 points per game apiece, both are back. In addition, 2016 preseason All-Southland point guard Paul Baxter and transfer Ameer Jackson, both of whom missed the year with injuries, are back.
“With Paul and Ameer basically missing all of last season, this is a great chance to get them back on the court a little sooner,” Hooten said. “We also signed three guys that will be an integral part of our team. To get those guys in the mix early like this and have 10 extra days of practice to get ready for the trip is tremendous.”
Other returning starters for Sam Houston include Jamal Williams, Jovante' Spivey and Albert Almanza.
“Everyone on the team is really looking forward to this trip,” Majauskas said. “It's great to get the chance to play together early and it's going to be an exciting, fun experience. This can really help us as we prepare for the coming season.”
