BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Practice is underway for the Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team in preparation for a series of three exhibition games during a 10-day stay in Italy from August 6-15.

The Titans will face teams from Rome (August 8), Florence/Montecatini (August 10) and Lake Como (August 12).

"Trips like these have proven to be valuable for our team chemistry and to get an early start and feel for competition in preparation for the upcoming season," said IWU head coach Ron Rose, whose squad is allowed 10 additional practice sessions in preparation for the trip that do not count against their preseason practice dates.

In previous NCAA-sanctioned international play, Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball teams have traveled and played in Spain (2016), Costa Rica (in 2005 and 2013) and in Italy (August 2010).
 
In addition to the basketball games, the traveling party will have guided tours of Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica as well as the ancient sites of Rome, including the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.
 
The Titans will also have sightseeing opportunities in Florence, the Cinque Terre villages, the Tuscany region, and Venice.

"The opportunity for our players to travel together and have these shared experiences is a wonderful part of their college career in addition to getting an off-season focus on basketball," Rose said.
 
Players making the trip are Charlie Bair, Colin Cheaney, Bernie Coderre, Matt Giannakopoulos, Peter Lambesis, Matthew Leritz, Gavin Markgraff, Jack Martin, Max Muller, Cory Noe, Alex O'Neill, Keondre Schumacher, Doug Wallen and Grant Wolfe.
 
The Titans open their season with a home game against Blackburn at 7 p.m. on Nov. 12 and host Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association members Calvin and Alma on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15-16.

Illinois Wesleyan opens College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play against Wheaton on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. at the Shirk Center and will also host Carthage (Dec. 7) and play at Augustana (Dec. 15) prior to the Christmas break.

Illinois Wesleyan will play in Austin, Texas during the holiday break, facing host school Concordia University (Texas) on Dec. 29 and meeting Sul Ross State University on Dec. 30.
 
Click here for the 2019-20 IWU men's basketball schedule.