By: by Scott Lipsky
KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State Owls men’s basketball team continued practice on Wednesday in preparation for their Canada Summer Tour, which begins Aug. 6. The Black and Gold will play five games in six days against teams from the Niagara Falls and Toronto area.
Embarking on their first foreign tour since 2005, the Owls are taking full advantage of the opportunities they have to gel as a team. Per NCAA rules, in addition to being able to bring incoming freshmen on the trip for the first time, the Owls also have a chance to conduct 10 days of practice before they begin their trip.
“This is a big advantage for us to be able to meet as a group. It’s an opportunity to teach as much as we can to the newcomers and to sharpen the returnees,” said Owls head coach Tony Ingle, who is entering is 11th season at the helm of the program. “This is a valuable opportunity that we have to not only teach fundamentals and sharpen our playbook, but it also gives our team a chance to bond as a group, and you can’t put a price on that.”
The Owls, who went 13-20 last season, including 7-13 in the Atlantic Sun Conference before they knocked off No. 1 seeded Lipscomb in the first round of the A-Sun Championship, will be returning 10 players from last year’s squad, and will welcome five new players to the fold.
Sophomore forward Markeith Cummings, who was third in the nation last season in scoring among freshmen on his way to earning All A-Sun Second Team and All-Freshman honors, was excited about being able to get back into the swing of things and practice during the summer.
“Usually, we don’t really know what kind of team we’ll have until we get into the gym in the fall, so this gives us a great chance to learn early on who we are and what we need to do to get better in time for the season,” said Cummings. “It’s great to be in the gym with all of my teammates and get started in the summertime.”
The Owls will begin their tour with a match-up against the Niagara All-Stars on August 6, who feature eight former players from Canadian collegiate powerhouse Brock University, who won their national championship in 2008, and three players who previously competed at the NCAA Division I level.
