UNCG Men’s Basketball to Take Foreign Tour to Senegal and France
GREENBSBORO, N.C.– The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men’s basketball team, fresh off a 20-win season under the direction of second-year Head Coach Mike Jones, will take part in a foreign tour to Dakar, Senegal and Paris, France from the end of July to beginning of August.
“This opportunity is exciting for us, and we are looking forward to getting away with the guys and starting the difficult process of building a championship caliber team for next season,” stated Coach Jones. “The cultural experience of going to Senegal and France will provide a lifetime of memories for all that are a part of this trip. We hope to build amazing team chemistry, compete against good international competition, and learn about exciting historical cultures.”
The Spartans will get 10 practices to prepare for the foreign tour, which will take place July 27 to August 5. Game dates, opponents and a full itinerary are still being finalized.
All travel will be planned through Sports Ventures, a full-service provider of sports travel & event management services for sports teams of all ages and standards of play. Currently, the Spartans are planning on three games total, two in Senegal and one in France.
UNCG plans to host a free youth clinic at the SEED Academy in Thies, Senegal. The Spartans will also do some sight-seeing while in both countries, including what all expect to be an impactful stop at Goree Island, Senegal which is home to the “House of Slaves.” The island has become a pilgrimage site to commemorate the forcible removal of Africans from their homeland. While in Paris, the Spartans plan to see all that Paris has to offer including: the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, and more.
NCAA allows teams to travel internationally once every four years, and this will mark the fourth time in program history UNCG has taken part. The Spartans have previously gone to Spain twice and Italy once.
The Spartans concluded the season with a 20-12 overall record and a 14-4 SoCon mark. This was the sixth 20-win season in their last seven tries. The 14 SoCon wins are the most for the Spartans since the 2018-19 season when the team went 15-3. This was the first 20-win season under Head Coach Mike Jones, who won SoCon Coach of the Year. This was the sixth time in Jones’ career that he has reached 20 or more victories in a season and his third conference Coach of the Year Award..
UNCG scored 90 or more points five times this season, going 5-0 in those games. Senior Kobe Langley was named SoCon Defensive Player of the Year, while his twin brother Keyshaun Langley was voted to the All-SoCon and Sports Media Association first team. Keyshaun also earned National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 21 first team. Graduate student Keondre Kennedy earned All-SoCon third team honors.
Courtesy of Denise Archetto
Assistant Athletic Director For Strategic Communications
UNC Greensboro