Men's Basketball Washington State Athletics

Italy Daily Journal - Ernie Kent

Each day a Cougar men's basketball student-athlete or staff member will write about his experience in Italy.

Head Coach Ernie Kent: Aug. 18, 2016

What a wonderful trip we had to Italy! When we planned this trip we came up with several goals for this team, and we were able to accomplish all of them in our 10 days in Italy.

I'll begin with off the court. These young men had an opportunity to see and learn so much more about many historical and cultural events and landmarks that helped shape the country of Italy and the world in general. The players all had the chance to see so many things. In Rome and Florence they saw magnificent artwork from the best artists that the world has ever known in the likes of Michelangelo and Bernini, among others. I enjoyed seeing the guys admire the many other sites, from the Vatican in Rome, the leaning tower of Pisa, the Florence Art Museum,  Il Duomo di Firenze, to the wonders of Venice. It never seized to amaze me how attentive the guys were to all the details and how interested they were in everything our outstanding tour guides had to say. The whole tour came to an end in the relaxing city of Como on Lake Como, one of the prettiest and most relaxing places in the world that I've ever seen.

The historical education we all gained from this trip is remarkable. The friendships and bonds that were formed and memories made are priceless. For me, the most memorable moment of the trip was on a day where we were fatigued and had a game that night, but we went to an U.S. army base in Vicenza. It meant the world to me to go to the army base and meet the men and women serving our country thousands of miles from home and see how happy they were to have us visit. The team received an education on the troops, their purpose and the sacrifices they make each and every day. It gave us all such a sense of pride to be Americans. We had an opportunity to serve lunch to the troops, and it was really great to see the guys step up and see the sense of enjoyment and satisfaction it gave them to help out.  As great as our trip was and with all the things we had the opportunity to see and do, we left that base knowing that we lived in the greatest country in the world thanks to the sacrifices those there, and all the other service men and women, made and make.

On the court our mission was to incorporate our system, especially with the five newcomers, including four freshmen. We were not only able to do that, but, when we had our legs underneath us and were not jetlagged or fatigued, we shot the ball extremely well and put up some good numbers offensively. Those days that we had freshness in our bodies, we played outstanding defense against the more physical and mature basketball teams that we faced. Despite suffering two losses – and even in those games we played hard – I was very impressed with this basketball team and how they grew up this summer. Over the last eight weeks they have had workouts, practices, summer classes and then finally this tour. We developed a physical and mental toughness that we need to carry into this basketball season. We also developed tremendous confidence on the offensive end. On top of the improvements on the court, as a team, we made strides in the classroom with a 3.11 summer grade point average. We'll know the direction we need to go in when we get back together this fall and start practicing for the 2016-17 season. Our defense needs to continue to get tougher mentally and physically. And if we can continue to share the ball and play with the confidence we played with in Italy, then the rewards from a productive and busy summer of practice and touring should shine on this program. 

In closing, I want to thank all the wonderful people we met in Italy that went out of their way to help make this a wonderful trip. In every arena, we heard American music in warmups and were able to salute our country to the sound of our national anthem. At the end of this trip we came away feeling better about who we are as people and Americans. A special thanks to Nels Hawkinson, the dad of Josh, and executive director of Basketball Travelers, Inc., for putting together an outstanding trip that we are forever grateful for. Also, a special thanks to Bill Moss, President Schulz and the entire athletic department, all who had a hand in allowing this once in a lifetime opportunity. 

Thank you to all you fans that have followed us here and on social media. Hopefully you saw the personality and character of these players as they wrote blogs for you to read. We're excited to get in front of you this season and show you the new-look Cougs. And we're really looking forward to your support and energy in Beasley Coliseum that will give us the opportunity to have success this season.

Go Cougs! 
Ernie Kent
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