Why Brad Brownell, Clemson Basketball's Trip to Italy Will Be About More Than Hoops Itself

Clemson men's basketball will play three games overseas during the 10-day period, but head coach Brad Brownell has other goals for the group.

Clemson Tigers head coach Brad Brownell is focused on the relationships built with the team during its trip to Italy. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Every summer, there’s a Clemson athletic program that makes a trip overseas to combine both competition and team bonding. Clemson basketball is the lucky program this offseason. 

On Thursday, men’s basketball head coach Brad Brownell gave more details about his team’s trip to Italy, which will be a 10-day tour throughout the country while stopping in three cities. Each city will feature a contest against an overseas opponent. 

But it won’t be about those three games that will define the trip; it will be about the relationships that will be built in Europe, beginning next week. 

“I think, as much as any, the relationship building that happens organically,” Brownell said on Thursday. “Through time together and all the different things that happen during your journey, you can’t put a price tag on that in terms of what that means.”

The Tigers are visiting Rome, Florence and Como for a week and a half abroad. In Rome, they will face BC Silute, a Lithuanian A2 League team, next Wednesday. On Aug. 1, while in Florence, Brownell’s group will face Pro Camp, an A2 and B1 Italian Select Team. The final game the team will play is Orange Bassano, an under-20 Italian team, in Como on Aug. 4. 

Brownell is looking forward to what his new group can showcase while playing three unique teams that might not play the style that traditional college basketball teams play. 

“It’s good to see guys actually competing against another team and seeing how guys think, how they react, how they handle adversity?” he said. “It’ll be different, poise under pressure, decision making, execution.”

But he admitted that playing basketball is the topic that is “probably being the least significant” during their travels. There have been plenty of practices over the course of this summer, including Brownell’s famous “Strongman” competition during the hot weeks. He considers this trip a “reward” for the endeavors the Tigers have worked towards. 

“I think it’s a little bit of a reward for how hard our guys have worked all of a sudden to know, hey, we’re building to this,” he said, “and then we’re going to have a great experience together.”

Especially with the construction that has gone on within Littlejohn Coliseum, the coaching staff hasn’t had a traditional office. Player locker rooms are also different, meaning connecting as a team has been untraditional for Brownell, entering his 17th season and being the mainstay of the ACC.

Despite this, the unity within the team, especially over 10 days, couldn’t have come at a better time. 

“I think, moving forward with building relationships, both with players and players together, certainly the learning experience is awesome,” Brownell said. 

Those interested in tuning into the Tigers' games abroad can listen on 105.5 The ROAR radio station. Games will take place around 12:30 Eastern Time during the above dates.