Practice in Paradise: Hoosiers Arrive in Bahamas for Exhibition Games Getaway
UPDATED, 2:30 p.m. ET
It is, first and foremost, a basketball trip. But for Indiana's basketball players, a week in the Bahamas is all about team bonding and having a laugh or two.
So far, mission accomplished.
After a good practice on Wednesday at the Paradise Island Resort in the Bahamas, the Indiana players donned wet suits and swam with the the dolphins in the afternoon. And, based on this video sent out by the university, it looks like they had a great time.
The Hoosiers took a direct flight to Nassau on Tuesday night, and are all settled in at the swanky resort. They will play two exhibition games on the trip against a top-level professional club team out of Serbia, BC Mega. The first game is Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET and the second game is Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
The games are not being televised or being broadcast on the radio. There is also no live streaming online of any of the game action.
The biggest benefit for Indiana is getting 10 extra practices in before the games, which is huge with new coach Mike Woodson now in charge. He is installing new schemes, both offensively and defensively, and all the extra time will pay huge dividends when the regular season rolls around in early November.
The Hoosiers have been working hard, and Woodson, who's been stressing conditioning, has been pleased with their progress, though he's quick to point out that "we still have a long way to go.''
But it's been a good month of workouts together so far, and a week-long getaway to the Bahamas will be part work and part fun. Since being hired in late March, this is Woodson's team now, and the first road trip together will be fun.
"Going to The Bahamas and being able to get away with my teammates, that's going to be good because we've been going at it the last three months,'' Indiana junior Trayce Jackson-Davis said. "It's been a long summer. Playing against another good team in Serbia, they're going to bring a challenge for us.
"It's really going to test ourselves to see where we are, what we need to work at, what we're good at. I think it's going to be good for us. I just can't wait to get out there and play, honestly.
The BC Mega club team, one of the best teams in the top Serbian professional league, has produced several NBA players, including current Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. They also have a projected 2022 first-round pick on their current roster, Nikola Jovic, a 6-foot-10 forward with guard skills is only 18 years old but he's considered one of the top prospects in Europe. He could very well be a top-10 pick next year.
"With the Mega team, we are watching film on them. They are a big team. They are a team that plays well together,'' Woodson said. "They have got a pretty good little point guard that kind of directs traffic, so we really going to have to control him and put heat on him when he's got the ball in his hand.
"They have a lot of shooters, a lot of big guys. So, it will be a test for our ballclub to see how we compete and how we can play at a high level. That's kind of why I'm anxious to get to the Bahamas to see where we are as a team.''
UPDATE: Indiana will be shorthanded on the blocks for these two games. According to Peegs.com, neither 7-foot USF transfer Michael Durr or incoming 6-9 freshman Logan Duncomb are going to play in the games this weekend because of some nagging injuries.
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