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Kentucky guard Brad Calipari to take part in an eight-day basketball trip to Croatia


By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today

Brad Calipari will be taking a trip overseas next week.

The Kentucky sophomore guard will compete in eight-day excursion to Croatia with Global Sports Academy. Calipari and 14 players are part of a squad led by Bucknell assistant coach Joe Meehan. The team will compete against four professional teams in the region.

Brad Calipari, left, will travel to Croatia next week as part of a trip with the Global Sports Academy. Calipari scored eight points for the Wildcats last season. (Keith Taylor/Kentucky Today)

The team is comprised of players from 13 programs, including Bucknell, Hofstra and Radford. In addition to basketball, the players will tour Croatia, take part in cultural events and visit historic sites within the country.

During his freshman season, Calipari played in 15 games and scored eight points. Calipari connected on two 3-pointers and grabbed three rebounds. He played eight minutes in a win over Cleveland State.

Impressive start

Kentucky had its last workout with the summer period Thursday and Kentucky coach John Calipari came away impressed with the newcomers.

“After watching them, we’re going to be just fine,” Calipari said on twitter. “(I) can’t wait to get started.”

Former Kentucky standout Bam Adebayo came away impressed with the newcomers after competing in a pickup game earlier this week, including Quade Green, who is expected to be the team’s point guard this season.

“Quade stood out,” Adebayo said. “I feel like he’s going to be pretty good.”

Like Adebayo, Malik Monk had nothing but praise for the future squad.

“I’ve seen them all before, so none of them surprised me,” Monk said. “Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander), he surprised me, because I’d never seen him before.”

Calipari said Tyler Ulis, De’Aaron Fox, Monk, Adebayo Dominique Hawkins and Derek Willis helped the incoming freshman class get used to their new surroundings.

“Nothing like old teaching the new,” Calipari tweeted. “(They) showed our guys the ropes.”

Keith Taylor is sports editor for Kentucky Today. He can be reached at Keith.taylor@kentuckytoday.com.


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