One final look back at KU’s Italian adventure

By Matt Tait     Aug 9, 2017

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In case you weren’t following along last week or missed one of the days, here’s a look back at all of the outings and adventures that the Kansas men’s basketball team enjoyed during its eight-day tour of Italy.

The Jayhawks played four exhibition games against three different Italian clubs and rolled to easy victories in all four games.

That, according to KU coach Bill Self, was merely part of the reason the Jayhawks went overseas. The rest was to experience a new culture, enjoy a fun trip and develop a greater bond and connection between the Jayhawks themselves.

Because the KU roster that traveled to Italy featured six newcomers, the bonding part of the experience was as important as anything. And it was during these outings to sites like the Colosseum, Vatican City, Lake Como and others where the ability to bond, get to know one other and have a little fun under the umbrella of experiencing something new together for the first time was the easiest to achieve and most obvious to see.

To a man, the KU players and coaches all seemed really engaged throughout the trip and were not just going through the motions of this tour or that one but were actively participating in the events and soaking up the history, sights and every other aspect of the experience.

In case you missed any of them, or just want to look back, here are all of our videos of KU’s Italy experience in one convenient spot, posted in chronological order so you can relive it right.

Enjoy!

Game Highlights
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Game 1

Game 2

Game 3

Game 4

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.