Runnin' Utes prepare for international play in Brazil


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SALT LAKE CITY — As the countdown till the beginning of the school year starts to wind down, many Ute teams are busy preparing for their upcoming season.

Utah Associate Director of Communications Kyle Harris just issued this press release regarding the Runnin' Utes' upcoming international play in Brazil.

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The Utah men's basketball team's much-anticipated trip to Brazil begins Saturday as the Utes depart from Salt Lake City and head for Sao Paulo, where they will arrive early Sunday morning. The team will spend 10 days competing, practicing and touring the country before returning on Aug. 15.

"I think we are all excited for the chance to compete against some other guys after beating up on each other in practice," said redshirt junior guard Glen Dean.

Runnin' Utes Jason Washburn, Renan Lenz and Dallin Bachynski. Courtesy @Runnin_Utes.
Runnin' Utes Jason Washburn, Renan Lenz and Dallin Bachynski. Courtesy @Runnin_Utes.

"It will be great to run our offense and compete on defense against some other opponents. It will also be great for us to experience the culture in Brazil. I think we will take a lot from this trip and it will help build chemistry down the road. The team is coming together really well. I think we are already head and shoulders above where we were last year. It will be important for us to compete in every practice and game and focus on getting better."

Throughout the trip, players and staff hope to send back as much information as possible including practice and travel updates, game results, photos and even video. To stay connected with the Utes in Brazil and all season long, tune in to www.UtahUtes.com and follow the team on Twitter (@Runnin_Utes) and Facebook (facebook.com/UtahMBasketball).

The Utes will play four games against Brazilian squads. They will spend time in the cities of São José dos Campos, Rio de Janeiro and Búzios or Cabo Frio. Sightseeing stops will include Sugar Loaf, Christ the Redeemer and a boat tour in Búzios.

"It's really exciting, this will be a great team building experience to spend a lot of time together," said head coach Larry Krystkowiak.

"I'm looking forward to visiting with our players individually as well. On a 10-day trip like this you can do an awful lot of bonding. It will be a great chance to measure ourselves against some other competition as well. Right now with so many guys competing for playing time, we see a lot of fouling or trying to cheat the play on defense. So it will be nice to be unified and have five guys representing all of us. We can hold the bar a little higher that way as far as effort also. If one player isn't getting it done, you can bring another guy in. In a practice setting that's harder to replicate, there are no repercussions if you get taken out.

"It's been tremendous to have 10 practice days to prepare for this trip," Krystkowiak continued. "There is always some stress going into a season thinking that you don't have everything in place, but we have this bonus time to get some of that stuff out of the way, so when we come back in October we can take the next step without going through some of it. Our guys have been working really hard to prepare, they have had a number of two-a-days and time in the weight room, so their bodies are a little broken down. But with four games down in Brazil and with our improved depth, we will be able to get guys some rest. Even the travel time will give them a chance to get their batteries recharged."

Cover photo: incoming freshman Jordan Loveridge, Justin Seymour, Brandon Taylor and Dakari Tucker. Courtesy @Runnin_Utes.

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