FAMU men’s basketball team heads to Canada for exhibition tour

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The Florida A&M men’s basketball team leaves Friday morning for a seven day exhibition tour of Canada. The 2016-17 Rattler squad will play four games in five days as part of a National Collegiate Athletic Association-permitted exhibition trip.

Head Coach Byron Samuels is excited about what he feels will get accomplished with the exhibition.

“This gives us an opportunity for our players to travel, become familiar with one another and begin to trust each other as teammates,” he said.  “Our kids recognized that the opportunity came with sacrifice and coordination from their coaches and the athletic administration.”

The Rattlers will play the University of Quebec-Montreal on Aug. 13, University of Laval on Aug. 14, McGill University of Aug.16 and Concordia University on Aug. 17.  The tour will give the team the opportunity to get a head start on the season that many schools have taken advantage of, but it will be the first opportunity under Samuels’ leadership.

“When I took the job two years ago, at this point in the season I had only met two of the players.  Last year we had four to six players in Summer school,” Samuels said.  “This season we have 12 players in Summer school and they had the opportunity to meet each other and begin to gel.  In the allotted days we’ve had to practice together, they’ve begun to understand one another.  They’ve competed so hard against one another that there have been times where I’ve had to pull them back.  It will bode well for us once the actual season begins.”

The Rattlers have three goals on the trip according to Samuels.  “We have to learn how to commit to one another, how to sacrifice and how to trust one another and the faith that comes with that,” Samuels said.

Canadian Exhibition Tour Schedule:

August 13 vs. University of Quebec-Montreal 1:00pm

August 14 vs. University of Laval 3:00pm

August 16 vs. McGill University 7:00pm

August 17 vs. Concordia University 7:00pm
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