Huskers Get Ready for Trip Down Under

Lincoln -- Beginning Sunday, Aug. 1, Coach Barry Collier will lead the Nebraska men’s basketball team through its final four practice dates in preparation for the Huskers’ tour of Australia Aug. 7-20. Taking advantage of an NCAA rule that allows teams to participate in a summer tour once every four years, Nebraska will play six games during its stay, including five against teams from the NBL, Australia’s professional league.

The trip provides a golden opportunity for the Huskers to gain more experience and chemistry before the start of the 2004-05 season.

Nebraska has already utilized six of the NCAA-allowed 10 days of practice to get ready for the excursion, which will also include a game against the Australian Institute for Sports, the institute incoming-freshman Aleks Maric attended. Maric and the other Husker newcomers - Marcus Perry and Joe McCray - are not permitted to practice, travel or play with the Huskers until school officially begins at the end of August.

Nebraska’s roster in Australia will consist of 10 returning players from last year’s 18-13 squad that won two games in the National Invitation Tournament. It will be the first foreign tour for the Huskers since the summer of 1992, when NU went 4-4 on a trip through Belgium, France and England.

The Huskers’ itinerary not only includes six games in 12 days, but also exciting opportunities to experience the Aussie lifestyle. Nebraska will make its first stay in Manly, New South Wales, from its arrival on Aug. 9 until Aug. 14. The Huskers will play four games in five days on the first leg of its trip.

Nebraska then makes its way north on Aug. 15, where the Huskers will remain in Cairns for their final five days Down Under. The Huskers will have two more games against NBL competition. During their free time, the Huskers will take a group tour of the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park and the Great Barrier Reef.

Complete game recaps along with a daily player diary will be available on Huskers.com.

 

Tentative Itinerary -- Huskers Down Under 2004

Saturday, Aug. 7
Depart Omaha 5:20 p.m. ? Arrive Denver 5:51 p.m.
Depart Denver 8 p.m. ? Arrive San Francisco 9:33 p.m.
Depart San Francisco 10:45 p.m. to Sydney.

Sunday, Aug. 8
Cross the International Dateline.

Monday, Aug. 9
Arrive Sydney 6:10 a.m. (Sydney is 15 hours ahead of Lincoln time)
Clear customs then visit sites around Sydney before hotel check-in at 2 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 10
Morning ? Group sightseeing.
Game 1 vs. Hunter Pirates at Maitland, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 11
Game 2 vs. Sydney Kings (NBL) at Southerland, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 12
Game 3 vs. Australian Institute for Sport (AIS) at Trinity, 1:30 p.m.
Evening ? Free for city shopping, beach or other personal activity.

Friday, Aug. 13
Day ? Free for individual personal activity around Manly or Ferry ride into Sydney.

Saturday, Aug. 14
Morning ? Free for individual activities or Ferry ride into Sydney.
Game 4 vs. Wollongong Hawks (NBL) at Wollongong, 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 15
5:50 a.m. on bus to Sydney Airport.
Depart Sydney at 8:10 a.m. Arrive in Cairns at 11:10 a.m.
Transfer to Wild World The Tropical Zoo.
Evening ? Free to explore the shops and nightlife around Cairns.

Monday, Aug. 16
Morning ? Tour Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park.
Game 5 vs. Cairns Tiapans (NBL) at Cairns, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 17
Morning ? Catamaran departs at 10:30 a.m. for Barrier Reef tour.
Evening ? Free to explore Cairns.

Wednesday, Aug. 18
Morning ? Free for individual or group activities around Cairns.
Game 6 vs. Cairns Taipans (NBL) at Cairns 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 19
Day ? Free for individual or group activities around Cairns.

Friday, Aug. 20
Leave for Cairns Airport at 4 a.m. Depart Cairns 5:45 a.m. Arrive Sydney at 8:45 a.m.
Depart Sydney at 1:50 p.m. Arrive Chicago O’Hare at 6:14 p.m.
Depart O’Hare at 7:35 p.m. Arrive in Omaha at 9:01 p.m.
Arrive in Lincoln at approximately 10:30 p.m.