The UC Davis men's basketball team departed Wednesday (Aug. 27) on a 10-day tour of Europe, where the Aggies had games scheduled with four national teams. The itinerary also includes sightseeing, with stops in France, Switzerland and Monaco.

Twelve players are on the trip: nine from the 2007-08 squad and three redshirts (players who did not compete in '07-08, thereby saving a year of eligibility).

The players practiced for 10 days in preparation for the trip and also took a French culture course.

"This is an incredible opportunity for us to participate in an enriching educational trip while continuing to develop a team identity," head coach Gary Stewart said. "We have embraced this tour with unbridled enthusiasm. The practices leading up to the trip have allowed us to enhance team chemistry, build trust, increase familiarity with our system and improve offensive and defensive execution.

"The European tour comes at the right time," Stewart said. "With nine returning student-athletes and three redshirts, without question, we will be able to use this valuable experience to springboard us into the 2008-09 season."

The Aggies were scheduled for a Thursday morning (Aug. 28) arrival in Paris. The players were scheduled to take three tours -- by bus, bike and boat -- with a game against Vanves amid the touring.

The team is scheduled to travel to Lyon on Aug. 31, for a game that night against West Lyon.

Next stop is Montreux for a Sept. 2 game against Monthey. The team's Montreux itinerary includes a visit to Chateau de Chillon, a 12th-century fort on Lake Geneva.

The team is scheduled to stay in Nice for the last three days of the trip, and during this time will travel to nearby Monaco for sightseeing and a game against AS Monaco on Sept. 4.

The team is due back Sept. 6.

John McMahon is assistant director of media relations for UC Davis Athletics.

The roster

Michael Boone, senior, Redlands

Todd Lowenthal, sophomore, Poway

Vince Oliver, senior, Inglewood

Kevin Toth, sophomore, Sunnyvale

Nathan Clark, senior, Ripon

Ryan Silva, sophomore, Clayton

Adam Malik, freshman, Glendale

Mark Payne, sophomore, Stockton

David Carter, senior, Fontana

Kyle Brucculeri, senior, Garden Grove

Joe Harden, sophomore, Acampo

Dominic Calegari, junior, Berkeley

COACHES

Gary Stewart, head coach

Kevin Nosek, assistant coach

John Lamanna, assistant coach

Duane Kouba, administrative assistant

On the Net

Look for tour updates at ucdavisaggies.com.