Columbia Basketball Hits Europe

As most students finished packing for college, the Columbia men's basketball team was packing to go elsewhere—Europe. The Lions traveled to France, Holland, and Belgium to face club teams and take in the sights of the continent to help build a stronger sense of team camaraderie.

"Overall, it was a great experience," coach Joe Jones said. "I was very happy with how hard our players played and how they played defensively. We played pretty well."

Eight upperclassmen—seniors K.J. Matsui, Dan Trepanier, Jason Miller, juniors Patrick Foley, Kevin Bulger, Niko Scott, and sophomores Brian Grimes and Zack Crimmins—accompanied coach Jones and others on the trip. Two players of note, Joe Bova and Asenso Ampim, did not play.

"Joe still has a bad back, and he didn't play," Jones said. "But he should be able to go once practice begins.

"Asenso has a foot injury, and was not ready to play," he continued.

In the three games the Lions played, they faced Dexia Mons-Hainaut, the Willebroek Kangaroos, and Vanves Basket. Dexia Mons-Hainaut features a mix of former American collegiate players, including former all-Western Athletic Conference first-teamer Julian Sensley and Travis Conlan from the University of Michigan, as well as younger German players. While the other teams did not have Division I players, the competition was still extremely solid.

"The competition was all very good," Jones said. "I was pleased with what they did, how they ran the offense and forced us to play solid defense."

In their first game against Dexia Mons-Hainaut, the Lions fell 76-66. Grimes paced the team with 21 points and six rebounds, while Matsui and Scott chipped in with 13 points apiece.

In the second game, the Lions were able to defeat the Willebroek Kangaroos 72-69. Foley led the squad with 19 points, while Grimes had another solid outing with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

For the second consecutive game, Miller paced the interior with 12 boards.

Columbia defeated Vanves Basket in the team's final game 67-56. Foley and Grimes were two of three players in double figures, along with Matsui (11 points). Miller was again solid in the key with nine points and 11 rebounds.

"Jason Miller had a great tour defending the interior and rebounding," Jones said. "Brian Grimes averaged around 15 points and six rebounds, showing that the front line performed extremely well." With eight of these players facing solid competition this early on, the Lions hope to benefit in the future. With the return of Bova and Ampim and the addition of freshman recruits, it will be interesting to see what the rotation looks like as the season approaches.