By Bradley Corbett
Good day mate! Let''s put another shrimp on the barbie.
On Saturday, August 9, the BYU basketball team will leave for a 10-day trip to Australia. The team will arrive in Sydney on Monday morning.
The Cougars will play five games against Australia''s professional teams.
Due to NCAA rules, college teams are only allowed to participate in off-season games like this every four years. Four years ago, BYU went to Europe and played at places like London and Croatia.
BYU will play two games in Sydney, beginning with a game against Hunter Valley on Wednesday. The team will then play two games in Brisbane and finish with one game in Cairns on Saturday, Aug. 16.
However, this trip won''t be all work all day. In their free time, the Cougars will be doing some sight seeing and giving firesides to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
'The team will visit places like the Opera House, Olympic Village and a big aquarium,' said Brett Pyne, BYU basketball director of media relations. 'Every road trip the team goes on they always do firesides. They are very popular amongst the members.'
Last season when BYU went to the Virgin Islands, the team had a large member turn out.
'In one area down there, the branch averages 20 members to church, but when we came down there, they had 85 people,' Pyne said.
Only players from last year''s team are allowed to go on the trip. That includes guard Austin Ainge, and forward Garner Meads, who red shirted last season.
The team hopes this trip can give them an edge going into next season. BYU has a tuff schedule with road games against North Carolina State, Boise State and California. BYU home games include games against University of Southern California and televised game against Oklahoma State in the Delta Center.
Although the team is only paying for players and coaches, some fans have decided to travel to Australia with the team to root them on.