Arkansas-Pine Bluff: the ultimate road warriors

COACH GEORGE IVORY

SAN DIEGO, California  --  The Arkansas-Pine Bluff men’s basketball team just returned from a three-game tournament in Hawaii. On Tuesday the Golden Lions bused to Little Rock and took two flights to San Diego ahead of tonight’s 7:30 game at Viejas Arena against San Diego State.

They’ll spend Thanksgiving here, then fly to Spokane, Wash., for a Saturday night game at Washington State.
 

Home for two days, then a road trip to Arizona State and Oregon.
 

Home for two days, then a road trip to Michigan State and Air Force.
 

Home for the holidays, then a two-game tournament in El Paso, Texas.
 

By the time the Golden Lions have their first home date of the season at H.O. Clemmons Arena, against Mississippi Valley State on Jan. 2, they’ll have played 11 games in eight states and five time zones and travelled 20,272 miles, or roughly 4,600 short of circumnavigating the planet.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff coach George Ivory explains it like this: “I tell our guys, ‘This is a life experience, to travel and see the world, to play against these great teams and great coaches. A lot of people will only see them on TV. You get a chance to shake Coach (Steve) Fisher’s hand and play in these big arenas.’

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