Senior Chris McDevitt (Doylestown, PA) as well as three coaches from Widener's men's basketball staff next month are headed to Europe for eight days of sightseeing, basketball and fun in three countries.

The trip's purpose is to bring together players from our region who usually compete against each other and have them experience playing together by representing our region of the United States versus club teams from Europe.  This journey, run through Global Sports Academy, is also about experiencing the different cultures Europe has to offer. 

The adventure begins August 5 in Belgium, where the players will tour Mechelen, Bruges and Brussels.  From there it is on to Germany, where the party will experience the sights Dusseldorf and Cologne.  The group finishes its tour in England, where it will enjoy a one-day tour of London before heading home on August 12.

Widener coach Chris Carideo along with assistants Bill Leahy and Lou Becht will conduct a clinic hosted by the Local Professional Belgian Coaches. Carideo, entering his fifth season with the Pride, has won three Commonwealth Conference titles and led the squad to the NCAA Tournament three times.  He is 160-88 in nine overall seasons as a head coach and his 74 victories for Widener are third in school history.

McDevitt is the only player for Widener making the trip.  Taking advantage of additional playing time, McDevitt last season averaged 7.6 points per game, 2.2 assists per contest, led the squad with 32 three-pointers and also shot 72 percent from the free throw line.

Others making the trip include Anthony LoRusso from Ramapo, Sean Hughes from Rowan, Fran Brzyski from Susquehanna, Eric Brennan from Kutztown, Alex Raymond from Juniata, Otis Smith from Southern Maine, Damon Franklin from SUNY Cobleskill and Ricky Hudson from AIC.

The games pit the select squad against Roeselaere on August 6, Pitz on August 7, an opponent to be determined on August 8, Herten on August 9 and Technico on August 10.

Widener opens its season November 15 at Swarthmore.