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Once every four years, the NCAA allows college teams to go on a foreign soil excursion. Association rules state teams are able to hold 10 extra practices and play competitive contests against local teams. This year, the UVA men's basketball team will be in Spain from Aug. 8-18. In Spain, the Hoos plan to utilize the extra time to help in- tegrate first-years Kyle Guy, Jay Huff, De'Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome — plus those with limited action, including redshirt first-year Mamadi Diakite and redshirt junior transfer Austin Nichols — into the team, under the pressure of playing quality competition. Associate head coach Ron Sanchez said most people think of these trips as exclusively about basketball development op- portunities, but they serve multiple purposes. "From a basketball standpoint, it's nice to get a few games under our belt," Sanchez said. "We have so many guys that are new to the program and it allows us to work on some things, experiment with some things, see what works and get an idea where these guys are before the season begins." A second benefit of the trip according to Sanchez is the opportunity for the players to assimilate and bond as a team. "When you're bringing in four new guys and you've got a transfer and a redshirt freshman, it's a great opportunity for these guys to begin working together, to get to know each other better and team bonding," Sanchez noted. "Being out of the country, not having the constant access to your friends and other distractions, kind of forces you to bond a little more and develop a great friendship with the guys that you'll be playing with." This is not the first time head coach Tony Bennett's Cavaliers have traveled abroad. His team's first trip to Europe was in 2012 where the Hoos concluded a similar five-game tour with a 2-3 record. Men's basketball isn't the only sport taking advantage of the benefits of foreign travel and practice. In December, prior to the 2015 season Brian O'Connor took his baseball club to Central America on an NCAA sanctioned foreign tour, also with a large rookie class featuring 14 new players. During the trip the team begin repeating the phrase "Panama to Omaha." Ironically, O'Connor's Wa- hoos went on to win the school's first College World Series title later that year. While Bennett isn't expecting an NCAA championship because of this trip, he told VirginiaSports.com in June that he sees tremendous value in the journey. "The tour itself is really good for just growing your team chemistry and experiencing an unbelievable culture from an educational standpoint and seeing some guys in competitive settings," Bennett said. — Greg Waters BEHIND THE SCENES MEN'S BASKETBALL'S TRIP TO SPAIN Head coach Tony Bennett will utilize his team's trip to Spain in August to integrate four first‑years, a redshirt first‑ year and a redshirt third‑year transfer into his program in a competitive setting. PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA