While Maryland is in the Bahamas playing 3 exhibition games in 4 days, Clemson departs today for their own series of summer exhibition games in Italy.
CLEMSON — Other than Daylight Savings Time twice a year, Clemson sophomore point guard Jordan Roper has never adjusted his watch.
That’s because he’s spent every moment of his 19 years in Eastern Time Zone.
Justifiably, Roper’s a little bit excited to spend Aug. 8-18 on an tour of Italy, sightseeing and playing four exhibition basketball games nearly 5,000 miles to the east.
“It’s crazy. We’re so blessed to go on this trip,” Roper said. “We can’t thank coach Bender (Clemson director of basketball operations Dick Bender) enough for setting this whole thing up. We’re really lucky to be a part of everything.”
The Tigers didn’t find out the journey was official until the middle of last season, and it never sank in until this summer when it became the next task at hand. Clemson will fly from Atlanta to Rome, landing Friday in Italy and returning a week from Sunday after passing through Florence, Venice and Lake Como.
