Scots Spend Fall Break in England, Ireland, and Scotland

The College of Wooster men's basketball team will take advantage of the school's week-long fall break with an international trip, the sixth such trip for the program. This year's agenda features a 10-day trip, and the Fighting Scots will primarily be spending their time in Ireland and Scotland, but will also play a game in England.

The Wooster group, which includes 17 student-athletes, three coaches, and a few friends of the program, will open the trip on the spectacular Dingle Peninsula. The famed Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Edinburgh Castle, the famous Lindisfarne Priory, the Town of Alnwick in England, and Dublin are among the other points of interest from a sightseeing standpoint.

On the court, the Scots will conduct a youth clinic in Tralee, Ireland before taking on the Garveys Tralee Warriors, last season's Irish Super League playoff champions. Also on the schedule are tilts against the Select National Team of Scotland, Team Northumbria, champions of British Basketball's First Division, Griffith Swords Thunder, the 2017 National Cup champions, and the North Atlantic Basketball Academy. The table below lists Wooster's game schedule (all times Eastern). Fans are encouraged to check back to the table in the event video streams are available. The links will be posted in the table, and if there is a video stream, the link will also be tweeted out 20 minutes prior to tipoff from the Wooster men's basketball Twitter account @ScotsBasketball. You do not need to have a Twitter account to check if there is a video stream available for the game.

Throughout the trip, seniors Derek Schwarz and Ari Stern will provide updates to the team's excursions and games, which will be posted below.

Wooster previously visited Spain (2014), Ireland and Scotland (2011), Italy (2008), Germany and Austria (2004), and England and Scotland (2000). The NCAA permits such such international tours every three years.

Wooster with the Tralee Warriors after the Fighting Scots' 74-59 win on Oct. 8.

Oct. 7 update - Derek Schwarz

Our journey began at on Friday, Oct. 6 at 11 a.m. local time on Wooster's campus. We traveled to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. We flew to Chicago, our spirits and heads both high. After our brief two-hour layover, we boarded the flight, ready to get out of the country. However, due to technical difficulties and a hour waiting on the plane, we were escorted off the plane. After a three-hour wait, the flight staff told us that we would be flying to Newark, N.J. to transfer to another plane, which would carry us to our international destination. We arrived in Newark at 1:00 a.m., to which we were told the plane was eagerly awaiting us. After an hour wait, we board the flight, tired but not defeated. We then waited an hour on the flight to have "flight information" transferred over to the new aircraft. Finally, our plane took off, and we arrived in Dublin, Ireland at approximately 3:00 local time (10 a.m. Wooster time). We met our tour guide and boarded our bus for the four-hour drive to Tralee. There we ate a scrumptious dinner, checked into our rooms, and went to bed. Big day ahead tomorrow! 

Oct. 8 update - Derek Schwarz

On Sunday morning, the team and entourage woke up to weather typical of Ireland – cloudy. Once we had breakfast at the hotel, the team headed to Tralee's sports complex where both the Scots and hometown team ran a clinic for aspiring basketball players. After a few hours of teaching the kids how to shoot, dribble, pass, and rebound, the team was treated to a lunch at a local restaurant. We then returned to the hotel for a quick nap before making our way to the gym for tipoff. After the Scots topped the Tralee Warriors 74-59, we were treated to a lovely dinner and spent the night enjoying what Tralee had to offer.

Oct. 9 update - Derek Schwarz

After a 5:45 wake up call and a 6:30 breakfast, the Scots' crew travelled from Tralee back to Dublin. From there we boarded a prop plane, where most of our taller players had to duck. The plane carried us over the water and back to our college's roots. When we arrived in the beautiful capital of Scotland, Edinburgh, we toured the city and included in our sites were Arthur's seat and Edinburgh's castle. After the tour, we strolled through the city center and stopped for a dinner in a local restaurant. When the last morsel of food was picked off our plates, we had freetime to explore the city. The odyssey however, ended rather quickly as the back of our eyelids was more appealing than the city's architecture. Well, at least for tonight that is.

Wooster's basketball team toured Edinburgh on Tuesday.

Oct. 10 update - Derek Schwarz

After traveling in the seated position for what seemed like the entire trip, the Scots got to stretch their legs and tour the city of Edinburgh. In the morning, the tours were focused on historical landmarks, as the group travelled to the Edinburgh Castle built in 12th century and the beautiful St. Giles' Cathedral. After a break for lunch, the team gathered in front of the steps of the National Museum of Scotland. The  stone palace etched using a Romanic touch included collections ranging from the history of Scotland to a stuffed Dolly, the world's first cloned mammal. After a brief recess to gather our belongings, Wooster left to eat delectable Italian cuisine. After dinner, we headed to the arena where we battled the Select National Team of Scotland in Stirling. After a hard-fought battle, the team went back to Edinburgh, where players and chaperones alike rested their eyes, the consequence of a full day in a busseling city.

Oct. 11 update - Derek Schwarz

Due to the events of the previous day, the morning was free to relax and catch up on some sleep. Many, however, chose to enjoy the last few hours in Edinburgh by adding to the local economy, shopping in Old Town and New Town alike. At precisely 12:00, the team embarked to Holy Island, an ancient priary located on a strip of island, seperated by the mainland only during high tide. Once the island was properly toured and the Scot's proverbial stomachs were filled, we travelled to Alnwick Castle. The beauty of this stone marvel cannot be underexpressed. While it would take one days to completely absorb what the estate, with its gardens, fields, and activities, we only had an hour and a half. Once our time had passed and we were ripped from the space, our bellies were filled with fried food. The team then, in a state of comotose, played the third of our five-game gauntlet. Afterwards, we travelled from Newcastle to Edinburgh, where we deboarded, packed our bags, and caught a few hours of much needed sleep.

Oct. 12 update - Derek Schwarz

The gang woke up for breakfast in the wee hours of the morning, and caught an early flight from Edinburgh back over to Dublin, Ireland. Therefore, when the team got to the hotel, the players went straight to their rooms while much of the team's chaperones went straight to Grafton Street, the Fifth Ave of Dublin. After the players woke from hibernation and the chaperones returned from their shopping expedition, the Scot team sat down for dinner. Once the appetites were mollified, we headed to the Scottish National Sports Arena for our fourth contest. The team then went back to the hotel and got some much needed sleep after a long day of traveling.

Oct. 13 update - Derek Schwarz

The day began with a mid-morning breakfast at the Dublin facilities and was followed by a tour of the city. Some notable sites were the Guinness Factory and Phoenix Park, where both the President of Scotland and the U.S. Ambassador live while in the country. Heading south, the team visited the National Museum of History and Archeology, where exhibits pertaining to Scotland's history were explored. After a 45-minute stroll, the team was allocated an hour of free time to explore the city and eat dinner. Once the alotted time expired, the Scots made a quick pit stop back at the hotel and then straight to the sports complex for the final game. Once the final opponent was vanquished, the team and entourage enjoyed a well deserved meal back at the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel. For a night of exploring, the Scot crew went back to the city center to explore for a little while longer, before heading home to rest for the night.

Oct. 14 update - Derek Schwarz

On the second-to-last day of Scot's international trip, the team embarked on a journey to the port of city of Howth. It was there we hiked around the peninsula to witness the breathtaking views of the ocean as well as the Dublin Harbor. While some adventurous souls walked the 6 km route around land to see a 300-year old lighthouse, many headed back to the heart of the city to enjoy freshly fried Hake breath in the crisp, salt infused air. When all had their fill, the Scots drove to Brú na Bóinne and I assure you this is how you spell the location (Please don't ask me how to pronounce it, even the phonetic spelling is a nightmare). The site is home to Neolithic burial grounds that appear to just be large mounds of dirt, but are in fact home to some of the earliest permanent structures in Ireland, predating the Great Pyramids in Egypt. The Scots were led through ancient caverns and taught the astronomical history of the UNESCO site. When our brains could not absorb any more information, we headed back to the hotel, where many slept to recharge our batteries for the evening's events. The team, once rested, traveled to North Dublin, where a reserved room in a local tavern was prepared. We talked, celebrated, ate, drank, and enjoyed our final hours in the city we called home for the last few days. With our hearts both saddened and gladdened by the evening, the Scots left for the hotel and prepared for our journey back home.

Oct. 15 update - Derek Schwarz

Today was the last day of our excursion, and while I can tell you all the caveats of the day, we basically travelled for 10-plus hours, fighting through jet lag and ailments we picked up along the way. Instead of listing these rather mundane details, I would like use my small platform to thank  several people who made this trip possible. First of all, I would like to thank Jeremy Walker of Sports Journeys International for both organizing the amazing trip as well as handling over 40 people with grace and professionalism. I believe I can speak on behalf of  all those who went that Jeremy truly made the trip memorable and without him, we all would probably be stuck in the country. Secondly, I would like to extend gratitude to the Downtown Rebounders who supported us all throughout the trip; we truly do have one of the greatest fan bases in collegiate sports. Finally, I would like to thank our coaching staff: Steve Moore, Doug Cline, and Bruce Martin. Without these men, we as  players would not only have been able experience Ireland, Scotland, and England, but more importantly, would not be the men we are today. Last but not least, I would like to break the fourth wall and thank you the reader. While you may be a casual fan, or just someone who saw a hyperlink on the Wooster homepage, I would like to congratulate you on making it through our odyssey. I, on behalf of the Wooster men's basketball family, would like to extend to you a thank you as well as a warm welcome to any of our upcoming games, which can be viewed on our schedule. Thank you again for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you there. Roll Scots!!!