Louisville to play basketball exhibition series in Puerto Rico
Louisville's men's basketball team is venturing south to the Caribbean later this month to participate in a series of exhibition games against two Puerto Rican national teams.
The Cardinals will play a series of nine games from Aug. 10-17 against Puerto Rico's national team and junior team, the school announced Tuesday. The games will be played in four different venues, including three doubleheaders with split rosters.
The Cardinals began practicing for the Puerto Rico trip on July 27.
The exhibition tournament coincides with Louisville coach Rick Pitino’s decision to serve as the head coach of the Puerto Rico basketball team in two international events this summer, including the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico City from Aug. 31 to Sept. 12.
The top two teams in that tournament will qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Candidates for the Puerto Rico national team arrived in Louisville, Ky., to begin their training on July 30.
During the games in Puerto Rico, Pitino will coach the Puerto Rico team while his UofL assistant coaches will direct the Cardinals.
Louisville had to attain a waiver to allow Puerto Rico, a United States territory, to serve as the destination for the team’s foreign trip this year.