Arizona Basketball Summer Tour Features Stops in Israel, Abu Dhabi

TUCSON, Ariz. - The Arizona men's basketball team has announced that the team will take a Summer Tour to Israel and United Arab Emirates, in conjunction with Complete Sports Management, Athletes for Israel and the Abu Dhabi Department of Tourism.

"I love traveling and this opportunity popped up for us thanks to Lea Miller-Tooley and Complete Sports Management, and they have done an amazing job putting this together for us," Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said. "Daniel Posner and Athletes for Israel is also an integral part of this trip and they are doing some great things to combat anti-Semitism and racism by bringing athletes to Israel to experience the culture for themselves. And we are thankful for the the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, who have included us in the exciting event that is bringing together some of the best basketball players from around the world."

The tour will begin when the Wildcats arrive in Tel Aviv on Aug. 10 and conclude with a return to Arizona on Aug. 20. Along the way, the Wildcats will make stops in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in Israel and then take part in International Basketball Week in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.

"Working with Arizona on their foreign tour is endemic as Coach Lloyd is one of the most international coaches in the history of college basketball," said Lea Miller-Tooley, CEO of Complete Sports Management. "We are excited to bring his team to Israel and Abu Dhabi, two historic places rich in history and culture. Arizona will be one of the first two teams ever to play a foreign tour in Abu Dhabi."

While in Israel for six days, the travel party will take walking tours of significant historical points of interest in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv as well as a few practices and a game against an opponent to be determined.

"We are excited to partner with Complete Sports Management to bring the University of Arizona to Israel," said Daniel Posner, CEO and Founder of Athletes for Israel, the foundation that is sponsoring 100% of the Israel portion of the team's tour. "This world-class college basketball program will experience Israel's history, culture and vibrant energy. Israel is the ideal place to bring a team to bond, connect and learn from one another. It is America's closest ally, and a flourishing democracy, with freedom of worship for all. Only by bringing athletes to Israel can we dispel common misconceptions in an upfront and personal way."

The Wildcats will then travel to Abu Dhabi for four days, with this part of the trip coinciding with USA Basketball's scheduled exhibition games against Greece and Germany in preparation for the 2023 FIBA World Cup in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. Arizona is scheduled to play two games in Abu Dhabi, with the final dates and opponents still to be determined.

Once finalized, further game information including opponents, start times and streaming options will be made available at arizonawildcats.com/SummerTour and on the team's official social media accounts (@ArizonaMBB).

In addition to the two games, the Wildcats will visit the Abraham Peace Accords House along with the Grand Mosque and other cultural experiences.

NCAA rules permit teams to take an international trip once every four years, and this will mark Arizona's first international trip since traveling to Spain in the Summer of 2017.

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