The Grambling State men’s basketball team will get to enjoy a late summer excursion to Puerto Rico.
But it will be a business trip as well.
The Tigers, coming off their first 20-win season in 43 years and a SWAC title game appearance, will play a select team of players from Liga de Baloncesto Puertorriquena on Tuesday Aug. 8.
The LBP is a second-tier professional league, sanctioned by FIBA and a part of the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation.
Grambling last season won 24 games, the most since the 1979-80 team won 22 games, and shared the SWAC regular season championship with Alcorn State. It was their second regular season championship under conference coach of the year Donte Jackson, who was rewarded with a contract extension earlier this year.
The Tigers also placed two players on the SWAC’s all-conference teams – player of the year Cameron Christon made first team and guard Shawdarius Cowart was a second-team selection.
Both players have graduated, so the Tigers will be looking to fill those roles, though the expected returns of big men Carte’are Gordon, Jourdan Smith and Jonathan Aku will help.
The Tigers finished 15-3 in SWAC play and defeated Bethune-Cookman and Jackson State in the SWAC tournament before falling to eighth-seeded Texas Southern 61-58 in the conference championship game.
