Penny Hardaway taking Memphis basketball to Dominican Republic. Here's when Tigers play
The Memphis basketball team is headed back to the beach this summer.
The Tigers will take a weeklong trip to the Dominican Republic in August, playing three exhibition games against teams made up of local pro and club players. Penny Hardaway's team will face the Dominican National Team at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 2 in Santo Domingo. It will also take on Dominican select teams on Aug. 4 and Aug. 6 in La Romana, Dominican Republic.
"Four years ago, we went to the Bahamas and it gave us an opportunity to bond and grow as a team," Hardaway said in a press release. "Now, this summer I'm hoping that the Dominican Republic does the same thing for this year's team. It will be a combination of business and pleasure. I hope to see our fans there."
NCAA rules permit college basketball teams to take an international trip once every four years. Memphis last made a foreign trek in August 2019, visiting Nassau, Bahamas. That team was largely made up of Hardaway's first No. 1 recruiting class, although James Wiseman and Precious Achiuwa did not participate.
In addition to the exhibitions, programs that opt to make overseas trips are afforded 10 extra practices to prepare. The international trips became more common in 2010 when rules changed to allow freshmen to participate after getting through the NCAA clearinghouse and completing summer school classes.
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The Dominican Republic won't be the Tigers' only international trip this year. Memphis will travel to the Bahamas to participate in the Battle 4 Atlantis (Nov. 23-25). The bracket has not been set, but the field includes North Carolina, Villanova, Arkansas, Michigan, Stanford, Texas Tech and Northern Iowa.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball schedule includes summer trip to Dominican Republic
