PHOTO GALLERY

For your one-stop shop to everything Seawolves as the men's basketball program heads to Spain and France, be sure to bookmark this page and check back daily for content and journal entries from our program in Barcelona, Valencia and Paris. Also, follow the program on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all of the behind-the-scenes content from the team's journey.

Day 9

The last of our three games was a matinee as we took on Cergy-Pontoise, members of the National 2 French League. We started hot, taking a 24-point lead into the locker room thanks to eight 3-pointers. At the end of the night, it was junior Elijah Olaniyi (Newark, N.Y.) who led the way with 18 points and sophomore Frankie Policelli (New Hartford, N.Y.) who added 2 in our win over the team.

Our last tourist destination was down to the Montmarte District and the Sacré-Coeur for our last dinners of the trip. We all split off and enjoyed the shops that the area had to offer and took in everything in our last night in Paris.

Day 8

Our day in Paris started less than stellar as rain shortened our trip up the Eiffel Tower to the second visitation deck. Before the storm came in, which some could see rolling in due to the height we were at, we were able to see breathtaking views of the entire city from all sides. The rain then forced us to shorten our visit. After lunch, we went down towards Notre Dame to see the area and go to some of the shops.

The highlight of the day was at night when we took an hour to cruise down the Seine River and see all of the cathedrals and sights Paris has to offer as the sun set. We crossed under 22 bridges, waving to native Parisians and tourists alike throughout the ride.

Day 7

Travel day went very smoothly as we were able to get in and out of the Valencia airport without any trouble. Paris' first greeting wasn't so good as Mother Nature decided to throw some clouds and rain into the mix and it has been like that for the majority of the night. It became light enough where it was still nice to walk around, with the temperature sitting in the upper 60's. The hotel provides nice views as well with the Eiffel Tower about two blocks from where we're staying. That is on tomorrow's agenda, as is a river cruise on the Seine River, which goes right through the heart of Paris.

Day 6

After a relaxing day where exploration of the city, sitting on beaches or perusing shops was the norm, the Seawolves took to the floor for their second of three games to be played, knocking of CCBA Select 90-83. The team hit 12 triples as junior Andrew Garcia (Harlem, N.Y.) led the way with 18 points and six rebounds. Redshirt junior Makale Foreman (Kingsport, Tenn.) added four threes en route to a 17-point night and junior Elijah Olaniyi (Newark, N.J.) had 14 to go along with five boards. 

The first of two flights in four days will be tomorrow as the team heads to Paris and the final stop on Stony Brook's European Tour. The destinations in France include a river cruise tomorrow night and a trip up the Eiffel Tower on Sunday morning. It should be an exciting end to what has been an unforgettable week.

Day 5

Today's lone event was a scavenger hunt throughout the city, picking out different clues and sights to compile points. The team was split into three groups of five with tour guides helping them along the way. It was a great way of helping our players see the city and interact with some of the culture and history that it has to offer. After the group grabbed food in the city's center, it was off to the beach to enjoy the sea that sits 10 minutes from the hotel.

Day 4

After another workout in the morning, it was time to travel to our second destination on this journey: Valencia. So we loaded up the bus and took the five-hour trip down Spain's eastern coast throughout the day. Once in the city, the guys were given the rest of the night to hang out at the beach or catch up on some rest as the rest of the day was their's.

Day 3

As far as unique experiences go, today was about as good as it gets for our program. We did not start the festivities until the afternoon, allowing some people to catch up on lost sleep and others to experience the city in their own way. As a team, we started today with a trip to La Sagrada Familia to take in what is going to be the tallest church in Europe when construction finishes in 2026. 

Today was also our first game day as we took on a Mataró Select team that was hungry for a win after losing last night. Rising junior Elijah Olaniyi (Newark, N.J.) had other ideas, as he led us with 19 points and 13 rebounds as we won the contest 80-67. Rising sophomore Miles Latimer (Fairfax, Va.) had a trio of triples en route to 11 points and rising junior Mouhamadou Gueye (Staten Island, N.Y.) was the final Seawolves player in double figures with 10. Latimer's classmate, Jeff Otchere (Bronx, N.Y.) had 10 rebounds to go along with eight points. After a lift session in the morning, we say "Adios" to Barcelona and head south to Valencia for stop two of our trip.
 
Day 2

After waking up refreshed and adjusted to our new home for the next couple days, we jogged down to Anytime Fitness near our hotel for a quick workout with our Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Performance, George Greene. This got us ready for the day that would include a tour of Camp Nou, the home of FC Barcelona and a catamaran ride into the Mediterranean Sea.

Our first stop would be to the home of Lionel Messi, FC Barcelona. The tour included a trip through the team's museum, where its six UEFA Champions League and 26 La Liga trophies were on display, among numerous other individual and team pieces of silverware. The team was also able to take in the press area, visiting locker room and walk out to the pitch from the player's tunnel. 

After the tour and a stop for lunch, the team traded in gym shorts and Nike dri-fit shirts for bathing suits and tank tops for a catamaran ride into the Mediterranean. The two-hour venture allowed the guys to unwind (shoutout to DJ Elijah Olaniyi for the soundtrack) and enjoy the sunshine. For some, the water was the place to be as everyone took turns jumping in from the boat once it got out to sea. 

Another solid day down and gameday approaches... here's what head coach Geno Ford said to Mid-Major Madness before the trip about what he looks for in his squad.

Day 1

It's not too often you leave one place at 5 p.m. and seven hours later, it's somehow 6 a.m. and you are on a completely different continent. Alas, that was the situation we entered, albeit eagerly, as the trip almost a year in the making was finally happening. We had landed in Spain and the fun was about to begin. Yes, there are three basketball games to be played but there is also culture to take in, sights to see and new foods to try.

To avoid our body clocks disrupting the trip, we hit the ground running, heading straight to the hotel to drop off our bags and get some breakfast. A bike tour awaited at 10:30 a.m. local time (4:30 a.m. Eastern) in which we would get some exercise and also take in cathedrals, fountains and the Barcelona beaches in a roughly 150-minute time span. It's amazing how much culture is packed into these cities while also modernizing for events like the 1992 Summer Olympics.

After that, our bodies finally won us over and said it was time to relax so that's what we did. Nothing left on the itinerary today but attempting to stay up as long as possible to adjust to the time difference. We'll see who succeeds in the morning...