Matt Fegan's Journal of the Ireland/Scotland Trip
Twelve College of Wooster student-athletes recently returned from a unique, educational experience, as the men's basketball team spent 12 days (Aug. 12-23) taking in a variety of natural wonders, touring three capital cities in Europe, and walking the world-famous Old Course at St Andrews Links among other activities during a trip through Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. The Fighting Scots also played four exhibition games.
"We saw some really good scenery, breath-taking sights. Everybody had a good time," remarked 25th-year head coach Steve Moore. "It was positive in so many ways. The educational experience. The team bonding … life-long memories for all these guys."
It marked Wooster's fourth overseas trip, with previous groups having visited Italy (2008), Germany and Austria (2004), and England and Scotland (2000). The NCAA permits such international tours every three years.
This year's Wooster contingent, a traveling party of 39 coaches, players, parents, and alums and fans of the program, flew in to southwestern Ireland and immediately toured the Cliffs of Moher, a hillside of steep cliffs that descend into the sea and one of the country's top visitor attractions. They then headed east to the famous capital city of Dublin for a couple of nights.
Next, it was on to Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland. One of the highlights of the entire trip was a visit to the Giants Causeway, a magnificent formation of basalt columns along the coastline, near there.
Then, the group got on a ferry and rode over to Scotland for a few days. That stint included a Sunday visit to St Andrews, where they got a chance to walk parts of the course where golf was invented, and a performance of the Royal Military Tattoo, bagpipers and bands set against the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, a fitting end to the trip for a team that is sometimes led out on to the court at Timken Gymnasium by bagpipers.
In between stops, the Scots got some time on the hardwood. They went 3-1 over the four games, losing the opener 76-68 to the Limerick Basketball Club on Aug. 14 and then running off victories against Dublin City University Saints (92-72 on Aug. 16), Belfast Star of the Sea (89-63 on Aug. 18), and the Edinburgh Kings (87-62 on Aug. 20).
A personal highlight for Moore was the game against Dublin City University, which included one of his former players on the roster, 1989 Wooster alum Mike Trimmer. The 44-year old Trimmer has had an extensive professional career, playing in a number of countries in Europe and South America, and he now lives in Dublin and works at the Bank of Ireland.
"That was really pretty neat," Moore commented. "It was a special night for Mike because it was his (old) school. The Dublin club really promoted the game. There was a good crowd and they had a reception afterwards for both (teams)."
Moore utilized the games to "evaluate guys in different roles" and "play everybody lots of minutes." Leading Wooster's traditional balanced scoring attack was Mike Evans at 12.3 points a game, while fellow senior Matt Fegan tallied 11.0 points and 4.8 assists. The team's top rebounders were senior Justin Hallowell and junior Jake Mays, averaging 6.3 apiece, with Hallowell adding 9.5 points as well.
Rounding out the roster of players on the trip were senior Justin Warnes, junior Josh Claytor, and sophomores Jimmy Orie, Scott Purcell, Sam Runner, Ryan Snyder, John Thompson, and Doug Thorpe.
