The Cal Poly Mustangs Ready to Ride Through London
On 2nd September we welcome the Cal Poly Mustangs Men’s Basketball Team to London, where they will experience games against professional BBL and NBL teams, explore Britain’s incredible capital, reside in a beautiful 5* hotel, dine in famous British restaurants, build team unity and create memories that will last a lifetime.
The Mustangs will take on top-flight BBL opponents London Lions, the 2018/19 League and Cup champions, who they will battle at the state of the art 7,000 seat Copper Box Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. As well as the Lions, the Mustangs will face BBL outfit Surrey Scorchers at the Surrey Sports Park, an arena that boasts a great atmosphere and energy during home games.
Alongside their taste of BBL action, the Mustangs will travel to the newly built Solent University basketball facility to take on the 2018/19 NBL 1 League and Playoff champions Solent Kestrels, one of the UK’s most successful clubs across all age groups and favourite to achieve repeat success in the 2019/20 season. Rounding off their games will be Barking Abbey, historically the UK’s top Academy which has sent multiple players to NCAA D1, D2 and JUCO’s over the past decade. Active Men’s alumni in the NCAA include Akwasi Yeboah (Rutgers), Dan Akin & RJ Eytle-Rock (UMBC) and Caleb Fuller & Ade Adebayo (UC Davis).
Cal Poly returns three starters and six letterwinners from last year’s squad and welcomes six new Mustangs – including two graduate transfers and the activation of four players who redshirted last winter. Cal Poly Head Coach John Smith said, “I’ve been very impressed with how well our players have picked up a new system in such a short period of time. In the last two weeks, we’ve been able to add a hefty portion to both our offensive and defensive identity,” and added “the games in London will provide clarity for how effective we can be in executing our system against live opponents with a wealth of experience.”
Outside of the basketball, the Cal Poly group will enjoy many cultural and leisure experiences in the heart of the city that will give them a feel for life in Britain’s capital. They’ll take a trip to the trendy Shoreditch and Spitalfields Market, embrace the rich history of Westminster and the many royal sights it offers, indulge in high-quality shopping opportunities on Oxford Street, world-famous Harrods and the vast Westfield Mall and be entertained by a West-End theatre show. The Mustangs will take a day trip away from the city to visit Brighton & Hove on the South Coast of England, where they’ll find one of the UK’s most popular beaches and a city rich in culture and spirit.
Cal Poly’s trip will also include beautiful 5* hotel accommodation in the heart of London and the delights of some of the city’s best restaurants, an all-encompassing international experience that we hope will help to unify the team and create positive memories that will last a lifetime. We are delighted to welcome the Mustangs to London and welcome you to follow their journey via our social media channels that can be found on our homepage.
Find our more about our NCAA college tours here