Scarlet Knights Give Back in Barcelona
Aug 13 | Men's Basketball
BARCELONA, Spain – Rutgers men's basketball hosted a youth clinic for boys and girls in the Mataro municipality of Barcelona on Tuesday afternoon during its tour of Spain. The Scarlet Knights instructed the kids in various drills and encouraged them through games and contests to help spread both good will and basketball abroad.
"The people of Spain have been great to us and today we had an opportunity to give back to the community here by hosting a youth clinic" said head coach Steve Pikiell. "It was fun, we played basketball and a little soccer too. We invited all the kids to our game tomorrow night and they all said they will be there. It was a great day for Rutgers Basketball and a great day again here in Spain."
"Today was awesome," said sophomore guard Caleb McConnell. "They loved it and we loved it…We were able to teach them shooting, passing, and even a few of Coach Pikiell's plays."
"It felt really good to give back to the community," said junior guard Peter Kiss. "We even played a little soccer. They got us in soccer, but we got them in basketball. Overall, it was a good event and a lot of fun. We taught them how to shoot, a few dribbling moves, how to pass the ball and a little bit of everything."
The Scarlet Knights have shown a strong commitment to outreach under Pikiell, with 100 percent of the roster participating in community service initiatives during his tenure. The program has sponsored charity exhibitions and youth clinics, volunteered at soup kitchens, participated in holiday toy giveaways and visited with children at medical facilities around the state.
Rutgers is 3-0 thus far on its tour, which includes stops in Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona. The Scarlet Knights have out-scored their opponents 283-197. Sophomore Ron Harper Jr. has paced the team in scoring, averaging 20.0 points-per-game, while sophomore Myles Johnson has grabbed 10.0 rebounds-per-contest.
Rutgers plays its fourth and final scheduled game Wednesday evening against the El Maresme All-Stars in an 8 p.m. local tip-off.
Fans are encouraged to visit the team's Twitter and Instagram accounts. Highlight videos, statistics, game recaps, stories and photos will be posted throughout the tour.
"The people of Spain have been great to us and today we had an opportunity to give back to the community here by hosting a youth clinic" said head coach Steve Pikiell. "It was fun, we played basketball and a little soccer too. We invited all the kids to our game tomorrow night and they all said they will be there. It was a great day for Rutgers Basketball and a great day again here in Spain."
"Today was awesome," said sophomore guard Caleb McConnell. "They loved it and we loved it…We were able to teach them shooting, passing, and even a few of Coach Pikiell's plays."
"It felt really good to give back to the community," said junior guard Peter Kiss. "We even played a little soccer. They got us in soccer, but we got them in basketball. Overall, it was a good event and a lot of fun. We taught them how to shoot, a few dribbling moves, how to pass the ball and a little bit of everything."
The Scarlet Knights have shown a strong commitment to outreach under Pikiell, with 100 percent of the roster participating in community service initiatives during his tenure. The program has sponsored charity exhibitions and youth clinics, volunteered at soup kitchens, participated in holiday toy giveaways and visited with children at medical facilities around the state.
Rutgers is 3-0 thus far on its tour, which includes stops in Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona. The Scarlet Knights have out-scored their opponents 283-197. Sophomore Ron Harper Jr. has paced the team in scoring, averaging 20.0 points-per-game, while sophomore Myles Johnson has grabbed 10.0 rebounds-per-contest.
Rutgers plays its fourth and final scheduled game Wednesday evening against the El Maresme All-Stars in an 8 p.m. local tip-off.
Fans are encouraged to visit the team's Twitter and Instagram accounts. Highlight videos, statistics, game recaps, stories and photos will be posted throughout the tour.
Players Mentioned
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