Men's Hoops Arrives in Bahamas

Nov. 26, 2013

NASSAU, Bahamas — The University of Iowa men’s basketball team and a plane of Hawkeye fans arrived at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island Tuesday afternoon. Iowa will be competing in the 2013 Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament Thursday through Saturday.

The charter departed Cedar Rapids at approximately 9:30 a.m. (CT) and arrived in Nassau around 12:30 p.m. (CT). After about an hour or so to retrieve luggage and go through customs, the Hawkeyes were en route to the resort where the tournament is being held.

The team received a police escort from the airport to the resort, which was quite the ride. The police and bus weaved through the city streets and arrived safely at the resort, despite the bus driving the last mile on a busted tire.

“That was about the craziest bus ride I’ve ever been on,” said sophomore Mike Gesell. “We’re excited to be here, this is a nice resort. But, we’re here on business; we’re here to get some W’s.”

After checking in, the team had about a two-hour practice before arriving back at the resort and preparing for a relaxing evening.

“This is a magnificent hotel,” said senior Zach McCabe. “We’re excited about this tournament and this opportunity.”

Iowa plays Xavier in the tournament quarterfinals at 6 p.m. (CT). The game will be televised on NBC Sports Network. To find the NBC Sports Network, fans can utilize the “NBC Sports Network Channel Finder” in the right hand column of nbcsports.com.