BLOCK – University of Colorado sophomore guard KJ Simpson plays for the United States East Coast in a men’s basketball exhibition series August 5-7 in Barcelona, Spain.
The East Coast of the United States will play three games against players from Spain‘s Liga ACB, one of the best basketball circuits in the world. The team will play one game each day, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with all games scheduled for 11 a.m. MDT (7 p.m. local time).
The East Coast of the United States is made up of college basketball players from across the country, with the majority representing major conferences such as the Pac-12, ACC, Big Ten, and Big East. The team will be led by Utah Jazz assistant coach Alex Jensen.
Simpson earned All-Pac-12 conference freshman team honors in 2021-22, averaging 7.4 points per game and leading the Buffaloes in assists (86) and steals (26). ). His 86 assists are tied for seventh in a season in team history. A two-time Pac-12 Rookie of the Week, Simpson led or shared the team lead in assists 15 times and steals 12 times. He had nine double-digit games, twice leading the Buffaloes in scoring, including a career-best 19-point effort at California.
The trip coincides with the 30e anniversary of the “Dream Team” at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. The East Coast of the United States will experience educational activities and events related to this Olympic basketball tournament which saw the American team – represented for the first time by NBA players – win the gold medal against Croatia with a 117-85 decision on August 8, 1992.
The East Coast of the United States has hosted a summer tour for college basketball players since 2006. Recent graduate from UC Evan Batty played for the US East Coast in the summer of 2018 while touring Italy.
Cory Higgins, Colorado’s joint all-time top scorer (2007-11), plays for FC Barcelona in the Liga ACB, but it’s unclear at this time if he will be among one of the coast’s opponents. is from the United States.
For more USA East Coast news, follow the team on Twitter at @East_Coast_BBC and on Instagram at GuyRancourtBasketball or visit www.USAEastCoast.com.
