Kansas basketball heading to Puerto Rico in August for exhibition games

For the first time since 2017, the Kansas basketball team will embark on an international trip during the preseason.

Before their long-awaited basketball season, the Kansas Jayhawks will travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico, in early August to play a three-game exhibition slate. It will give KU players some much-needed in-game practice before the regular season commences in November.

According to The Kansas City Star, the excursion will last one week, from August 1 to August 8. They will compete against teams like the Guynabo All-Stars and the San Juan All-Stars. Several professional players play in Puerto Rico nowadays, such as former NBA star DeMarcus Cousins, among others.

The Toledo Rockets traveled to Puerto Rico last summer, comfortably winning each of the three games they played. If a mid-major could defeat those teams, the potential preseason No. 1 squad shouldn’t have any issues.

More than anything, this experience allows Kansas newcomers to gel with returning players. Considering just three on the team were present on last year’s team, though, it will take some time for everyone to mesh together.

In less than two months, Kansas will begin their offseason practices for the first time. It will be a valuable time for the new Jayhawks, such as Hunter Dickinson, Nick Timberlake, and Arterio Morris.

ALSO READ: Strengths and weaknesses of the rebuilt Jayhawks roster

The fun part of the trip is that we will see Bill Self throw out some funky lineups. Perhaps Dickinson will take over point guard duties and isolate against the Puerto Rican national team. In these games, Kansas players will get a head start to find their niche with the squad.

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