The University of Toronto is proud to announce that it will host a two-game international basketball series between Canada and Italy at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym June 24-25, 2008.

The Sports Gym, which is home to the U of T Varsity Blues basketball squad, will serve as an intercontinental stage when Canada’s development men’s basketball team hits its floor, featuring some of Canada’s best players from across the CIS and NCAA, including Josh Gibson-Bascombe (Ottawa), Boris Bakovic (Ryerson), Max Paulhus-Gosselin (Davidson College) and Kyle Landry (Northern Arizona University).

The University of Toronto is no stranger to international basketball, as Varsity Blues women’s team head coach Michèle Bélanger and assistant coach Mary Ann Kowal each have extensive experience playing and coaching for Team Canada. In addition, U of T men’s basketball head coach Mike Katz is a veteran of Canadian basketball, having served as an assistant coach on the national basketball squad during the 2000 Olympic Games and World Championships in 1993 and 2002. Katz also guided Canada’s team to a silver medal at the 1997 World University Games in Sicily, Italy.

Over two consecutive days, Canada will face an all-star Italian team composed of top-tier players culled from the country’s many professional and developmental basketball programs.

The event is expected to attract scouts and basketball fans from all facets of Toronto’s basketball community, including Maurizio Gherardini, vice-president and assistant general manager of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors.

Tickets are $10 at the door and $5 for kids under the age of twelve. Children 2 and under will be admitted free. Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m. each evening.

This international series, which takes place just days after Athletics Canada announced its decision to hold the 2009 and 2010 Canadian Track and Field Championships at the state-of-the-art new Varsity Stadium, demonstrates the University of Toronto’s revitalized reputation as a premier location for athletic events.

For more information, contact Simon Yau at 416-614-8037 x 248.