BYU men’s basketball international trip: Milan recap

BYU men's basketball spent the first two days of its international trip in Milan, Italy.

Date August 20, 2023 Author Tyson Jex

MILAN, Italy - Following a nine-hour flight from Atlanta to Milan, the BYU men’s basketball team and travel party landed in Milan around 9 a.m. local time on Saturday morning to begin its international tour.

Following a bus ride to the hotel and unpacking their bags, the group took a short walk to explore the city square and take a tour of the Duomi di Milano. The nearly two-hour tour led by a local guide allowed the group to learn more about the cathedral that took over five centuries to complete.

To cap off its first day in Milan, BYU defeated Orange 1 Basket Bassano 100-64 in a game hosted on the outskirts of the city. The Cougars connected on 16 3-pointers as four different players scored in double figures including a team-high 20 from Trevin Knell.

Spencer Johnson, returning to Milan for the first time since completing his two-year mission in the city in 2018, finished with 12 points, eight of those coming in the first quarter. Fousseyni Traore recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Following church on Sunday morning, they made the hour drive to Lake Como to explore the city and take a boat tour. During the tour, they spent two hours on the water learning about the world-renowned villas that are spread throughout the shores on the foothills of the Alps.

The group hosted a fireside for missionaries of the Italy Milan mission on Sunday evening with Johnson speaking along with head coach Mark Pope, Trey Stewart and Dawson Baker.