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Kentucky announces details of summer trip to the Bahamas

John Calipari

Kentucky head coach John Calipari huddles with the team during practice for their NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game Friday, April 4, 2014, in Dallas. Florida plays Connecticut on Saturday, April 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

AP

With the majority of the team that reached the national title game returning to campus, not to mention the arrival of one of the nation’s best recruiting classes, Kentucky has been pegged by many as the early favorite to win the national title next season. John Calipari’s program will get a head start of sorts in preparing for the 2014-15 season, with the team taking a trip to the Bahamas in mid-August.

Friday morning the team’s plans for the trip, which will run from August 10-17, were revealed with the Wildcats playing six games during their stay in the Bahamas. Kentucky will play two games apiece against the Dominican Republic national team, Puerto Rico’s national team reserves and the French professional club Champagne Chalons-Reims Basket.

“We are excited to make the trip to the Bahamas for our foreign tour,” Calipari said in the release. “Working with Lea and Mason Miller [of Complete Sports Management] has been a pleasure. My goal is for our team to grow together, to learn about one another, to have fun and to compete against teams that will stretch us out.

“These teams should be a challenge that will let us really see where we are at this point. But again, learning and having fun will be the emphasis of the trip. It’s another opportunity for us to fail fast.”

Kentucky will have to account for the departures of Julius Randle and James Young, with both leaving Lexington after one season for the NBA Draft where both are expected to be first-round selections with Randle likely going in the lottery. But the Harrison twins are back on the perimeter, and front court contributors such as Willie Cauley-Stein (he’s unlikely to play after undergoing offseason surgery), Dakari Johnson and Alex Poythress return as well.

The practices and games in the Bahamas will help the Wildcats as they look to strengthen the chemistry between the newcomers and a freshman class that features guards Devon Booker and Tyler Ulis and big men Trey Lyles and Karl-Anthony Towns.

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