In 1999, men's basketball coach Brian Meehan took his Salem State University team to the Final Four after a preseason swing through Spain. He took the Judges to Italy eight years later, and they went to the Elite Eight. For Meehan, international tours have led to some of the most successful of his 16 seasons as a coach. He is hoping to duplicate that success this season, after bringing the Judges on a 12-day trip to Croatia this past August.

"We've found these trips to be very helpful in springboarding our season," Meehan said.

"Typically speaking, we've had excellent years following these trips."

The Judges won two of their three games in Croatia. The squad lost to KK Sabok in the final match, a contest that forward Alex Stoyle '14 said was pretty heated, especially toward the end of the game.

"The last game was really competitive," he said. "We were getting in some tussles with the other team. It was pretty intense. Both teams wanted to win, and we were excited to represent our country. We were [there] from the U.S. and those teams had never played against a team from the U.S., so it was great."

For Meehan, the important aspect of the trip was centered not on the results, but around the atmosphere that the team faced overseas.

"We played in adversity, playing in Croatia," he said. "You're not going to get any calls over there. You learn to stop looking for excuses and start looking for answers, how do we solve this problem? We had to learn how to adapt."

The trip also allowed the team to bond, getting to know each other in an unfamiliar environment lacking the distractions of Waltham.

"Even though they've been together for a couple of years, it's amazing hearing the conversations that they're having on the buses and such, learning about each other's families," Meehan said. "They really start to understand each other a bit more, and I really think that's a big part of the success that we've had following these trips."

Meehan brought 11 players with him on the trip, including two seniors, eight juniors and one sophomore. National Collegiate Athletic Association rules prohibit players from going on such a trip before having played with the team, meaning that first-year players, two walk-ons and guard Gabriel Moton '14, a transfer from Boston College, were unable to travel. Center Wouter van der Eng '13 stayed behind to train for his job as a community advisor.

Despite missing the trip, the players who stayed stateside haven't missed a beat.

"[Moton] is right where he should be," forward Ishmael Kalilou '15 said. "The freshman struggle from time-to-time, but they are doing a good job of learning."

"Basketball-wise, I wouldn't say they're behind at all," Stoyle added.

Meehan's Salem State squad appeared in the 2000 NCAA Final Four, where the Vikings eventually finished in third. The Judges' 2007 team might have moved past the Elite Eight had star forward Steve Deluca '08, MA '09 not gotten injured.

Will this year's team find similar success? It's too early to tell, and the coach said that nothing can be taken for granted. But Meehan is confident that the team is ready for the new season.

"I think we've found the leaders that we need, and I think this team can make the NCAA Tournament," he said. "Once we're there, anything can happen."
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