WAYNE – A group of NCAA Division II women’s and men’s basketball players and coaches will be making another trip to Brazil, which will include a female and male Wayne State College player.
According to a release from USA Sports Tours & Events group, 12 different colleges/universities from 10 states across the United States will represent the USA in Brazil later this month.
For the second time in three years, Wayne State College will be represented after previous women’s coaches Chris and Kelly Kielsmeier were joined by Paige Ballinger and Maggie Schulte to Brazil in 2017.
This year’s Wayne State members will be junior Halley Busse and sophomore Jordan Janssen. Sophomore Nick Ferrarini was also selected but according to the Wayne State MBB twitter account ‘he will not be participating’.
Busse led the Wildcat women in assists with 107 (3.6), recorded a team-high 55 steals, made a team-high 53 three pointers while ranking third on the team in scoring (11.7 PPG). She also was one of three players who started all 30 games. Wayne State finished the 2018-19 season 15-15 (9-13 NSIC) winning at University in the first round of the NSIC Tourney.
Janssen was a part of a highly talented group of freshmen that put the Wildcat men one spot out of a Central Region berth last season finishing 21-10 (14-8 NSIC) falling in the NSIC tourney semi-finals. The freshman big-man was the top rebounder with 8.4 per game and was the top underclassmen in scoring 11.7 per game behind the three seniors. He also ranked second on the team in blocks with 34, recorded 37 steals, shot 57.8% from the field and made a team-high 94 free throws (82.5%).
The teams are made up of men and women DII basketball players from across the country.
The Brazil Tour will last from July 22 – 31. Along with competing against local teams, the group will get to experience the best of Brazilian educational, cultural and social aspects of life.
After departing the United States on July 22, the teams will land in San Paulo, Brazil where they will play Sorocaba on July 24 then face the U-22 team from Jundiai on July 25. The group will then fly to Rio de Janeiro to play at the Botafogo Clube and Fluminense Clube on July 27 and July 29.
Some off-the-court activities include conducting a youth clinic in the city of Jundiai, touring the Christ the Redeemer Statue, Sugar Loaf Mountain and Copacabana Beach.
The 2019 USA D-2 Women’s Basketball Team – Brazil Tour will be coached by Ronnie Ressel (Missouri Southern) as the head coach and assisted by Heather Davis (Central Oklahoma).
Joining Busse of WSC will be NSIC teammates Cassie Askvig and Coral Gillette from University and Mary along with Peyton Boom and Kiley Borowicz of MSU Moorhead. Other Central Region teams being represented will be Missouri Southern (Amber Buch/Layne Skiles/Madi Stokes); Central Missouri (Kim Crown) and Washburn (Alexi McAfee).
The 2019 USA D-2 Men’s Basketball Team – Brazil Tour will be coached by Chris Foster of McKendree.
The only other NSIC athlete joining Janssen of WSC will be Northern State’s Parker Fox. Others from the Central Region will be Pittsburg State (RayQuan Elliot); Missouri Southern (Reggie Tharp) and Central Missouri (Matt Wilkinson). Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (Damani Hayes/Mitchell Sueker); Great Lakes Valley Conference teams Southern Indiana (Joe Laravie formerly played for Christian Brothers) and Missouri-St. Louis (Jason Towery) as well as Great Midwest Athletic Conference Walsh (JT Shumate) will also be on the team.