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GW ALEXANDRIA CENTER

Hoyas to Study Abroad

Georgetown hopes visit to China will be a chance to bond
Georgetown Universitys mens basketball team is back on the court and in the gym, prepping to play against some unconventional foes. The team departs Saturday for a 12-day stay in China. For most players, it will be their first time out of the country, but the greater experience will be the extra time this young team will have to bond. This teams obviously going to be a lot different than it was last year, sophomore Nate Lubick said. I think the biggest thing is to try and find some identity while were playing over there. Lubick was the lone freshman starter last season, and there are only three upperclassmen on the 13-man team for 2011-12.
Jason Clark, one of the two seniors leading the Hoyas this season (Henry Sims is the other), sees the trip as a chance to help unite the team. [The trip is] definitely an advantage, he said. Usually, you work out all summer and you dont get to be with your team fully until October. He has some learning to do, though. Hes horrible at using chopsticks and knows little more Chinese han ni hao. K.L.

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Tuesday, August 16 6:30 pm
Garage Entrance 1925 Ballenger Ave. Street Entrance 413 John Carlyle St. Suite 250 Alexandria,VA 22314 Metro: Blue/Yellow Line to King Street

The team will have had 10 days of practice prior to its departure, and will play four games against Chinese Basketball Association teams in Beijing and Shanghai. At the Olympic Sports Center in Beijing, the Hoyas will play the Beijing Ducks on Aug. 17 and the Bavi Rockets on Aug. 18. The team will then leave for Shanghai on Aug. 19 and host a clinic the next day, the highlight of Nikes Festival of Sport at Shanghai Stadium. This alternative preseason experience will be invaluable for the new team, and coach John Thompson III

will get to see what his players can do without the pressure of a win-loss record bearing down on them. Were going to play around with a lot of different lineups, Thompson said, but were not necessarily going into it saying, We need to win these four games. Its just, lets go, see what guys can do, how certain groups look together, who responds in different situations that we might not normally; lets put him there and see what happens. I think it will be a time to learn about this group, and they can learn about themselves. KRYSTINA LUCIDO

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NBC Inks Deal to Air MLS Games

Major League Soccer games will be televised by NBCs networks starting next season, doubling the number of homes that dozens of games will be available in. The package currently on Fox Soccer Channel will move mainly to the NBC Sports Network, Versus new name beginning Jan. 2. The cable channel will air 38 regular-season games, three playoff games and two U.S. mens national team matches each year. NBC will broadcast two regular-season MLS games, two playoff games and two national team appearances under the three-year contract announced Wednesday. It shows our sport is ready for prime time, MLS Commissioner Don Garber said. Not only will a handful of games be available to a broader audience on NBC, but Garber is confident soccer will get invaluable exposure through advertising during the networks coverage of other sports. (AP)
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THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/ AFFIRMATIVE ACTION INSTITUTION CERTIFIED TO OPERATE IN VA BY SCHEV.

Chivas USA, which holds the top slot in the MLS allocation order, has taken substantial interest in Freddy Adu, multiple sources have told The Washington Post. Adu is in the final year of his contract with Benfica, which is looking to sell or loan out the former D.C. United player. ( T WP)

CA PITA L S COACH BRUCE BOUDRE AU, EXPRESSING IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE WASHINGTON POST HIS OPTIMISM FOR THE COMING SEASON AND FOR HIS STAR PLAYERS RETURN TO FORM.