SAN ANTONIO – Trinity University men's basketball players
Ben Estis (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) and
Jackson Lawson (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) have been selected to compete in the USA D-3 Basketball Teams – Brazil Tour 2026.
Both Tiger players will compete on the Red Team, which will be coached by Chris VanderHyde of Gustavus Adolphus College (MN). There are 17 total players split between the Red and Blue Teams that are participating in the tour, which will run from July 27 through August 5.
"This is an outstanding group of young men." says Ron Smith. "Many of the players on this year's USA D-3 Basketball Team - Brazil Tour had outstanding individual seasons and led their teams into post season play." "This tour is designed to expose players to a great international Basketball experience while providing a once in a lifetime opportunity for educational, cultural and social growth."
The teams will begin with orientation in Orlando, Florida on July 27
th before the teams departs for Sao Paulo, Brazil. The teams will play (Doubleheaders) in the cities & clubs they play in. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the USA D-3 Basketball Teams will play in the city of Sorocaba versus the Sorocaba Basquete Clube and Basquete Tatui. Both are professional teams from the state of Sao Paulo. On Thursday the teams will fly to Rio de Janeiro. The USA D-3 teams will play two additional games each in Rio de Janeiro on either Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday.
In Brazil the team will experience educational, cultural, and social aspects of Brazilian life through city, school and sports club visits. In Sau Paulo the teams will be staying in the city of Sao Paulo, the second largest city in the Western Hemisphere. In Rio de Janeiro the team will be staying on the world-famous Copacabana Beach (location for the 2016 Rio Olympic Beach Volleyball) and touring the Christ the Redeemer Statue and Sugar Loaf Mountain, two of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. The team will visit the popular international market in Ipanema and Ipanema Beach.
Led by Head Coach
Marwan Elrakabawy, the Tiger men's basketball team finished with a 22-7 overall record and reached the Southern Athletic Association Championship game. Trinity received an at-large bid to the NCAA Playoffs and advanced to the second round before being eliminated.
