By Brad Blume, Sports Information Director
RAPID CITY --- Part of playing college sports is the travel. Half of your games will be on the road - there is just no way around it.
The South Dakota School of Mines men's basketball team is preparing for the mother of all road trips over the next two weeks. The Hardrockers are about to set out on a journey that will take them to five states in 10 days and log approximately 4,048 miles.
See if you can follow this.
The Hardrocker men will shove off from Rapid City Friday morning and travel to Fort Hays Kan., to face the Fort Hays State Tigers Saturday afternoon and then head to Kearney, Neb., for a bout with the UNK Lopers on Sunday.
From there, the SD Mines men will spend the night in Sidney, Neb. Monday they will load a bus that will take them to the Denver International Airport. The Hardrockers will hop a flight to Phoenix, Ariz., and take vans from Phoenix to Azuza, Calif. The Hardrockers have a game with Azuza Pacific University on Jan. 2., followed by a short trip to Santa Barbra, Calif., on Jan. 3 to square off with Westmont College.
From there, the SD Mines men's squad will van it back to Phoenix Ariz., to play Arizona Christian on Jan.5 and, immediately after the game, rush to the airport and catch a flight back to Denver, jump on another bus and arrive back in Rapid City on Jan. 6 --- just in time to prepare for a home game against Valley City State on Jan. 7.
The Hardrockers have already spent a lot of time on the road and amassed an 8-3 overall record this season. SD Mines hasn't played a game since Dec. 9, so the Hardrockers should be rested for what is sure to be a very challenging and taxing trek.