Summer Hoopin: How Two Owls Spent their Summer Vacation

For most Temple students, the months of June and July signify the beginning of summer vacation -- widely regarded as a time to decompress, relax, travel or simply enjoy the perks of returning home. For two members of the men's basketball team, however, the summer months were an opportunity to continually hone their skills in the off-season by representing their countries in international play.

While some of his classmates may have been content to bask on the pristine beaches of the Virgin Islands, Sophomore guard Aaron Brown was hard at work in St. Croix training with the U.S. Virgin Islands senior men's national team.

In his third year with the team, Brown saw action in eight games when the team competed in Nassau, Bahamas.

“It's always memorable for me to play with the [Virgin Islands national team] each year, because I get better every year,” Brown said. “I hit a few big shots for my team in front of a sold out crowd while playing in the championship against the Bahamas.”

Brown hopes to bring his international success and hard work stateside this season.

“I worked to improve my jumper, mostly off the dribble stuff. I was just soaking up as much knowledge as I can get to bring back to Temple -- to help out the best way that I can,” Brown said.

Also putting in time abroad was teammate Juan Fernandez, a senior shooting guard who hails from Rio Tercero, a city in the province of Cordoba, Argentina. Though it was sweltering in Philadelphia when he left in late June, it was the winter season when he arrived home and began training with the Argentine team.

No stranger to play in the international circuit, Fernandez mentioned his experience with this year's national team was slightly different than his experience in previous years.

“I used to play with [Argentina's] junior national team until I turned 19,” Fernandez said “Over the past three or four years, I've been going to training camps with the major team.”

“The training camps are usually a little different than what a season [with the junior team] would be like. This past summer, we stayed in Argentina for the most part, going to different places to practice, work out and play friendly games so everyone could see us play,” Fernandez explained.

Now 21, Fernandez began playing for the Argentine national team when he was 15. In his six-year stint with the team, he has been able to travel to a smattering of countries like Colombia, Venezuela, Turkey, Uruguay, New Zealand and Brazil -- all of which may have prepared him for the bi-annual 20-hour trek he makes to Temple University from his hometown.

For both players, the geographical distance isn't the only difference between minutes played at Temple versus those played internationally.

“College basketball and international basketball are very different in a lot of aspects,” Fernandez explained. “The ball changes, the three-point-line distance changes, the shot clock, some rules -- they all change.”

Brown agreed.

“International basketball is just more physical,” Brown said. “I played against a lot of pros, so a lot of the talent is better.”

Being surrounded by professional-level talent was something Fernandez also mentioned added extensively to his experience.

“You get to be around players that have a lot of experience,” he said. “Some play or have played in the NBA and just being around them helps you a lot to improve as a player and also to grow up a little as a person.”

Now back in Philadelphia after a summer spent, coincidentally, donning blue and white for their respective countries, both Fernandez and Brown will suit up alongside each other once again -- this time in cherry and white.

Kami Mattioli, Owlsports.com Columnist

Temple University Athletics

Summer Hoopin: How Two Owls Spent their Summer Vacation

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