LISBON, Portgual (Aug. 14, 2025) – The Whittier College men's basketball team recently returned stateside after a memorable 10-day international tour of Portugal that featured competitive play, cultural immersion, and team bonding across two of the country's largest cities.
Between July 7 and Aug. 7, the Poets traveled through Lisbon and Porto where they played five exhibition games and came away happy to win four out of the five. The trip marked Whittier's fifth international tour in the past 16 years with previous trips taking the team to Costa Rica, Spain, Australia, and Brazil.
The trip gave Head Coach Mark Jensen and the Poets coaching staff a first look at incoming Cuyamaca College transfer Jonathan Duley, who averaged 24 points per game. The team also received major contributions from three key returners: junior point guard Sean Cervantes, senior wing Jaden Mathis, and 2024 Second Team All-SCIAC selection Chine Nwanevu. Several newcomers and underclassmen also gained valuable minutes, including Palomar College transfer Brandon Andrews, Montana State Billings transfer Bryce Whitaker, incoming Argentine freshman Bernardo Zappia, and returning sophomore Koleton Fenton.
""Portugal was an amazing life experience for the young men in our program, widening their view of the world and letting them be a small part of a different culture," Jensen said. "The people of Portugal were inviting, the food outstanding and the basketball was really competitive. Thank you to our tour guide Dustin Simcox from EuroBasket and to all of the Poet alumni, family and friends who made this trip possible."
Off the court, the Poets immersed themselves in Portuguese culture. The team spent four days in Lisbon exploring Sinatra Palace and Castle, both UNESCO World Heritage sites, while enjoying the beaches of Cascais. The group then traveled north to Povoa, a coastal town outside Porto, where they experienced local seafood, beachside relaxation, and a scenic boat ride down the Douro River. The team also found a crowd-pleaser in the Francesinha sandwich, a popular Portuguese dish.
With another successful international tour complete, the Poets return home energized and motivated for the upcoming season when they will look to improve a highly successful 2025 in which they won a SCIAC Postseason Tournament game for the first time in modern history.
Follow and show support for your Whittier Poets on Twitter (@WCPoets), YouTube and Instagram (@PoetAthletics)!
