ERIE, Pa. – Gannon men's basketball student-athletes
Adam Blazek (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) and
Robert Wilson (Streetsboro, Ohio/Streetsboro) will have a chance to display their talents overseas next week as part of a collegiate basketball tour sponsored by the Global Sports Academy.
California (Pa.) head coach Bill Brown will guide an eight-man roster through five games August 5-13 in Belgium and Holland. The roster includes Blazek, Wilson, Tim Kamczyc (Cleveland State), Marlin Mason (Cleveland State), Craig Sealey (Bowling Green), Quentin Harding (California, Pa.), Nicholas Novak (Pitt-Johnstown) and Samuel Marrella (Albright).
The tour will begin in Brussels, Belgium with two days of sightseeing, tours and practices. The opener is scheduled for August 7 against Haantjes Oudenaarde. The remaining schedule features contests against Gent Dragons in Bruges (Belgium), Port of Antwerp Giants in Antwerp (Belgium), Waregem in Ghent (Belgium) and Basics Melsele in Brussels.
Global Sports Academy (GSA) is a not-for-profit organization participating in domestic and international competition since 1991. Its mission is to arrange athletic competition for both Select All-Star and College Teams at all levels and to promote international goodwill with a better understanding between nations through sports.
The Global Sports Select/All-Star Team will train, compete and tour in Belgium. It's a very exciting opportunity that allows the student-athlete to act as an ambassador representing the United States and their respective institution, while competing in their sport internationally.
Blazek became the third consecutive Golden Knight to be named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division Freshman of the Year in 2011-12. The point guard averaged 15.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.2 steals in 26 games during his first collegiate season.
The Erie, Pa., native led the PSAC and ranked third among all NCAA Division II players in steals per game. Blazek was second among PSAC players in free throw percentage (.867), third in three-point field goal percentage (.435), eighth in assists per game, 12th in field goal percentage (.443), 15th in scoring and 15th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2). His free throw percentage was the nation's 30th-best mark.
Blazek reached double digits in scoring 18 times and scored at least 20 points eight times. He poured in a season-high 37 points at Clarion on February 11 while averaging 21 points during the final six games.
Wilson redshirted during his first season at Gannon in 2011-12 and still has two years of eligibility remaining. The junior forward started 53 games the previous two seasons at NCAA Division II Urbana. He produced two-year career numbers of 803 points (15.2 ppg), 468 rebounds (8.8 rpg) and 18 double-doubles. Wilson recorded 93 assists, 40 blocks and 77 steals in two years.
The Streetsboro, Ohio, native ranked 22nd among all NCAA Division II players in free throw percentage and 33rd in rebounding during his second season at Urbana. Wilson reached the 20-point plateau 10 times, double digits in scoring 19 times and double digits in rebounds 12 times as a sophomore. He recorded nine double-doubles in 2010-11, including 21 points and 10 rebounds (along with six steals) during a home victory against Gannon.
