St. Ben's basketball will be on their way to the Big Island in Hawaii Saturday to play in a 2-day holiday tournament called the Big Island Classic in Hilo, Hawaii.  The Head Coach of the Bennies is Mike Durbin, who's in his 37th year at St. Ben's.  He explained that the program continues to receive tremendous support from fans and alums.  With the pandemic they weren't able to play many games so the money received was banked and will be used to help cover the costs of making this trip.

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photo - Jay Caldwell
photo - Jay Caldwell
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Durbin indicated the travel party will be around 70 people with many family and friends of the players choosing to mix in a vacation in addition to the 2 games.  He says the players and families are paying for their own airfare.  The trip will include a stop in Oahu where they plan to visit Pearl Harbor.  Durbin expects the players to take advantage of the beach opportunity more than he will.

The Bennies are off to a good start this season with a 6-1 record.  They will play Worchester State University Sunday and DePauw University Monday.  Durbin told me the team won't return home to Minnesota until Christmas Eve and will spend some time vacationing after they play the two games in Hilo.  Mauna Loa volcano recently exploded which Durbin says may be something they go to visit depending on the access to the location.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Mike Durbin it is available below.

 

 

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