SUNY Cobleskill's Franklin Part of International Basketball Tourney
SUNY Cobleskill junior swingman Damon Franklin was part of an NCAA college basketball all-star team that represented the United States during the summer 2010 Friendship Tour. The five-game tour, which was an opportunity for athletes to foster international goodwill and friendship, ran from August 4-12.
The team and its coaches were selected by the Global Sports Academy, a non-profit organization created to arrange athletic competition between equally matched teams at all levels. Chris Carideo and Bill Leahy of Widener University (Penn.) served as coaches for the squad, which went 4-1 while winning by an average of nearly 20 points per game.
Franklin, a resident of Flint, Mich., earned second team all-North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) honors in his first season with the Fighting Tigers, averaging a team-best 15.0 points with 5.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals. After transferring from Mott Community College in Flint, the 6-foot-5 Franklin shot 46 percent while posting five double-doubles in scoring and rebounding as SUNY Cobleskill reached the semifinals of the NEAC tournament.
“The Friendship Tour was a great opportunity for Damon to represent SUNY Cobleskill and the United States not only nationally but internationally,” said head men’s basketball coach Matt Allen. “Having a SUNY Cobleskill student-athlete selected to represent our country in such a way speaks volumes for the growth of the Fighting Tigers athletic program and our participation at the NCAA Division III level. With Damon having aspirations to continue his playing career, perhaps internationally, upon graduation, this opportunity provided him with great insight and motivation to be successful during the upcoming season.”
The tour began in Mechelen, Belgium, and allowed the players to experience the dynamic history and culture of their destinations on various sightseeing trips. Within Belgium they also visited the cities of Brussels and Bridges, after which they toured Düsseldorf and Cologne in Germany. They moved on to visit Holland and the Netherlands and concluded the trip in London.
“After I graduate from SUNY Cobleskill, I plan on continuing my career in the sport of basketball somewhere overseas, but if basketball doesn't work out, I plan on becoming a sports journalist.” These were the words of Damon Franklin when asked about his future and by the way things are going it seems to be a bright one for this up-and-coming star.
