ITHACA, N.Y. -- Following the Cornell men's basketball team's foreign tour through Italy, one thing is certain - the Big Red will continue zipping up the court as quickly as a Vespa darts through traffic. 

Cornell returned to Ithaca on August 11 following a successful 10-day trip overseas that included stops in Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan. The Big Red took its full complement of players, coaches and staff on a tour that combined high-level competition with unforgettable cultural experiences across four of the country's most iconic regions, while also providing a unique outlet for team bonding away from the court.

The Big Red took care of business on the court, going 3-0 and averaging 94.0 points per game with the entire roster seeing action. Cornell knocked off Stella Azurra (95-41) in the opener, before topping ProCamp Azzurra (102-55) and the Italian Select Club (85-64).

"Our entire program is extremely grateful for the opportunity to spend time together in a place as special as Italy," said Jon Jaques '10, the Robert E. Gallagher '44 Head Coach of Men's Basketball. "Spending 10+ days exploring a different country with your best friends/teammates is unique experience that I know these guys will remember forever and a great way for the 2025-26 season to begin."

Sandwiched around the games was a full senses tour of "Bel Paese", or the beautiful country. The team took in the Colosseum under the Roman sun; heard Lake Como's waters whisper; were able to smell incense drifting through the Vatican; tasted pasta made in the land that perfected it; and felt the marble columns of the country's architecture.

"I can speak for all of the players when I say that we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to be able to go to Italy as a team," said senior Cooper Noard. "It was a great bonding trip that was planned and executed to perfection. We are thankful to everyone involved in planning the trip and everyone's help along the way. I especially think that the week of practice leading up to the trip and the three games we played helped us start to figure out our identity as a team and that will help us come November. I loved spending time with the guys and the coaches and I believe this is something I will talk about for forever. Not only was it fun but super beneficial for our production and success as a team this season."

Cornell will attempt to use its trip as a launching pad into a successful 2025-26 season. The program's success over the past four years includes four trips to the Ivy League Tournament, including a runner-up effort in 2025, two second-place regular season finishes, a 2024 appearance in the NIT and an impressive 72-41 overall record (34-22 Ivy). The Big Red has been even better the past two seasons with a 40-19 mark (20-8 Ivy), including an 18-11 record a year ago in Jaques' first season at the helm of his alma mater.