Three Salukis are getting a taste this summer of what the rest of the world has to offer.

Hardwood competitors Tony Freeman, Nick Evans and Carlton Fay traveled across the world to compete against athletes from Jordan, France, Germany and a host of other countries as part of the Sports Reach program.’

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Fay returned from China last week while Turkey was the destination for Evans and Freeman, who collected Most Valuable Player honors on the trip.’

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Freeman, who has spent more than a year since playing in a meaningful game after transferring from Iowa, said the trip was a valuable experience.

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He averaged 20 points and eight assists in the four games.

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‘I wasn’t really trying to distribute or score specifically.’ I took what the ‘D’ gave me,’ Freeman said.’ ‘I’m an all-around player.’

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It may not have affected him too much that they were playing outdoors, but Freeman said the wind made it difficult to shoot, so he drove through the lane whenever he could.

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He said he also enjoyed spending time with teammate Evans, who was in his second year with the Christian program.

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Although the center was met with foul trouble throughout the trip, Evans did not stray from his usual, energetic style, Freeman said.

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‘The bigs over there were like Vlade Divac,’ Freeman said.’ ‘They would yell, jump, and flop.’

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Robby Speer, executive director of Sports Reach, said the program is fortunate to have the support of SIU head coach Chris Lowery.

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‘We have had a great experience with these guys this year and Nick last year,’ Speer said in an e-mail. ‘The trip for Tony and Nick finished with a gold medal going 4-0.’

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They defeated a team from Bulgaria to reach the semifinals against another from France.’ After the semifinal victory, Germany fell victim to Freeman and company.

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And when Freeman and Evans returned from their undefeated run in Europe, Fay headed to China to fine-tune his game.

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The NCAA allows a maximum of two athletes per university team to travel with the program at a time, Speer said.’

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Since the program was founded in 1986 as ‘Kentucky Baptist Sports Crusaders,’ it has grown to include athletes from around the world.

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Speer said the most rewarding part of the experience has been watching their players change as people.’

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‘We are trying to have an impact in the spiritual realm on the people that we play against or get to talk to in different countries, but it is such a great time to see players take a good look at themselves,’ he said.