When Big Ten basketball took its annual European tour this summer, the Illini were well represented.

Because Illinois coach Bruce Weber coached the team, the rest of the Illini coaching staff and two players also got to take the trip to Spain. It was an opportunity not just to sightsee, but also to get back to basketball.

“It was a great experience getting to go overseas,” said redshirt-freshman Calvin Brock, who made the trip. “And it was a good time to start back playing competitive basketball.”

Brock and sophomore Brian Randle represented the Illini on the 12-man squad. Both players redshirted last season, which made the opportunity to play competitively in front of their coaches a great experience.

“It was a good thing having (Weber) coach,” Brock said. “He could put me in certain situations to see how I’d do. When the season comes he’ll have faith in me to do that.”

The Illini also got more time on the court due to an imbalance of players. There were only four guards on the squad, which meant Brock and Randle got to see significant playing time in the backcourt.

The team had three quick practices before heading to Spain. There they played five games in five days, winning two.

The squad dropped the first two games against Huesca Basketball Club and VIC Barcelona, then rebounded to top the Alcora Basketball club 99-82 on Aug. 16. The Big Ten players then beat Pamesa 82-66 before losing the final contest against C.B. Valls.

Brock’s best scoring came against VIC Barcelona, when he led the team with 18 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished five assists. Because the only other point on the team, Iowa’s Mike Henderson, was injured in the first game, Brock saw a lot of time on the court.

“I worked on my ball handling and just being able to make smart decisions in certain situations,” Brock said. “It was cool. I felt like I had control of the game the whole time, so I tried to cut down on my mistakes the whole time.”

Randle put up impressive figures in the first few games, but began to struggle when he developed stomach pains. He scored 15, 17 and 10 points, respectively, in the first three games, but made just one free throw in game four. Overall, though, Randle said he was happy to test himself against real competition.

“If anything I’ve gotten stronger and faster,” Randle said. “It’s encouraging for me to know that after a year of competition I can go out there and be better than I was.

“The main thing is confidence, just to get back out there, and I think I gained a lot of that just being out there and knowing that I can step right in and be effective.”

Before they started competing, the Big Ten players took a few days to sightsee, taking in Cathedrals, street fairs and a bullfight. Illinois assistant coach Jay Price said the tourist activities were just as much of a highlight as the athletics.

“Some of the guys had never traveled anywhere outside of the Big Ten realm,” Price said. “I don’t think they could have dreamed of a better experience.”

Price said the focus of the tour was more about getting time on the court and experiencing another country than about winning games.

“You can’t put a team together in three days. Even to do it with your own team, it’s hard to do,” Price said. “More than anything we wanted them to have fun.”

Now that the Illini are back on campus and less than two months away from the start of the season, which kicks off with the Orange and Blue scrimmage Oct. 28, Brock and Randle say they are ready to get back on the court.

“I’ve been ready for the past two years,” Randle said. “Actually being out there and playing against different guys, that definitely lit my fire. It helped me regain my confidence. We can get started right now.”