Kent State University seniors Deon J. Edwin (right) and Jimmy Hall will be part of Global Sports Academy's 2016 Men's Basketball Goodwill Tour to Croatia from August 8-17, 2016. Photo: Provided

Former Bayside Blazers player Deon J. Edwin, seen here being closed marked by former college player Houston E. Penn of Knights in the 2014 Hon Julian Fraser Save the Seed Basketball League, is a senior starting player for Kent State University. Photo: Charlie E. Jackson/VINO

"This is a great opportunity for Deon and Jimmy to use basketball as a means of experiencing another culture," said Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff. "They have both been tremendous representatives of Kent State basketball since they joined our programme, and this is a great reward for them heading into their final year of eligibility."

Hall and Virgin Islands’ Edwin will be part of an eight-member team scheduled to play five games against various club teams throughout Croatia. There will also be several sightseeing opportunities as the group travels to numerous cities, including Dubrovnik, Sibenik, Split, Trogir and Zadar.

The only returning starters from last season, Edwin and Hall are the Golden Flashes' most experienced players on the 2016-17 roster. Hall (16.4 ppg, 7.9 rpg) earned his second All-Mid-American Conference First Team honour in as many seasons a year ago while becoming just the fourth Flash to score 1,000 points over his first two seasons. Edwin (6.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg) had a strong finish to his first season in blue and gold, averaging 7.7 points per game over the final two months.

This will not be the first experience competing internationally for Edwin. In 2012, Edwin represented the Virgin Islands in the Centrobasket Championship in San Juan, Puerto Rico along with his older brother, Jason, who was named All-MAC honourable mention for the Flashes as a senior in 2005. The younger Edwin averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in four games.