Eastern men’s basketball team going ‘home’ to Australia

The way Eastern Washington coach Jim Hayford figures it, everybody’s going to be a winner when the Eagles tour Australia later this year.

“Everyone in the program is happy these guys will get to play in front of their families and friends,” Hayford said of a September trip that will include up to 10 games.

The Eagles will play in the Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns. Meanwhile, five Aussies will get a free trip home. They include Felix Von Hofe, Geremy McKay, Jesse Hunt, Michael Wearne and Mason Peatling.

“A big bonus is we get 10 extra summer practices on top of the games,” said Hayford, whose team must replace a trio of seniors that include all-time leading scorer Venky Jois.

Jois, who is pursuing opportunities in the NBA, after breaking 10 school records, is from the Melbourne area. He had 1,803 points, 1,015 rebounds and 240 blocked shots in his 122-game career as an Eagle and helped open the floodgates for other Australians to attend EWU.