RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Richmond basketball coach Chris Mooney considers his incoming class the best group of players he's brought in in a dozen years, and he believes the summer will be instrumental in the Spiders' success next season.

The team will take a 12-day trip to Europe in August, spending time in France, Germany and the Netherlands. While games and practices will be important, the opportunity to come together and bond as a team will be the biggest benefit, Mooney said.

"It's great because the guys don't use their cellphones," the coach said of traveling abroad. "They're allowed out at night. They just have to be in groups. It kind of forces you to be out of your comfort zone."