Junior Brandon McPherson (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) will be one of 10 current and former college basketball players participating in a six-game competitive tour against professional teams in Germany, while Jason Hawkins will be serving as an assistant coach for the squad.  The AIA team is one of 11 Athletes in Action international-touring men’s and women’s basketball teams this summer.

    The squad will hold a three-day training camp, August 9-11, at the Athletics-Recreation Center on the campus of Valparaiso University before departing August 12 to Berlin.  The team will play six games in Germany from August 13-18 and will return to the United States on August 19.

    McPherson averaged 11.3 points and 3.3 assists per game while starting all 31 contests for the Crusaders as a sophomore.  Hawkins is entering his second year as an assistant coach at Valpo after spending two years as the head coach at Calumet College [Ind.].

    McPherson will be joined on the AIA squad by Tweety Carter (Baylor), Stuart Creason (Colorado State), Chris Kramer (Purdue), Alex McLean (Liberty), Trent Meacham (Illinois), Mitch Platt (Oregon), Richard Semrau (Illinois), Anthony Smith (Liberty) and Dwight Thorne II (Colorado).  Hawkins will be coaching alongside UMass associate head coach Tim Maloney.

    Athletes in Action is celebrating 40 years as a Christian sports organization this summer.  Founded in 1966 by David Hannah, AIA is a branch of Campus Crusade for Christ.  For more information on Athletes in Action, visit their website at www.aia.com.