Head coach Matt Murken will get an early look at his Beavers basketball squad this year, as the team is set to head north to Canada for an international tour. This is not a yearly occurrence with the NCAA allowing schools to participate in an international competition tour once every four years.

This year, the Beavers will take that opportunity, giving Murken a chance to see his 2022-23 team play together on the court early. Typically, the basketball season starts at the end of October, but now, the Beavers will get a little taste of early action to see how they size up against other competition on the court.

There will be a total of four games played up north, with the first two taking place on Aug. 18 and Aug. 19 against the University of Regina in Saskatchewan. Following those matchups, the Beavers will head to Manitoba where they will take on the University of Winnipeg on Aug. 20 and Aug. 21.

It will be an exciting time for the Beavers players and coaching staff, as they will have an opportunity to play in front of fans that they normally wouldn’t see, with the ability to showcase their product to a new audience.

For the coaching staff, this will allow them to get the team to play together in game situations, which will be of benefit once the season rolls around. The staff will have the ability to play around with certain lineups and figure out which ones work best for the team.

Following their international tour, the Beavers men’s basketball team will head back to Minot as they get ready for classes to begin and prepare for the start of the regular season.