West Windsor, N.J. – In what has become an annual highlight of their season, members of the men’s basketball team traveled to Washington, D.C., to play a game on the big stage.

Organized by Mercer County Community College (MCCC) Head Coach Howard Levy, the team faced off against Frederick Community College (MD) at the Verizon Center in downtown D.C. on Jan.  2. (Mercer lost 68-63 in a hard-fought contest.)

Team members had an opportunity to go behind the scenes at the center, which is the home base for the NBA’s Washington Wizards. Players took a tour led by Tommy Sheppard, Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations, and met with the Wizard’s strength coach and athletic trainer. They even had a chance to speak with versatile NBA veteran Alan Anderson, who joined the Wizards roster this season. 

Following the Vikings' game was the other big game of the day -- the Georgetown University Hoyas' match-up against Marquette. With the Hoyas in the house, Georgetown Coach John Thompson III took time out of his busy schedule to address MCCC players in the locker room. They also met Thompson’s father, the legendary John Thompson Jr., who coached at Georgetown from 1972 to 1999. The Vikings then watched Georgetown defeat Marquette 80-70.

Said Coach Levy, "The trip has become such a positive team-building experience for our players. That kinds of camaraderie helps us build the chemistry we need to see our players improve and grow."