TAMPA — This week, the USF men's basketball team heads to Spain for three exhibition games as part of their "Summer Tour." The Bulls newest assistant is bringing a wealth of experience and his tourist hat on the team plane. St. Petersburg native Marreese Speights is USF's director of player development. Speights played on the University of Florida's 2007 national championship team before starting a 13-year pro career. He played ten seasons in the NBA and three more in China. Speights has never been to Spain, so he's just as excited as the players to head across the Atlantic.
"To be able to get together on the road, in a different country. 11 days, ten days- you have no choice but to bond. It’s gonna be good. It’s definitely going to be good," Speights said at the Bulls practice facility.
"It’s definitely going to help us in the long run. Everybody’s going to embrace it. This sport of basketball, it travels everywhere around the world. Some people teach it different. So people say it different. But it’s a great experience."
After his playing days, Speights ran his own youth academy before joining the staff at Georgia Southern last season. He knew his playing days would one day lead him on the path to coaching.
"When I went to China and played I was waking up every day thinking about how I can help impact players," Speights recalls. "I feel like that was my sign. Stop playing and start coaching."
Marreese, 36, said it didn't take much convincing to join head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim's staff. He wants to embrace the challenge of maintaining a high standard after the Bulls' regular-season AAC title last season.
"He’s all about the kids. He’s all about the people," Speights explained. "He has a big impact around the campus and the state of Florida. He’s all about his business. He’s all about wondering how he can get the kids better. It’s always about the people."
Speights is one of 47 players ever to earn an NCAA championship ring and an NBA championship ring. Sometimes he says he can't believe it himself, but he's quick to add that he loves sharing his basketball journey with young players.
"It's just a blessing to be able to have guys come up to me and talk about your experiences- because everybody wants to get there."
USF plays games in Barcelona, Madrid, and Malaga on August 4, 6, and 9.
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