RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky men’s basketball team has a long flight scheduled Thursday, but it will be worth it when the Colonels touch down in the U.S. Virgin Islands to compete in the annual Paradise Jam.

EKU will join five other teams competing in the four-day event. Wisconsin and Norfolk State join the Colonels in the St. Thomas Division while Fordham, Georgia and Old Dominion square off in the St. John Division. After divisional round-robin play concludes on Sunday, all six teams will be mixed together for a championship round on Monday.

Eastern, the defending 2005 OVC champions, will face Wisconsin in its opening contest this Saturday at 8:30 p.m. EST. The Colonels have never faced the Badgers and haven’t squared off against a Big Ten squad since 2000. EKU will then take on Norfolk State on Sunday at 8:30 p.m.

PARADISE JAM INFORMATION

The Dialls Diary
Sophomore forward Darnell Dialls will be keeping a daily diary on all of the Colonel happenings in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Please check in nightly for an updated diary entry and pictures.
--Click here to see Darnell's daily diary entry!

Photogallery
--Thursday's pictures
--Friday's pictures
--Saturday's pictures vs. Wisconsin
--Monday's pictures vs. Georgia

Live Video Streaming
Games this weekend at the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam can be seen on the internet. Fans will be able to purchase a subscription to watch LIVE video of the first round games. A $9.95 package offers all three games in EKU’s division and for $16.95, fans can watch all six games across both divisions. Please check www.collegesportsdirect.tv or www.EKUSports.com for more details.

Storylines
-- The last time Eastern Kentucky played in a tournament outside the continental United States was in the 1991-92 season at the San Juan Shootout. The Colonels went 2-1 on that trip with victories over Southern Florida and Miami (Fla.).

-- The Colonels return eight players from last year’s team that won a school record 22 games and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1979.

-- Senior guard Matt Witt, a preseason All-OVC selection, is the Colonels’ leading returnee as the senior averaged 14.4 ppg and 6.3 apg in 2004-05, both team highs. Witt has the chance to become the school’s all-time leading scorer this year. He needs 447 more points to break the current record held by Antonio Parris (1983-87) – 1,723 points.