MOSCOW, Idaho – The boys are back, with Idaho men's basketball taking the court for its first official practice of the 2017-18 season on Friday.
 
"Obviously it's great to be back in the gym and I know this team is throbbing at the bit to get out and get playing," said head coach Don Verlin.  "With eight returning guys and six new guys it's going to be a lot of fun putting this team together."
 
The Vandals return a ton of talent from last year's squad that finished in a tie for third in the Big Sky Conference.  In all, Idaho brings back over 80 percent of its scoring and rebounding from last year, including its top seven scorers.  Perrion Callandret, who missed the majority of last season due to injury, is also back for one more run.
 
"I've got six guys that have been in the program for four our more years, so that should make the transition fairly smooth," Verlin continued.  "But we've also got to integrate some new guys that are going to be really good players in this program."
 
One exhibition lies between Idaho and the regular season, with LCSC making its way to Moscow for a men's and women's doubleheader on November 5.  The women will tip off at 2 p.m., with the men following.


 
The regular season gets started that Friday night on the road, as Idaho takes on NCAA Tournament team Nevada.  Idaho faces a challenging non-conference schedule that has the Vandals playing in four different time zones over a span of less than a month.
 
Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho men's basketball by following the team on twitter, @VandalHoops.

For more information on Idaho Athletics, visit GoVandals.com.  Fans can also find Idaho on Twitter and Instagram, @Idaho_Vandals, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals.