Hobart College rising senior Jackson Meshanic recently participated in a 10-day playing tour of Brazil. USA Basketball put together a men's and women's team of Division III all-stars that played in and around Rio de Janeiro.
 
Meshanic, who was a 2021-22 D3hoops.com All-Region second team pick, played four games in the Southern Hemisphere, two against U22 teams and two against professional clubs, going 4-0.
 
"It was good competition," says Meshanic. "A couple of the teams really pushed us. I think I played pretty well and the experience will definitely help me going into my senior year."
 
In between games, Meshanic was able to visit the city's major sites, including the famed Christ the Redeemer statue, Sugarloaf Mountain and the downtown market. A Spanish and psychology major, he put his Spanish and limited Portuguese to good use while experiencing the city and its culture.
 
"We stayed in a hotel that was right on the world-famous Copacabana Beach," says Meshanic. "They have open air gyms, so we could work out and then jump in the Atlantic Ocean to cool off when we were done."
 
With the strength of the U.S. dollar against the Brazilian real, Meshanic was able to dine at a churrascaria, a Brazilian steakhouse, for a fraction of the price that it would cost in the States.
 
Meshanic, who enters his final collegiate season 152 points away from 1,000 for his career, hopes to continue to play basketball after graduating.
 
"Like a lot of things in life, it's about connections," says Meshanic. "This was an opportunity to play in front of Brazilian coaches and players and build relationships."
 
Meshanic will have another "audition" in August when the Hobart basketball team travels to France, Italy and Spain on a 12-day playing tour.