CEDAR CITY, Utah, Aug. 13 ? Dave Marek did a little bit more than mow lawns this past summer.

Not to put down the thousands of college students who spend the off-months working odd jobs to make extra money, but Marek had a summer most student-athletes never get a chance to experience: he competed for his national team.

Marek, a senior point guard on the Southern Utah University basketball team, planned to return home to Benesov, Czech Republic, this summer to visit his family. He hadn't been home for two years, plus, he knew there might be an opportunity to try out for the Czech National Team, since its' point guards, Morris Whitfield and Petr Czudek, had both recently retired.

Marek also had an in with the team, as the coach of his Sparta Prague junior team, Michal Jezdik, had been named coach of the Czech squad in March. Jezdik had contacted Marek via email in the spring, saying he might extend him an invitation to try out for the team, and when Marek got back to Benesov, the invitation came.

Although Marek went into the tryout with modest expectations, he went on to earn a spot on the squad, initially as a back-up point guard.

“I knew there was a chance to make the squad, but I really had no idea I would actually make it,” he recalled. “I hadn't played international ball for four years and there were some good players trying out. I knew it would be a good experience and a good opportunity to play with some good players though, whether I made the team or not.”

The team participated in two tournaments in Italy during his stay, and after the first two games, he was named the starting point guard.

Marek's participation on the team was cut short because of his return to school, but during his time there he averaged eight points and four assists a game and helped the team to a 4-2 record. That record included a pair of wins against the Italians, a team Marek said he regarded as the most talented in the pool of teams he competed against.

The competition also included a handful of top international players, including Danilo Galinari of Italy. Galinari was the sixth overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft, a selection of the New York Knicks.

“I played against some pretty good players, and learned a lot,” he pointed out. “It was a good experience for me.

“The European players aren't as athletic as the players [in the United States] but they know how to play the game,” he went on to say. “They know how to pass and shoot and play defense.”

In addition to the level of competition, Marek says there is also an added factor in international play: national pride.

“Playing for the national team, there is a lot of pride involved because you are representing your home nation,” he said. “It's a big deal, every game is on TV and there's a lot of publicity. Everyone knows you because you are on the national team.”

Marek also said it was good to participate because he was able to rekindle friendships with players he grew up with.

“I knew a lot of the guys on the team, they were guys I grew up playing basketball with but hadn't been around for four years,” he noted. “I had played with half of them on club teams and the Junior National Team, so to be with them and spend time with them again was a great experience.

-- SUU --