It's the time of year where groups of Division III players, whether entire teams or groups of players, are hitting the road to go overseas, do some traveling, learn some things and play Division III basketball.

Augustana is in China, returning after a trip three seasons ago. Kyle Nelson is blogging from the Vikings' trip, with a preview and coverage to continue.

A group of D-III players (and a few D-II players) are heading to Europe, and Widener's Chris McDevitt will be blogging about it. Joining him from Division III: Anthony LoRusso of Ramapo; Sean Hughes of Rowan; Fran Brzyski of Susquehanna; Alex Raymond of Juniata; Otis Smith of Southern Maine and SUNY-Cobleskill’s Damon Franklin.

Budding Northwest Conference rivals George Fox and Puget Sound, each of which lost women's basketball coaches this summer, named new ones this week, just days apart. George Fox hired Michael Meek, coach at Southridge High School in Beaverton, Ore., while Puget Sound selected Loree Payne, anassistant coach at Division I Washington.

They replace Scott Rueck, who was hired as head coach at Division I Oregon State, and Suzy Barcomb, now the head coach at Division II Cal State-East Bay, respectively.

"I am so excited to be part of the University of Puget Sound family," said Payne, who also played at Washington. "This is an amazing opportunity at an excellent university with a great tradition in academics and women's basketball. I feel honored to be chosen to continue the tradition of success that has been built by Coach Barcomb and the alumnae of this program."

"I had had some on-and-off, back-and-forth thoughts about college coaching before," admitted Meek at George Fox's news conference, "but the George Fox situation was just a perfect fit. What they believe in and stand for is what I believe in and stand for as well. In sports, it is more about the journey than the goal, more about relationships than the record. If we have hard work, dedication, and commitment, then the wins and losses will take care of themselves."

Meek posted a career record of 264-79 (.770) in 13 seasons coaching girls' basketball in Oregon. His Southridge teams have won five of the last six Oregon large-school classification state titles.

"We are extremely impressed with Loree's enthusiasm, passion, and desire to be a part of the Puget Sound community," stated athletic director Amy Hackett. "She offers the confidence to create a positive environment in which student-athletes can grow, thrive and excel in all aspects of their college experiences."

Payne was a two-time All-Pac-10 player as a junior and senior as well as a three-time All-Academic Pac-10 honoree to round out a stellar playing career. Payne's name still appears in the Huskies record books where she currently holds or shares six school records. She previously spent three years as an assistant coach at Portland after spending her first year of coaching at Northwest Nazarene.

At George Fox, Meek inherits a perennial NCAA Division III national power. In 2008-09, with 10 freshmen on the roster, the Bruins went 32-0 and won the national title. Nine letterwinners are expected to return from the 2009-10 team that went 28-3 and reached the Elite 8. Included among the returners are two First Team All-NWC players, 5-10 wing Keisha Gordon and 6-5 post Hannah Munger. It is also anticipated that six new recruits, two of them all-state selections and the other four all-conference honorees, will join the program this fall.

"We have hired Oregon's most successful current high school girls' basketball coach," said Craig Taylor, George Fox athletic director. "I can't imagine a better fit for George Fox. We're excited about his basketball credentials, but we're also excited about the ways he will invest in the lives of our students off the court as well."