Arizona Wildcats say traveling party safe, cancel rest of Spain trip after Barcelona attack

Arizona says its traveling party is safe after a terrorist attack struck a crowded area five blocks from their hotel in Barcelona, Spain, and the Wildcats have chosen to cancel their final exhibition game on Friday.

UA was scheduled to play Mataro Parc Boet in Mataro, about 25 minutes up the coast from Barcelona on Friday evening (10:10 a.m. Arizona time).

"The entire Arizona Basketball travel party on the Spain trip has been accounted for and is safe following the situation in Barcelona today," a UA statement said. "Our thoughts are with those affected by today’s events.

"We have decided to cancel our third and final exhibition of the tour and are currently working on travel plans to return home."

A UA spokesman said later he was doubtful the team would be able to change their travel plans so the Wildcats are tentatively expected to remain around their Barcelona hotel on Friday and stick with their scheduled flight home on Saturday.

Earlier on Thursday, assistant coach Book Richardson said via text message that the team was checking to see if everyone on their trip was OK and Robin Randolph, the mother of UA freshman Brandon Randolph, tweeted that everyone was.

They're all safe and accounted for. Thank God!

— Robin Randolph (@trulyacutiepie) August 17, 2017

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

Before UA's game was canceled, junior guard Allonzo Trier tweeted that "it's time to go," and said "praying for the world, we need so much help right now."

Yeah it's time to go

— Allonzo Trier (@ISO_ZO) August 17, 2017

Praying for the world, we need so much help right now.

— Allonzo Trier (@ISO_ZO) August 17, 2017

Three other college teams are presently in Barcelona, and all have indicated they are also safe: Clemson, Oregon State and Tulane. Grand Canyon was also in Barcelona but has since moved to another city. 

Arizona spent most of Thursday touring the city. The Wildcats were scheduled to visit FC Barcelona and shortly before the attack, the team's Twitter account posted video highlights from a tour of La Sagrada Familia. Players can be seen in the video, but it's unclear how many members of the traveling party visited the church. 

We saw why La Sagrada Familia gets more visitors than any other site in Spain. #ArizonaInEspana 🇪🇸🏀 pic.twitter.com/udAnXV8NAG

— Arizona Basketball (@APlayersProgram) August 17, 2017