By: Josh Goldfine

Wednesday, July 28

1 Golden Eagles vs. 5 Autism Army, 7p EDT / 6p CDT, ESPN2

This is a matchup between the defending champions and a new team that has made quite the first impression in TBT. The Golden Eagles look as hungry as ever this summer, one year after winning their first TBT title. Versatile big man Elgin Cook has connected on 14 of his 17 field goal attempts over the first two wins, and it was reliable scoring threat Jamil Wilson whose three-pointer hit the Target Score in a Round 2 win over scrappy Playing for Jimmy V. Expect Maurice Acker and Dwight Buycks to take on a larger scoring role in the Round of 16. Playing on behalf of the Life’s WORC organization, which provides care and support for those with developmental disabilities, Autism Army is appearing in its first TBT. The team was founded by Delroy James, whose son, Jaylen, is autistic. James, a four-time TBT participant, scored a game-high 19 points and had the game-winning basket in a Round 2 win over Always Us in which Autism Army rallied from a 14-point deficit. J’Covan Brown and Darryl Monroe are each scoring threats for Autism Army.

3 Boeheim’s Army vs. 7 Always A Brave, 9p EDT / 8p CDT, ESPN2

This is a battle between two veteran TBT alumni teams, both of which have reached the semi-finals but neither of which has appeared in the championship game. Boeheim’s Army, the Syracuse alumni squad, brought in Tyrese Rice, DeAndre Kane and D.J. Kennedy in an attempt to capture TBT’s $1 million prize. Rice poured in a team-high 20 points in an opening-round win, and Kennedy’s game-high eight rebounds were critical in a 68-62, hard-fought win over Team Heartfire in Round 2. Kane continues to play his trademark stingy defense. Always A Brave is a Bradley alumni squad that will be playing in front of a home crowd. After a stunning comeback win over the Chicago Hoopville Warriors in which they clawed back from a record 13-point deficit during the Elam Ending, Always A Brave ran away from the upstart Jackson TN Underdawgs in Round 2. Darrell Brown, Jr. scored a game-high 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting in the win over Jackson, and Always A Brave will count on a team effort if it wants to pull off the upset and head to Dayton.