By: Josh Goldfine
Friday, July 16
(6) Team Arkansas vs. (11) Fort Worth Funk, 1p CDT/2p EDT, ESPN3
This will be a matchup of high-powered alumni teams. Jaylen Barford, who carried the Jackson TN Underdawgs deep into the tournament and earned All-TBT honors back in 2019, will team up with Courtney Fortson and sharp-shooting Dusty Hannahs to bolster a reloaded Team Arkansas. The Fort Worth Funk, a mostly TCU alumni squad, makes its TBT debut. Point guard Alex Robinson, the school’s all-time assist leader, and rebounding machine J.D. Miller give the team a chance to recreate the magic from the 2017 NIT Championship run.
(7) Purple & Black vs. (10) Omaha Blue Crew, 3p CDT/4p EDT, ESPN3
This will be a midwest alumni battle. Purple & Black, a Kansas State alumni squad, returns to TBT for a fifth summer. Point guard Martavious Irving and big man Thomas Gipson will attempt to lead the Wildcats alumni squad to its first-ever TBT crown. Omaha Blue Crew makes its TBT debut. The Creighton University alumni team is paced by point guard and four-year Blue Jay starter Jahenns Manigat, along with big man Martin Krampelj, Creighton’s leading rebounder in each of his final two seasons in Omaha.
(3) Challenge ALS vs. (14) We Are D3, 6p CDT/7p EDT, ESPN
This will feature a TBT staple against a squad looking to avenge tough losses in each of its two TBT appearances. Team Challenge ALS, playing to raise awareness and funds for those fighting ALS, returns for a fifth time and another chance at an elusive TBT title. GM Sean Marshall first put together this team back in 2017 to raise money for his Boston College roommate Pete Frates, who passed away in 2019. Speedy guard Jerome Randle, who earned All-TBT honors in 2018 while leading Eberlein Drive to the title game, will anchor the backcourt for Challenge ALS. We Are D3 is back for another year, having given UCLA and Syracuse alumni squads all they could handle in its first two TBT appearances.
(2) AfterShocks vs. (15) Ex-Pats, 8p CDT/9p EDT, ESPN2
This one will feature the home team looking to send a squad of former mid-major players packing. A Wichita State alumni team, the AfterShocks will be playing on their home floor for a second straight time, having lost a second-round matchup back in 2019. Sharp-shooting guard Conner Frankamp leads a host of former Shockers who will be playing in front of a packed crowd at Koch Arena. The Ex-Pats, a collection of former Patriot League players, make their TBT debut and will lean on former Patriot League Player of the Year Zach Thomas and Kahron Ross, the league’s all-time assists leader.
Saturday July 17
(5) Florida TNT vs. (12) Kimchi Express, 12p CDT/1p EDT, ESPN3
Two teams with TBT experience will face off in this one. Florida TNT makes its second TBT appearance, having last competed back in 2019. Top players from around the state of Florida make up this talent-laden squad, which will count on former NBA players Antonio Blakeney and Devaughn Akoon-Purcell as well as TBT scoring machine Chris Warren, who makes his fifth TBT appearance. Founded originally back in 2015 “to spread Korean culture through sports,” Kimchi Express makes its fourth TBT appearance and will lean on former G-League standouts Will Davis and Marcus Graves as well as Texas State scoring machine Nijal Pearson.
(4) LA Cheaters vs. (13) Mental Toughness, 2p CDT/3p EDT, ESPN3
This matchup features a team poised for a deep TBT run against an upstart looking to make a name for itself in this tournament. A team comprised of some of the best talent in the LA-area Drew League, the LA Cheaters make their second TBT appearance and are led by Casper Ware, Jr., who earned All-TBT status back in 2017 when he led Team Challenge ALS to the title game. NBA veteran Derrick Williams, the former second pick in the draft, will provide a strong inside presence. Mental Toughness makes its TBT debut and represents the JCK Foundation, a mental health advocacy organization. Marques Townes, who helped lead Loyola-Chicago to the 2018 Final Four, will lead the quest for the upset.
(1) Eberlein Drive vs. (16) NG Saints, 5p CDT/6p EDT, ESPN3
It’s an abundance of former NBA talent against a high school alumni squad. Once again, Eberlein Drive returns with a retooled roster and yet another chance at the TBT title that has eluded this squad for each of its seven prior entries. Former Kentucky standouts Archie Godwin and Marquis Teague are two of five former NBA players and give Eberlein its best chance at the championship. The NG Saints make TBT history as the first-ever high school alumni team, representing the juggernaut Philadelphia basketball program Neumann Goretti High School. Former Syracuse players Scoop Jardine and Rick Jackson headline this squad.
(8) The Enchantment vs. (9) Stillwater Stars, 7p CDT/8p EDT, ESPN3
This will be a clash of alumni teams. The Enchantment, New Mexico State’s alumni squad, makes its TBT debut and brings in Lobos from several different eras. Veterans J.R. Giddens, Drew Gordon and Darington Hobson team up with youngsters Anthony Mathis and Antino Jackson. The Stillwater Stars, an Oklahoma State alumni squad, are led by Markel Brown and all-around talent Jeffrey Carroll.
