Josh Goldfine, TBT Staff

Two teams loaded with TBT-tested players compete for a spot in Dayton. Heartfire, which advanced to the title game last summer as Team 23, is back and attempting to find that elusive TBT title, having lost two championship games by a total of four points. Eric Washington, whose heroics propelled Team 23 to a quarterfinal win over Sideline Cancer last summer, took over in the Round 2 win over The Enchantment, scoring all nine Heartfire points in the Elam Ending and finishing with a game-high 26 points. Washington’s 17.5 points per game are a team high this summer. Marcus Hall, who led Team Colorado to the 2016 title game and was a key player on last year’s Team 23 run, is averaging 14 points per game. Raphiael Putney is long, can defend and score when needed. The LA Cheaters, playing out of the LA-based Drew League, are a third-time TBT entrant. Sedrick Barefield, making his third TBT appearances, leads the way at 20.5 points per game. Casper Ware, Jr., who played a key role in Challenge ALS’s run to the title game in 2017, can score in bunches and averages 17 points per game. Former NBA player James Ennis is averaging a double-double. Ennis’ 13 rebounds per game rank first among remaining players.