By: TBT Staff
Below are the previews for each of TBT’s four Quarterfinal games. Two will take place on Monday, July 29 at Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY. The other two will tip on Tuesday, July 30 at the Fertitta Center in Houston, TX. All games will be broadcast on Fox Sports.
International viewers can watch all the action on thetournament.com/watchtbt.
For a full TBT 2024 tournament schedule, please click here.
MONDAY, JULY 29; FREEDOM HALL; LOUISVILLE, KY
7p EDT: Carmen’s Crew (Ohio State) vs Takeover BC
This matchup pits one of TBT’s most storied teams against an upstart looking to continue its inaugural TBT run.
Carmen’s Crew is the Ohio State alumni squad playing in its sixth TBT. The 2019 champions have many new faces but the same winning mentality that brought home the $1 million prize in Chicago five years ago. This team is deep and can beat you in a variety of ways. Jamel Morris leads the way in scoring at 12.7 points per game. Six different players average at least eight points per contest. Carmen’s Crew shares the ball as well as any remaining team, ranking second in assists per game. The Buckeyes’ alumni squad also does it on the defensive end, ranking third in points allowed.
Takeover BC is a TBT newcomer which has taken the tournament by storm. AJ English and Desi Washington have formed one of the most devastating backcourt duos in the field, averaging 23.7 and 20.7 points per game, respectively. Takeover BC isn’t afraid to shoot the deep ball, ranking first in three-point attempts. Many of those attempts have found their way to the bottom of the net so far this summer: Takeover BC’s 89 points per game rank tied for first among remaining teams.
9p EDT: The Ville (Louisville) vs La Familia (Kentucky)
This one is being hyped as the biggest rivalry game in TBT’s 11-year history, with Bluegrass State bragging rights on the line when these two perennial powers meet in front of a packed house at Freedom Hall that will shatter the TBT attendance record.
Kerem Kanter (22.3 ppg) leads four players averaging in double figures for La Familia, the University of Kentucky alumni squad making its TBT debut. Kanter led La Familia in scoring in both Rounds 1 & 2 and also controls the glass, averaging 9.7 rebounds per game. Former NBA first-round pick and veteran guard Eric Bledsoe averages 17.7 points per game and poured in a game-high 24 points in a Round 3 rout of Herd That. La Familia’s 86 points per game rank third among remaining teams.
The Ville, a Louisville alumni squad, will be playing in front of a raucous home crowd. David Johnson has come up big this summer, leading the way at 16.7 points per game. Montrezl Harrell (13.0 ppg, 8 rpg) and Russ Smith (13.0 ppg) have also been strong contributors.
TUESDAY, JULY 30; FERTITTA CENTER; HOUSTON, TX
6p CDT/7p EDT: Happy Valley Hoopers (Penn State) vs Eberlein Drive
This quarterfinal matchup pits one of only two teams to appear in TBT’s inaugural tournament back in 2014 and an alumni squad poised to take its next step on the way to the $1 million prize.
Eberlein Drive, which lost the 2018 title game to four-time champion Overseas Elite but had fallen in the first round each of the past two summers, won the Butler Regional with a pair of closely-fought victories. Tyler Stone’s pull-up jumper in Round 1 sent Team Arkansas home, and Eberlein Drive needed a Jake Stephens tip-in to escape a furious Elam Ending rally from Assembly Ball in the Round of 16. Besides Stephens, who scored 18 points in his lone TBT appearance of the summer, four other players have averaged in double figures for Eberlein Drive, led by Anthony Clemmons (17.0 ppg). Opponents would be wise to keep Eberlein Drive away from the foul line, where its 85% free throw percentage ranks fourth in TBT.
The Happy Valley Hoopers, a Penn State alumni squad, downed Keystone State rival Zoo Crew (Pitt alumni) in a tight Round of 16 contest to reach the quarterfinals. Samuel Sessoms has had as dominant a tournament as any guard so far this summer, averaging a team-high 21.7 points per game. Sessoms can score in bunches and nearly singlehandedly eliminated the Zoo Crew by scoring the game’s final eight points. Greg Lee checks in at 20.7 ppg., and John Harrar controls the paint, averaging 8.3 rebounds per game. The Hoopers average 89 points per game, tied for first among remaining teams.
8p CDT/9p EDT: Forever Coogs (Houston) vs Team Colorado (Colorado)
A host school will once again play before its home fans, while an alumni school looks to take another step towards its first-ever TBT title.
Forever Coogs is the University of Houston alumni squad making a name for itself in its TBT. Rob Gray (19.7 ppg) leads a balanced scoring attack that features four players averaging in double figures. Gray has led the scoring attack in two of the first three games this summer. Justin Gorham (8.3 rpg) and Devin Davis (8.0 rpg)man the glass.
Team Colorado reached the TBT title game back in 2016, falling to Overseas Elite. The University of Colorado alumni squad makes its seventh appearance in the winner-take-all tournament behind the dual threat of Andre Roberson and D’Shawn Schwartz, each averaging 15 points per game. Roberson has been a force on the boards, averaging 11 rebounds per game. The Buffaloes alumni squad has won each of its first three games by four points or fewer.
