By: TBT Staff
E&J Brandy will support HBCUnited and feature the team as part of “The Hustle Series”, a docuseries around TBT 2021
BOSTON, July 7, 2021 – The Basketball Tournament (TBT) – the $1 million, winner-take-all summer basketball event broadcast live on ESPN networks – in partnership with E&J Brandy, the official spirit of The Basketball Tournament, today revealed that E&J will be sponsoring TBT’s first HBCU (historically black colleges and universities) alumni team.
HBCUnited, organized by current Howard University assistant coach Jake Brown and former Florida A&M tennis player Alexis Brown, brings together 11 highly decorated players from eight different HBCUs, with representation from Bethune-Cookman, Coppin State, Howard, Hampton, Morgan State, North Carolina A&T, Winston-Salem State, and Norfolk State. Featured on the roster are Charles Williams (Howard ‘20), the MEAC’s all-time leading scorer, Jermaine Marrow (Hampton ‘20), Hampton’s all-time leading scorer and 27th on the NCAA’s all-time scoring list, and Cletrell Pope (Bethune-Cookman ‘20), two-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Year.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HBCUnited?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HBCUnited</a> would like to thank its official sponsor, <a href="https://twitter.com/EJBrandy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EJBrandy</a>. Pick up a <a href="https://twitter.com/thetournament?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheTournament</a> x E&J ball for your pickup game. Enter for a chance to win and see official rules now at <a href="https://t.co/e2zDZ7wtZG">https://t.co/e2zDZ7wtZG</a> <a href="https://t.co/dZyjTsVvQ0">pic.twitter.com/dZyjTsVvQ0</a></p>— HBCUnitedTBT (@HBCUnitedTBT) <a href="https://twitter.com/HBCUnitedTBT/status/1412603591706226690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>HBCUnited will be competing in TBT’s West Virginia Regional July 17-21, with their first-round game against Armored Athlete Sunday, July 18 at 4 pm ET and streaming live on ESPN3.
“We’re incredibly thankful for E&J and their remarkable efforts to support our team and our community,” said HBCUnited general manager Jake Brown. “HBCUs are filled with an incredible amount of talent, and E&J’s sponsorship of HBCUnited will allow both our players and our respective universities to be showcased in the light they deserve in front of a national audience.”
HBCUnited will also be featured as a part of E&J’s “The Hustle Series,” an exclusive content series following the journey of players and general managers for three different TBT teams, including Challenge ALS and Team Brotherly Love. The Hustle series will peel back the curtain on what it takes to be a TBT general manager, displaying the process of assembling a team and the journey through the event while also highlighting players and their stories.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shooting for <a href="https://twitter.com/thetournament?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thetournament</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/jerome_randle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jerome_randle</a> ‼️‼️‼️ <a href="https://t.co/yMKEiW9GXD">pic.twitter.com/yMKEiW9GXD</a></p>— Team Challenge ALS (@TMchallengeALS) <a href="https://twitter.com/TMchallengeALS/status/1411000288287215622?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Hustle series episodes will go live on EJTBT.com starting July 16. Trailers will drop on E&J’s Instagram page (@EJBrandy) ahead of each episode.
Alongside their role as the official spirit of TBT since 2020, E&J will continue their partnership with the National Urban League by donating $100,000 as a part of E&J’s long-term efforts to champion inclusive communities and uplift minority voices.
The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to empowering underserved communities. With 90 chapters across 37 states, the organization offers programs dedicated to helping minorities secure economic self-reliance, improve quality of life, and gain equality & social justice.
“The National Urban League champions values near and dear to us: uplifting communities and empowering change,” said Brandon Lieb, VP of E&J Brandy. “We’re honored to work with both them and HBCUnited, and to use our partnership with The Basketball Tournament to help give these organizations the platform they deserve.”
For more information on HBCUnited, this year’s TBT, and its partnership with E&J Brandy, visit TheTournament.com