For the first time ever, The Basketball Tournament will be coming to the campus of Ohio State according to a statement release from the university Tuesday.
The Ohio State alumni, better known Carmen’s Crew, is all set to begin its quest to defend its title in the new Covelli Center from July 23-26 as a part of the Columbus Regional. If you didn’t get in on all the fun last year, The Basketball Tournament is 64-team $2 Million winner-take-all tournament that has historically been televised live on the ESPN family of networks.
“There’s no better place to have the tournament,” Evan Turner said as a part of the statement from Ohio State. “I think that it’s going to be so special and fun to play at a place where we all became men. I think our guys are going to show up and show out and make the Buckeye faithful proud. This is definitely something I’m excited for and can’t wait to be part of and I know everybody in the city feels the same way!”
You can also count Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann as a big believer in bringing the tournament to campus.
“Our program prides itself on welcoming back our former players and having Carmen’s Crew back on campus for the Columbus Regional of The Basketball Tournament takes that to a new level,” Holtmann said. “Buckeye Nation will once again be able to cheer on legendary Buckeyes in our newest modern facility, the Covelli Center. TBT will be yet another opportunity for Carmen’s Crew to continue its success playing in Columbus in front of our tremendous fans.”
WE'RE COMING HOME TO COVELLI JULY 23-26!!!!
🎟️: https://t.co/uMygVu5Rur https://t.co/ARFJLNWLay
— Car❌en’s Crew (@CarmensCrew) February 18, 2020
Carmen’s Crew has captured the attention of Buckeye Nation over the last three years as it has made some pretty deep runs in the tournament only to fall just short. It finally captured its first TBT title last season, knocking off four-time reigning champion Overseas Elite in the semifinals, then disposing of the Marquette alumni team known as the Golden Eagles to capture the mountain of cash.
“We’re excited to partner with The Ohio State University to bring TBT to the Covelli Center,” TBT founder and CEO Jon Mugar said. “Watching Carmen’s Crew dethrone Overseas Elite last year was unforgettable. It was especially meaningful for the thousand Carmen’s Crew fans that shared in the two million dollar prize. There’s no better place for the team and its fans to begin its march to defend its title than back on campus at Ohio State.”
The winners of each region will advance just down the road to the University of Dayton Arena for the championship rounds August 6-11.
The full roster for Carmen’s Crew has yet to be announced, but former Buckeyes Aaron Craft and Jon Diebler are expected to play and be coached by Jared Sullinger and Evan Turner once again according to the statement.
We’ll keep an eye on how the roster shapes up as we get closer to summer, but with a few more seats available in a fantastic and shiny new venue on campus, the environment should be off the wall.
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