Tag: the basketball tournament

The Basketball Tournament plans to return in July at a single site

The format of TBT 2020 will feature only 24 teams at one location and will be played in a span of about 10 days, likely without fans.

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The Basketball Tournament, an annual single-elimination competition, announced Wednesday its plans to return in July in a scaled-down format with strict safety protocols to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The 2019 version of TBT involved 64 teams at eight regional sites throughout the United States. However, the format in 2020 will feature only 24 teams at one location to be determined and will be played in a span of about 10 days, likely without fans.

Players will be quarantined and tested for the coronavirus throughout the tournament. A positive test will result in both that player and their team being removed from the event. Teams that have tested negative for the coronavirus will be permitted to play and will be regularly screened.

The event, which is televised by ESPN, has grown in popularity in recent years as the winner-take-all prize reached $2 million last year but the payout for this year has not yet been determined.

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Branden Dawson and Brandon Wood join Team Heartfire for The Basketball Tournament

Dawson and Wood make four former Michigan State players to join the summer tournament.

The Basketball Tournament is filling up with Michigan State alums.

After Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers joined Team Detroit last week, former Spartans Branden Dawson and Brandon Wood have signed with Team Heartfire for The Basketball Tournament.

Dawson played for Michigan State from 2011-2015, helping the Spartans advance to the 2015 Final Four. He was a second-round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. He played for Israeli basketball club Bnei Herzliya in 2019.

Wood joined MSU as a graduate transfer for one season in 2012. He currently plays professionally for Libertadores de QuerĂŠtaro in Mexico.

The Basketball Tournament is an open-application 64-team single-elimination tournament where teams compete for a $2 million winner-take-all grand prize. It is a really cool display of former collegiate stars and professional players outside of the NBA and is high level basketball. The winner of the 2019 TBT–Carmen’s Crew–was made up mostly of former Ohio State basketball players including Aaron Craft, William Buford, and player/coach Jared Sullinger.

TBT 2020 is scheduled to begin at the end of July, but that–along with most every sporting event–is certainly subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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C.J. Jackson, Andre Wesson, and Andrew Dakich join Big X, could face Carmen’s Crew

C.J. Jackson, Andre Wesson, and Andrew Dakich join Big X, a team of former Big Ten alum in The Basketball Tournament.

There’s another team in The Basketball Tournament that will have some serious Ohio State ties for the second year in a row. Big X announced three former Buckeyes to its roster Thursday.

Former point guard C.J. Jackson returns to Big X, with recently graduated Andre Wesson joining him. The heady Andrew Dakich will step off the sidelines as a coach and join Big X on the court this time. And there’s a good chance the team could match up with defending TBT champion Carmen’s Crew. Last year, Carmen’s Crew disposed of Big X 89-75 in the second round of the tournament.

If you’ve followed the original Ohio State alumni team Carmen’s Crew, there’s you’re familiar with the story. It has six former Buckeyes on the squad. Household names like Aaron Craft, William Burford, and David Lighty helped that team run through the tourney last year to win the championship and take home a $2 Million prize.

As for the Buckeyes being added to the Big X, they were given their own shoutout with a highlight reel also added in. Here’s a graphic just reminding everyone what they bring to the table.

If these two teams end up against each other, it’ll be like a dream come true for Buckeyes fans that used to watch those mid-2010s teams. Now starting a new decade, it’d be a nice blast to the past. Especially since the Columbus Regional is planned to take place on the campus of Ohio State at the new Covelli Center.

For now, we’ll just be thankful that we get to see these players on the court again as long as it all goes down as expected. The Basketball Tournament is set to kick off the Columbus Regional from July 23-26.

Former MSU Basketball SG Durrell Summers signs with Team Detroit for The Basketball Tournament

Former Michigan State Basketball shooting guard Durrell Summers will join Kalin Lucas on Team Detroit in The Basketball Tournament.

Earlier this week, we found out that former Michigan State point guard Kalin Lucas would be playing for Team Detroit in The Basketball Tournament. On Friday morning, we found out that his former backcourt running mate Durrell Summers will also be joining Team Detroit.

Like Lucas, Summers has spent his time since leaving MSU bouncing around between international play and the NBA’s G League, most recently playing for the Greensboro Swarm.

In his senior season for the Spartans, Summers averaged 11.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game on 35.6% shooting from three.

Team Detroit has already become a must-watch for MSU fans with the addition of Lucas and Summers, and it will be a fun story to watch develop if any other former Spartans join the squad.

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Former Michigan State point guard Kalin Lucas to suit up for Team Detroit in The Basketball Tournament

Former MSU star to suit up for his hometown in premier summer basketball event.

Kalin Lucas will be representing his city in one of this summer’s premier hoops events.

Lucas, who starred at Michigan State from 2007-2011, will be playing on Team Detroit for The Basketball Tournament 2020.

For the uninitiated, The Basketball Tournament is an open-application 64-team single-elimination tournament where teams compete for a $2 million winner-take-all grand prize. It is a really cool display of former collegiate stars and professional players outside of the NBA and is high level basketball. The winner of the 2019 TBT–Carmen’s Crew–was made up mostly of former Ohio State basketball players including Aaron Craft, William Buford, and player/coach Jared Sullinger.

TBT 202 is scheduled to begin at the end of July, but that–along with most every sporting event–is certainly subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lucas currently plays professionally for Crvena Zvezda, the top Serbian professional team.

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Ohio State basketball alumni team Carmen’s Crew announces roster additions

Ohio State’s alumni team, Carmen’s Crew, announced roster additions Monday as it prepares to defend it’s title in The Basketball Tournament.

If you were like us, you were smitten by the run a bunch of former Ohio State basketball players made last summer while playing in The Basketball Tournament. You know, the one that paid a winner-take-all $2 Million.

But Hang on Sloopy.

That Alumni team, Carmen’s Crew — originally named Team Scarlet and Gray– messed around and won the whole darn thing. It first took down four-time defending champion Overseas Elite in the semifinals before disposing of the Marquette alumni squad in the finals.

Well, your favorite band has gotten back together again to make another run at things and announced some roster additions Monday. Dallas Lauderdale, Jeff Gibbs, and Demitri McCamey will all be joining a nucleus of Aaron Craft, William Buford, Jon Diebler, David Lighty, and Evan Ravenel.

Lauderdale helped coach the team last season but will be back on the court. You probably got to know Jeff Gibbs and Demtri McCamey already as well. The 6-foot, 2-inch Gibbs is an Otterbein graduate that plays much bigger than his height, able to mix it up in the paint and rebound with his large wingspan.

McCamey is also no stranger to the squad, or to Big Ten fans fo that matter. He played for Illinois from 2007 to 2011 and decided to come over to the right side of culture, and assist the team to a title last season.

Carmen’s Crew is set to defend its title at the new Covelli Center on Ohio State’s campus beginning on July 23 and 24th.

 

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Covelli Center to host The Basketball Tournament and Carmen’s Crew

If you enjoyed Carmen’s Crew winning The Basketball Tournament last year, get ready. It’s all coming to the Covelli Center this summer.

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.”

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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