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<p><em>TBT Record 71 Players with NBA Experience and 29 Alumni Teams to Compete</em></p>
<p><em>Jimmer Fredette, Projected 2023 Draft Top-10 Picks Ausar and Amen Thompson Highlight Field of 64 Competing for $1M Prize on ESPN</em></p>
<p>The Basketball Tournament (TBT) &ndash; the $1 million, winner-take-all, summer basketball event broadcast live on ESPN networks today released the bracket for this year&rsquo;s tournament. For the fifth year in a row, all games will feature TBT&rsquo;s Elam Ending&reg;.</p>
<p>Now in its ninth year, TBT 2022 will feature 71 players with NBA experience and 29 college alumni teams, both of which are TBT records. The field will once again feature 64 teams squaring off in a single-elimination format and will be supported by longtime partners PUMA, Zelle, and E&amp;J Brandy.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The field will be split into eight regions played over two weeks in July. Seven of those regions will be headlined by alumni teams, while the eighth regional will be played at Rucker Park&rsquo;s legendary Greg Marius Court in New York City.</p>
<p>One team from each region will advance to the quarterfinals, which will be split between Wichita, Kansas (July 27) and Dayton, Ohio (July 28-29). Dayton will also host TBT&rsquo;s semifinals (July 30), as well as TBT&rsquo;s $1 million winner-take-all championship game (Aug. 2).</p>
<p>&ldquo;This year&rsquo;s field is electrifying,&rdquo; said TBT founder and CEO Jon Mugar. &ldquo;Nine years ago, we set out to be the home for high stakes, open-to-all basketball, pitting people against one another from all walks of life. This year&rsquo;s field demonstrates how far we&rsquo;ve come. It is exceptionally diverse and talented. I can&rsquo;t wait to see what team wins six straight games.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The full TBT 2022 schedule includes:</p>
<p><strong>Regional Host Cities</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Omaha, Neb. &ndash; headlined by Omaha Blue Crew (Creighton) &ndash; July 16-19</p>
<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; New York City, N.Y. (Rucker Park) &ndash; headlined by Marcus Smart&rsquo;s YGC &ndash; July 16-20</p>
<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Albuquerque, N.M. &ndash; headlined by The Enchantment (University of New Mexico) &ndash; July 28-21</p>
<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Wichita, Kan. &ndash; headlined by AfterShocks (Wichita State) &ndash; July 22-25</p>
<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Syracuse, N.Y. &ndash; headlined by Boehiem&rsquo;s Army (Syracuse) &ndash; July 22-25</p>
<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Charleston, W. Va. &nbsp;&ndash; headlined by Best Virginia (West Virginia) and Herd That (Marshall) &nbsp;&ndash; July 24-27</p>
<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Cincinnati, Ohio &ndash; headlined by Zip &lsquo;Em Up (Xavier) &ndash; July 24-27</p>
<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Dayton, Ohio &ndash; headlined by Red Scare (Dayton) &ndash; July 24-27</p>
<p><strong>Championship Week Schedule&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Quarterfinals &ndash; July 27 (Wichita), July 28-29 (Dayton)</p>
<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Semifinals &ndash; &nbsp;Saturday, July 30 (Dayton)</p>
<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; $1 Million, Winner-Take-All Championship &ndash; Tuesday, Aug. 2 (Dayton)&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Highlights of this year&rsquo;s tournament include:&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>- <strong>New Look Boeheim&rsquo;s Army Set to Defend TBT Title</strong> &ndash; Boeheim&rsquo;s Army, who after seven years finally won its first TBT championship, is set to defend its title in Syracuse this summer. First-time TBT participants and Syracuse alums Tyler Ennis, Rakeem Christmas, and Marek Dolezaj join a core that includes TBT legend D.J. Kennedy, who is seeking his sixth TBT title, and DeAndre Kane, who is going for his fifth.</p>
<p>- <strong>TBT Steps Outdoors at World Famous Rucker Park</strong> &ndash; TBT will be playing games outdoors for the first time in the event&rsquo;s history this summer at New York City&rsquo;s famed Rucker Park. The event, in partnership with Chick-Fil-A Tri-State and the NBPA, will be free and open to the public. Headlining the regional are YGC, a team backed by Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart, and Skip To My Lou, named after and coached by former NBA player and streetball legend Rafer Alston.</p>
<p>- <strong>Jimmer Fredette Joins The Money Team</strong> &ndash; 2011 National college player of the year and NBA Draft lottery pick Jimmer Fredette will return to TBT this summer as a member of Floyd Mayweather&rsquo;s The Money Team. A quarterfinalist in 2021, The Money Team&rsquo;s roster also includes three other players with NBA experience: Trevor Booker, Jeremy Evans, Charles Jenkins, and Xavier Munford.</p>
<p>- <strong>Overtime Enters TBT&rsquo;s First Draft-Eligible Team</strong> &ndash; Media brand Overtime will enter its first TBT team, Team Overtime, which is slated to include four 2023 draft-eligible prospects from their new professional pathway program Overtime Elite. Twins Ausar and Amen Thompson, both projected top-10 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, will be joined by former five-star recruit Jazian Gortman and four-star recruit Jaylen Martin on a roster with several veteran professionals, including former NBA player Malcolm Thomas. Team Overtime will be competing in the Omaha Regional.</p>
<p>- <strong>Rivalries Renewed</strong> &ndash; Two brand new sets of bitter rivals could be facing off in TBT this summer. Xavier Regional headliner, Zip &lsquo;Em Up (Xavier Alumni), will be joined by crosstown rival Nasty Nati, a Cincinnati alumni team whose roster includes former first-round pick Jacob Evans. The Enchantment, a New Mexico alumni team, and Panamaniacs, a New Mexico State alumni team, will go head-to-head in the first-round of the New Mexico Regional in a battle for in-state supremacy. Best Virginia, the West Virginia alumni team, and Herd That, the Marshall alumni team, could both finally get their long-awaited matchup in the second round of the West Virginia Regional. Stillwater Stars, an Oklahoma State alumni team starring Markel Brown, will go toe-to-toe with Big 12 foes Air Raiders, a first-year Texas Tech alumni team composed mainly of their 2019 NCAA Tournament Runner-Up team that includes former first-round pick Zhaire Smith.</p>
<p>- <strong>Sideline Cancer&rsquo;s Big Offseason</strong> &ndash; TBT&rsquo;s runner-up in 2020 and a quarterfinalist in 2021, Sideline Cancer is gearing up for a championship run. They&rsquo;ll add Mike Daum, the NCAA&rsquo;s seventh leading scorer all-time, 16-year NBA veteran C.J. Miles, and former Iowa State star Diante Garrett to take some of the scoring load off explosive guard Marcus Keene.</p>
<p><strong>Free Throws&hellip;</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>TBT&rsquo;s &amp; Puma&rsquo;s innovative 33-point contest, which pits two shooters head-to-head where the first to make 11 threes advances, will return. The final eight shooters who advance out of TBT&rsquo;s regional locations will compete live on Thursday, July 28 live on ESPN2 for a $33,333 grand prize. Winner-take-all.</li>
<li>NFT project Gutter Cat Gang has entered a TBT team in the Omaha Regional in collaboration with Kyle Hines, the most decorated American in European basketball history.</li>
<li>Notable boxer and Cincinnati native Adrien Broner&rsquo;s AboutBillions team will compete in the Xavier Regional for the first time.</li>
<li>Prominent content brand Friday Beers will make their first foray into TBT&rsquo;s field in 2022, taking over longtime TBT franchise Armored Athlete.</li>
<li>India Rising, TBT&rsquo;s first team of players entirely of Indian descent, will be competing in the Syracuse Regional. Their roster includes former Stanford big man Josh Sharma, and one time G League Ignite prospect Princepal Singh.</li>
</ul>
<p>Tickets for all TBT game days and events are on sale now at www.thetournament.com. For more information, please contact <a href="mailto:info@thetournament.com">info@thetournament.com</a>.</p>
<p><strong>About The Basketball Tournament</strong></p>
<p>The home of the Elam Ending&reg;, The Basketball Tournament has grown from a unique idea among friends to one of the most exciting and engaging events on the summer sports calendar, with worldwide exposure on ESPN and events across the country - culminating in a winner-take-all $1 million game. Every year it attracts some of the best players in the world. For more information on TBT&rsquo;s ninth season, visit www.thetournament.com</p>

Now in Year 9, TBT will feature 71 players with NBA experience and 29 college alumni teams, both of which are TBT records.

Record 71 players with NBA experience headline 2022 TBT event

<div>Jesse Edwards, Syracuse University's sophomore center, has been relegated to the end of Coach Jim Boeheim&rsquo;s bench for the majority of the season. Many, including myself, have been screaming from the mountaintops: "FREE JESSE!!!!"</div>
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<div>Our main center is injured and we're playing Marek Dolezaj out of position. He's a great player and incredibly important to this team, but is giving up size, strength and height to opposing centers on a nightly basis. For that reason, many Syracuse fans have been puzzled as to why a 6-foot-11 sophomore center like Edwards hasn&rsquo;t been utilized more. Thus, the chants and hashtags of #FreeJesse.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Despite the pleas from the fan base, every time Coach Boeheim has been asked by reporters why Jesse Edwards isn&rsquo;t getting a chance, he responds with a litany of excuses: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not strong enough," "He&rsquo;s too thin," "He doesn&rsquo;t rebound well enough," "I play the guys who play the best at practice," and his most consistent response, &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not ready.&rdquo; &nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>On many occasions over the past two years, I&rsquo;ve personally messaged Jesse to offer some encouragement, telling him almost exactly what Syracuse legends Rosevelt Bouie, Coach Louis Orr, and the late Conrad McRae told me my freshman year. I wasn&rsquo;t playing and Coach Boeheim was similarly telling everyone I wasn&rsquo;t ready. I told Jesse that his time was going to come to make Coach Boeheim eat his words, to prove to everyone in the country that you have been ready all season and that he should continue to be mature, conduct himself professionally, have a good attitude, and be the ultimate team player.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>I also told Jesse to not sulk on the bench and to keep working hard in practice and be ready when his time comes. The worst thing that could happen is for Coach Boeheim to throw him in a game and he doesn't play well -- that would allow him to say to the media "See? That&rsquo;s why I can&rsquo;t play him. He&rsquo;s not ready."</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Those were the advices I got from the OGs my freshman year, and now, I've been able to give it right back to Jesse Edwards. It&rsquo;s an honor to be able to do that.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Then, on Saturday, it happened.&nbsp;Jesse finally got his chance against Georgia Tech.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>When Marek Dolajaj got into early foul trouble, Jesse's number was finally called, and he was ready.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>He was active, challenged shots, finished inside with dunks, got steals, altered shots and was a difference maker from the time he entered the game. I actually jumped out my seat and dunked right along with Jesse when Kadary Richmond set him up for the finish after a nice drive to the basket. It was kind of like in Rocky V when Rocky was watching Tommy Gun on TV and mirroring the moves of his protoge while punching the punching bag in his living room (I know I&rsquo;m dating myself with that reference).</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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<div>But man, I was so happy for Jesse. Did he play perfect? No. Did he make some mistakes? Of course. But did he show the entire basketball world that he was ready and able to contribute? Definitely.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Despite the strong performance, after the game, Coach Boeheim was <a href="https://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/2021/02/watch-jim-boeheims-news-conference-after-syracuse-loss-to-georgia-tech.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a little stingy</a> with the praise for Jesse.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>&ldquo;I thought Jesse gave us some good minutes in there," he said. "He rebounded, but he still bobbles a lot of balls, but he got to play... He did a good job in the middle, but obviously there&rsquo;s balls he has to get to, so those are still some issues out there.&rdquo;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>It wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement from the coach, but, hey, it was kind of a compliment, I guess. You just had to listen really closely, but it was in there... Kind of.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Nonetheless, Jesse Edwards had shown everyone that he was at least ready to contribute. The real test, though, would be Monday&rsquo;s game against North Carolina, the team with one of the best, if not the best front courts in the ACC with 6-foot-10, 240-pound Armondo Bacot,&nbsp;6-foot-10, 240-pound Garrison Brooks and 6-foot-11, 265-pound Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Lo and behold, Coach Boeheim went to Jesse early, and this was show-and-prove time for the sophomore. This was the moment of truth. It was here where Coach Boeheim would be able to say "I told you so!" if Jesse performed poorly or where Jesse would show the world that the game against Georgia Tech was no fluke.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>He didn&rsquo;t disappoint, more than holding his own about North Carolina's talented bigs. Upon entering the game, he again had an immediate impact -- he fought for rebounds, challenged and altered shots and proved to be exactly what the famous 2-3 zone had been missing: an inside presence.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Although he fouled out in just 24 minutes, Jesse's presence was felt the entire game. He finished with six points and eight rebounds, helping Syracuse to a 72-70 victory. The performance left fans and media wondering what would&rsquo;ve happened if he'd been playing the entire season. Would Syracuse still be on the bubble? Most experts predicted the team's tournament hopes were flushed down the toilet after the last loss to Georgia Tech. Maybe Jesse could've helped the team prior to that point.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>
<div>The Post Standard's Donna Diota <a href="https://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/2021/03/kadary-richmond-jesse-edwards-play-huge-roles-in-syracuse-win-over-north-carolina-donna-ditotas-quick-hits.html">recognized his contributions</a> to the win after the game, as well:</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div style="padding-left: 40px;">&ldquo;Jesse Edwards.&nbsp;The sophomore big man was crucial for Syracuse on Monday against all that UNC size and length. He played 11 first-half minutes before exiting with three fouls. He&rsquo;s so long in there, he at least has a chance to contest those gigantic UNC guys. And in those 11 minutes, he grabbed five rebounds.</div>
<div style="padding-left: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="padding-left: 40px;">"He was even better in the second half, walling up inside and rebounding the ball -- even going out of his area to track down misses. His play enabled Marek Dolezaj to move to the forward spot and helped the Orange with its backline defensive issues. And he produced some points, too.&rdquo;</div>
<div>
<p>Despite the strong performance, as tweeted by The Athletic's Matthew Guiterrez, Coach Boeheim still doesn't believe Jesse is "ready."</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Asked Boeheim if Jesse Edwards was capable of a performance like this earlier in the season when the NCAA tourney hopes were stronger. "What a question, jeez." Boeheim says Jesse still isn't "ready" despite performing well against the best frontcourt in the ACC.</p>
&mdash; Matthew Gutierrez (@MatthewGut21) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewGut21/status/1366574379459514368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
<p>It kind of makes you wonder what Jesse has to do to actually be "ready."</p>
<p>Does he have to be a mixture of Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar all rolled into one?</p>
<p>While I will readily admit my Big Man bias, that's not why I believe in Jesse. Syracuse fans and media have all been singing his praises after his performances the last two games. He&rsquo;s finally been allowed to play and showed what he is capable of.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>Kudos to Jesse Edwards for staying professional and staying ready. He's proved to the entire college basketball world that he is ready to contribute.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>#FreeJesse&nbsp;</div>
</div>

When Jesse Edwards got his chance, he proved that he belongs.