The field for The Basketball Tournament -- a $2M, winner-take-all event -- "has been announced, and more than 50 former NBA players will participate," according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. After having 97 teams last year, TBT Founder & CEO Jonathan Mugar "decided to pare it to 64 in an effort to make it more competitive and also eliminate bye rounds." Many high-profile D-I colleges -- including Syracuse, Kentucky, Michigan State, Gonzaga and Pitt -- "all have teams laden with alums." Boeheim's Army will feature former Syracuse players like Eric Devendorf, Brandon Triche and C.J. Fair, while Bluegrass Boys will be coached by former Kentucky All-American Derek Anderson and will include Marquis Teague, Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley. The core of Villanova's '09 Final Four team "will participate," while former NBAer Larry Sanders "is expected to begin his comeback" by playing with VCU's '11 Final Four team. Additionally, former NBAers Mike Bibby and Jason Williams "will team up in the backcourt" for the Pedro's Posse team (ESPN.com, 6/8). In Michigan, Kyle Austin noted Michigan State's entry into the event "was organized" by former player Brandon Wood, and "includes a host of notable names from the last 15 years," including Charlie Bell, Korie Lucious, Derrick Nix and Delvon Roe (MLIVE.com, 6/8). This is the second straight year Boeheim’s Army will participate in the tournament, and F Terrence Roberts said, “I’m excited and ready to go. Let’s try to win some money”(Syracuse POST-STANDARD, 6/9).
HOOPS HEAVEN: In Charlotte, Roderick Boone notes the city will “be one of the four regional sites" for The Basketball Tournament, joining Chicago, L.A. and Philadelphia. The Super 16 is July 21-23 in Philadelphia, and “the semifinals will tip off July 30” in N.Y. to set up the $2M main event. Given North Carolina’s “reputation as a hotbed for basketball,” Mugar “felt it was a no-brainer to bring his blossoming tournament” to Charlotte. Mugar: “We’ve heard good things about Charlotte, just with all of the colleges down there. We feel like it’s a really good city for us to get in front of some basketball fans who really know how to watch basketball” (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/9).
