City of Basketball Love

Andy Backstrom (@Fineand_dAndy),
Josh Verlin (@jmverlin) &
Varun Kumar (@VRKumar8)
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In the span of two years, The Basketball Tournament has gone from a curiosity in the basketball world to an emerging force of a yearly tournament that looks like it’s going to stick around for at least a few more years to come.

What originally was the dream of a free-to-enter, winner-take-all tournament with a $500,000 prize pool has grown to become summer hoops phenomenon. Now sponsored by ESPN (the network is airing 11 games, including the final on the main network August 2) and Jack Links Beef Jerky, TBT is offering a $2 million prize this year, to be split amongst the winning team’s players and quite a few of their fans.

For the last three months, teams have been forming around the country, creating team pages with rosters and coaches on TBT’s website that the fans could vote on. With voting officially closed as of noon today, the top 11 teams in each of four regions are locked in; the other five spots in each region come from three wild card squads (picked by TBT), last year’s regional winner and the team which raised the most money for Big Brothers Big Sisters through TBT’s Go Fund Me page.

The 16 teams in each region will play regional games from July 9 to July 16; the Philadelphia regional will take place on July 16-17. The 16 remaining teams will all play in Philadelphia from July 21-23, with the semis and finals on July 30 and August 2 at Fordham University in NYC.

CoBL has broken down the top 11 teams in fan voting in the Northeast region as well as last year’s champions, and takes a look at some possible Wild Card candidates (the field will be announced on June 8):

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Defending Champions

City of Gods -- 371 votes
Key Players: DeMarr Johnson, David Hawkins, Pops Mensah-Bonsu

Breakdown: The DMV-based team, named after a popular Baltimore apparel store, remains one of the favorites to advance to New York once again. With a deep roster headlined by two former lottery picks in Cincinnati’s DeMarr Johnson and Georgetown’s Michael Sweetney, as well as former NBA players James White (Cincinnati), Pops Mensah-Bonsu (George Washington) and Xavier Silas (Northern Illinois), City of Gods is looking to capture the prize that eluded them last summer. Ex-Temple star guard David Hawkins, who missed most of the 2015 tournament with hamstring issues, will provide scoring and strong defense if he is healthy.

Who’s That? Michael Sweetney: Struggles with depression and resulting weight gain unfortunately ended the former Hoya great’s NBA career. However, Sweetney is still playing professionally and showed last summer that he can be very effective against top talent if his minutes are managed well. He probably won’t average what he did in his final year at Georgetown (22.8 ppg, 10.4 apg and 3.2 bpg), but will certainly be a key piece down low as part of a balanced attack.

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Voting Results

1. Boeheim’s Army -- 2,543 Fan Votes
Key Players: C.J. Fair, Eric Devendorf, Brandon Triche

Breakdown: This group of Syracuse alums appears to be the overwhelming fan favorite in the northeast region. Boeheim’s Army is led by Eric Devendorf, who played in the 2009 Big East Quarterfinal, six-overtime classic versus University of Connecticut, as well as C.J. Fair. Last year, this team was the only number one seed in the tournament to make it to the Round of 16 (“Super 16”).

Who’s That? Willie Deane: As the oldest and only non-ex-Syracuse player on the roster, Deane surprisingly was the most impactful player on the floor last summer. The 2003 Purdue grad was the calming floor general that Boeheim’s Army needed on both ends of the floor, especially after Devendorf was ejected for fighting in a win against 20th & Olney.

2. Talladega Knights -- 1,568 Fan Votes
Key Players: Josh Boone, Gary Forbes, Edgar Sosa

Breakdown: Unlike some school-specific teams, this squad has plucked players from a variety of schools. That being said, it does possess two former University of Massachusetts players (Gary Forbes, Danté Milligan) and two former Fighting Irish (Tyrone Nash, Carleton Scott). Boone, a TBT finalist in 2014 with Barstool Sports and a National Champion at University of Connecticut, will look to help lead the Knights to victory in the east.

Who’s That? Carleton Scott: An athletic combo-forward, Scott will certainly present some matchup problems. He can score/rebound in the post as well as shoot the 3-ball (36 percent in three years at Notre Dame). Though he turned pro a year early in 2011, Scott was certainly the most underrated part of Irish teams that featured players like Ben Hansbrough and Tim Abromaitis.

3. Big Apple Basketball -- 1,439 Fan Votes
Key Players: Mike Campbell, Lance Goulbourne, Anthony Gurley

Breakdown: Big Apple Basketball, whose roster consists almost entirely of NYC natives, most notably features of past Long Island University star Mike Campbell, ex-UMass guard Anthony Gurley, and former Vanderbilt players Lance Goulbourne and Rod Odom. This city-bred team has size, as every player on the roster stands taller than six feet, most by a significant margin - former University of Connecticut center Ater Majok is listed at 6-foot-11.

Who’s That? Ater Majok: Majok’s story is one of the more interesting stories in recent college basketball memory. The Sudanese native spent time in a refugee camp in Egypt and later became a 5 star recruit, playing one season at UConn before turning pro shortly before the 2010-11 season started. Though he was a late second round pick by the Lakers, the still-raw Majok has yet to play in an NBA game, appearing in both the D-League and overseas instead.

4. Team Maryland -- 1,392 Fan Votes
Key Players: Jeff Allen, Jerrelle Benimon, Quincy Miller

Breakdown: Talk about size. Team Maryland has four players on its roster who are 6-foot-9 or taller: Jerelle Benimon (6-9), Jeff Allen (6-9), Danny Agbelese (6-10), Quincy Miller (6-11). Benimon, who starred at Towson after beginning his career at Georgetown, had a brief stint in the NBA with the Utah Jazz. Look for this group to be strong on the interior, as they are loaded at the center and power forward positions. The coaching staff is composed of two University of Maryland alums, Muhammad Smith and John Auslander. Auslander played for the Terps from 2011-14.

Who’s That? Marcus Williams: There’s no denying the talent that the former UConn star brings to the table. After all, there’s a reason he was viewed as a likely a lottery pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, before off-court issues caused him to slide to the 22nd pick. Just like he did in 2006 for a loaded Huskies team (averaging 8.6 apg), he will be shouldering a vast majority of ballhandling responsibilities for a team dominated by bigger guys.

5. The Untouchables  -- 1,333 Fan Votes
(Ed. Note: In the spirit of full disclosure, we do have to mention that The Untouchables’ GM is CoBL writer Aron Minkoff.)
Key Players: Talib Zanna, Brad Wanamaker, Gilbert Brown

Breakdown: The Untouchables shot up in the voting standings in the last 24 hours of the voting period. Originally, a bubble team for an automatic bid, this University of Pittsburgh heavy team (Gilbert Brown, Jermaine Dixon, Antonio Graves, Gary McGhee, Brad Wanamaker, Talib Zanna) has soared into the top ranks of the northeast region. This team’s popularity could be partly due to the fact that both New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz and Sacramento Kings small forward Rudy Gay are boosters for the team. Talib Zanna, a former short-term player for the Oklahoma City Thunder, will work well with his fellow Panther alum Gary McGhee in the frontcourt. This past year, McGhee averaged 6.1 ppg and 4.0 rpg for Kolossos Rodou of the Greek League. And Zanna averaged 14.1 ppg and 10.1 rpg for the OKC’s D-League team - the Oklahoma City Blue - during the 2015-16 season.

Who’s That? Brad Wanamaker: A Philly native and 2007 graduate of Roman Catholic, Wanamaker went on to have a productive four-year career at Pitt from 2007-11. Part of some of the best teams in Panther history, the 6-4 scoring guard spent his first two years as a reserve but scored 800 of his 1090 career points as a junior and senior, averaging 5.2 rpg and 5.1 apg in 2010-11 as well. Won the German League MVP this past season after averaging 13.3 ppg and 4.4 apg for Brose Baskets.

6. DuBois Dream -- 1,300 Fan Votes
Key Players: Gustin Conde, Nick Novak, Henry Pwono

Breakdown: This group of former Division II stars is stacked at the guard position (Gustin Conde - Penn State DuBois, Nick Novak - University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, André Anthony - Clarion University (PA), Corey Schontz - John Carroll University, Dom Varacallo - Duquesne University), but lacks a true center. With this “small lineup,” look for the Dubois Dream to be firing from the perimeter, and making a high percentage of its shot attempts. At the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown, Nick Novak shot over 50 percent from the field during his tenure with the school. The team also carries two past Washington and Jefferson College players: team GM Albert Varacallo and Josip Lucic.

Who’s That? Gustin Conde: The sharpshooter from Ewing, NJ is coming off a tremendous final season, averaging 20.1 ppg and 5.2 apg. He also averaged 7.8 rpg despite being just a small 5-11 point guard. Make no mistake, Conde will compete with some of the bigger names in this tournament due to his knockdown shooting ability and heart.

7. 20th & Olney -- 1,296 Fan Votes
Key Players: Tyreek Duren, Ramon Galloway, Tyrone Garland

Breakdown: The Cinderella team that made a Sweet 16 run in the 2013 NCAA Tournament is making its second consecutive TBT appearance after failing to make it out of the Philly regional last year. Back is the three-headed nightmare in the backcourt of Duren, Galloway and Garland, with 7-footer Steve Zack (perhaps the most-improved of the bunch over the last three years) and 6-8 Jerrell Wright up front. Add in a few more veteran La Salle players in Rodney Green and Steven Smith, and the pieces are there for the Blue and Gold to make some noise in Philly once again.

Who’s That? Steven Smith: Since the Explorers has only had one winning season in his four years in school, Smith is arguably the most underrated player to come out of the Big 5 this century. The Northeast High grad and two-time Atlantic 10 Player of the Year finished his college career in 2006 averaging 18.1 ppg and 8.1 rpg in an Explorers uniform; he appeared in a handful of games for the Sixers in 2006-07.

8. Supernova -- 1,255 Fan Votes
Key Players: Corey Fisher, Scottie Reynolds, Reggie Redding

Breakdown: No longer the best team in Villanova’s recent basketball history, a group that went to the 2009 Final Four has reunited to take another run at TBT’s big-money prize. Leading scorer Dante Cunningham is absent, but the team’s playoff hero is back in Reynolds, along with his backcourt mates Fisher and Redding as well as Antonio Pena, a sophomore that team who really exploded the following year. All have enjoyed excellent pro careers in Europe, and they’ve got some help as well. More recent ‘Nova grads James Bell, Mouphtaou Yarou and Maurice Sutton are on the roster, as is Isaiah Armwood, who began his career at VU before transferring to George Washington.

Who are They? Malcolm Grant and Isaiah Armwood: Neither player is a Villanova alum, but nonetheless are very familiar with the program and the players. They each began their careers on Lancaster Avenue, before transferring to Miami and George Washington, respectively, in search of more playing time. Grant started every game his last two seasons at point guard and was all-ACC Third Team in 2011. Armwood provided the Colonials with a post presence, averaging 12.3 ppg, 8.6 rpg and 1.9 bpg from 2012-14.

9. North Broad Street Bullies-- 1,254 Fan Votes
Key Players: Khalif Wyatt, Juan Fernandez, Ramone Moore

Breakdown: A team whose name derives from the one given to the Flyers Stanley Cup teams of the 70’s, the North Broad Street Bullies are made up of almost exclusively former Temple players. The perimeter attack is strong, as Khalif Wyatt, Juan Fernandez and Ramone Moore, the core of the Owls teams from a few seasons ago, have the ability and chemistry to score in bunches. Forwards Scootie Randall and Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson provide strong defense in complementary roles, while Dalton Pepper can stretch out defenses with his range.

Who are They? John Linehan: Kobe Bryant once called Linehan, the NCAA’s all time leader in steals (385), the toughest defender he’s ever faced. Though he is a couple seasons removed from his last professional game, he should still bring the tenacious defense he’s always been known for. The former Providence guard is the only player on the roster who didn't play at Temple, but did serve as a graduate assistant for the Owls in 2014-15.

10. Sideline Cancer -- 1,246 Fan Votes
Key Players: Tre Bowman, Ousmane Cisse, Anthony Clemmons

Breakdown: Sideline Cancer yields a mixture of Division I and II athletes and coaches. Guards Tre Bowman (Iona College (alumni) - averaged 11.1 ppg) and Anthony Clemmons (University of Iowa (alumni) - averaged 5.1 ppg) will look to control the backcourt. Daniel Santiago, played at Saint Vincent, will play the center position at the height of 7-1, along with former NBA center Ousmane Cisse. With talent sprinkled from all around the country, this group looks to make its own run at the TBT.

Who’s That? Ousmane Cisse: This Mali-born shotblocker remains a cautionary tale regarding prep-to-pro prospects and is one of the biggest reasons the NBA no longer allows high schoolers to enter the draft. Despite being named a McDonald’s All-American and a late second round pick by the Nuggets, he has yet to play a single minute in the NBA.

11. Liberty Ballers -- 1,241 Fan Votes
Key Players: Ronald Moore, C.J. Aiken, O.D. Anosike

Breakdown: Back for another go after last year’s run into the Sweet 16 is this group of Philly-area natives, playing under the banner of SB Nation’s Philadelphia 76ers site (www.LibertyBallers.com). There are a few who played college ball locally, including St. Joe’s Aiken and Garrett Williamson plus Temple’s Ryan Brooks; Ronald Moore, who played at Siena, brings Anosike with him, and former Butler point guard Michael Green completes the backcourt. The coach is former Seton Hall/Vanderbilt guard and current Coatesville coach Chuck Moore.

Who’s That? Alex Kirk: As part of two loaded New Mexico teams in 2012-13 and 2013-14, the seven-foot center was twice named to the All-Defensive in the Mountain West. Kirk’s terrific rim-protecting ability (2.7 bpg in his final season) earned him a brief call-up to the NBA last season as a member of the Cavaliers. He should pair nicely with Aiken, more of a finesse forward, in the frontcourt for the Ballers.

* Top 11 teams in fan voting in each region receive automatic bids to playing in TBT

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Top At-Large Candidates

Fearless Faith (1,228 Fan votes)
Stony Brook alumni Solomon Bamiro and Donte Blades lead this NYC-based group, which also features former Manhattan forward Laurence Jolicoeur and several Queens College alums: Khalil McDonald and Anwar Boling.

Pacman Pearl Gods (1,126 Fan votes)
Put together by Dwayne Washington Jr., this team is named after former Syracuse star Dwayne “Pearl” Washington, who passed away earlier this year from brain cancer. Former St. Francis (N.Y.) star Jalen Cannon leads a group that draws from both D-I and D-II schools, including former Eastern Michigan big man Michael Samuels and UAB point guard Terrence Roderick.

South Jersey Generals (867 Fan votes)
This group, formed by Western Kentucky University alumnus Kahlil McDonald, is primarily made up of former collegiate ball players from small-tier schools: Raffa Anthony (Coastal Carolina), Mo Hughley (Cal State Bakersfield), Alssene Saintilus (Bloomsburg), Cedric Smith (Palm Beach Community), who are all located in the New Jersey/New York area.

Gold Standard (844 Fan votes)
Gold Standard is home to several former Pennsylvania-area school players, including St. Joe’s’ Andre Howard and Penn State’s John Johnson. Johnson played for the University of Pittsburgh before transferring to Penn State. He averaged 7.4 ppg in his senior season for the Nittany Lions. The team is run by Lincoln University graduate Cohen Baylor.

Young Kings (827 Fan votes)
The Young Kings’ general manager is Christopher Flegler. Former Delaware star Davon Usher will serve as one of the team’s premier scorers. Usher averaged 19.4 ppg and 6.1 rpg in his senior season for the Blue Hens. Joining Usher in the backcourt will be Old Dominion’s Aaron Bacote. He averaged 13.1 ppg in his final season for the Monarchs.

Team Mill Rats (826 Fan votes)
The Saint John Mill Rats are a National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) team based out of Saint John, New Brunswick, and now they’re going for TBT glory in the offseason after a 25-15 regular season in the eight-team league. The Mill Rats’ roster includes Olu Famutimi (Arkansas), Keith Cothran (URI), Anthony Anderson (UMass), Johnny Mayhane (Tulane) and more.

Team F.O.E. (731 Fan votes)
Though they weren’t able to get enough votes to automatically qualify thanks to a slightly late entry, this is a group with some serious potential. Philadelphia natives Markus and Markieff Morris lead the way for a team with a heavy Kansas influence: Mario Little and Tyshawn Taylor are also on the roster, as are Maalik Wayns (Villanova), Dionte Christmas (Temple), Mychel Thompson (Pepperdine) and Scott Rodgers (Drexel).