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Local connections abound in 2015 The Basketball Tournament field

06/08/2015, 11:45am EDT
By Jeff Neiburg

Jeff Neiburg (@Jeff_Neiburg)
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The winner-take-all, open-application, $1 million basketball tournament that took the basketball world by storm in its inaugural year last year is back this summer with loads of talent from across the country vying for the monetary prize.

Ninety-seven, yes 97, teams will compete in this year's tournament - a big increase from last year's field of 32 - and The Basketball Tournament announced those finalists on Monday from the original field of over 300 applicants.

Last year's prize was $500,000 and was given to the Notre Dame Fighting Alumni after the team comprised of many former Notre Dame stars upended a talented Barstool squad in the finals.

This year's tournament obviously has bigger stakes.

The five-on-five, single-elimination tournament will begin with opening rounds on July 10-12 in Atlanta and Los Angeles and continue July 17-19 in Chicago and Philadelphia (Philadelphia University). The final 17 teams will play in Chicago again on July 23-25 before advancing to New York City to play in the ESPN-televised championship round on August 1 and 2. 

"To grow from 32 teams in 2014 to 97 teams in 2015 serves as a testament to the open tournament model," TBT CEO/founder John Mugar said in a release. "There are an extraordinary amount of sports fanatics that want to step into the role of team owner or GM, build their own franchises from scratch, and compete in an event that pays off with live game coverage on ESPN."

One of those team owners/GM's is Jake Pavorsky, a college student from the Philadelphia area and an editor at Liberty Ballers, a Philadelphia 76ers blog. Pavorsky headed up a Liberty Ballers team comprised of local former high school and college talents like Ronald Moore (Plymouth-Whitemarsh, Siena), Ryan Brooks (Temple), Reggie Redding and Antonio Pena (Villanova).

Professionals are permitted to compete in The Basketball Tournament, though no one with a current NBA contract is playing. Many of the players are former NBA or NBA Developmental League players currently playing overseas.

In total, there will be 125 players with NBA or NBADL experience. Former dunk contest champion Nate Robinson will play for a Seattle-based team. Other major talents like Jason Williams and Brian Scalabrine, former NBA champions, will participate. And so, too, will former NBA first round picks Hakim Warrick and Michael Sweetney.

Local teams competing in the Northeast division include alumni teams from Temple (Ramone MooreKhalif WyattDalton PepperRahlir Hollis-Jefferson and more), Drexel (Chris FouchFrantz Massenat and more) and La Salle (Ramon GallowayTyreek DurenTyrone Garland and more).

Those aren't the only local connections, however. Out in the Western bracket, the Mostly Sports team features former USciences forward Jeff Miller, former Alvernia guard Ray Strickland and St. Joe's alum Brian Jesiolowski.

In total, 317 teams applied to participate. Each team consists of a General Manager, at least seven players and 100+ fan votes. All games will be played with college rules, but will have only 18-minute halves instead of 20.

For more details, visit www.thetournament.com.

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Photo credit: Josh Verlin/City of Basketball Love

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