Former Crosstown Shootout stars will return to Xavier University’s Cintas Center in July with big stakes at stake.
Both the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University are on the field in The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a winner-takes-all event in a 64-team single-elimination tournament with $1 million for the winning team.
The two local teams, made up primarily of former Bearcats and Musketeers players from recent years, will be two of eight teams that will compete in a regional tournament at Cintas Center from July 18-21.
“It’s been a long time since I played in front of the fans at Xavier and it will be exciting for the other guys to come home too,” said former point guard Xavier Dee Davis.
“This is an exciting event for UC alumni, Xavier alumni, to get these guys back on the court in front of our fans and our community,” said former UC player Coreontae DeBerry. “It will bring a little excitement to the city. I’m happy to be back with my brothers.”
The winner of the eight-team regional will advance to the championship series, which will also be held at the University of Dayton Arena.
The eight finalists will gather at the UD Arena from July 28-29. The semifinals are on July 30th and the $1 million championship game will be on August 2nd.
“We want to win that million dollars,” said Corie Blount, a key member of UC’s 1992 NCAA Final Four team and head coach of the UC team at TBT. “That’s the focal point. Being a Bearcat, these guys coming back, making the sacrifice to come together. If we’re going to come together, we can try to freeze and be productive outside. The only way you can be productive is to get those wins.”
Xavier’s team, called Zip ‘Em Up, debuted last year at the Columbus regional and this year, Xavier was named regional host for the first time.
Zip ‘Em Up will be coached by Xavier’s former assistant coach Rick Carter. Davis organized the roster and will play, and other coaches will be Xavier’s former players and coaches.
“One reason we’re hosting is because Xavier’s fanbase was unbelievable last year in Columbus,” Carter said. “They made the difference, especially in the first game. The energy they brought, the intensity on our side, was unbelievable. Hopefully this can continue this year and give us the home advantage. Putting the two fanbases together in one building must be great.”
The UC team, named Nasty Nati, is making its tournament debut. The head coach is Blount, a key member of the Bearcats’ 1992 NCAA Final Four team and an 11-year NBA veteran.
Arranging the team was former UC guard Kevin Johnson of Summit Country Day School.
“I went 1-4 against them, so I didn’t like that at all,” Johnson said. “I want to come here and get some wins. This is very important.”
Davis joked back, “I’ve never had a bad experience against Cincinnati. That’s what we’re talking about here.”
Blount responded to Davis with the fact that their teams were undefeated against Xavier.
“That’s why you brought me in because I never lost against Xavier. I hope I pass some on to these guys,” Blount said with a laugh.
Blount used to be an assistant coach at UC also under Andy Kennedy.
“I was blessed to see so many (the rivalry games) and be a part of them,” Blount said. “This is by far one of the best rivalries in college basketball. The intensity, the way the community comes together. It really is an exciting time. I still have relationships with a lot of Xavier guys. It’s a fun rivalry and I love being a part of it.”
In the TBT bracket, which was released this Wednesday, the UC alumni and Xavier would not face each other until the Xavier regional championship game on July 21, which would be the third overall round of the six-round tournament.
Prior to that, the two schools will participate in the Crosstown Collaborative, a fan festival that will have activities in the arenas of both schools. Included in that is an alumni game on July 16th, which will primarily be players who will participate in the tournament on July 18th.
The tournament will feature regulated basketball with some modified NCAA rules. Most notably, games will end at the end of Elam, in which the clock is stopped at a certain point in the fourth period, and teams will play until one team reaches a certain score, usually eight points above the leading team.
Xavier’s Zip ‘Em Up team is the third seed of the eight competing at Cintas, and Nasty Nati the fourth seed.
Xavier’s team is expected to include former musketeers BJ Raymond, Mark Lyons, Justin Martin, Dee Davis, Semaj Christon, Matt Stainbrook, JP Macura, Trevon Bluiett, Kaiser Gates and Kerem Kanter. The list also has Devin Davis, who played for Indiana and Houston in college, and former Vanderbilt star Riley LaChance.
The UC team includes former Bearcats Shaq Thomas, Troy Caupain, Octavius Ellis, Coreontae DeBerry, Jacob Evans, Jarron Cumberland and Trevon Scott. Also on the team are Malone’s Ty Jordan, Rice’s Marquez Letcher-Ellis and Isaiah Miller, who played for current UC coach Wes Miller at UNC-Greensboro.
The best seed, Florida TNT, was a semifinalist in last year’s TBT. The team is expected to include former NBA players Dominique Jones of USF and Antonio Blakeney of LSU.
The two seeds are Sideline Cancer, TBT runner-up in 2020 and quarter-finals last year. Players expected to suit include Central Michigan’s Marcus Keene, the NCAA’s top scorer in 2017, and South Dakota State’s Mike Daum, seventh all-time in NCAA scoring, as well as 15-year NBA veteran CJ Miles. .
The fifth seed is Fort Wayne Champs, which has several years of experience in TBT. The sixth seed is rookie entrant Sweet Home Alabama, whose roster will feature players who were born in Alabama or played for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The seven seed is Defeat Diabetes, a group of first-year foreign players raising money for diabetes research, and the eighth seed in AboutBillions, named for Cincinnati-born professional boxer Adrien Broner, who will be coached by former UC Steve Logan.
Preparation will be a key for every team.
“We have a lot of guys on the roster who are playing right now,” Blount said. “So we don’t have to worry about these guys being in shape because these guys are professionals. They are playing at a high level, so hopefully we can take that forward and play one game at a time in this tournament. We have to be sharp and play with each other. This will be key. These guys haven’t played each other in a while, so we hope to build a strong core in a short amount of time.”
Said Dee Davis of his Xavier team who played last year: “After the first year, it was a learning experience. We have more control this year on the guys we wanted and the kind of guys we were looking for. Lots of conversations, lots of recruiting.”
There will be four game sessions for the eight teams. On Monday, July 18, all eight teams will play in two sessions, starting at 1 pm and 6 pm.
The final four teams face each other at 6pm on Wednesday, July 20, and the regional championship game will be at 7pm on Thursday, July 21.
Tickets at XU start at $25 for each individual session and $100 for all four. All tickets are available on the TBT website.
The ESPN family of networks is expected to carry every game in the tournament.
The time:
Monday, July 18: Florida TNT vs. AboutBillions, 1pm; Sideline Cancer vs. Defeat Diabetes, 3pm; Nasty Nati v Fort Wayne Champs, 6pm; Zip ‘Em Up vs Sweet Home Alabama, 8pm
Wednesday, 20th of July: Florida TNT/AboutBillions vs. Nasty Nati/Fort Wayne Winner, 6pm; Zip ‘Em Up/Alabama vs. Cancer/Diabetes Winner, 8pm
Thursday, July 21: Championship Game, 19:00