Just when you thought basketball was heading into hibernation, a slew of former A-10 ballers are getting set to compete in a $1 million tournament that will tip up July 10 then culminate in an August 1-2 championship weekend in Fordham’s very own historic Rose Hill Gym.
They are calling it simply “The Basketball Tournament”, an open-application five-on-five, single-elimination, winner-take-all basketball tournament that will air its Elite 8 on ESPNU followed by a Final 4 weekend that will be shown on ESPN August 1 and 2.
Last year it was the Notre Dame Fighting Alumni who took the crown but the Irish will face even stiffer competition this season with a group of similar teams that include alumni squads from the likes of Oklahoma, UVA and in the A-10’s case, La Salle and Saint Louis.
Three former George Mason Patriots have teams up as a part of the Northeast region’s DMV’s Finest while some former college foes have joined forces in hopes of making a deep run in this year’s tournament.
Watch for 20th & Only, otherwise known as basically La Salle’s Sweet 16 squad, as well as a formidable group of former Saint Louis Ballers calling themselves “Majerus SLU Crew” to make a run for the title.The 97 total tournament teams all have their own professionally designed logos including the SLU Crew’s touching tribute to former head coach, Rick Majerus, who passed away in December of 2012 after rebuilding the Billikens program en route to a 2012 round of 32 appearance.
For more information check out www.TheTournament.com.
Below is a list of all A-10 schools represented in this year’s tournament with their teams and regions.
NORTHEAST
TRIUMPH
Derrick Williams (Richmond)
WORK ON YOUR GAME
CJ Aiken (Saint Joseph’s)
LIBERTY BALLERS
Garrett Williamson (Saint Joseph’s)
20TH & OLNEY
Tyreek Duren (La Salle)
Ramon Galloway (La Salle)
Tyrone Garland (La Salle)
Rodney Green (La Salle)
DJ Peterson (La Salle)
Steven Smith (La Salle)
Jerrell Wright (La Salle)
Steve Zack (La Salle)
BIG APPLE BASKETBALL
Smush Parker (Fordham)
Chaz Williams (UMass)
DMV’s FINEST
Mike Morrison (George Mason)
Ryan Pearson (George Mason)
Isaiah Tate (George Mason)
THE CITI TEAM
Anthony Gurley (UMass)
BASKETBALL CITY
Demitrious Conger (St. Bonaventure)
CITY OF GODS
Pops Mensah-Bonsu (George Washington)
FRIAR NATION
Xavier Munford (Rhode Island)
Chris Gaston (Fordham)
SOUTH
TEAM KROSSOVER PPI
Paul Williams (St. Bonaventure)
TRAINED TO GO
Andres Sandoval (Dayton)
ATL ALL STARS
Jesse Morgan (UMass)
AMR
Kervin Bristol (Fordham)
Rashaun Freeman (UMass)
Michael Haynes (Fordham)
Jamal Shuler (VCU)
TEAM BDB
Willie Reed (Saint Louis)
MIDWEST
TEAM MILL RATS
Keith Cothran (Rhode Island)
Anthony Anderson (UMass)
MAJERUS SLU CREW
Danny Brown (Saint Louis)
Brian Conklin (Saint Louis)
Dwayne Evans (Saint Louis)
Jordair Jett (Saint Louis)
Mike McCall Jr. (Saint Louis)
Kwamain Mitchell (Saint Louis)
Cory Remekun (Saint Louis)
SLAM
Bryant Dunston (Fordham)
HOUSTON LIVE
Mike James (Duquesne)
NEW ENGLAND FALCONS
Chelsea Snyder (VCU)
WEST
GRANTLAND
Luke Bonner (UMass)
Maxie Esho (UMass)
GLOBAL SELECT
Brandon Thomas (UMass)
