John Fanta
College Basketball Broadcaster and Reporter
The Basketball Tournament does much more than just award $1 million to the championship team that emerges out of the field of 64. TBT, which comes to the FOX Sports family of networks beginning on July 19, provides a spotlight to players who still have something to prove in their basketball career and might be looking to showcase their skill set to get another opportunity at the pro level. For those who aren’t looking to go that route, it can offer a platform for others to wear their college colors and shine on national TV again.
On Tuesday, one late roster addition became official, and it’s a massive name out of Columbus, Ohio. Two-time consensus first-team All-American Jared Sullinger will be returning to the hardwood for Carmen’s Crew after serving as the head coach of the Ohio State alumni team throughout the last four years.
A vital player on the 2019 TBT championship team for Carmen’s Crew, the 6-foot-9 forward became a legend under Thad Matta in his two years at Ohio State. Sullinger was a two-time Mr. Ohio Basketball out of high school and powered OSU to the 2011 Big Ten Tournament title as the Most Outstanding Player of the event. He averaged 17.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in his two years in Columbus before a five-year stint in the NBA that led him to the international route, where he was the Chinese Basketball Association MVP this past year with the Shenzhen Leopards. You can catch Sullinger and Carmen’s Crew in their TBT opener on Saturday against Purple Hearts from the Dayton Regional at 7 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.
But the marquee names don’t stop with Sullinger. There’s no shortage of other familiar faces and star talent at this year’s event. Here are 10 headliner names to watch at TBT.
[Check out the complete TBT schedule here]
Eric Bledsoe, La Familia
The one-and-done Kentucky Wildcat, who was a 2010 SEC All-Rookie Team member alongside John Wall, went on to play 12 years in the NBA and was a terrific defensive guard in The Association, garnering multiple All-Defensive Team selections. He will headline the Kentucky alumni TBT team, but he’s not the only former Wildcat who will reappear at Rupp Arena …
Willie Cauley-Stein, La Familia
The sixth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Cauley-Stein was a consensus first-team All-American and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year nine years ago on one of the great teams of all time, a Kentucky squad that went 38-1 and lost in the Final Four to Wisconsin. He was an NBA All-Rookie Team selection and went on to play seven years in the league.
Russ Smith, The Ville
Yes, it’s possible that a quarterfinal matchup in TBT could feature The Ville and La Familia in what would be as highly anticipated of a rivalry showdown as we’ve seen in the event. Smith, a 2013 national champion, was a two-time All-American and earned Rick Pitino’s nickname of “Russdiculous” during his time with the Cardinals, leading to his No. 2 jersey getting retired. He went on to enjoy a successful overseas career and received NBL (China) Player of the Year honors in 2017.
Montrezl Harrell, The Ville
Harrell was the recipient of the 2015 Karl Malone Award, given to the nation’s best college power forward. After helping lead the Cardinals to a national title in 2013, he went on to play eight years in the NBA, where he was named the league’s Sixth Man of the Year while with the Clippers in 2020.
Frank Mason III, Mass Street
The 2017 national college player of the year, Mason was incredible for Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks, earning consensus All-America honors and the Bob Cousy Award. After spending four years in the NBA, Mason has spent the most recent chapters of his career in Italy. He now returns to the states and looks to lead the Jayhawks alumni team alongside another former All-American in Thomas Robinson.
Darren Collison, Challenge ALS
An 11-year NBA standout and UCLA product, Collison will suit up for a TBT staple, Challenge ALS, which plays for ALS awareness. A third-team All-American and two-time first-team All-Pac 12 selection, Collison totaled 8,857 points and 3,543 assists in his NBA career.
Yogi Ferrell, Assembly Ball
Yes, there will be an Indiana Hoosiers great suiting up at Hinkle Fieldhouse in a region rich with history and tradition. Ferrell was a 2016 All-American and two-time All-Big Ten selection. He went undrafted after a Sweet 16 season in 2016 but still overcame that, earning second-team All-NBA Rookie honors while with the Mavericks. He played five years in the NBA before going to Slovenia and winning two league championships while with Cedevita Olimpija.
Ryan Boatright, Stars of Storrs
Yes, for the first time in TBT history, the reigning back-to-back college national champion Connecticut Huskies will be represented in The Basketball Tournament. A member of the 2014 All-Final Four Team, the 5-foot-11 guard scored in double-figures in all six NCAA Tournament games en route to a title alongside Shabazz Napier. He has played professionally and won a Croatian League title in 2017, now getting a shot to put on the UConn colors again.
Andre Roberson, Team Colorado
An eight-year NBA standout and NBA All-Defensive Team selection in 2017, the Buffaloes product will put on his college colors again in TBT. Roberson was a two-time first-team All-Pac 12 selection in college and was taken in the first round of the NBA Draft in 2013.
Shelvin Mack, All Good Dawgs
A Butler legend, Mack returns to Hinkle Fieldhouse after a career in which he helped lead Brad Stevens’ Bulldogs to back-to-back runs to the national championship game in 2010 and 2011. That two-year run is in the college history books for one of the more improbable stretches by a program of all-time. Mack told FOX Sports that this will be especially emotional for him since he never had a senior day at Hinkle, where he played for three years before getting taken in the second round of the 2011 draft. A two-time All-Horizon League selection, the 34-year-old started his career with the Wizards and played for seven NBA teams in eight seasons. He most recently won a Greek League title in 2021 while with Panathinaikos and now enjoys a career in TV broadcasting as a basketball analyst.
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.
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