Alumni from Villanova, LaSalle, Temple, Penn, Philadelphia University & more Competing in Winner-Take-All $2 Million Tournament Returns to City of Brotherly Love for Two Exciting Weekends of Competition

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – July 11, 2016 – The City of Philadelphia will be the host of two exciting rounds in the $2 million winner-take-all 2016 edition of The Basketball Tournament presented by Jack Link’s® Protein Snacks.

The Northeast Regional of The Basketball Tournament is set for Saturday and Sunday, July 16th and 17th at Philadelphia University’s Gallagher Center, with the Super 16 returning to Philadelphia University’s Gallagher Center Thursday, July 21st through Saturday, July 23rd.

Tickets for both rounds in Philadelphia are now on sale at https://thetournament.regfox.com/tickets, and will also be sold at the doors of the Gallagher Center.  The Gallagher Center is located in the center of Philadelphia University’s campus at 4100 Henry Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

This is the third consecutive year that The Basketball Tournament will compete in Philadelphia, one of its original sites from the TBT’s start in 2014. 

Philadelphia-based alumni teams from Villanova, Temple and LaSalle are among those competing in TBT 2016’s Northeast Regional, at Philadelphia University’s Gallagher Center on Saturday, July 16th and Sunday, July 17th.

·        SuperNova (Villanova Alumni) will consist of the core of the 2009 Wildcats Final Four team, including Antonio Pena, Scottie Reynolds, and Reggie Redding, as well as Corey Fisher, James Minor-Bell, and Mouphtaou Yarou.

·        20th & Olney (LaSalle Alumni) includes former Explorers Tyreek Duren, Rodney Green, Jerrell Wright, Steve Zack, Ramon Galloway and Steven Smith.

·        North Broad Street Bullies (Temple Alumni) includes former Owls Juan Fernandez, Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson, Ramone Moore, Scottie Randall and Khalif Wyatt.

·        Philadelphia natives Markus Morris and Markieff Morris lead the way for Team FOE with a heavy Kansas influence: Mario Little, and Tyshawn Taylor will suit up while Thomas Robinson mans the sidelines with the Morris twins.

·        Former Syracuse players spanning 13 seasons will suit up for Boeheim’s Army (Syracuse Alumni) which includes CJ Fair, Donte Greene, and Eric Devendorf.

·        The 2015 Northeast Regional Champs, City of Gods, will feature former New York Knicks Michael Sweetney and DerMarr Johnson and will be coached by former Washington Wizards coach and Baltimore player development legend Joe Connelly, brother of Denver Nuggets General Manager Tim Connelly, and Pat Connelly, Assistant General Manager of the Phoenix Suns.

The schedule for The Basketball Tournament Northeast Regional includes eight games on Saturday, July 16, beginning at 9 a.m. while there are four games on the slate for Sunday, July 17, beginning at 11 a.m. and continuing through to 7 p.m.

The match-ups for the Northeast Regional of TBT 2016 on Saturday, July 16th include:

·        9 a.m. Tip-off, #1 seed City of Gods vs. #16 Dubois Dreams:  2015 Northeast Regional Champion City of Gods reloads and returns for another run at the title. With a few key additions to this already stacked lineup, expect a physical, professional style from City of Gods with top-tier outside shooting that will be a handful for any opponent. Hailing from Central PA, the Dubois Dream will have their hands full in their first round game. Expect ball movement and a lot of threes from the Dream.

·        10:45 a.m., #8 Talladega Knights vs. #9 Team Fancy:  TBT 2014 Championship opponents Josh Boone and Ty Nash join forces with former Louisville hero Edgar Sosa to take on Team Fancy, a squad that features elite talent like Russ Smith and Javale McGee. This matchup could come down to which team gels first, as both squads come together specifically for this tournament.

·        12:30 p.m., #4 Team Maryland vs. #13 Big Apple Basketball:  Team Maryland is loaded with Euro League heroes, with many saying the squad has one of the best rosters on paper in TBT 2016. Big Apple Basketball is led by Coach/GM Jason Curry, who has a penchant for calling the right play at the end of close games. If BAB can withstand Maryland’s early onslaught of suffocating defense and fast play and manage to keep it close, Team Maryland could be on the receiving end of another Jason Curry buzzer beater.

·        2:15 p.m., #5 Team FOE vs. #12 Liberty Ballers:  Family Over Everything, led by former Villanova star Maalik Wayns (who jumped ship from SuperNOVA to join FOE), is organized and coached by the Morris twins. Liberty Ballers success will hinge on the play of point guard Ronald Moore. FOE is stacked at guard and on the wing. Liberty Ballers will try to exploit their size advantage, with Moore’s club teammate Alex Kirk looking to do damage inside.

·        4 p.m., #3 The Untouchables vs. #14 Sideline Cancer:  A phalanx of former Pitt Panthers leads the Untouchables against Sideline Cancer, a team playing not only to win TBT, but to bring awareness to the fight against pancreatic cancer. The Untouchables feature premier inside and outside play, the familiarity and trust from having played together, and a history of single elimination success from their college days. Sideline Cancer will be well-coached, disciplined, and confident, having advanced to the round of 16 in TBT 2015.

·        5:45 p.m., #6 SuperNOVA vs. #11 PA Roadwarriors:  Two alumni teams face off in this matchup that should be a real treat for college basketball fans. The core of Villanova’s 2009 Final Four team reunite against a squad of that features a fascinating mix of Bucknell grads. SuperNOVA is led by Antonio Pena and Reggie Redding, both thriving overseas. Bucknell has a history of pulling off upsets in tournament play.

·        7:30 p.m., #2 Boeheim’s Army vs. #15 Basketball City:  Talk to anyone about the Northeast Region and they bring up the 2-3 zone that Boeheim’s Army will play. But, it’s not just the Army’s defense that teams fear: CJ Fair, Donte Greene, Brandon Triche, and the ever-exuberant Eric Devendorf will put up their share of points, too. Basketball City is a team of pros. The fact that they’re a 15 seed tells you all you need to know about the caliber of play in the Northeast Region.

·        9:15 p.m., #7 North Broad Street Bullies vs. #10 20th & Olney:   Philadelphia Big 5 basketball in the summer. Temple and LaSalle renew their rivalry before what will undoubtedly a boisterous crowd. 20th & Olney brings back the core of 2015’s team that narrowly lost to Boeheim’s Army in one of the most hotly contested games in TBT history. The Bullies return for a third time in TBT, boasting some of the best guards in the Northeast Region. This will be a doozy.

Complete rosters of all teams playing at Philadelphia University in the Northeast Regional of TBT 2016 are available at http://thetournament.com/teams?region=northeast.  The full bracket for TBT 2016 is available at http://bracket.thetournament.com/#/.

More than 300 teams applied to play in TBT 2016, including more than 400 players with professional experience and 130 with NBA experience.  A total of 135 teams met the eligibility requirements to compete this year. 

Opening rounds in TBT 2016 begin July 9-10 in Charlotte and Los Angeles, and continue July 16-17 in Chicago and Philadelphia. 

The Super 16 in TBT 2016 is in Philly July 21-23. 

The TBT 2016 semifinals and $2 million winner-take-all Championship Final are in New York July 30 and August 2, respectively. 

ESPN will feature live coverage of TBT 2016 match-ups from the Super 16 onward across ESPN 2, ESPN 3 and ESPN U. 

Qualified members of the media should submit their applications in advance of this year’s competition in Philadelphia to Jim DeLorenzo, at Jim DeLorenzo Public Relations, by e-mail at jim@jhdenterprises.com.  Applications will be reviewed before approval is granted, and notification of that approval will be sent via e-mail to each qualified media applicant.  Please contact DeLorenzo with requests for player interviews and other interviews prior to Friday, July 15th.

About The Basketball Tournament:

Conceived by CEO Jonathan Mugar as the ultimate opportunity for fans, athletes and social media mavens to live out their dreams and chase once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, TBT’s foundation as a high-stakes, professionally run and organized sporting event, now sees it entering its third year. In its first two seasons, The Basketball Tournament drew over 400 team entries from around the country, with participants ranging from professional players and recent college stars to pickup basketball players and people who have never played above high school.  Among the event’s advisors are Tony Ponturo of Ponturo Management Group, Andy Dolich of Dolich Consulting, and Len DeLuca of Len DeLuca & Associates, LLC. The partnership agreement was secured by TBT’s sponsorship agency of record, Equity Sports Partners, which is led by Cliff Kaplan. For more details, visit http://www.thetournament.com.

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