Canadians, NBL Canada Alumni, in The Basketball Tournament
One of the world's biggest invitational basketball tournaments has got underway: The Basketball Tournament sees sixty-four teams, competing in eight regional groups, in a high-stakes winner-takes-all tournament. While many will fall by the wayside as the tournament progresses the eventual champions will take home a million US dollars, with everyone else winning nothing.
Though held across the USA, the 2022 tournament will see from familiar faces to Canadian basketball fans. One of the individual performances of the tournament so far came from a Canadian: Xavier Rathan-Mayes, playing at the Rucker Park regional - the first outdoor court ever to host the tournament - had 26 points on seven-of-seventeen shooting for YGC in their opener against Illinois Hoopville.
NBLC Newcomer of the Year Jeremy Harris rejoined other fellow Buffalo Bulls alum to compete for Blue Collar U, who began their campaign in the Syracuse Regional against the NG Saints. The team came firing out of the blocks, burning the Saints from the low post and beyond the arc. This continued up to the end of the first half, where Blue Collar led by twenty-four.
Without the same depth and with more and more missed shots piling up, the NG Saints were left floundering by Blue Collar. Every player made the score sheet, with Harris contributing three points and four rebounds as his team breeze into the second round with victory by 91 points to 64.
Fellow NBLC alums Jeremiah Mordi and Akeem Ellis were also in action for the Lone Star Legends in the Wichita regional. This team of Texan players faced off against former Kansas State players who had formed Purple and Black. They opened the game with a 9-1 run before the Legends closed the gap and made it a single-possession game. The lead changed hands six times in the second quarter - one courtesy of Mordi - at the end of which the scores were level.
Purple and Black's low-post play was matched by Lone Star's outside shooting, before they started matching the opposition in the layup lane. With the scores tight going into the fourth any added points were scarce. In less than a minute Mike Mcguirl erased the Legends' six-point lead, with Justin Edwards keeping it close as the game neared its conclusion.
A final three from Jacob Pullen put the game to bed, Purple and Black move on and the Lone Star Legends have been eliminated through a dramatic moment worthy of what has been one of the most exciting games of the competition.
There is still plenty more to come from The Basketball Tournament as the stakes get higher and teams get closer and closer to the eventual prize. Check back here for updates on Canadians and NBL Canada players who make an appearance and keep up to date on all goings-on over on the official website for The Basketball Tournament.
