Action swings to Chicago this week in the high-stakes, big-money second annual Basketball Tournament. In all, just 17 of the original 97 teams remain alive, still contending for the $1 million, winner-take-all prize in the single-elimination tourney that crowns a champion over the next couple weeks. What happens in Chicago this week will go a long way in determining what the final outcome will be.
Among the biggest threats to the throne are the defending champion Notre Dame Fighting Alumni. The returning nucleus of Rob Kurz, Ryan Ayers and Ty Nash are joined this year by the bruising frontline of Ben Hansbrough, Luke Harangody and Tim Abromaitis, making the squad of ND legends as dangerous as ever. Point guard Ben Atkins runs it all for Notre Dame, replacing Chris Thomas from last year’s squad.
The Irish open play Thursday night at 3,000-seat McGrath-Phillips Arena on the campus of DePaul University in a game slated to be televised live on ESPN, with longtime Notre Dame coach Mike Brey serving as a member of the broadcast team. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children.
Indeed, team is an operative word anytime you talk Notre Dame basketball and the Fighting Alumni are certainly no exception. In earning last year’s hard-fought title, the team worked their ball-moving offense to near perfection, shooting a sizzling 46 percent on threes for the tournament and ending every game with a different top-scorer.
They’ll need all that poise and togetherness to walk away with the title again this year or just to survive Chicago, where the likes of Boeheim’s Army are also among the squads expected to make noise. Demetris Nichols, Eric Devendorf, Willie Deane and Terrence Roberts punched their ticket for Chicago by outlasting the feisty 20th & Olney team, 92-91, in third-round play in Philadelphia behind Nichol’s game-high 28 points.
In all, eight teams had qualified for Chicago through Monday, including the scrappy Liberty Ballers, the next opponent for Boeheim’s Army. Reggie Reading paced the Ballers to an 85-73 win over DMV’s Finest with 17 points and seven assists.
Also still in the mix are the Team City of Gods and Sideline Cancer. Team of Gods knocked off Free Bands, 98-84, behind Omar Strong’s 19 points, Xavier Silas’ 18 and Hamady N’Diaye’s double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds. Jarryd Cole (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Duane Johnson (11 points, 10 rebounds) each recorded a double-double in Sideline Cancer’s 70-67 win over Big Apple Basketball.
From here, all roads point to New York City and Fordham University’s Rose Hill Gym, where the semifinals and finals will play out over a two-day stretch beginning August 1 that is slated to air live on ESPN.
