The Basketball Tournament- Always a Brave in Illinois Region

[Da Coach]

Boeheim's Army took their first lead of the game at 68-66 early in the Elam Ending, and they hung on to beat Golden Eagles 73-69-
https://thetournament.com/scores/?WH...0%2Fsummary%3F

So Boeheim's Army advances to the semifinal game against Florida TNT, who won the earlier quarterfinal game.
Dwight Buycks carried Golden Eagles with a game high 22 points, but his teammates went cold in the Elam Ending period. Tyrese Rice, 34 year old point guard from Boston College, had 20 points to lead Boeheim's Army.

[Da Coach]

Team 23 with a 4th quarter comeback to beat Sideline Cancer 78-71 to advance to the semifinals-
https://thetournament.com/scores/?WH...9%2Fsummary%3F

Walt Lemon had 11 points for Team 23.


Team 23 will play the winner of the last quarterfinal game between Blue Collar U vs. The Money Team tomorrow.
Blue Collar U leads 40-34 at halftime (on ESPN2)-
https://thetournament.com/scores/?WH...1%2Fsummary%3F

[Da Coach]

Blue Collar U wins a close finish 84-81 over The Money Team to complete the Final Four.
https://thetournament.com/scores/?WH...1%2Fsummary%3F

The semifinal games are Sunday, Aug. 1-
11:00 am (Central)- Boeheim's Army vs. Florida TNT
1:30 pm (Central)- Team 23 vs. Blue Collar U

The championship game is Tuesday. Aug. 3 at 8:00 pm (Central).

[battlebasset]

Boeheim's Army wins it with a steal, a bobble, and a lay up. If Team 23 pulls it out, we will at least have a Bradley connection on both sides. It's not a bad thing when the team that beats you wins the whole thing.

[Da Coach]

Here are the final stats for the first semifinal- Boeheim's Army beat Florida TNT 66-64-

https://fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/u/TBT/1897072/bs.html

Tyrese Rice, former Boston College star, was the game's leading scorer with 24 for BA. He also had 7 assists.
Rice was held to just 6 points by Always a Brave last Wednesday.

In the 2nd semifinal game, Team 23 and Blue Collar U are in a close game in the 3rd quarter. Walt Lemon leads Team 23 with 9 points.

https://fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/u/TBT/1897073/bs.html

[battlebasset]

Team 23 wins. So short of Always a Brave being there, we have at least some connection to the final. Looking forward to next year!

[Da Coach]

Team 23 wins to advance to Tuesday's final against Boeheim's Army.
Team 23 78 Blue Collar U 72
https://fibalivestats.dcd.shared.gen...897073/bs.html

Nice postgame interview with Walt Lemon, Jr., who had 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists for Team 23.

[Da Coach]

In tonight's championship game Boeheim's Army leads 33-32 over Team 23 at halftme.

https://fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/u/TBT/1897074/bs.html

One of Boeheim's Army's key players, DeAndre Kane, went out of the game early in the first quarter with an injury. His status for the 2nd half is uncertain. Walt Lemon has been held to 2 points for Team 23.

[Da Coach]

The game remained close and with 3:40 left in the 4th quarter, Boeheim's Army was leading 61-60 and called timeout to set the Elam target score at 69 points.
https://thetournament.com/scores/?WH...4%2Fsummary%3F

BA's Keifer Sykes is the game's leading scorer.

[Da Coach]

Another exciting ending in the championship game. Boeheim's Army wins 69-67 over Team 23 on a three pointer by Keifer Sykes. He finished with a game-high 21 points.

https://thetournament.com/scores/?WHurl=%2Fcompetition%2F30160%2Fmatch%2F1897074%2Fsummary%3F

[PhiAlphaBoy]

Another exciting ending in the championship game. Boeheim's Army wins 69-67 over Team 23 on a three pointer by Keifer Sykes. He finished with a game-high 21 points.
https://thetournament.com/scores/?WH...4%2Fsummary%3F

This is winner take all right? Second place earns nothing?

[bradleyfan124]

This is winner take all right? Second place earns nothing?

It is feels good to know the team Bradley alums lost to won the tournament.

[Da Coach]

This is winner take all right? Second place earns nothing?

Yes.

There are some costs (travel, meals, housing) for the final 8 participating teams in Dayton that are picked up by the tournament, but the $1 million prize money goes only to the winner. Here are the clauses from the rules that address the payout. I think this is the first year the payout has been made to participants via the digital payment service Zelle-
Rules: https://thetournament.com/tournament-rules/ (see Section I, Paragraph 1. and Section VII, Paragraph 8. )-

I. BACKGROUND

1. Up to sixty-four (64) teams (each, a “Team”) shall have the opportunity to participate in the Tournament in one of four Regional locations (Rounds 1-3), and, if a Team advances, in a single location for the quarterfinals through Championship Game (Rounds 4-6); however, the number of Teams that will compete is in Producer’s sole discretion. Producer may elect to include fewer or more than sixty-four (64) Teams in the Tournament. The Team that wins the Tournament will receive a cash prize of not less than $1,000,000 (the “Team Prize”). The Team Prize shall be allocated among such Team’s Participants (as defined below) as such Team determines, subject to certain restrictions contained herein.

VII. COMPETING IN THE TOURNAMENT

....8. The winning Team may allocate its Prize among each of its registered Participants in whatever manner it has decided to allocate the Team Prize, and the Producer will pay the Team Prize according to such allocation; provided, however, that each Team playing in the championship game is required to memorialize in writing, in a manner that Producer shall deem acceptable, before the championship game how it will allocate the Prize to its Participants if it is the winner. Additional information may also be required as part of such allocation process (e.g., social security numbers, completion of IRS Form W-9, etc.). Participants on the winning Team will also be required to sign an Affidavit of Eligibility and Publicity Release prior to receiving any portion of the Team Prize.
Winners of any 2021 Team Prize will be paid with Zelle. Producer will not guarantee payment of funds to any participant through any means other than Zelle.

[Da Coach]

The Basketball Tournament ended last week, and the tournament organizers are handing out awards this week-
Scroll down through this "Inside TBT" twitter account to see the award winners so far-

https://twitter.com/InsideTbt

A couple notables-
The "Inside TBT Best Moment" is awarded to the Always a Brave miraculous comeback in the first round to beat Hoopville Warriors
https://twitter.com/InsideTbt/status...53460554076181



Walt Lemon, Jr. was named to the Inside TBT "ALL FRIENDLY TEAM"-
https://twitter.com/InsideTbt/status...72123109773317


There were also Always a Brave players who finished the tournament among the leaders in a couple categories.
Darrell Brown, Jr. was 3rd in assists-
https://twitter.com/thetournament/st...18398274494467



Marcellus Sommerville finished in the top 5 rebounders-
https://twitter.com/thetournament/st...94976031055872