SYRACUSE, NY – With the summer finally here, many basketball fans are getting ready to say goodbye to their sport for the season. Thankfully for Syracuse fans, they can still look forward to “The Basketball Tournament” or TBT. Former Syracuse basketball players join “Boeheim’s Army” and play for the million-dollar grand prize.
The team won the championship in 2021, but after a disappointing result in 2022 the hometown team is on a redemption tour. This year, however, they’ll be led by Ryan Blackwell, the assistant coach last summer.
Jeremy Pope, who was the coach for the past two seasons, will not be coaching the team this season. Blackwell is known around the area already. He has played in Syracuse and is currently the head coach of Liverpool High School.
“Going from head coach, assistant coach now back to the head coach. So the mentality has got to change,” said Blackwell.
With players like Tyus Battle, Deandre Kane, and even Jim Boeheim’s son Jimmy Boeheim, it’ll be essential to establish chemistry when they have to practice, according to Blackwell. The coach says he’s glad the team has pros from major leagues across the world.
“These guys are seasoned veterans. A lot of them have been playing overseas for a long time, some playing NBA. A lot of them played in this tournament. So, they understand what it takes to win,” said Blackwell.
The team will lose dynamic players like Tyler Ennis, but Blackwell is confident in his team and what they can do. Last year they fell to “The Nerd Team” 81-74, and they only won one game of the tournament last year.
The Syracuse Regional begins July 24 at a venue at Upstate Medical Arena in downtown Syracuse. The venue changed from Onondaga Community College to allow for a higher attendance at the event, meaning more Syracuse faithful can see their former Orange play. Blackwell thinks this could be beneficial for both players and fans who want to see their favorite childhood players.
“The Syracuse fans who, you know, love their Syracuse Orange, it’s great for them to be able to see Tai’s battle and Chris McCullough and myself, obviously as a coach. But all the former Syracuse guys that they loved and grew up watching to come back and play,” Blackwell said.