The Basketball Tournament 2023: Beale Street Boys Team Profile

A newcomer to the TBT, Beale Street Boys are hoping to make a splash.

This first-time team will have a tough road entering the Wichita Regional. The good news, this team takes on another first-timer in the Broad Street Birds (Temple Alumni) team in the first round. The GM and head coach Willie Kemp organized the Beale Street Boys.

This team has a lot of players that had short stints in the NBA or NBA G-league but have found a career overseas. Chris Crawford, Will Coleman, and Adonis Thomas have experience in The Basketball Tournament but have not returned since 2018. Two players get their first opportunity to play for cash in Alex Lomax and Shaquan Jules, who just wrapped up their college careers in 2023.

For more TBT team profiles, click here.

Current Roster:

• Adonis Thomas (Memphis)
• Alex Lomax (Memphis)
• Antonius Cleveland (Southeast Missouri State)
• Chris Crawford (Memphis)
• Jeremiah Martin (Memphis)
• Lester Hudson (Memphis)
• Shaquan Jules (Radford)
• Shawn Taggart (Memphis)
• Tyler Stone (Missouri/Southeast Missouri State)
• Will Coleman (Memphis)

Coaching Staff:

• Willie Kemp (General Manager and Head Coach)
• Marshun Newell (General Manager)
• Steview Matthews (Assistant Coach)

Region:

• Wichita, Kansas

Team MVP: Chris Crawford

This is a guy with a chip on his shoulder. He went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft, and since then, he has bounced around overseas. Last year Crawford was All-BAL (Basketball Africa League) first team after he averaged 19.0 points and 5.5 rebounds over the season. His ability to score, mindset, and how hard he works will mark him into an immediate leadership role. Crawford has experience in the Tournament and averaged 10 points, five assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game in his two games. Since then, Crawford has become a well-rounded player and worked on his craft.

Make-or-break Player: Adonis Thomas

Being a part of Team Memphis State in the 2018 TBT, Thomas showed out in his games. He was the scoring leader for this 2018 team averaging 18.5 points and 3.5 assists. With some more time away from the TBT, he will need to help prepare the new players for more physical play. Thomas has been playing overseas as a bench player. He must work and come ready to play if this team hopes to make it out of the regional.

Team Outlook

Let’s goooooo we’re in!!!!!

Details on our first @thetournament matchup⤵️⤵️ pic.twitter.com/xXNwUb9L50

— Beale Street Boys TBT (@BealeStreet_TBT) June 21, 2023

Beale Street Boys have an excellent first-round matchup with another new team. However, if this team can sneak past the Broad Street Birds, it’ll take everything to win in the next game. The second round for either of these teams will be challenging as they will face either the hometown favorite AfterShocks or the B1 Ballers, with some TBT experience. The best hope for either team is to reach 1-1 in their first year. Having expertise in The Basketball Tournament, these teams benefit, especially as they better understand pace, physicality, and training knowledge.

Don’t sleep on the Beale Street Boys though, as that Memphis toughness can be enough to surprise many and give the Tiger Alumni team a shot at $1,000,000.