Purple Hearts joins TBT to bring awareness to gun violence and grab some wins.
The message behind Purple Hearts TBT is fantastic. A mission similar to Challenge ALS and Sideline Cancer, this is a personal mission to bring awareness to gun violence. This team has some natural scoring talent but will need to focus on the reason behind their playing to get them together. This squad plans to donate winnings to charity and bring awareness to gun violence. Duane and Dylan Causwell lost family due to an act of gun violence. This personal cause may give this team an edge and drive to win.
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Current Roster:
- Antonio Ballard (Miami Ohio)
- David Jones (Georgia Southern University)
- Davion Cole-Johnson (Mississippi Gulf Coast)
- Dom Cristiano (Lafette, NYU, & Pace University)
- Dylan Causwell (Loyola Marymount)
- Dylan Crane (Pensacola Christian College)
- Ethan Chargois (SMU & Oklahoma)
- Jawachi Nzeakor (Lamar)
- Kenney Funderburk Jr. (Columbus State)
- Leonard Harper-Baker (Southern Mississippi)
- Markus Gilbert (College of Alameda)
- Olin Carter III (San Diego)
- Tim Bond (Eastern Michigan)
Coaching Staff:
- Kugan Suppiah (GM, Asst. Coach)
- Duane Causwell (Head Coach)
- David Ding (Asst. Coach)
- DeAndrea Bray (Asst. Coach)
- Kevin King (Asst. Coach)
Region:
- Lubbock, Texas
Team MVP: Ethan Chargois
After playing in the basketball league this summer, Ethan Chargois has continued his scoring prowess. His size and length make him a difficult matchup. Chargois can drive, pull up, and shoot the 3-pointer. Chargois jumps lanes for steals and run-outs. He averaged a double-double all summer, averaging 18.1 points and 12 rebounds a game. Beyond that, Chargois handed out 3.8 assists per game. He has this ability to create more team offensive opportunities.
Chargois shot 32.5% from 3-point range and 54.4% on 2-point field goals. Having played so recently, the expectation is that he will show up and be ready to show out. Chargois is familiar with Lubbock and should have some support from friends and family in Oklahoma.
Make-or-break Player: Olin Carter
Olin Carter is the guard to watch on this team. With his recent experience in the G-League, Carter had some solid stats for the Austin Spurs. He averaged 13.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals. He won’t be the flashiest guard on the team, but his ability to create shots and find open players will be massive. Carter will need to bring this team together, determine the tempo, and make for this team. He is a shooter.
The worry is that he will sit outside waiting for a shot. If Carter picks up the style and play of TBT, he could be a real threat in the game. The way he could affect defenses and be an asset on defense. Carter has good timing and could be a player who alters shots for Purple Hearts TBT.
Team Outlook
First round matchups:@AirRaidersTBT vs Purple Hearts@austinsowntbt vs @Enchantment_TBT pic.twitter.com/SGzeW8IAsO
— TBT (@thetournament) June 28, 2023
Purple Hearts TBT got a bad draw in the first round facing up against the TBT favorites in the Air Raiders. This team has been around and knows how to play in the Basketball Tournament. This team has changed its look and could match up well. It will be dependent on who gets and stays hot shooting. Purple Hearts’ based hope round one is to slow it down. Both teams have a lot of firepower but are just slightly different.
This team will need to mesh and move the ball to be able to get a win. If this team wins one, I expect them to make it to round 3. Rise and Grind has some natural ability to score. The lack of tape and stats for these players could be a benefit.
This game may be one of the ones to watch. It could be the highest-scoring game of the first day.