Living the Dream TBT is playing for something bigger than basketball, donating a good portion of their winnings to cancer research
This team was created to honor Pat Welsh and features Thomas and Henry Welsh, who play in his memory. Pat Welsh lost his battle with cancer five years ago. Living the Dream TBT is making its debut in the 2023 TBT. Like Sideline Cancer, a fellow team playing for the same cause, this team must become a family to succeed in their first year. Having a reason behind their play, Living the Dream could find a fight that some other teams may not be ready for.
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Current Roster:
- Alex Olesinski (UCLA)
- Daniel Hamilton (UConn)
- DJ Mitchell (Wake Forest & Santa Clara)
- Henry Welsh (Harvard)
- Isaac Hamilton (UCLA)
- Issac Vann (Maine & VCU)
- Joey Calcaterra (UConn)
- Josip Vrankic (Santa Clara)
- Matt Jasaitis (Santa Clara)
- Patrick Clement Welsh (Cal Poly)
- PJ Pipes (Santa Clara)
- Tahj Eaddy (Southeast Missouri State, Santa Clara, & USC)
- Thomas Welsh (UCLA)
Coaching Staff:
- Don Welsh (Head Coach)
- Jack Bycraft (GM)
- Tyler Olsen (Asst. Coach)
Region:
- Lubbock, Texas
Team MVP: PJ Pipes
PJ Pipes spent his first year after college playing in the Czech Republic. While playing in the Czech league, he shot an impressive 39% from 3-point range and averaged 19.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. He will need to bring this to The Basketball Tournament for Living the Dream to succeed. Pipes shot 53.5% from the field and 82.6% from the free throw line as well, a sign of a great three-level player. He has the opportunity to shine in the TBT and should compliment his teammates well.
Make-or-break Player: Daniel Hamilton
Daniel Hamilton will be a vital part of this team. He will need to crash the boards and break up passing lanes. For this team to win, this team will need as many shooting opportunities as possible, and Hamilton is ideal to create second chances. At 6’7, Hamilton is a tall guard, and size has proven to be beneficial in a tournament like this. If he can adjust right away and be a quiet leader on the court, this is a team that can cause some trouble.
Playing in Uruguay, Hamilton’s stats were impressive. He shot 40.9% from 3-point range and 51.3% from the field. He averaged 22.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.3 steals. Being the focus of most defenses, Hamilton must show a high basketball IQ to pick and choose the correct plays to make. It is easy to try and shoulder the load of the team.
Team Outlook
It’s official…WE ARE IN‼️#LivingtheDream #Witchita #TBT #InsideTBT #LiveIt pic.twitter.com/T3OAR9MaNT
— LivingtheDreamTBT (@LiveItTBT) June 21, 2023
Living the Dream will play against the LA Cheaters (Drew League). The Cheaters are back in their fourth year, having a record of 4-3 in that period. Outside of the Make-or-break player and the team MVP, this team has some other shooting talent and players that go after the ball.
Issac Vann is a small forward that played this year in Austria and averaged 18.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.9 steals. Josip Vrankic spent this year as a power forward in Italy, averaging 11.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, and 0.7 steals. The last double-digit scorer is Isaac Hamilton, who played in Brazil as a shooting guard. Hamilton averaged 10.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.9 steals.
Most importantly, they have Thomas Welsh, who many remember being a dominant big man for UCLA several years ago, as well as Henry and Patrick Welsh suiting up. Pair that with head coach Don Welsh, and you have the whole family coming together to fight for a great cause.
This team will need to focus on their mission for Pat Welsh, become a team, and be willing to get down and dirty to pull off the win. A tough matchup in the Wichita Regional could have a surprising outcome.