The Basketball Tournament 2024: Stars of Storrs Team Profile

The Stars of Storrs are new to The Basketball Tournament, but they show no sign of being an underdog.

We all know UConn as the reigning back-to-back NCAA champions. This group of alumni is out to add another trophy for the Huskies in their first TBT appearance.

For more TBT team profiles, click here.

Roster:

• Ater Majok (UConn)
• Deandre Daniels (UConn)
• Elijah Thomas (Clemson)
• Jeff Adrien (UConn)
• Jerome Dyson (UConn)
• Joey Calcaterra (UConn)
• Kwintin Williams (UConn)
• RJ Cole (Howard University & UConn)
• Rodney Purvis (UConn)
• Ryan Boatright (UConn)
• Seth Maxwell (Indiana Wesleyan University)
• Terry “TJ” Maston (Baylor)

Coaching Staff:

• Chris Smith (Head Coach)
• Chris Smith Jr. (Assistant Coach)
• Tyler Olander (Assistant Coach)

Region: Pittsburgh

All-time Record: 0-0

First Matchup: vs. Herkimer Originals (July 20 at 6 p.m. on TBT Live)

Team MVP: Ryan Boatright

Ryan Boatwright is a UConn legend, winning a championship with the team and being named to the All-Tournament team. It’s been two years since that moment, and while his production has gone down since that season, he is still putting up productive numbers overseas. He shoots it well, and does a good job of getting to the line, More importantly, he’s a winner. During most of his overseas stops, his teams have won more than they lost, showing his impact on a winning culture.

Now, he’ll take that winning culture to Pittsburgh as the Stars of Storrs look to leave their mark on TBT. Boatwright has played in all types of situations, so he should adapt to the TBT style quickly and guide his team to victory.

Make-or-break Player: Seth Maxwell

Maxwell is the tallest guy on the Stars of Storrs roster at 7’0 and only one of two centers. It’s incredibly important for him and Ater Majok to play well because this is the position that this team lacks. This means staying out of foul trouble and keeping their stamina up. He is also an incredible rebounder. With his pro team, he grabbed 7 or more rebounds in the last eight games of the season, and even grabbed 16 in a game.

If you look at the box scores of TBT, the team that wins the rebounding battle usually wins the game, so if Maxwell can provide that impact for the Stars of Storrs, then guys like Boatright and RJ Cole can get comfortable and control the game.

Team Outlook

Stars of Storrs is the number one seed in the Pittsburgh region, but they could have some trouble when up against some of their probable opponents. Best Virginia, Brotherly Love Pro Am Foundation, Happy Valley Hoopers, and Dubois Dream are all teams that have played in the TBT before, some of them with great success. They could also face Zoo Crew who will be on their home court. By the looks of this region, anything could happen.

Only one player on their roster has TBT experience, Joey Calcaterra. He probably won’t play too much, but he can offer some wisdom to his teammates, especially in an Elam Ending scenario. Where they’ll really succeed is the guard play. UConn fans can’t help but smile seeing all the guys playing and are hoping they can get a little bit of championship luck from their school and win a million.