Nasty Nati had a taste of victory last summer, but they’re determined to take their squad all the way this time around.
In one of the more exciting performances last season, Nasty Nati made a Cinderella-like run across TBT, making it all the way to the quarterfinals as a six-seed and beating their rivals Zip ‘Em Up. This year, they’ll be hosting their own regional once again, giving them a home-court advantage that could help them bring home that $1 million.
For more TBT team profiles, click here.
Roster:
- Coreante Deberry (Cincinnati)
- Deshaun Morman (Towson)
- Isaiah Miller (UNC Greensboro)
- Jacob Evans (Cincinnati)
- Jarron Cumberland (Cincinnati)
- Jaylen Adams (St. Bonaventure)
- Keith Williams (Cincinnati)
- Mamoudou Diarra (Cincinnati & Tennessee Tech)
- Marquez Letcher-Ellis (Rice)
- Nysier Brooks (Cincinnati)
- Octavius Ellis (Cincinnati)
- Tre Scott (Cincinnati)
- Troy Caupain Jr. (Cincinnati)
Coaching Staff:
- Kevin Johnson Jr. (GM)
- Cashmere Wright (Head Coach)
- Cane Broome (Assistant Coach)
- George Tyler (Assistant Coach)
- Kevin Anzenberger (Assistant Coach)
Region: Cincinnati
All-time Record: 3-2
First Matchup: vs. About Billion (July 19 at 8 p.m. on TBT Live)
Team MVP: Jarron Cumberland
Cumberland was one of Nasty Nati’s top performers last summer, averaging 22 PPG. He and Jacob Evans were an unstoppable duo, trading buckets back and forth and making big shot after big shot to ensure their deep run. In that win against the rival, Cumberland scored 23, had 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. Something that makes him so dangerous is his three-point shooting. He hit over 2 a game, and his ball handling and ability to create separation made him so difficult to guard.
He lives for the big shot as well, which is obviously extremely important in the Elam Ending. He and Evans both turned it up in crunch time, and there is no doubt they can do it again. If Nasty Nati finds themselves down during Elam Ending, don’t be surprised if Cumberland leads the way and brings them back.
Make-or-break Player: Jaylen Adams
This will be the first TBT for Adams, and all eyes will be on him to see how he plays with this group. Any new addition to this team is very important if they plan on making it further in the tournament than they did last summer and a valuable addition he is.
Adams is another player who’s a professional scorer, and he’s done it at every level. At St. Bonaventure, he averaged over 20 PPG his junior season. Then, in 2019-2020, he averaged 21 a game for the Wisconsin Herd, a G-League team. The following year, he’d score over 20 a game for the Sydney Kings, and this year he is coming off 19.5 PPG with the team. If a team needs a bucket give it to Adams.
This can be a good and bad thing. On one side, having a three-headed monster instead of two makes this team borderline unstoppable if all three guys have it going. On the other side, there’s only one basketball, and disturbing the ball could become an issue for this team. Regardless, watch out for Adams this tournament.
Team Outlook
This team has a great chance of getting right back to where they were last summer. Their goal is to get even further than that though, which could be tough. Their region is filled with lots of talent, meaning the margin for error will be small. If they can go out and do what they need to do, they can go far. They start it off with a matchup against Team AboutBillions, who are searching for their first TBT win.
It will get fun in Round 3 if Nasty Nati and Zip ‘Em Up both make it. This game would easily be the most anticipated in the tournament, and if it’s the same result as last year, we’re in for a treat.
It’ll all come down to the Big 2 of Cumberland and Evans. If those two operate at the same level as last year, they are with a doubt a title contender. They are the most fun duo to watch in TBT, so circle your calendars now, because you won’t regret it if you love basketball.