Kyle Guy has finally put together a team to compete in TBT in Fail Harder, under a motto that motivated him to help complete one of the greatest redemption stories in sports.
The Virginia legend has had an ambition to gather a group of hoopers to compete in The Basketball Tournament for several years. Although Guy did not compile a roster full of UVA alumni, his team will compete under a phrase that is close to his heart: “Fail Harder.”
The Cavaliers suffered the most embarrassing upset in college basketball history, becoming the first ever one-seed to fall in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Guy, who was front and center in the media ridicule, especially took it to heart and his fortune reversed the following year, with a national title.
Fail Harder competes in TBT in a spot Guy is not familiar being in…the underdog. The squad will play as the seven seed in an eight team region, hoping to play spoiler to some well-established returnees.
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Current Roster:
- Amir Yusuf (Windsor Express)
- Derek Hawthorne Jr. (UT Martin)
- Dijmon Henson (Morehead State)
- Hunter Bode (University of Northwestern Ohio)
- Jaden Terry (Earlham College)
- Jesse Bingham II (University of Indianapolis)
- Jordan Walker (Morehead State)
- Joshua Price (Southern Indiana)
- Kendrick Tchoua (University of Indianapolis)
- Kobe Webster (Nebraska & Western Illinois)
- Kyle Guy (Virginia)
- Nelson Phillips (Georgia State & Troy)
- Robert Woodard II (Mississippi State)
- Ryan Weber (Ball State)
Coaching Staff:
- Bishop Smith (Asst. Coach)
- C.J. Walker (Asst. Coach)
- Jake Mills (GM)
- Jesse McClung (Head Coach)
- Mitchell Storm (Asst. Coach)
- Tyler Neal (Asst. Coach)
Region: Butler
All-time Record: 0-0
First Matchup: vs. All Good Dawgs (July 19th at 6 p.m on FS2)
Team MVP: Robert Woodard II
The highly recruited Starkville native stayed home to play at Mississippi State where he had two productive seasons, before turning pro. Woodard was drafted 40th overall by the Grizzlies in 2020 but has not been able to sustain a career at the highest level. He has had success in the G-League, however, particularly in 2021, when he earned third-team all-league honors.
At 6’6″, 235, he will most likely be the primary scoring option for Fail Harder on the wing. Woodard is a willing outside with a physical frame that allows him to score in traffic. He has good hands on defense and has put up decent block numbers everywhere he has played.
Make-or-break Player: Kyle Guy
This is an interesting situation. Guy stated his intentions to sit on the sidelines when the team was originally assembled a few months ago but was recently listed on the official roster as a player. He clarified, “As the owner and GM, I need to be prepared for every scenario. If we find ourselves making a deep run and facing multiple injuries, I’ll be ready to step in and support our team if we don’t have a full roster for each game.” I don’t know what to truly make of that…
The bottom line is that if Guy ends up playing he immediately becomes the most accomplished player on the court. He is a former multi-time all-American and Final Four MVP with quality pro basketball experience under his belt. Guy’s pure shooting and overall offensive ability would completely change the dynamic of this team. We will have to monitor what ends up happening.