Still searching for their first win, 305 Ballers come into The Basketball Tournament hungry for success.
The TBT hasn’t treated 305 Ballers too well. In their debut in 2022, they almost made a statement, going toe to toe with The Money Team, the one seed, before losing by 4, then titled Athletics Miami. Then, in 2023, they were back and didn’t fare better, losing by 12.
This year, they’re hoping for a different result, with a relatively new team. They return two from last year’s roster and are hoping that the lack of game tape makes it hard for their first-round opponent, La Familia, to execute a game plan. There’s nothing better than getting the first TBT win, and 305 Ballers are hoping to do so this year.
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Current Roster:
- Aleu Aleu (UTSA & St. Edwards University)
- Alexander Kappos (Dalhousie University)
- Anthony Cambo (N/A)
- Anthony Fairley (Miles College)
- CJ Bryce (NC State)
- Harrison Henderson (Central Michigan)
- Isaiah Reese (Canisius)
- Kevin Tumba (N/A)
- Marcale Lotts (Canisius)
- Shane Hunter (Nova Southeastern)
- Sherif Gross-Bullock (Bryant)
- Victor Uyaelunmo (USC)
Coaching Staff:
- Ernie Cambo (Head Coach)
- Ryan Wilson (Asst. Coach)
Region: Lexington
All-time Record: 0-2
First Matchup: vs. La Familia (July 19 at 8 p.m. on FS2)
Team MVP: Kevin Thumba
In the loss last year, Thumba was one of the bright spots for the 305 Ballers. He scored 11 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and most importantly 3 blocks. At 6’9, Thumba has an intimidating defensive presence, making it difficult to get shots at the rim for the opponent. La Familia is loaded with NBA-caliber centers, so if he can hold his own and force the guards to make plays, then he’ll be crucial for his team’s success.
He is a terrific offensive rebounder, averaging 3 a game for his professional team. If he can extend possessions for 305 Ballers and slow down the opponent, then they’ll have a shot. They needed more than 7 boards from him last year, so hopefully he can reach that double-digit mark, and grab a couple of offensive ones along the way.
Make-or-break Player: CJ Bryce
This team is loaded with forwards and centers, but the guard position is definitely a weakness. Bryce is the leader of this guard unit. He scores the ball well, averaging 14.7 PPG for his pro team, and did so efficiently shooting 53% from the field. He’s not a big three-point shooter but can hit one or two if left open. He can drive, pull up from midrange, and isn’t too bad at drawing fouls.
Where they’ll need him to step up is defensively. At 6’5, he has good size to match up with any opponent’s guard, but if 305 Ballers don’t want to get run out of the gym, he’ll need to hold his own. That’s been a concern throughout his career, and with La Familia having so many talented guards, he’ll need to give them a little discomfort. The big men can handle driving attempts, but it’s those three-point shots and separation tactics that the opponent has that can be a cause for concern.
Team Outlook
As mentioned earlier, 305 Ballers will take on La Familia in Game 1. As if that wasn’t bad enough, they’ll have to do it in Lexington, so they’ll have the crowd against them too. A win in this one would go down as one of the biggest upsets in TBT history. The rest of the Lexington bracket is tough, with Herd That and WoCo Showtime boasting impressive alumni teams as well, so even if they do beat La Familia, the road doesn’t get much easier after that.
The only other player to play last season is Anthony Cambo, who scored 5 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. The good news is this team is tall. They have 8 players 6’8 or taller, so a gameplan of theirs can be to just outsize the opponent. At this point, keep throwing things at the wall until they stick, because that’s the best plan at this point.