Takeover BC brings multiple scoring stars on the court with hopes of running up the score all the way for a title.
Mostly made up of mid-major stars, Takeover BC might be able to take over games with how many points they put up. Although not everyone on this squad is a past scoring star, they do boast some former college greats, with AJ English as the most notable name.
They’ll take on Zip Em Up (Xavier alumni) in the first round, which will be a challenging matchup, but don’t be shocked if Takeover BC becomes a Cinderella team this summer.
Roster:
- AJ English (Iona)
- Brandon Brown (Loyola Marymount)
- Brison Gresham (UMass, Houston, & Texas Southern)
- Chris Crawford (Memphis)
- Dane Milar Jr. (Rutgers)
- Desi Washington (Saint Peter’s)
- Eric Williams (Oregon)
- Jaquan Lightfoot (Southeastern CC & Trinity Valley CC)
- Javier Carter (South Alabama)
- Jervon Pressley (Towson & Hampton)
- Makhtar Gueye (UAB)
- Michael Jenkins (Winthrop)
- Phlandrous Fleming Jr. (Charleston Southern & Florida)
- Samuel Idowu (Saint Peter’s)
Coaching Staff:
- Arthur Luptowski (Assistant Coach)
- Dean Demopoulos (Head Coach)
- Kelvin Amayo (GM)
- Kiana Fletcher (GM)
- Mohamed Farih (GM & Assistant Coach)
- Praneeth Bommareddy (GM & Assistant Coach)
Region: Cincinnati
All-time Record: 0-0
First Matchup: vs. Zip Em Up (July 19 at 6 p.m. on TBT Live)
Team MVP: AJ English
It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly a decade since English last took the court at Iona, but his pro career hasn’t missed a beat. Last year, English laced it up for Enea Zastal Zielona Góra and dropped buckets, averaging almost 14 points per game. In fact, between college and pro basketball, English has put up double digits in multiple leagues and always is a factor on the boards and as a playmaker.
To win The Basketball Tournament, you must have at least one scorer who can elevate his squad, and Takeover BC has that in English.
Make-or-break Player: Phlandrous Fleming Jr.
Like English, Fleming is a professional scorer. He averaged 10+ points all five years he spent in college and has continued that streak in two seasons of pro ball. But how will Fleming play beside another number one option?
If he and English can play well together, they may form one of the best scoring duos in the entire TBT. However, chemistry is the most important part of winning in The Basketball Tournament, considering you’re putting a bunch of pieces that have likely never played together on the court with limited practice time. If this pairing works, watch out for Takeover BC.
Team Outlook
We might see Takeover BC drop 100 points, which by all accounts, is very impressive for The Basketball Tournament. Besides the players mentioned above, Desi Washington and Eric Williams are two more names who can be counted on to get buckets.
It’s clear, the nature of this team will be to score points, but don’t be surprised if they shut down their opponents too. Players that went to Saint Peter’s, Rutgers, and Oregon have defense in their blood and it could make for an underrated two-way squad.