After a third-round exit last year, Mass Street, now JHX Hoops looks to make a deep run in front of the home crowd.
JHX Hoops had little trouble in the first two games in Wichita last year, beating their first two opponents by double digits. Then, against the five-seed Colorado, the two-seed was outscored 23-13 in the 4th quarter + Elam Ending and ended their hopes for the million dollar prize.
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Roster:
- Billy Preston (Kansas)
- Cliff Alexander (Kansas)
- David McCormick (Kansas)
- Jamari Traylor (Kansas)
- Jacob Hanna (Washburn)
- Kevin Young (Loyola Marymount & Kansas)
- Lagerald Vick (Kansas)
- Nicholas Timberlake (Kansas)
Coaching Staff:
- Stephanie Temple (GM)
- Scooter Ward (GM)
Region: Kansas City
All-time Record: 4-2
First Matchup: vs. OffDaHook (July 19th at 4:00 p.m EST)
Team MVP: Lagerald Vick
Lagerald Vick enters his third year playing for JHX Hoops, and each year he’s improved. In Year 1, he averaged 8.7 PPG. Last year, that jumped to 12.7, including a 19 points performance in the second round last year to lead all scorers. Vick is a terrific shooter and is not afraid of the big moment, which is essential with the Elam Ending’s importance.
The way the current roster is constructed, Vick will most likely be the first option, and he’s a good one at that. If he can average 15-18 PPG for JHX Hoops, this team can easily run through the Kansas City region.
Make-or-Break Player: Billy Preston
Preston joined the team last year to many people’s surprise, after issues during his short time at Kansas. He was terrific, averaging 13.7 PPG and 5.7 APG. In his debut, he scored 18 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in just 24 minutes. Playing alongside Dedric Lawson, he had to share the load, but this year, he should have more opportunities to dominate.
He will most likely share the frontcourt with David McCormack, but being able to space the floor should allow Preston to make life very difficult on his opponents. The duo of him and Vick could be one to watch if both develop from last year’s performances.
Team Outlook
The team brings back several players from last year’s team, but the big gap is the loss of Frank Mason, one of the best college players in recent history and last year’s leading scorer. They bring in some new players as well to add a spark, including national champion David McCormack.
This team will need to bring in another guard to be highly successful. It doesn’t need to be a Mason type player, but someone who can handle the ball and facilitate will round this team out.
They will face OffDaHook in the first round, who are making their debut in the TBT. If they win, they have the chance to play Purple Reign, the Kansas State alumni team, in what could be one of the most anticipated matchups in the whole tournament. The biggest challenge will be Heartfire, the one seed, who won the tournament two years ago.
The games will be in Kansas City, a much shorter drive than Wichita, where the team has had great crowds the last two years. That advantage alone could be enough to get them out of the regionals. They have a lot of TBT experience as well, so while the roster might not be as loaded as year’s before, they should without a doubt be a team to watch in this tournament.
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