An annual fan favorite, Sideline Cancer looks to replicate its 2020 performance and make a deep run in this year’s TBT.
When discussing TBT teams, Sideline Cancer has to be one of the first brought up every time. They’ve played in every tournament, and while the roster and results have changed annually, the message has stayed the same. This team’s goal is to raise money for Pediatric Cancer Research.
Last year, they absolutely dominated round 1, scoring 100 points, the only team to crack triple digits. Round 2 didn’t go as well, unfortunately, losing to The Ville by just two points.
In 2020, this team made it all the way to the finals, and despite the four seed, they are hopeful that the team they have has the talent to bring them back to that level.
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Roster:
- Chris Coffey (Georgetown (KY) College)
- Cullen Russo (Southern Idaho & Fresno State)
- Jacob Conway (Georgetown (KY) College)
- Jericole Hellems (NC State)
- Jermaine Marrow Jr. (Hampton)
- Joshua Cohen (Saint Francis, UMass, USC)
- Keith Braxton (St. Francis (PA)
- Marcellus Earlington (San Diego)
- Matthew Crowley (Southern Miss)
- Tay Weaver (Eastern Kentucky & Saint Louis)
- Trey Moses (Ball State)
Coaching Staff:
- Billy Clapper (GM)
- Charlie Parker (Head Coach)
- Jordan Griffith (Asst. Coach)
- Chance Wells (Asst. Coach)
- Rob Block (Asst. Coach)
Region: Louisville
All-time Record: 17-11
First Matchup: vs. Madd Katts (July 19 at 2:30 p.m. EST)
Team MVP: Chris Coffey
Coffey was terrific in both games last year, averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds a game. He was very efficient as well, shooting the ball at a 62% clip. With last year’s leading scorer, Alonzo Verge, no longer on the team, they’ll turn to Coffey to use his experience and skill to lead this team.
They’ll look for him on the offensive glass as well. He grabbed five total in the two games last year, and they’ll need as many as they can to give Sideline Cancer the best chance for success. At 6’8, he is more than capable of just that.
Make-or-break Player: Josh Cohen
Cohen joins TBT after six years of college basketball. While his final year at USC was a bit of a disappointment, his final season at Saint Francis and only season at UMass were huge successes. During the former, he averaged 21.8 PPG and 8.3 RPG. The following year at UMass, he added 15.9 PPG to go with 6.8 RPG. He doesn’t turn the ball ever, and while he isn’t elite defensively, he makes up for it with his touch offensively.
Sideline Cancer will certainly welcome the fresh legs. At 6’10, he can be a problem to match up with for any opponent, and also lighten the load for his teammate Chris Coffey. Just give him the ball in the mid-range and let him find a way to get to the basket. More times than not, that has proven to be successful.
Team Outlook
Sideline Cancer will take on Madd Katts in Round 1. Don’t be surprised if we see a similar outcome from last year. After that, a rematch against The Ville, the regional favorites. Sideline Cancer would love nothing more than to beat this team and further spread their message on national TV.
A key returner for Sideline Cancer is Jermaine Marrow, who scored 15 points in both games last year. They’ll look to him to be the lead guard for this team once again. Marrow scored 2,680 points in college, the most in Hampton history and 35th all-time in college basketball. While we didn’t see it last year, we could see a Marcus Keene-type run for Marrow, which could equate to a deep run for Sideline Cancer.