War Ready looks to build off Auburn basketball’s big season and turn their fortunes around.
Things have not gone great for War Ready, going 2-5 all-time in TBT. However, they did win a game last year, and perhaps that’s enough momentum to turn things around. They bring in reinforcement, and arguably their best roster in TBT history, showing they’re hear to win.
Bruce Pearl and Johni Broome won’t be making appearances, but they have plenty of other Auburn and non-Auburn players who are “War Ready”.
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Current Roster:
- Antoine Mason (Auburn)
- Babatunde Akingbola (Auburn & George Washington)
- Darin Green Jr. (Florida State University)
- KD Johnson (Auburn)
- Malik Dunbar (Auburn)
- Naheem McLeod (Florida State & Syracuse)
- Terell Smith (Limestone University)
- Tim Dagler (Tulsa)
- Travis McConico (Charleston Southern)
- Wendell Green Jr. (Auburn)
Coaching Staff:
- Earl Sipp Jr. (Asst. Coach)
- Laron Smith (Asst. Coach)
- Matt Moschella (GM)
Region: Lexington
All-time Record: 2-5
First Matchup: vs. X-Rayted (July 18 at 7 p.m. EST)
Team MVP: Wendell Green Jr.
Wendell Green was by far the best player for War Ready last year. In the two games, he scored 41 points, doing whatever he could to give his team a chance to win. He didn’t have much help, as the next highest scorer only had 21 points. If War Ready wants to turn its fortunes around, it starts with Green again. He’s very shifty and gets to the line. He can shoot it from deep and be a facilitator.
The rest of the team is a question mark, but we know that Green will be there no matter what giving the opponent a tough time.
Make-or-break Player: KD Johnson
Any Auburn fan knows that there is no bigger wild card than KD Johnson. Any given night, you never know what you’re going to get with him. Some games, he’ll be a defensive menace, some days a liability. He can score at a high level in some games, but also fade away in others. War Ready are hoping they get the best KD Johnson, and the best KD Johnson pairs very well with Wendell Green.
In 2021-2022, the team went 21-5 with the Green-Johnson backcourt. This team is hoping the two can rekindle that chemistry and make life difficult for opposing teams.
Team Outlook
War Ready faces X-Rayted in Round 1, which should be an exciting matchup. If they win, things get bleak, as they’ll have to face La Familia, the Kentucky alumni team in Lexington. Auburn beat Kentucky in Rupp earlier this year, so hopefully War Ready can match that.
An interesting roster addition for War Ready is Naheem McLeod. McLeod is listed at 7’5, which makes him not only the tallest person in this tournament, but one of the tallest people in the world. He had little impact in college, but if he can create a mismatch, he could be a huge advantage for this team. War Ready also brings back Malik Dunbar, who scored 17 points. He’ll have an increased role, and they’ll need him to step up.
It’s been a big year for Auburn Basketball, and War Ready is hoping they can end it on a positive note.
[…] will face War Ready, the Auburn Alumni team, in Round 1. Despite being the “underdog” X-Rayted is very […]