The Basketball Tournament 2025: Stroh’s Squad Team Profile

Stroh’s Squad has an uphill battle in their TBT debut.

Stroh’s Squad, a team that is supposedly a Bowling Green alumni team, is far from it, with only one of the 11 players being a Bowling Green alumni. Whether this is an issue of previous commitments dropping out, or guys just loving the city, it doesn’t matter now. As the eight seed, they have an uphill battle to the championship, but in a single-elimination tournament, anything can happen.

For more TBT team profiles, click here.

Current Roster:

• Austin Burdue (N/A)
• Brian Harris Jr. (Lakeland Community College)
• David Johnson (Mount Mercy University)
• Jack Appleby (Hope International)
• Jordan Burdue (Bluffton University)
• Marlon Sierra (Bowling Green State)
• Matthias Nicoletti (Lakeland Community College)
• Phillip Snow (Bluffton)
• Riley Grigsby (Seattle)
• Torin Washington (New Mexico Highlands)
• Trey Phils (Yale)

Coaching Staff:

• Hayden Tarkington (Asst. Coach)
• Michael Poignon (Asst. Coach)
• Mike Tampurages (GM)

Region: Lexington

All-time Record: 0-0

First Matchup: vs. La Familia (July 18 at 9 p.m. EST)

Team MVP: Riley Grigsby

After a solid career at Seattle University, Riley Grigsby was great in his first season playing in Luxembourg. In 21 games played, Grigsby averaged 22.7 PPG and 8.7 APG. He’s a decent three-point shooter, but really thrives in the midrange and getting to the basket. At 6’5, he has decent size, and rebounds the ball really well for his height.

Every single time Stroh’s Squad is on offense, Grigsby should touch the ball. He gives them the best chance to win, and his ability to score at a high level will translate to this tournament.

Make-or-break Player: Matthias Nicoletti

Nicoletti is the only player on the roster above 6’8. Their first round matchup has a former NBA veteran who is 7’0. If Stroh’s squad doesn’t want this game to get ugly, they’ll have to trust Nicoletti to hold his own down low. It’s a big ask, but their only chance to keep it close. If he struggles or gets in foul trouble, things can get ugly.

Team Outlook

I’ll be honest here, Stroh’s squad might be the worst team to ever play in this tournament. They have few to no players playing high-level basketball right now, and don’t have a lot of size or any players who played in last year’s tournament. Even worse, they play La Familia, the Kentucky Alumni team, which might be the best team in the tournament. Even worse, the game is in Lexington, so the crowd will be completely one-sided.

I said the same thing about Team DRC last year, and they won two games in the Tournament. So, the hope isn’t dead, but things are looking bleak. If they can keep this game within 30 points, that’s a victory for them, and hopefully they can come back next year with a revamped roster.