The Basketball Tournament 2025: Herd That Team Profile

A fan favorite year in and year out, Herd That looks to finally break through and win the championship

When discussing TBT, it’s hard not to bring up Herd That and the Elmores. Jon and Ot have been such important pieces to this tournament’s success, with Jon on the court and Ot off of it. After back to back second round exits in 2021 and 2022, Herd That has turned the corner, making the tournament semifinal in 2023 and the regional final last year.

Still, that’s not enough for them. They have the experience and balance to do more, and want to showcase that. While Marshall basketball has had its moments, none would surpass a TBT championship.

For more TBT team profiles, click here.

Roster:

• Derek Cooke Jr. (Wyoming)
• Fletcher Magee (Wofford)
• Jacorey Williams (Arkansas & MTSU)
• Jon Elmore (Marshall)
• JP Tokoto (UNC)
• Nick McGlynn (Drake)
• Rondale Watson (Wake Forest & Marshall)
• Ryan Taylor (Marshall)
• Steve Browning (Fairmont State & Marshall)
• Xavier Munford (Marshall)

Coaching Staff:

• Jon Elmore (GM)

Region: West Virginia

All-time Record: 10-5

First Matchup: vs. Sikh Warriors (July 18th at 6:00 p.m EST)

Team MVP: Jon Elmore

As mentioned earlier, Elmore is considered one of the best players in TBT history. He was named to the all-tournament team two years ago and is statistically one of the best passers all time. He took a back seat last year, struggling mightily shooting the ball. In the final two games, he scored just 12 points and shot 3-21 from the field.

Elmore is the GM and the on-court and off-court leader. He might not fill up the stat sheet like he used to, but there are few players in this tournament who have as much of an impact on their team as he does. Hopefully for them, the scoring slump last year was a fluke. Herd That has plenty of other great players and scorers, as showcased last year, but the ceiling relies on the success of Elmore.

Make-or-break Player: Fletcher Magee

Magee is a legend, making 509 threes in his college career at Wofford, which at the time was an NCAA record. He never saw a three he didn’t like and made them at an impressive clip. He suited up in TBT in 2023 for the Wofford Alumni team and didn’t have much success, making just two threes in two games for them.

If he gets hot, though, there’s no stopping him. You can go get a snack from the concession stand, and he has five three-pointers and Herd That is up ten. He has a quick release and is confident with his shot. If they’re falling, he could be an essential piece for their success. However, if they don’t or he’s not taking them at the volume they want, it could really hamper how deep they can go.

Team Outlook

Herd That’s sixth attempt for the championship begins against Sikh Warriors. They’ve never lost in round one, and don’t look to change that anytime soon. After that, a potential matchup with Best Virginia, the West Virginia alumni team. With two West Virginia alumni teams competing, expect a great crowd in this one.

Herd That brings back JaCorey Williams, last year’s MVP for the team. He scored 48 points in three games and shot 69.7% from the field. They also bring back second leading scorer, Xavier Mumford, who added 40 points himself. JP Tokoto is back as well, who scored 27 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the semifinal loss two seasons ago. He understands when the moment is big and capitalizes.

Herd That has a great blend of guards and forwards, and doesn’t have too much depth where guys won’t get minutes, but not enough to where the starters are out there the whole game. The experience and chemistry can take them a long way, and hopefully, it’s long enough to win them a million dollars.