Formerly Big 5, NXT Era Elite looks to represent Philly proudly in Virginia
As the eight seed in 2023, Big 5 played the defending champions, Blue Collar U, and lost by just a single point. They took 2024 off, but now they’re back as NXT Era Elite, and hoping to have their best tournament ever. They bring in several players who are either from or played in Pennsylvania, trying to prove that the state is the basketball capital of the US.
For more TBT team profiles, click here.
Current Roster:
- Ahmad Gilbert (Saint Thomas)
- Bruce Massey Jr. (MTSU)
- Cameron Brown (Saint Joe’s)
- Chol Marial (San Jose State)
- Eli Cain (DePaul)
- Jordan Dingle (Penn & St. Johns)
- Raekwon Rogers (Wagner)
- Ramon Galloway Jr. (South Carolina & La Salle)
- Sage Tolbert (Temple)
- Stanley Davis Jr. (Morgan State)
- Tyrese Williams (Quinnipiac)
- Yusuf Mohmaed (Westminster)
Coaching Staff:
- Rob Hollomon (GM)
- Khalif Wyatt (Head Coach)
Region: James MadisonÂ
All-time Record: 1-2
First Matchup: vs. Founding Fathers (July 18 at 8 p.m. EST)
Team MVP: Eli Cain
If you look at the PPG leader in the TBT last year, it’s none other than Eli Cain. It was just one game, but what a game it was. Cain scored 34 points on 11-21 shooting from the field and 4-9 from three in the game. He did whatever he could to will his team to a victory, but it wasn’t enough. Defensively, he added three steals as well.
Cain surrounded himself with a team that is most likely better than last year’s, so he won’t need to score 34 points again, but he sure will want to. He can score on all three levels and gets to the line at a high rate. At 6’6, he is a tall guard in terms of TBT guards, which he will use to his advantage.
Make-or-break Player: Jordan Dingle
In 2022-2023, Dingle was the second-best scorer in the country, averaging 23.4 PPG. It didn’t matter who has was playing against, you can almost guarantee a 20-point performance every night. When he transferred up to Penn, those numbers dropped as expected, but he still averaged 11.6 PPG for the team.
If we see that 2022-2023 performance, or anything close to it, NXT level isn’t just a threat to win the championship, but a potential title threat. He and Cain alone can average 50 PPG, and there might not be a backcourt that can compete with that. If he averages 10-15 a game, that’s still plenty, but the ceiling lowers. College basketball fans would love to see Dingle take over on the court one last time.
Team Outlook
Dingle, Cain, and co. will face Founding Fathers, the James Madison alumni team, in Round one. That is a truly brutal matchup for them, considering the region is in James Madison. Talent-wise, NXT Era Elite might actually have the advantage, but the one-sided crowd might make things too difficult. If they win that, though, they’ll face Happy Valley Hoopers, the Penn State alumni team, and the one seed in the region.
Another player to mention on this team is Chol Marial. Marial never got a ton of minutes in college, but at 7’2, he is extremely imposing, and might be used in special situations. NXT Era Elite also adds Raekwon Rogers to the team, who averaged 17.0 PPG in the two games he played for Team Fredette last year. Rogers went 5-9 from deep in those two games.
NXT Era Elite are ready to be back after the hiatus, and they have one of the biggest sleepers of the roster for any of the lower seeds. Make sure you tune into their game for what should be an entertaining four quarters and Elam Ending.