Rise and Grind will play in their third ever TBT with hopes of grinding out their first ever win.
Rise and Grind only fell by four points to Heartfire in the first round of the 2024 TBT, so you have to think they’ll be motivated to have a better showing this year.
Roster:
- Bijan Johnson (N/A)
- Cameron Gaines (Lynn University)
- Chris Johnson (Montgomery College)
- DJ Campbell (Stockton University)
- Hunter Dean (George Washington & LSU)
- Kevin Bracy-Davis (Davis & Elkins College)
- Lamonte Thomas (Johnson and Wales University)
- Rayshawn Mart (Xavier University of New Orleans)
- Saiquan Jamison (Bowie State)
- TJ Atwood (Lamar)
- TJ Crockett Jr. (Lindenwood)
- Zack Rollins (Montana State Billings)
Coaching Staff:
- Stephen Fort (Asst. Coach)
Region: Syracuse
All-time Record: 0-2
First Matchup: vs. Green Mountain Men (July 19 at 3 p.m. EST)
Team MVP: Rayshawn Mart
In last summer’s loss to Heartfire, Mart led Rise and Grind with 13 points and 12 shots. He shot fairly efficiently at 5-of-12 from the field and had 3 rebounds and 2 assists. While Mart isn’t the clear go-to player on this year’s team, he’s a good choice to start with. Expect him to have another big impact on this year’s team.
Make-or-break Player: Hunter Dean
Dean played for a few D-I schools in his college career and also played for Rise and Grind last summer. He started and played over 30 minutes, but only got four shots the entire game. However, Dean made three of his shots and both of his free throws. I’d like to see Dean get more looks this time around to see if his efficiency can help his team win a game in this year’s TBT.
Team Outlook
While they don’t have a long or great track record in The Baskestball Tournament, Rise and Grind only lost by four points to Heartfire last summer. They came close and will have enough chemistry to possibly grind out a win this time around. They’re up against a tough Vermont alumni team that should have some big support in the 315, but have what it takes to leave the region with their first-ever TBT win.