After a shocking exit in round two last year, The Ville looks to get revenge for their 2023 loss and earn the Battle for Bluegrass
The Ville, a Louisville alumni team, looked like title contenders in 2024, breezing through their regional before losing to La Familia, the Kentucky alumni team, in the quarterfinals. Last year, they seemed prime to go to at least the quarterfinals, if not further. However, they got completely outmatched by the long-time TBT team Sideline Cancer in Round 2, losing by 10 in one of the most surprising scores of the whole tournament.
This team has been led by the guard duo of Russ Smith and David Johnson, who are both back this year looking to do the same. They’ll have Montrez Harrell as well, the longtime NBA big who played a huge part in the frontcourt for them. With the new format, the Ville are hoping to benefit from the advanced scouting report and hopefully have a strong home crowd behind them.
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Current Roster:
- Trey Lewis
- Montrezl Harrell
- David Johnson
- Ray Spalding
- Russ Smith
- Malik Williams
- Jae Withers
- Angel Nunez
- Jaylen Johnson
- Chris Jones
- Alex Matthes
Coaching Staff:
- Wayne Blackshear (GM)
- Chance Recktenwald (Asst. Coach)
All-time Record: 8-4
First Matchup: vs. La Familia (July 18 at 12:00 p.m. EST)
Team MVP: Montrezl Harrell
Harrell might be the best player in this entire tournament. The 6’8 big man is a monster on the glass, and uses his frame so well to back down opponents in the post and get easy buckets. Last year, he averaged 23 PPG on 59% shooting in the two games. In addition to that, he had 10 rebounds a game with 1.5 steals and a block a game as well. He can do it all, and if The Ville wants any chance to beat La Familia, they’ll have to play through him.
Make-or-break Player: Russ Smith
Russ Smith is the heart and soul of this team, and how far he goes is how far they go. Last year, he struggled, scoring just 8 points total, but in 2024, he led the team in scoring with 15.3 PPG. He’s the guy who built this team and will showcase the confidence that will energize his teammates on the court. This team doesn’t have a ton of guard play, so they’ll need him to be available, something that he wasn’t last year. If he’s on the court, then he’ll be one of, if not the best player on it.
Team Outlook
Smith is the big name on the team when it comes to guards, but David Johnson showcased last year that he might be the best on the team. He averaged 12 a game last year, while also grabbing six rebounds a game. He and Smith will play off each other very well and form a dangerous backcourt. This team has great size, which will be a huge advantage. Williams and Ray Spalding are both 6’11, and Jaylen Johnson stands at 7’2.
The Ville will host game one, then will have to go to Freedom Hall. That first game is extremely important in every series, so they’ll need to come out strong and give the home crowd something to root for. The Louisville program is back, and The Ville hopes to give their fanbase a taste of 2013.