The 2021 TBT Champions, Boeheim’s Army, look to hang another banner in this year’s tournament
Every Syracuse fan was tuned in on August 3rd, 2021, hoping that their alumni team would get it done in the TBT final. They did, winning by 2 in a thriller and earning Syracuse basketball its first unofficial national championship since 2003. Since then, it hasn’t been smooth sailing. In 2022, they lost in round two as one of the favorites. In 2023, they did make it all the way to the quarters, but lost by 17. Then, they took 2024 off before coming back last year and getting bounced in the second round again.
Luckily for Boeheim’s Army, the format has changed, and the chances for them to go the distance have increased significantly. They’ll have to get past Hall In, the Seton Hall alumni team, first, but they bring in a plethora of Syracuse basketball legends to lead the charge.
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Roster:
- Ty Nichols (Keene State)
- Elijah Hughes (Syracuse)
- Buddy Boeheim (Syracuse)
- Jimmy Boeheim (Syracuse)
- Jacorey Williams (Arkansas & Middle Tennessee)
- Eric Davendorf (Syracuse)
- Wes Johnson (Iowa State & Syracuse)
- Cole Swider (Syracuse)
- Tyson Walker (Northeastern & Michigan State)
- Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu (SAGU, UT Arlington, & Memphis)
Coaching Staff:
- Shaun Belbey (GM)
All-time Record: 27-10
First Matchup: vs. Hall In (July 21 at 8 p.m. EST)
Team MVP: Buddy Boeheim
Boeheim is living up to the team name, leading the army last year. He averaged 20.5 PPG in the two games, shooting a ridiculous 12-19 from three. He also averaged 5.5 RPG and 3.5 APG to go along with his shooting. He can get hot at any time, and no shot is a bad shot for Buddy. Plus, having that experience will serve him well, and having the confidence to take and make that shot is what this tournament was built on with the Elam Ending.
If he’s open, Buddy should be shooting it every time the ball touches his hand. He’s such a talented player, and obviously had a great mentor in his father, Jim. He’ll make his teammates’ lives easier by giving the opponent two options: either guard him straight up and risk him scoring on you, or bring help and leave someone open.
Make-or-break Player: Wesley Johnson
Wesley Johnson is a really interesting piece. He had a long and successful NBA career, and in his prime would be the best player in this tournament arguably. However, he retired seven years ago, and at 39, you have to wonder what he can provide on both ends of the court. At 6’7, he has great length and should be a huge plus on the defensive end, and also has an extremely high basketball IQ from his time playing with some of the NBA greats. Offensively, he may be more limited, but if he can drive to the hoop and give them a few extra baskets a game, then he’ll do his job.
That might be too big of an ask, and they may just use him situationally. Boeheim’s Army have enough talent to overcome that, but their ceiling definitely drops if he can’t be a top 3 player on the court when he’s on. Johnson is definitely one of the most intriguing players to watch in the tournament, but a fun one at that.
Team Outlook
In addition to Jimmy, Buddy Boeheim will be suiting up. Unfortunately, Jim will not be suiting up as head coach, but I’m sure he’ll give a few pointers to the staff. A fun piece is Tyson Walker. He’s not a Syracuse alum, but he was incredible at Michigan State, scoring 18 PPG his final year and starting 144 games in college. He’ll be a huge piece for them in their chances of winning. They also bring back Elijah Hughes, who was second on the team in scoring last season at just under 15 PPG.
One player to really keep an eye on is Jacorey Williams. Last year, on Herd That, he averaged 26.5 PPG over two games, as well as 10.5 RPG. He and Buddy could be a serious problem in TBT. Cole Swider will add some frontcourt presence, and how can you not be happy when you see Eric Davendorf, the Syracuse legend who graduated in 2009, back in Syracuse gear?
Hall In is a tough opponent, and Boeheim’s Army have to play them on the road in week one, but this team has a little bit of everything, making them the favorite to make some noise in this new TBT format.