DAYTON, Aug. 2, 2021 – After winning five straight games over the course of two weeks, Boeheim’s Army, the Syracuse alumni team, and Team 23, will compete in TBT’s $1M winner-take-all championship game at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday, Aug. 3 at 9 pm ET live on ESPN. Both in their seventh year of competing in the event, Boeheim’s Army will be playing in its first ever TBT championship game, while Team 23 will be returning for the first time since 2015.

Boeheim’s Army, the third-seeded team in the Illinois Regional, features Syracuse greats and former NBA first-round picks Chris McCullough, Malachi Richardson, and Tyler Lydon, as well as Eric Devendorf. Other players on their roster include D.J. Kennedy and DeAndre Kane, former members of Overseas Elite and four-time TBT champions, as well as Boston College star and Euroleague legend Tyrese Rice. Kennedy was a member of Overseas Elite in 2015 when it defeated Team 23 to capture its first TBT championship, with the former St. John’s standout earning MVP honors. 

Boeheim’s Army dominated the competition in the Illinois Regional before pulling out two gutsy victories in Dayton against the defending champion Golden Eagles (Marquette alumni) in the quarterfinals, and Florida TNT in the semifinals. Rice served as the closer in those games, hitting both Elam Ending® game winners to secure Boeheim’s Army’s spot in Tuesday’s championship.

Team 23, the sixth-seeded team in the West Virginia Regional, is headlined by three players with NBA experience: 2016 NCAA champion Daniel Ochefu (Villanova), Walt Lemon (Bradley), and Eric Griffin (Campbell). The highly talented team played spoiler in the opening rounds, knocking out #3 seed Herd That (Marshall alumni) and #2 seed Best Virginia (West Virginia alumni) to earn its spot in Dayton. Once in Dayton, it cruised to comfortable victories against the #1 seed Sideline Cancer in the quarterfinals, and Blue Collar U (Buffalo Alumni) in the semifinals.

Tuesday’s winner-take-all championship will crown TBT’s fifth different champion in the event's eight-year history. 

For tickets to TBT’s Championship Game at UD Arena, visit thetournament.com/tickets