The Basketball Tournament 2015

The Basketball Tournament 2015 was the second edition of The Basketball Tournament, a 5-on-5, single elimination basketball tournament. The tournament involved 97 teams; it started on July 10 and continued through August 2, 2015. The winner of the final, Overseas Elite, received a one million dollar prize.^[2] The semifinals and championship game, played at Rose Hill Gymnasium at Fordham University in The Bronx, were broadcast on ESPN.^[2] The tournament was branded as "The Basketball Tournament Presented by Jack Link's Jerky".^[3]

The Basketball Tournament

2015
Tournament information
Dates	July 10–August 2, 2015
Tournament format(s)	Single elimination
Host(s)	Los Angeles, CA Atlanta, GA Philadelphia, PA Chicago, IL New York, NY
Participants	97
Purse	$1,000,000 winner-take-all
Final positions
Champions	Overseas Elite
Runner-up	Team 23
Tournament statistics
MVP	D. J. Kennedy
Top scorer(s)	Davin White (170 pts)^[1]
Games played	88 (plus 8 walkovers)
← 2014 2016 →

Format

The main tournament field started with 96 teams, organized into four regions of 24 teams each. The 24 teams in each region were 18 teams selected by fans via the tournament's website and six teams selected at-large. Four teams from each region, plus 2014 tournament defending champion Notre Dame Fighting Alumni, qualified to advance to the "Super 17" in Chicago.^[4]

The winning team (its players, coaches, general manager, and boosters) received 95% of the $1 million prize, while the remaining 5% was split amongst the team's top 91 fans (based on how many friends they had join the tournament's website).^[4]

An online bracket contest awarded $1717 to one fan.^[5][3]

Venues

The Basketball Tournament 2015 took place in five locations.^[4]

Round	Dates	Region	Location
Regional	July 10–12	West	Los Angeles, California
		South	Atlanta, Georgia
	July 17–19	Northeast	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
		Midwest	Chicago, Illinois
Super 17 †	July 23–24
Quarterfinals	July 25
Semifinals	August 1		New York City
Finals	August 2

† 2014 champion Notre Dame Fighting Alumni faced the Midwest's lowest remaining seed on July 23; that game's winner, plus the other 15 regional qualifiers, all played on July 24

Bracket

Key

FW	Forfeit win
FL	Forfeit loss

Eight teams in each region received a first-round bye, based on online fan votes.

Source:^[6][7]

Midwest regional

	First round Chicago July 17					Second round Chicago July 18					Third round Chicago July 19					Super 17 Chicago July 24					Regional final Chicago July 25
						1	SLAM	65
	1	SLAM	FW			10	One Chicago	82
	24	New England Falcons	FL								10	One Chicago	63
											8	IL Hoopville Warriors	69
						8	IL Hoopville Warriors	90
	8	IL Hoopville Warriors	141			9	Team Mill Rats	84
	23	Team Mennonite Madness	47													8	IL Hoopville Warriors	91
																3	Armored Athlete	96
						3	Armored Athlete	98
	15	Minnesota Rangers	92			18	Chicago Elite	86
	18	Chicago Elite	103								3	Armored Athlete	91
											6	Reach 1 Teach 1	73
						6	Reach 1 Teach 1	112
	12	Chi United	107			12	Chi United	103
	21	DFW Squad	62																		3	Armored Athlete	72
																					2	Ants Alumni	76
						5	Eberlein Drive	95
	13	Sconnie Legends	114			13	Sconnie Legends	101
	20	The Monarchs	76								13	Sconnie Legends	74
											14	Midwest Dream Squad	82
						4	Bad Boys	87
	14	Midwest Dream Squad	FW			14	Midwest Dream Squad	99
	19	Bowling Green Bandits	FL													†	ND Fighting Alumni	91(OT)
																2	Ants Alumni	96
						7	Majerus SLU Crew	80
	11	Houston Live	140			11	Houston Live	84
	22	Brick Squad	72								11	Houston Live	81
											2	Ants Alumni	92
						2	Ants Alumni	89
	16	BG Taskforce	109			16	BG Taskforce	63
	17	Kenosha Ballers	89

† The 2014 champions, Notre Dame Fighting Alumni, earned an automatic entry in the "Super 17" round, where they faced the lowest remaining seed in the Midwest region, Midwest Dream Squad, on July 23. Notre Dame Fighting Alumni won that game, 79–77, thus advancing in the bracket.

Northeast regional

	First round Philadelphia July 17					Second round Philadelphia July 18					Third round Philadelphia July 19					Super 17 Chicago July 24					Regional final Chicago July 25
						1	Boeheim's Army	91
	13	NYC Superstars	FW			13	NYC Superstars	73
											1	Boeheim's Army	92
											8	20th & Olney	91(OT)
						8	20th & Olney	87
	18	Max's All Stars	75			18	Max's All Stars	80
		TYGTAL	68													1	Boeheim's Army	78
																5	Liberty Ballers	72
						5	Liberty Ballers	93
	16	The Wrecking Crew	FW			16	The Wrecking Crew	79
											5	Liberty Ballers	85
											4	DMV's Finest	73
						4	DMV's Finest	95
	4	DMV's Finest	128			19	WOYG	61
	22	Elite	72																		1	Boeheim's Army	76
																					3	Team City of Gods	80
						6	Free Bands	106
	6	Free Bands	114			17	Triumph	99
	21	The Horsemen	107								6	Free Bands	84
											3	Team City of Gods	96
						3	Team City of Gods	115
	3	Team City of Gods	88			24	Lynchburg College Club	50
	23	Team Pup N' Suds	69													3	Team City of Gods	91
																15	Sideline Cancer	78
						7	North Broad Street Bullies	63
	7	North Broad Street Bullies	FW			15	Sideline Cancer	72
											15	Sideline Cancer	70
											2	Big Apple Basketball	67
						2	Big Apple Basketball	87
	11	Blue and Gold Club	75			14	Basketball City	85
	14	Basketball City	95

Three teams withdrew from the tournament—Friar Nation, The Citi Team, and Team Oohway—resulting in forfeit wins for their first-round opponents.

South regional

West regional

	First round Los Angeles July 10					Second round Los Angeles July 11					Third round Los Angeles July 12					Super 17 Chicago July 24					Regional final Chicago July 25
						1	Grantland	93
	16	VBL Dream Team	77			16	VBL Dream Team	63
	15	The Revolution	71								1	Grantland	82
											9	7outz	85
						8	Global Select	88
	9	7outz	96			9	7outz	94
	21	Los Angeles Dragons	90													9	7outz	64
																13	Team 23	105
						5	Air Force Bomb Squad	90
	5	Air Force Bomb Squad	116			11	Team B-Ball Breakdown	105
	23	Too Fresh	66								11	Team B-Ball Breakdown	72
											13	Team 23	86
						4	Team Colorado	72
	13	Team 23	91			13	Team 23	78
	19	West Coast Ronin	67																		13	Team 23	77
																					2	LA Unified	56
						6	Team Utah	82
	12	H-Squad	78			12	H-Squad	71
	20	Mostly Sports Delco	57								6	Team Utah	93
											14	Nova Stars	69
						3	Seattle Pro-Am	FL
	14	Nova Stars	99			14	Nova Stars	FW
	17	JBL	75													6	Team Utah	82
																2	LA Unified	93
						7	Nationwide All-Stars	83
	7	Nationwide All-Stars	85			10	Cali Boyz	81
	22	AZ Sharp Shooterz	73								7	Nationwide All-Stars	81
											2	LA Unified	95
						2	LA Unified	128
	2	LA Unified	139			18	Everett Evolution	87
	24	Pistol Shrimps	34

Source:^[8]

Regional finals

Regional finals

Region	Winner	Score	Loser
Midwest	Ants Alumni	76–72	Armored Athlete
West	Team 23	77–56	LA Unified
Northeast	Team City of Gods	80–76	Boeheim's Army
South	Overseas Elite	77–72	Dirty South

Source: ^[9]

Semifinals & final

	Semifinals					Final
	August 1 – New York City
	MW 2	Ants Alumni	76
						August 2 – New York City
	W 13	Team 23	87
						W 13	Team 23	65
	August 1 – New York City
						S 3	Overseas Elite	67
	NE 3	Team City of Gods	71
	S 3	Overseas Elite	84

Source: ^{[10][11][12][2]}

Awards

MVP: D. J. Kennedy of Overseas Elite^[13]

References

1. "Stats: Leaders". thetournament.com. 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
2. Connor, Desmond (August 3, 2015). "Overseas Elite Brings It Home". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. p. C3. Retrieved July 29, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
3. . thetournament.com. The Basketball Tournament. Archived from the original on February 17, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2018 – via Wayback Machine.
4. . thetournament.com. The Basketball Tournament. 2015. Archived from the original on July 15, 2015 – via Wayback Machine.
5. . thetournament.com. 2015. Archived from the original on July 30, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2018 – via Wayback Machine.
6. "TBT 2015 – Schedule". The Basketball Tournament. 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2021 – via geniussports.com.
7. . thetournament.com. 2015. Archived from the original on September 1, 2015 – via Wayback Machine.
8. Fitzgerald, Matt (July 12, 2015). "The Basketball Tournament 2015 Scores: Sunday, July 12". Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
9. . thetournament.com. 2015. Archived from the original on July 30, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2018 – via Wayback Machine.
10. Connor, Desmond (August 2, 2015). "Final Matchup: Overseas Elite, Team 23". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. p. E3. Retrieved July 29, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
11. "Team 23'S Semifinal Win Over Ants Alumni (Photos)". thetournament.com. August 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
12. "Overseas Elite's Semifinal Win Over Team City Of Gods (Photos)". thetournament.com. August 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
13. Turk, Dylan; Margolis, Drew (August 24, 2015). "SQ At The Basketball Tournament's Million Dollar Final". thesportsquotient.com. Retrieved July 29, 2018.

Further reading

• . thetournament.com. 2015. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015 – via Wayback Machine.
• Hillesland, Zach (July 23, 2015). "Million To Won: Fighting Alumni Seek To Repeat". und.com. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
• Newman, Josh (July 24, 2015). "CBA grad Belbey stays in hoops with Boeheim's Army". Asbury Park Press. Asbury Park, New Jersey. p. C6. Retrieved July 29, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
• Keeney, Tim (July 30, 2015). "The Basketball Tournament Rosters: Meet The Final 4 Teams". Heavy.com. Retrieved July 29, 2018.

External links

• TBT Flashback - 2015 Championship Game via YouTube