Keith Oddo Announces Louisville TBT Team

The Cardinals will be represented in The Basketball Tournament for the first time.

(Photo of Keith Oddo: Scott Utterback - Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After much demand from fans, the Louisville men's basketball program will finally have a team represented in The Basketball Tournament, or TBT.

Former Cardinals walk-on guard Keith Oddo announced Thursday that there will be a Louisville-centric team participating in the 2021 TBT. He told WLKY that he will serve as the team's general manager and head coach.

"For the first time, the University of Louisville will be participating in the TBT," Oddo wrote. "Cardinal greats will get to put on a Louisville jersey and play in front of the best fans in all of college basketball one more time."

TBT is a $1 million winner-take-all tournament that has seen its popularity rise in recent years after it was first established in 2014. While anyone over 18 years old and not currently on an NBA roster can play, teams more often than not consist of former collegiate and professional basketball players.

It is also home to the Elam Ending, which is an alternate way to conclude basketball games without them turning into an intentional foul fest. At the first dead ball under four minutes in the fourth quarter or second half, a target score for both teams is then established by adding eight points to the leading team’s score.

Oddo will begin releasing the names on the team roster over the next few weeks via his social media, but we already know two former Cardinal greats who will be a part of it. The first player announced was Samardo Samuels, and he told WLKY that Luke Hancock will serve as an assistant coach.

In addition, Oddo also helped organize a GoFundMe to help cover the expenses necessary for the team to participate, such as travel and housing.

"In order to make this happen, we need to raise money to fly the team to Louisville for practice prior to the tournament, travel to competition, food, and hospitality," he wrote. "There has never been a Louisville team in the TBT and we want to change that. However, we need your help and would appreciate any and all donations."

The 2021 TBT is set to begin on Friday, July 16, and lasts until Tuesday, Aug. 3. Up to 64 total teams will be participating in four regionals, with the quarterfinals and beyond taking place in Dayton, Ohio.

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