'The Ville' to Face 'UKnighted' in TBT Opener

The Louisville men's basketball alumni team is gearing up for year two in The Basketball Tournament

Former Louisville All-American and 'The Ville' guard Russ Smith / Ben J. Solo

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men's basketball program's alumni team taking part in The Basketball Tournament now knows their draw for year two, and their opener has some local flavor to it.

On Wednesday, TBT officially unveiled the bracket for the 2024 iteration of the event. This year, "The Ville" will open play against "UKnighted," a team consisting of mainly alumni from the Bellarmine men's basketball program.

Tip-off between The Ville and UKnighted is set for Saturday, July 20 at 1:00 p.m. EST on FOX. Should The Ville emerge victorious, they will face the Sideline Cancer/VBL winner on Monday, July 22 at 7:00 p.m. EST on FS1.

The Ville is serving as host to one of TBT’s eight regional locations, with play taking place at legendary Freedom Hall. Eight teams will compete in the Louisville Regional, with the regional champion advancing to the TBT quarterfinals to face the winner of the Lexington Regional. The Louisville Regional championship game is set for Wednesday, July 24 at 7:00 p.m. EST on FS1.

After making their TBT debut last summer, The Ville is once again full of multiple notable former Louisville players. Russ Smith, Peyton Siva, Chinanu Onuaku and Kyle Kuric are all making return appearances, Chris Jones is making his debut appearance for The Ville, while Montrezl Harrell and Dillon Avare will be making their TBT debuts.

Nick Mayo (Eastern Kentucky) and Omar Prewitt (William & Mary) are also making a return to The Ville. Reece Gaines will serve as The Ville's head coach this year, with Luke Hancock and Keith Oddo joining as assistants.

TBT is a 64-team, $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, a target score for both teams is then established by adding eight points to the leading team’s score.

(Photo of Russ Smith: Ben J. Solo)

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