Red Scare setting sights on TBT title
DAYTON, Ohio (BVM) — The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is back for another year in 2021, and after a limited field in 2020, the event will once again boast 64 teams vying for the $1 million-dollar, winner-take-all prize.
One of those teams is the Red Scare, comprised of University of Dayton men’s basketball alumni. Recently, seedings and brackets were revealed for this year’s tournament, with the Red Scare earning the second seed in the Columbus Regional.
It’s official. See you in Columbus ✈️ pic.twitter.com/yAjBdcwVUO
— Red Scare (@FlyersTBT) June 21, 2021
The team’s first matchup will come on Saturday, July 24 against BC Vahakni City — champions of the Armenian professional basketball league.
If the Red Scare advance, the team will then face off with either seven-seeded Wolf Blood — the NC State alumni team — or No. 10 seed Category 5 — made up of Miami alumni. From there, a third game within the regional will take place on July 27.
🚨 THE TBT 2021 BRACKET 🚨
Games tip-off July 16 live on the @espn family of networks! pic.twitter.com/iKtGLZPk9q
— TBT (@thetournament) June 21, 2021
One potential roadblock for the Dayton alumni squad is one of their in-state rivals during the normal college basketball season. Carmen’s Crew — consisting primarily of Ohio State alumni — is seeded No. 1 in the Columbus Region, and has historically been one of the top teams in the TBT.
However, this year’s Red Scare squad may have enough talent to take down its in-state foe. Led by Coach Joey Gruden and general manager Jeremiah Bonsu, the team features a talented roster that includes four members of the Flyers’ 2013 Elite Eight squad.
Jordan Sibert and Devin Oliver were two of the leading scorers on that historical Dayton team, and they will look to recapture that kind of magic this summer. Many recent Dayton stars are on the squad as well, including a couple talents from the Flyers’ dominant 2020 team in Trey Landers and Ryan Mikesell.
Brandon Spearman, Devon Scott, Kyle Davis, Kendall Pollard and Darrell Davis are the other former Dayton players on the roster, with former Ohio State player Trevor Thompson rounding out the squad.
Sibert and Scott are the new additions to the team from last year. In 2020, the Red Scare made it all the way to the semifinals, where they would lose to the eventual champion Golden Eagles.
The TBT is certain to provide more thrilling action this summer, and for the Red Scare, they hope it brings a long-awaited title.
