Blue Collar U

Last updated

Blue Collar U
Leagues The Basketball Tournament
Founded2021
HistoryBlue Collar U (2021–present)
Team colorsBlue and white
  
General manager Bryan Hodgson
Head coachAdam Bauman
Assistant(s)Tom Fox, Wes Schier
Championships1 (2022)
Website Team page

Blue Collar U is an American basketball team that participates in The Basketball Tournament (TBT), an annual winner-take-all single-elimination tournament. The team consists of professional basketball players, most of whom played college basketball for the Buffalo Bulls men's basketball team. The team began participating in TBT in 2021, reaching the semi-finals. Blue Collar U won its first TBT championship in its second year of participation in 2022, winning the $1 million grand prize.

Contents

History

2021

In TBT 2021, Blue Collar U played in the Columbus regional and was seeded 6th out of a field of 16 teams.

DateRoundLocationScoreOpponentRef.
July 24First round Columbus, Ohio 88–82The Nerd Team [1]
July 25Second round93–83Zip 'Em Up [2]
July 27Regional semi-finals78–61Category 5 [3]
July 31Regional finals Dayton, Ohio 84–81The Money Team [4]
August 1Semi-finals62–78 Team 23 [5]

2022

In TBT 2022, Blue Collar U played in the Syracuse regional and was seeded 2nd out of a field of 8 teams. Players wore the names of the victims of the 2022 Buffalo shooting on the backs of their jerseys in place of their own names. [6] [7] They won the Syracuse regional with victories over NG Saints, an alumni team for Neumann Goretti High School in Philadelphia, Friday Beers, and The Nerd Team, an alumni team of Ivy League and other highly prestigious schools. After defeating Heartfire in the quarterfinals, Blue Collar U won a true road game against Red Scare, an alumni team of Dayton Flyers men's basketball. They defeated Americana for Autism in the finals to win the $1 million grand prize. [8] [9]

DateRoundLocationScoreOpponentRef.
July 22First round Syracuse, New York 91–64NG Saints [10]
July 23Second round78–75Friday Beers [11]
July 25Third round83–62The Nerd Team [12]
July 29Quarter-finals Dayton, Ohio 74–66Heartfire [13]
July 30Semi-finals74–69Red Scare [14]
August 2Finals89–67Americana for Autism [15]

2023

In TBT 2023, Blue Collar U played in the Syracuse regional and was seeded 1st out of a field of 8 teams. [16] In the first round, Blue Collar U defeated Big 5, an alumni team composed mostly of Philadelphia Big 5 schools with the largest comeback in the history of the Elam Ending. [17] After defeating Virginia Dream in the second round, they lost in the regional finals to Boeheim's Army, a team of primarily Syracuse Orange Basketball alumni.

DateRoundLocationScoreOpponentRef.
July 24First round Syracuse, New York 78–77Big 5 [18]
July 26Second round107–86Virginia Dream [19]
July 28Regional finals54–69 Boeheim's Army [20]

Roster

Blue Collar U roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Wt.Age
SF 0 Flag of the United States.svg Hamilton, Blake 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)205 lb (93 kg)29 – (1994-10-26)26 October 1994
PG 1 Flag of the United States.svg Bearden, Lamonte 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)170 lb (77 kg)28 – (1995-10-30)30 October 1995
SF 2 Flag of the United States.svg Harris, Jeremy 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)185 lb (84 kg)27 – (1996-09-10)10 September 1996
PG 3 Flag of the United States.svg Johnson, Antwain 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)197 lb (89 kg)26 – (1997-02-22)22 February 1997
PG 4 Flag of the United States.svg Jordan, Davonta 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)187 lb (85 kg)26 – (1997-05-12)12 May 1997
SG 5 Flag of the United States.svg Massinburg, C. J. 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)202 lb (92 kg)26 – (1997-04-14)14 April 1997
SG 11 Flag of the United States.svg Lillard, Antwon 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)200 lb (91 kg)28 – (1995-11-06)6 November 1995
PG 15 Flag of the United States.svg Clark, Wes 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)183 lb (83 kg)28 – (1994-12-12)12 December 1994
PG 22 Flag of the United States.svg Caruthers, Dontay 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)190 lb (86 kg)28 – (1995-06-23)23 June 1995
C 33 Flag of the United States.svg Perkins, Nick 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)249 lb (113 kg)27 – (1996-10-15)15 October 1996
SF 43 Flag of the United States.svg Ford, Xavier 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)175 lb (79 kg)30 – (1993-01-20)20 January 1993
C 93 Flag of the United States.svg McRae, Montell 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)198 lb (90 kg)27 – (1996-01-25)25 January 1996
Head coach
  • Adam Bauman
Assistant coach(es)
  • Wes Scheier
  • Tom Fox
  • Edric Dennis Jr.
Team manager

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured

Updated: July 23, 2023

Awards

YearPlayerAwardRef
2021 Nick Perkins All-Tournament Team [21]
2022Nick PerkinsAll-Tournament Team [22]
Wes Clark All-Tournament Team
Adam BaumanAll-Tournament Team (coach)
C. J. Massinburg All-Tournament Team & MVP [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D. J. Kennedy</span> American professional basketball player

David John Kennedy is an American professional basketball player for Prometey of the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League. He played college basketball for St. John's University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeAndre Kane</span> American basketball player

DeAndre Kane is an American-born naturalized Hungarian professional basketball player for Grindavík in the Úrvalsdeild karla. He played college basketball at Marshall University and Iowa State University before playing professionally in Russia, Belgium, Germany, Israel, Spain and Serbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Basketball Tournament</span> American basketball tournament since 2014

The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is an open-application, single-elimination tournament played each summer in the United States. The most recent 2023 edition featured 64 teams with a $1 million winner-take-all prize, broadcast by ESPN. TBT was founded in 2014 by Jonathan Mugar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overseas Elite</span> Basketball team

Overseas Elite was an American basketball team that participated in The Basketball Tournament (TBT), an annual winner-take-all single-elimination tournament. The team won the tournament four consecutive times: 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. The roster of Overseas Elite consisted of professional basketball players who competed outside of the NBA. The team last competed in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Team 23</span> Basketball team in Phoenix, Arizona

Team 23 is an American basketball team that competes in The Basketball Tournament (TBT), an annual winner-take-all competition. The team has competed in each tournament since 2015, except for 2020. As of 2021, the team's general manager is Rutgers alumnus Michael Illiano, and the head coach is Marc Hughes, who previously coached Overseas Elite. Team 23 was the tournament runner-up in 2015 and 2021.

Bryan Hodgson is an American college basketball coach who is currently serving as the head coach of the Arkansas State Red Wolves.

The Basketball Tournament 2017 was the fourth edition of The Basketball Tournament, a 5-on-5, single elimination basketball tournament broadcast by the ESPN family of networks. The tournament involved 64 teams; it started on July 8 and continued through August 3, 2017. The winner of the final, Overseas Elite, received a two million dollar prize.

The Basketball Tournament 2018 was the fifth edition of The Basketball Tournament, a 5-on-5, single elimination basketball tournament broadcast by the ESPN family of networks. The tournament involved 72 teams; it started on June 29 and continued through August 3, 2018. The winner of the final, Overseas Elite, received a two million dollar prize.

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. The semifinals and championship game, played at Rose Hill Gymnasium at Fordham University in The Bronx, were broadcast on ESPN. The tournament was branded as "The Basketball Tournament Presented by Jack Link's Jerky".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. J. Massinburg</span> American basketball player

Christian Jalon Massinburg is an American professional basketball player for Pallacanestro Brescia of Lega Basket Serie A. He played college basketball for the Buffalo Bulls. He was named the 2019 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year. He previously played for the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League and Limoges CSP of the LNB Pro A.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Perkins</span> American basketball player

Nick Perkins is an American basketball player for New Basket Brindisi of the Lega Basket Serie A. He played college basketball for the Buffalo Bulls.

The Basketball Tournament 2020 was the seventh edition of The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a 5-on-5, single elimination basketball tournament. The tournament, involving 24 teams, started on July 4 and continued through the championship game on July 14, with all games held at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The winner of the final, Golden Eagles, received a $1 million prize.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herd That</span> American basketball team

Herd That is an American basketball team that participates in The Basketball Tournament (TBT), an annual winner-take-all single-elimination tournament. The team played as the West Virginia Wildcats in the 2018 and 2019 editions of the TBT, but rebranded as an alumni team of the Marshall Thundering Herd men's basketball program in 2020. The roster of Herd That consists of professional basketball players who compete outside of the NBA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Eagles (TBT)</span> Professional basketball team

The Golden Eagles are an American basketball team that participates in The Basketball Tournament (TBT), an annual winner-take-all single-elimination tournament. The team first played in the tournament in 2016, was the runner-up in 2019, and won the championship in 2020. The Golden Eagles' roster consists of professional basketball players who compete outside of the NBA, most of whom played college basketball for the Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball team. The TBT team is an independent entity that was named after the college team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Basketball Tournament 2021</span> Single elimination basketball tournament

The Basketball Tournament 2021 was the eighth edition of The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a 5-on-5, single elimination basketball tournament. The tournament, involving 64 teams, began on July 16 and concluded on August 3 with the championship game in Dayton, Ohio. The format of the tournament returned to that of the 2019 edition—64 teams, each playing in one of four regionals, with the top two teams from each regional progressing to the championship weekend. The tournament was won by Boeheim's Army, who captured the winner-take-all $1 million prize.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeheim's Army</span> Professional basketball team

Boeheim's Army are an American basketball team that participates in The Basketball Tournament (TBT), an annual winner-take-all single-elimination tournament. The team's roster consists of professional basketball players who compete outside of the NBA, most of whom played college basketball for the Syracuse Orange men's basketball team. The TBT team is an independent entity that is named after Jim Boeheim, longtime coach of the college team. Boeheim's Army first played in the tournament in 2015; in 2021, they won the championship and a $1 million prize.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Mballa</span> French basketball player

Joshua Kenneth Mballa is a French college basketball player for the Ole Miss Rebels of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He previously played for the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Buffalo Bulls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nate Williams (basketball, born 1999)</span> American basketball player

Jeenathan "Nate" Williams Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Buffalo Bulls of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Basketball Tournament 2022</span> Single elimination basketball tournament

The Basketball Tournament 2022 was the ninth edition of The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a 5-on-5, single elimination basketball tournament with a $1 million winner-take-all prize. The tournament, involving 64 teams, began on July 16 and ended on August 2 with the championship game in Dayton, Ohio. The tournament format was similar to that of the last pre-COVID-19 edition in 2019—64 teams, each playing in one of eight regionals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Basketball Tournament 2023</span> Single elimination basketball tournament

The Basketball Tournament 2023 was the tenth edition of The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a 5-on-5, single elimination basketball tournament with a $1 million winner-take-all prize. The tournament, involving 64 teams, began on July 19 and ended on August 3 with the championship game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The tournament format was similar to that of the last edition in 2022—64 teams, each playing in one of eight regionals.

References

  1. "Wes Clark's game-winning shot caps off Elam ending for UB's Blue Collar U". Buffalo News. July 24, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  2. "6 BLUE COLLAR U 93, 3 ZIP 'EM UP 83". TBT. July 26, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  3. "DAYTON BOUND: Blue Collar U Halfway To $1 Million Prize". UBBulls.com. July 28, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  4. "6 BLUE COLLAR U 84, 5 THE MONEY TEAM 81". TBT. August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  5. Goldberg, Rob (August 1, 2021). "Boeheim's Army vs. Team 23 Set for The Basketball Tournament 2021 Final; Full Results". Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  6. Slaughter, Marquel (July 27, 2022). "Led by Rochester native, their jerseys honor Buffalo shooting victims in $1M tournament". Democrat & Chronicle. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  7. Lenzi, Rachel (July 21, 2022). "Blue Collar U team to honor Tops shooting victims, families at TBT". Buffalo News. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  8. Lenzi, Rachel (August 2, 2022). "Money in the bank: UB's Blue Collar U wins $1 million TBT prize". Buffalo News. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  9. Borzello, Jeff (August 2, 2022). "Blue Collar U downs Americana for Autism, takes home $1 million The Basketball Tournament title". ESPN. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  10. Lenzi, Rachel (July 22, 2022). "The shoes fit for UB's Blue Collar U in a 91–64 win in TBT opener". Buffalo News. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  11. Lenzi, Rachel (July 23, 2022). "Fourth-quarter comeback lifts UB's Blue Collar U to TBT Syracuse regional final". Buffalo News. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  12. Lenzi, Rachel (July 29, 2022). "No. 2 Blue Collar U to face No. 1 Heartfire in TBT Quarterfinals". Buffalo News. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  13. "Blue Collar U douses Heartfire, reaches TBT semifinals". Buffalo News. July 29, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  14. Jablonski, David (July 30, 2022). "The Basketball Tournament: Red Scare's run ends with loss to Blue Collar U in semifinals". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  15. Bronstein, Jonah (August 2, 2022). "Blue Collar U cruises to TBT title, $1 million prize". Niagara Gazette. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  16. Bronstein, Jonah (June 21, 2023). "UB alumni team Blue Collar U open title defense as No. 1 seed July 24 in Syracuse". Localsyr.com. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  17. Bambi, Cole (July 24, 2023). "Blue Collar U comes back to win 78-77 in first game of 2023 TBT". Buffalo News. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  18. Bronstein, Jonah (July 24, 2023). "Blue Collar U displays brute Buffalo strength in largest Elam Ending comeback ever at TBT". WIVB. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  19. Bambini, Cole (July 26, 2023). "Blue Collar U uses 20-0 run to beat Virginia Dream". Buffalo News. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  20. Bronstein, Jonah (July 28, 2023). "Blue Collar U bounced from TBT by Boeheim's Army". WIVB. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  21. @thetournament (August 3, 2021). "These guys were amazing all summer Introducing your TBT 2021 All-Tournament Team!" (Tweet). Retrieved August 3, 2021 via Twitter.
  22. @thetournament (August 2, 2022). "Introducing your TBT 2022 All-Tournament Team!" (Tweet). Retrieved August 2, 2022 via Twitter.
  23. @thetournament (August 2, 2022). "Your TBT 2022 MVP is CJ Massinburg!" (Tweet). Retrieved August 2, 2022 via Twitter.