The D-III Basketball Players Challenging Ex-NBA Players for $1 Million

Welcome to a limitless basketball world—a place that scoffs at norms and typical expectations. It’s a place where outlandish dreams can become strange realities. It’s a place where life-changing treasure can be yours.

Beginning in July a diverse collection of teachers, accountants, physical therapists, financial advisors—all hailing from a small Virginia university you’ve never heard of—will compete in a $1 million winner-take-all basketball tournament against the likes of Nate Robinson, Jason Williams, Royce White, Hakim Warrick, Matt Bonner, Smush Parker and Brian Scalabrine.

In our normal, boundary-heavy sporting world, none of this would be possible. But in The Basketball Tournament—an event constructed by an underdog, for the underdog—Lynchburg College Basketball Club’s dream of basketball immortality is very real, at least for now.

Sure, Lynchburg’s center is only 6’4”, compared to the buffet of the 6’9” power-forwards-who-had-a cup-of coffee-in-the-NBA other teams will have at their disposal. Sure, its most experienced player is a 5’4” female who last played for the Winston-Salem Lady Warcats.

But Joseph Sancio, the head coach and GM of the Lynchburg College Basketball Club, has a plan for all of it. The larger the obstacle, the more he and his teammates embrace trying to run right through it.

“Other teams are getting all of the attention leading into The Basketball Tournament, which we don’t mind,” Sancio told Bleacher Report. “We want to play those teams with NBA players. It would be great to play them, it would be even better to beat them.”

“We’ve always been the underdog. Underestimate us. That’s what we want.”

HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?

Like the 96 other teams in The Tournament, Lynchburg will have a chance to rewrite its script thanks to a comedy writer’s grand outlandish and noble idea to give the little guys a shot.

In his former life, Jon Mugar was a producer and writer for Tim and Eric, a popular show on the Adult Swim cable network. Then he had a thought: why not create an open basketball tournament that literally anyone could join for big money—the kind of money that could build into something far bigger over time.

“We wanted to give other teams and players the experience of playing in March Madness,” Mugar said.

What truly makes The Basketball Tournament unique, however, is the entry fee. Despite offering a winner-take-all prize of $1 million that a team divides how it chooses, it costs zero dollars to enter.

To play in the event, you need support. More specifically, you need fans. The 18 teams in each region with the most fan votes on The Basketball Tournament’s website by June 1—regardless of experience or brand power—earned a spot in one of the four regions. For their efforts, fans will be rewarded. If their team wins, they will split up 5 percent of the winnings.

“That’s what’s cool about this tournament,” Mugar said. “We’re awarding the most passionate people and giving them an opportunity to play in an event that will ultimately be on TV. A team like Lynchburg, people who just love basketball, can form a team and play.”

Image via The Basketball Tournament

In its second year, The Basketball Tournament has enjoyed the kind of growth most startups couldn’t forecast. It has grown from 32 to 97 teams. It has quadrupled its number of regions. Its top prize has doubled from $500,000 to a cool $1 million.

Mugar has also secured real estate on a channel you know remarkably well. At 2 p.m. ET on August 2, two teams are going to be playing live on ESPN for one million dollars.

“It’s happening, it’s real, and the stakes are incredibly high,” Mugar said.

Mugar even penned a letter to the White House, asking if the President would welcome his championship team like most other American champions in major sports. To his surprise, he received a call back from a representative asking for more information.

GOLIATH

While it seems unreasonable that the White House would welcome a team from a tournament still trying to figure out exactly what it is, last year’s $500,000 prize pool was enough to draw some former NBA players and create a surprising amount of buzz. The big stakes have brought out the big dogs.

Image via The Basketball Tournament

Remember that Florida Gulf Coast “Dunk City” team that seized the spotlight one March just a few short years ago? A handful of alumni have paired up with players from the Mercer program that conquered Duke in 2014, hoping that this combination will breed even more unexpected and spectacular results.

Last year’s winning team, the Notre Dame Fighting Alumni featured a collection of former Irish players. This team has already been guaranteed a spot in the Super 17—yes, 17—although the roster has beefed up to include players like All-Big East guard Ben Hansbrough.

One of this year’s favorites, Boeheim’s Army, features a strong contingent of former Syracuse players (Warrick, Terrence Roberts, Eric Devendorf, etc.), many of whom have professional experience. The list of NBA-sized power forwards at their disposal is startling and somehow not all that surprising.

A solid percentage of the teams involved share a bond that began in a college basketball setting. Others began at childhood. Some are made up of perfect strangers simply looking for a piece of basketball treasure.

This vision has been realized. The tournament’s single-elimination format breeds intensity. And there’s a sense of ownership and involvement that stretches well beyond the 10 players on a court at once that gives this event that true March feel.

DAVID

Tucked between giants is a small, quant school from Virginia that had less than 2,500 students on campus this past year. A campus known more for its scenic natural setting than its athletics has found a home in an unexpected spotlight.

While the Lynchburg basketball team has enjoyed moderate success at the Division III level, it is not a hotbed for college hoops.

The idea to form a team came to Sancio when he caught word of a mysterious open tournament.

“I really didn’t believe it. It just seemed too good to be true,” Sancio said. “I told myself that if they did this again, I was definitely going to put a team in it.”

At Lynchburg, Sancio played for the varsity team his first two years. Before his junior season, however, he decided that it was impacting his academics and the time commitment was too great. When he stopped playing for the school, he found the basketball void to be too large.

And so the Lynchburg College Basketball Club was formed—a collection of former varsity players and others interested in the sport that wanted to extend their career just a little bit longer. They traveled. They practiced. They competed. They played and beat club schools at campuses like Duke, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech.

“It wound up being just as competitive if not more competitive than the varsity program,” Sancio said. “We played upward of 40 games a year and traveled all over the East Coast.”

One of those games came against the Lynchburg varsity team in front of a full gym of Lynchburg supporters. According to Sancio, the club team cruised to an easy victory.

When The Basketball Tournament presented itself as a real option, Sancio sent his former teammates and club members a group message. Almost instantly, a team reformed. A bond found new life. A group that had grown apart in recent years due to the strains of real life grew close again.

While names like Courtney Brewer, Quintin Aldridge, Justin Martin and Justin Klein won’t instill fear in the basketball world, Sancio got precisely the group he wanted: passionate basketball players ready for something more.

Image via Lynchburg College Club Basketball

With the roster in place, the team needed support. Outnumbered compared to other powers stacking rosters, this seemed like an uphill climb. Help arrived from a former dean who loved the passion these former students were showing. The university wanted to help.

The school wasn’t just supportive of Sancio’s idea; the university included the necessary information in a weekly email. The alumni association actively posted links and information on various social media sites.

“They couldn’t be more supportive,” Sancio said. “There are no words to express my gratitude to them and the Lynchburg College community.”

Sancio also reached out to the National Parkinson Foundation, a group that the university and members of the club team both greatly appreciate. One of their former professors is currently fighting the disease. If Lynchburg wins the tournament, the team will donate $50,000 to the National Parkinson Foundation. It will donate another $50,000 to their school.

“I wanted to go beyond basketball and what this tournament means,” Sancio said.

These alliances, along with support from friends, family, and coworkers, sparked a massive social movement. Fans have continued to pour in well after Lynchburg secured a spot in the event. Of the 97 teams, they have the third most fan votes, clearing the fourth team by a wide margin. They just eclipsed 1,000 fans overall and see no end in sight.

The little guys from Virginia with less experience and resources than most has proven that it belongs before a single game has been played.

“Whether we come away with $1 million or not, it’s going to be an amazing experience. It has been just to get to this point,” Sancio said. “I really couldn’t be happier to have done this. This is for our college and our team.”

The basketball preparation will now be done on an individual basis. Because the members of Lynchburg are scattered throughout the East Coast and have day jobs and families to think about, there are no realistic ways the team can practice together before the event.

Northeast Regionals will begin on July 17; it’s Sancio’s hope that they’ll be able to sneak in some group work a day or two before they play a game.

“I think this tournament was geared for guys just like us—guys (and a girl) who never had a chance to play at this next level,” Sancio said. “This is going to be a memory that will last forever. We’re going to be able to tell our kids about that time we went to Philly to play for a million dollars.”

Adam Kramer is the College Football National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Unless noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.