The Basketball Tournament 2016: Dates, Schedule, Bracket and Players
It might not be the highest level of the sport, but a high purse and noteworthy players will make The Basketball Tournament an event to watch.
The 65-team, single-elimination tournament features a combination of former NBA contributors, college stars and just about anyone else who can who can play basketball at a high level. The squads will have to battle through one of their four regionals to reach the championship in New York City, where there will be $2 million on the line.
While it's not quite the NBA, you can be certain there will be no shortage of effort in these games.
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Here is what you need to know about the upcoming event.
The Basketball Tournament Dates
Opening Rounds (West and South Regionals): July 9-10
Opening Rounds (Northeast and Midwest Regionals): July 16-17
Super 16 and Quarterfinals: July 21-23
Semifinals: July 30
Championship: August 2
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) |
| July 9 | No. 1 Team 23 vs. No. 16 Kimchi Express | 9 a.m. |
| July 9 | No. 8 New Mexico RH vs. No. 9 BC Portland | 10:45 a.m. |
| July 9 | No. 5 Team Colorado vs. No. 12 Shaare Zedek | 9:15 p.m. |
| July 9 | No. 4 Skinner's Frate Train vs. No. 13 Mostly Sports | 7:30 p.m. |
| July 9 | No. 6 7outz vs. No. 11 Air Force Bomb Squad | 12:30 p.m. |
| July 9 | No. 3 Few Good Men vs. No. 14 Whistle Sports Dot Squad | 2:15 p.m. |
| July 9 | No. 7 Team Utah vs. No. 10 Utah Stallions | 4 p.m. |
| July 9 | No. 2 LAUNFD vs. No. 15 West Coast Ronin | 5:45 p.m. |
| July 9 | No. 1 Bluff City Blues vs. No. 16 OPI | 9 a.m. |
| July 9 | No. 8 Trained to Go vs. No. 9 PrimeTime Players | 10:45 a.m. |
| July 9 | No. 5 TMD vs. No. 12 Southern Hospitality | 5:45 p.m. |
| July 9 | No. 4 Team BDB vs. No. 13 Arkansas | 4 p.m. |
| July 9 | No. 6 Cat Pack vs. No. 11 Kings of the South | 9:15 p.m. |
| July 9 | No. 3 Ram Nation vs. No. 14 NC Prodigal Suns | 7:30 p.m. |
| July 9 | No. 7 HBC vs. No. 10 Seven City Grain | 2:15 p.m. |
| July 9 | No. 2 Overseas Elite vs. No. 15 SHOWTIME | 12:30 p.m. |
| July 16 | No. 1 The Bluegrass Boys vs. No. 16 Jackson TN Underdawgs | 5:45 p.m. |
| July 16 | No. 8 120 Sports vs. No. 9 Always A Brave | 4 p.m. |
| July 16 | No. 5 Pedro's Posse vs. No. 12 Eberlein Drive | 12:30 p.m. |
| July 16 | No. 4 Purple and Black vs. No. 13 The Region | 2:15 p.m. |
| July 16 | No. 6 Golden Eagles vs. No. 11 Illinois Hoopville Warriors | 9:15 p.m. |
| July 16 | No. 3 Spartan Heroes vs. No. 14 Ohio United | 7:30 p.m. |
| July 16 | No. 7 Armored Athlete vs. No. 10 Midwest Dream Squad | 10:45 a.m. |
| July 16 | No. 2 Ants Alumni vs. No. 15 Canton Bulldogs | 9 a.m. |
| July 16 | No. 1 City of Gods vs. No. 16 DuBois Dream | 9 a.m. |
| July 16 | No. 8 Talladega Knights vs. No. 9 Team Fancy | 10:45 a.m. |
| July 16 | No. 5 FOE vs. No.12 Liberty Ballers | 2:15 p.m. |
| July 16 | No. 4 Team Maryland vs. No. 13 Big Apple Basketball | 12:30 p.m. |
| July 16 | No. 6 SuperNOVA vs. No. 11 PA RoadWarriors | 5:45 p.m. |
| July 16 | No. 3 The Untouchable vs. No. 14 Sideline Cancer | 4 p.m. |
| July 16 | No. 7 North Broad Street Bullies vs. No. 10 20th & Olney | 9:15 p.m. |
| July 16 | No. 2 Boeheim's Army vs. No. 15 Basketball City NYC | 7:30 p.m. |
You can view the full bracket courtesy of TheTournament.com.
Notable Teams/Players
Pedro's Posse
This might not be the deepest team in the field, but it features arguably the two most well-known players in the entire tournament in former NBA stars Mike Bibby and Jason Williams.
At the least, this should create some fun passes to make the highlight reel.
"It's a great tournament," Bibby said of the event, per ESPN Insider Jeff Goodman. "These guys can really play, so you have to bring your A-game. This is what these guys do for a living, so it's not going to be easy."
Bibby and Williams are well past their primes, but they are more accomplished than the majority of athletes they are battling. This could create some drama throughout the event.
Boeheim's Army
A lot of the teams in this event are based on college alumni, but few have a stronger roster of former players than Syracuse teaming up for Boeheim's Army.
Former All-American Hakim Warrick joins a roster that also includes Eric Devendorf, Dante Green, Rick Jackson, C.J. Fair, Terrence Roberts, Brandon Triche and more. It seems like every major contributor for the Orange over the past decade and change with the exception of Carmelo Anthony and Dion Waiters.
While some might call this an indictment on Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim and his inability to produce legitimate NBA players, there is still a lot of talent on this roster, with all of them previously playing major roles for quality collegiate teams.
They would probably be the only team running a 2-3 zone in this type of tournament.
Few Good Men
Another squad based on alumni from a single school, Few Good Men features Gonzaga stars who mostly played for head coach Mark Few.
Dan Dickau is one of the biggest names on the roster as the former All-American and NCAA tournament hero, but Jeremy Pargo, Austin Daye, Casey Calvary and Micah Downs, among others, will be joining him.
Who could possibly coach this team of Gonzaga legends? John Stockton, of course.
One of the original Cinderella stories in college basketball should not be counted out no matter the opponent.
Ram Nation
Speaking of teams that have made surprise runs in college basketball, the 2011 Virginia Commonwealth squad was one of the biggest Cinderella teams in sports history. The No. 11 seed advanced to the Final Four, beating an elite Kansas team in the process.
The core of this team will now reunite for what the players hope will be another great run in a single-elimination tournament.
Joey Rodriguez, Jamie Skeen, Bradford Burgess and Brandon Rozzell—the top four scorers on that roster—will all be on Ram Nation, likely bringing the type of hard-nosed defense that made this squad such a dangerous threat.
Meanwhile, the best player might be someone who left VCU a year earlier in Larry Sanders. The former Milwaukee Bucks center had 428 blocks in five NBA seasons, making him the most dominant post defender in this tournament.
With the talent and familiarity among these players, this is a serious contender.
LAUNFD
Five of the seven experts who made predictions expect LAUNFD to run through the West bracket, while ESPN's Fran Fraschilla expects the squad to win it all:
One of the main reasons is Cuttino Mobley, who is still apparently getting it done at 40 years old:
The guard, who one season averaged over 20 points per game in the NBA for the Houston Rockets, is one of the top names at this event and should be a leader for one the top contenders.
Former college and NBA contributors, including Hassan Adams, Ekene Ibekwe, Pooh Jeter and more, will be joining him.
Armored Athlete
Indiana is known for its amateur basketball, and when the top colleges team up, there is a lot of talent.
Butler's Roosevelt Jones, Purdue's Jonathan Octeus and Indiana University's Jordan Hulls, Will Sheehey and Christian Watford will join forces for what should be a quality team of collegiate talent.
There won't be as much chemistry as some of the other teams in this field—in fact some of these players were major rivals when they went to school—but ability might be more important.
Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for year-round sports analysis.
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