The Basketball Tournament is returning to Columbus for a second consecutive year.
The Ohio State Alumni team will once again headline the Columbus regional. For the first time this year, TBT has officially designated eight teams as host teams for its regional sites.
The Columbus regional is set to take place from July 19-21 at Capital University.
With a roster that included former Ohio State greats Jared Sullinger, Aaron Craft, Jon Diebler, David Lighty and William Buford, among others, the Ohio State Alumni team (previously named Scarlet and Gray) won both of its games in front of sold-out crowds in Columbus last year before being eliminated in the quarterfinal round of the tournament. In 2017, the team's debut year in TBT, Scarlet and Gray suffered a double-overtime loss in the semifinals.
Ohio State director of player development Scoonie Penn will once again serve as the Ohio State Alumni team's head coach this year, while former Ohio State great and current Portland Trail Blazers guard Evan Turner will serve as assistant coach.
“Having TBT in Columbus last year was unbelievable,” Penn said in a news release announcing TBT's return to Columbus. “It was surreal to see the amount of support the tournament received while here. Columbus is a city that embraces basketball - especially when the Buckeyes are involved. Having the tournament back in Columbus in 2019, I’m sure, will be even better, something the community is eager to experience.”
Tickets for TBT can be purchased through the tournament's website. All TBT games will be televised on the ESPN family of networks.
“I’m excited about TBT returning to Columbus,” former Ohio State great and current CBS Sports broadcaster Clark Kellogg said. “Central Ohio hoops fans are some of the most knowledgeable and passionate in the country and turned out in a big way to support former OSU players and the high-level basketball and family-friendly event that is TBT. It’s an exciting event for our city, and one I look forward to attending again.”
