PREVIEW: Rivals collide as La Familia meets The Ville in TBT Elite 8

The moment that every Kentucky and Louisville fan was hoping for is almost here. It’ll be Wildcats vs. Cardinals on the hardwood, but in July instead of December.

Tonight at 9:00 p.m. EST inside Freedom Hall on FS1, La Familia will take on The Ville in the quarterfinals of The Basketball Tournament. La Familia won all three of its Lexington Regional games while The Ville did the same in the Louisville Regional, pitting these two alumni teams against each other in what will be the most-hyped TBT game in the event’s 10-year history.

Nostalgia will be thick in the Freedom Hall air as memories of the last 15 years fill the court. For La Familia, the likes of Willie Cauley-Stein, Eric Bledsoe, and the Harrison twins will battle the likes of Montrezl Harrell, Russ Smith, and Peyton Siva on The Ville. This is the moment they (and TBT organizers) all hoped for when signing up to play in this tournament. Over 12,000 tickets have already been sold in anticipation of this must-see event — there should be no issue in breaking TBT’s attendance record of 7,200.

Tickets for tonight’s showdown aren’t as easily accessible as the last three games. There are plenty still available starting at $33 a pop, but only endzone seats are left. It’s going to be packed. If you haven’t already done so, click here to grab your tickets. A portion of all sales will go towards Kentucky’s NIL efforts. Games will also be livestreamed here.

Since this is a winner-takes-all, $1 million grand prize tournament, it’s win-or-go-home for both teams.

🗣️HYPE VIDEO FOR THE BIGGEST GAME IN TBT HISTORY!

– LOUISVILLE

– KENTUCKY

– RECORD TBT CROWD AT FREEDOM HALL

The Ville vs La Familia | 9PM on FS1 pic.twitter.com/uW2FV1nCMX

— TBT (@thetournament) July 29, 2024

Remember that TBT utilizes the Elam Ending. For more information on what the Elam Ending is and how it’s incorporated, click here.

Below is the entire La Familia roster along with the UK alumni coaching staff. Only Kerem Kanter, the younger brother of former Wildcat Enes Kanter, did not play at UK.

PLAYERS

• Eric Bledsoe (2009-10)
• Daniel Orton (2009-10)
• Willie Cauley-Stein (2012-15)
• James Young (2013-14)
• Aaron Harrison (2013-15)
• Andrew Harrison (2013-15)
• Nate Sestina (2019-20)
• Brennan Canada (2019-24)
• Kellan Grady (2021-22)
• Kerem Kanter (Green Bay/Xavier, 2014-18)

STAFF

• Tyler Ulis (2014-16, head coach)
• Jon Hood (2009-14, assistant coach)
• Sean Woods (1988-92, assistant coach)
• Twany Beckham (2008-13, general manager)
• Sam Malone (2011-15, general manager)

To reach the Elite 8, La Familia cruised through all three games of the Lexington Regional. The former Wildcats beat the 7-seeded 305 Ballers in the opener (82-56), 6-seeded The Nawf (81-64) in round two, and then top-seeded Herd That in the Sweet 16 (95-66). For those doing the math, that’s an average winning margin of 24 points per game — pretty good.

It was actually the matchup with Herd That (Marshall alumni) that saw La Familia play its most complete game yet. To do so against the best competition of the tournament up to that point was no small note. This group put it all together when it mattered most as the chemistry only continues to grow.

Eric Bledsoe and Kerem Kanter have been La Familia’s stars so far. Bledsoe is averaging 17.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per outing while Kanter is averaging 22.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per contest on 76.9 percent overall shooting. Kanter is also 25-33 (75.8 percent) from the free-throw line. These two have been the go-to offensive producers for head coach Tyler Ulis and they’ve delivered in all three games.

Bledsoe is just straight-up better than everyone else on the floor and might be the most purely talented player in TBT while Kanter has used his size and soft touch to abuse opposing post players. The Ville will provide the most resistance so far though. How easily Bledsoe and Kanter can score compared to the first three games will be the first thing to watch for as this game begins.

Nate Sestina is La Familia’s floor-spacer; he’s 9-22 (41.1 percent) from deep through three games. Andrew and Aaron Harrison fill out the backcourt as shooters and playmakers while Willie-Cauley-Stein serves as the X-Factor on defense. Cauley-Stein has 13 blocks in three games.

The other two La Familia players to watch will be Kellan Grady and James Young. Grady has been all over the floor, diving for loose balls and playing hard defense, as he waits for his offense to come along. He’s just 3-9 from deep so far and is one big performance away from winning a game all by himself. Meanwhile, Young made his biggest impact against The Herd after two quiet games to start. He finished with nine points in game three, including the Elam Ending three-pointer

La Familia enters tonight’s game as the betting favorite to not only beat The Ville, but also win the entire tournament. Over at FanDuel, La Familia is a 4.5-point favorite against The Ville with the over/under set at 149.5. The former ‘Cats have the best odds to win TBT at +260, with Carmen’s Crew (Ohio State alumni; +500) and The Ville (+650) not far behind.

Below is the schedule for the quarterfinals. The semifinals and championship will take place this Friday and Sunday, respectively, in Philadelphia.

Monday, July 29 (Louisville)

• (3) Carmen’s Crew vs. (7) Takeover BC – 7 p.m. (FS1)
• (2) The Ville vs. (2) La Familia – 9 p.m. (FS1)

Tuesday, July 30 (Houston)

• (5) Happy Valley Hoopers vs. (6) Eberlein Drive – 7 p.m. (FS1)
• (2) Forever Coogs vs. (5) Team Colorado – 9 p.m. (FS2)

So, what should we expect out of The Ville? If you’ve been following Kentucky men’s basketball for the last 15 years, you should already know plenty of the Louisville team’s players. The Ville has been in closer finishes than La Familia, beating Unknighted (Bellarmine alumni) in the first round 80-71 and Sideline Cancer in round two 71-69. The Cardinals then smacked Team DRC in the Sweet 16 by a final score of 83-66.

Let’s outline The Ville’s roster and break down what they’ll bring to the hardwood:

PLAYERS

• Chane Behanan (6-6 forward | Louisville)
• Chinanu Onuaku (6-10 center | Louisville)
• Chris Dowe (6-3 guard | Bellarmine)
• Chris Jones (6-0 point guard | Louisville)
• David Johnson (6-6 point guard | Louisville)
• Derrick Waller (6-8 center | Nebraska)
• Dillon Avare (5-11 point guard | Louisville & Eastern Kentucky)
• Montrezl Harrell (6-8 forward | Louisville)
• Nick Mayo (6-9 forward | Eastern Kentucky)
• Omar Prewitt (6-7 wing | William & Mary)
• Peyton Siva (6-0 point guard | Louisville)
• Russ Smith (6-1 guard | Louisville)

STAFF

• Reece Gaines (1999-2003, head coach)
• Keith Oddo (2019-20, assistant coach)
• Luke Hancock (2010-14, assistant coach)

Of the 12 players on The Ville’s roster, nine of them played college ball at Louisville. You likely remember the likes of Montrezl Harrell (2013-15), Russ Smith (2011-14), Peyton Siva (2010-13), Chane Behanan (2011-14), Chris Jones (2013-15), and David Johnson (2019-21). The quartet of Harrell, Smith, Siva, and Johnson has started all three games so far for The Ville.

Johnson might just be The Ville’s best all-around player. He’s finished with at least 15 points and has attempted at least five three-pointers in every game. As the youngest player on the roster, he has plenty of juice left in his tank. Harrell, who played 57 NBA games in 2022-23 before missing the 2023-24 season with an ACL injury, still looks like he could contribute in the league. He’s averaging 13 points and eight rebounds per game on 50 percent shooting.

Siva controls The Ville’s offense, even if he’s not scoring all that often. He has eight assists and zero turnovers so far. Smith puts up plenty of shots and is averaging double-figures in scoring (13 PPG). Jones comes off the bench and does nothing but get buckets. He’s averaging 12.6 points per contest on 43.3 percent shooting. Behanan has mostly been a non-factor.

Chinanu Onuaku has only played in two games (the first and third) but started both and grabbed 14 rebounds combined — he’s not a reliable scorer but will hold down The Ville’s paint. He’ll be Kanter’s toughest test yet. Nick Mayo is a TBT veteran and is one of the first off the bench for The Ville, although he’s yet to reach double-figures in scoring.

Elsewhere, we might see The Ville roll out Omar Prewitt and Chris Dowe for short stints. Dowe added eight points in the most recent game. But don’t expect much from these two when they do see the floor. The seven (not counting Behanan) mentioned above are The Ville’s players to know.

A spot in the semifinals (and bragging rights for the next several months) is on the line. A win for La Familia will put them just a couple more victories in Philly away from taking home the $1 million grand prize.