Scarlet Sunrise: Ohio State's TBT team is now one win away from $2 million prize

Good morning, Ohio State fans, and welcome to the Scarlet Sunrise! Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Ohio State football, recruiting, basketball and more.

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Carmen’s Crew upsets powerhouse Overseas Elite

Overseas Elite had never lost a game in The Basketball Tournament, going undefeated in 2015-18 to win four straight championships.

That streak is now over. Carmen’s Crew, the team comprised of former Ohio State basketball players, took down Overseas Elite in the semifinals of The Basketball Tournament with a 71-66 win in Chicago on Sunday. David Lighty led Carmen’s Crew with 18 points, 15 of which came in the second half, and William Buford added 15 points in the winning effort.

Both teams arrived to the Elam Ending tied at 63, but Carmen’s Crew scored the first six points of the final stage to pull within a basket of the victory. They eventually found the winning basket, putting them one win away from the $2 million winning prize.

The final will be played Tuesday at 9 p.m. in Chicago and will be televised by ESPN. Carmen’s Crew will take on Golden Eagles, a team of Marquette alums.

Justin Fields talks leadership

Justin Fields is in his second year of college football and first year at Ohio State, but the sophomore quarterback is trying to become more of a presence among his teammates because of the importance of the role he will likely soon occupy as the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback.

Fields met with the media on Sunday and gave his thoughts on his development in that regard after a couple practices.

“You just have to embrace it,” Fields said after practice on Sunday morning. “All this hype and all that, you just have to back it up. Don’t let anything get to your head, and I just try to stay even-keeled. Don’t listen to the outside people, keep my head down and work. That’s the way I’ve always been. I’ve never gotten too cocky. I don’t really like people [like that], and I just try not to have a big head and stay as humble as possible. Just keep it moving.

“Everyone on the team knows the quarterback has to be a leader. So, I’m just kind of taking that step, and right when you come into a new place, you can’t just act like a leader. You have to get used to the guys and just kind of build relationships with them so they trust you, and then you can step out and become a leader. That’s what I did, and I feel like I’m becoming more of a leader every day.”

Early practice takeaways

The Buckeyes reported for their opening practice on a gorgeous Friday morning at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Here’s what Lettermen Row learned from the first practices and the interview sessions with some key returning players.

Ohio State RB recruiting update

Now that Ohio State has missed out on its top two running back targets after two late and unexpected changes of heart, the recruiting picture at running back is more complicated than ever. To help explain what’s going on and what to expect next, here’s Lettermen Row recruiting czar Birm:

First, don’t expect any sort of knee-jerk reaction from Ohio State that leads to any sort of quick addition to the class. The decisions by Jaylan Knighton and Bijan Robinson mean that the process for the Buckeyes is going to, basically, start over. Yes, there are players they’ve already gotten to know that they’ve been in contact with this past week and those players, guys like E.J. Smith, Mike Drennen, Deamonte Trayanum and others, will require less evaluation than new offers that come out (Tre Bradford, for example, who was offered Thursday) but there’s a reason the Buckeyes hadn’t gone all in on those guys to this point: they’re still being evaluated.

Second, expect a number of players to get a look from inside of Ohio and everywhere else. Iowa State commitment Miyan Williams has some real support inside of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and the Buckeyes will watch him closely. They’ll do the same with Torrance Davis and Jutahn McClain, who are each committed to Kentucky. There will be all kinds of names coming into the fore.

There are months ahead for the Buckeyes to find two players they covet and that can help the program moving forward. There will be no pity or desperation offers or takes. Ryan Day, Tony Alford, Mark Pantoni and others get paid good money to find and recruit the players that fit their program and the Ohio State offense and that’s what they’ll find. Eventually.

For more on Ohio State recruiting, check out the Sunday edition of Dotting the ‘Eyes.

Tracy Sprinkle gets shot with Browns

The Cleveland Browns announced Saturday that they signed Tracy Sprinkle, giving the former Ohio State defensive tackle a chance to make the 53-man roster this fall.

Sprinkle originally signed with the Carolina Panthers after going undrafted, but he was cut prior to the start of the 2018 regular season.

Counting down

• Ohio State vs. Florida Atlantic (season opener): 26 days
• Ohio State at Michigan: 117 days

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