Scarlet Sunrise: Carmen's Crew holds on to defeat Heartfire, makes TBT Elite Eight

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Carmen’s Crew holds on to defeat Heartfire, makes TBT Elite Eight

Carmen’s Crew, Ohio State’s unofficial alumni team, is headed to the quarterfinals — or Elite Eight — of the The Basketball Tournament (TBT) after taking down defending tourney champion Heartfire Wednesday night in the Dayton regional final.

Playing its third game in UD Arena this summer, Carmen’s Crew got up, 12-2, in the opening minutes and then staked itself to a 39-28 halftime advantage. In fact, Heartfire didn’t have a lead in the game until there were less than five minutes remaining.

That’s when things got tense. But Jamel Morris — a Glenville State and Fairmont State product who scored a team-high 17 points in a TBT Sweet 16 win over Red Scare earlier in the week — kept Carmen’s Crew’s run alive. He knocked down an Elam Ending 3-pointer to secure a 74-70 victory.

Morris scored 10 points off the bench. He was one of four Carmen’s Crew players to finish in double figures Wednesday, joining former East Tennessee State guard Desonta Bradford (11 points), former Ohio State star big man Jared Sullinger (12 points) and former standout Buckeyes forward Kaleb Wesson (18 points).

On the other hand, Heartfire was spearheaded by one-time Presbyterian and Miami (Ohio) guard Eric Washington (18 points) as well as former Colorado guard Marcus Hall (14 points).

After a pair of Washington free throws gave Hearfire its first lead of the game, Morris reclaimed the lead for Carmen’s Crew with a layup to make it 65-64 and to set the Elam Ending target score at 73.

Flash forward to the game-winning shot: Wesson set a high screen, then got the ball near the top of the arc and dished it to an open Morris on the right side of the perimeter. Morris fired away, swished a 3-pointer and held his follow-through, punching Carmen’s Crew’s ticket to TBT quarters.

Carmen’s Crew will now play Takeover BC in Louisville, Kentucky, in TBT Elite Eight. The game will be televised on FS1, starting at 7 p.m.

Five Lessons Learned from Buckeyes loaded Big Ten Media Days appearance

Lettermen Row is unpacking its notebook from Lucas Oil Stadium, where Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, cornerback Denzel Burke, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and defensive end Jack Sawyer spoke to reporters Tuesday for the first part of Big Ten Media Days.

We broke down five lessons learned, including the Buckeyes’ willingness to lean into their massive expectations leading into a pivotal 2024 campaign.

The talent on the Ohio State roster is overflowing this season. The expectation for Day and his team is to beat Michigan, win the Big Ten and win the national title. The Buckeyes haven’t done each of those things since 2019, 2020 and 2014, respectively.

But they’re not afraid to talk about what hasn’t been and, more importantly, what should be.

Go here for the complete rundown.

O-Line is key for 2024 Buckeyes: ‘This team is going to go as the offensive line goes’

Sub-standard Ohio State offensive line play held the Buckeyes back in 2023. The O-Line has been an area of focus this offseason for a program that’s looking to prove last season was a fluke as far as its head-scratching offensive stagnation is concerned.

“This team is going to go as the offensive line goes,” Day said at the podium Tuesday in Lucas Oil Stadium.

Granted Day also said the Buckeyes will go as far as their defensive line goes, but his trenches discussion largely centered around the O-Line, which he was fittingly asked about immediately after his opening statement.

Learn more about it here.

Counting Down

Buckeyes vs. Akron: 37 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 128 days

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