Ledes from the Land of Enchantment

TBT: New Mexico Regional (Team capsules)

TBT New Mexico Regional bracketThe New Mexico Regional of The Basketball Tournament is July 18-21 in the Pit. Day 1 (July 18) will feature four games split over two sessions.

The event’s semifinals will be July 19 and regional final airing on ESPN 2 will be July 21.

The UNM Lobo alumni team The Enchantment and the NMSU Aggies alumni team The Panamaniacs play at 8 pm as part of the second session of Day 1. Full rosters for those teams are listed below along with links to every team’s roster on the TBT website.

All-session and single-session tickets are on sale at GoLobos.com/TBT. Single session tickets start at $14. All games will be aired or streamed online on one of the ESPN family of networks.

Here is a link to the full 64-team TBT Bracket.

Here is a brief capsule of each game/team for the opening night on July 18 in Albuquerque:

Game 1 (July 18)

WHO: No. 3 LA Cheaters vs. No. 6 Ram Up
TIME: 1 p.m
LA CHEATERS: A Los Angeles-based team known mostly for playing in the famous Drew League pro-am event in California with multiple former NBA players. Mychel Thompson, brother to recent NBA champion Klay Thompson, is listed on the roster. — TBT record: 2-2 / ROSTER
RAM UP: A Colorado State alumni team headlined by 11-season NBA player Jason Smith, who had 28 points and 11 rebounds in his last game in the pit on Jan. 6, 2007. Albuquerque-born and Clovis High School graduate John Dawson, who isn’ t a CSU graduate but played at Marquette and Liberty, is also on the team. — TBT record: n/a / ROSTER
GRADE: For those buying single session tickets, this is session 1

Game 2 (July 18)

WHO: No. 2 Challenge ALS vs. No. 7 Once a Bronco
TIME: 3 p.m
CHALLENGE AS: One of the event’s most successful teams with 11 wins, Challenge ALS includes 2016 Mountain West Player of the Year Marvelle Harris, who went for 32 points and 10 assists in his last game in the Pit Feb. 27, 2016. — TBT record: 11 -5 / ROSTER
ONCE A BRONCO: The Boise State alumni team has plenty of familiar faces who had big games in the pit, including 2015 Mountain West Player of the Year Derrick Marks (31 points in his last game in the pit on Jan. 18, 2015) and Ryan Watkins (15 points, 22 rebounds in his last game in the pit on Jan. 21, 2014). — TBT record: n/a / ROSTER
GRADE: For those buying single session tickets, this is session 1

Game 3 (July 18)

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WHO: No. 1 Heartfire vs. No. 8 competitive choices
TIME: 6 p.m
HEART FIRE: Coached by former NBA star and current ESPN analyst LaPhonso Ellis, who played in the pit in the 1988 McDonald’s High School All-American game. Heartfire went 1-1 in last year’s TBT and absorbed several players from Team 23, last years TBT runner up, hence earning the regional’s No. 1 seed. — TBT record: 1-1 / ROSTER
COMPETITIVE CHOICE: The team represents Houston-area ties and is making its TBT debut. One player on the roster, Shaq Burrell, most recently played for the Washington Generals, the team famous for playing against the Harlem Globetrotters. — TBT record: n/a / ROSTER
GRADE: For those buying single session tickets, this is session 2

Game 4 (July 18)

WHO: No. 4 The Enchantment vs. No. 5 The PanAmaniacs
TIME: 8 p.m

The match up the people wanted.

Lobos. Aggies.
enchantment Panamaniacs.

Monday, July 18 at @ThePitUNM in round 1 of @thetournament.

$1 million on the line. Get your popcorn ready.

🎟: https://t.co/ezbriMV5e4 pic.twitter.com/a3goFFDIcz

— The Enchantment TBT (UNM) (@Enchantment_TBT) June 22, 2022

THE ENCHANTMENT: TBT record: 0-1 / ROSTER
PANAMANIACS: The first timers in The Basketball Tournament have a roster with 13 players, tied for the most in the 64-team tournament with only one other team (TBT record: n/a)
(Former UNM Lobos unless noted)
Scott Bamforth, 6-2, SG (Weber State)
Elijah Brown, 6-4, SG (2015-17)
Jamal Fenton, 5-11, PG (2009-13)
Joe Furstinger, 6-10, PF (2014-18)
Dairese Gary, 6-1, PG (2007-11)
JR Giddens, 6-5, SG (2006-08)
Drew Gordon, 6-9, PF (2010-12)
Darington Hobson, 6-7, SF (2009-10)
Roman Martinez, 6-7, SF (2006-10)
Anthony Mathis, 6-3, SG (2015-19)
Phillip McDonald, 6-5, SG (2008-12)
Cleveland “Pancake” Thomas, 6-4 SG (2012-14)
Head coach: Kenny Thomas
Assistant coaches: David Chiotti, Jerome Robinson
General managers: Brandon Mason, Ryan Berryman

THE PANAMANIACS: TBT record: n/a / ROSTER
(Former NMSU Aggies unless noted)
Ian Baker, 6-1, PG (2014-17)
Terrell Brown, 6-1, G (2019-20)
DK Eldridge ,6-3, SG (2014-15)
Evan Gilyard, 5-10, PG (2020-21)
Justin Hawkins, 6-6, G (2007-08)
Braxton Huggins, 6-5, SF (2015-17)
Johnny McCants, 6-7, PF (2018-22)
Wendell McKines, 6-7, SF (2008-12)
Lamar Morina, 6-0, PG (Montana State)
Jerome Seagears, 6-1, PG (Rutgers, UNLV)
Brandon West, 6-10, PF (2010-13)
Johnathon Wilkins, 6-10, PF (2015-18)
Jahmar Young, 6-4, SG (2008-10)
Head coach: Mario Moccia
Associate head coach: Preston Laird
Assistant coaches: Justin Tabor, William Benjamin, Shawn Harrington, Keith Roberts, Michael Nanez
General Manager: Brandon Mason

GRADE: For those buying single session tickets, this is session 2

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