Are you ready for some basketball? The Men of Mackey are, pandemic or no pandemic.
The team comprised mostly of former Purdue players tips off in The Basketball Tournament (TBT) on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET in Columbus, Ohio, vs. Heartfire. Men of Mackey coach Ryne Smith—a former Boilermaker sharp-shooting guard—is excited to be part of the 24-team, single-elimination, winner-take-all event that will take place July 4-14.
“It's very fortunate to be able to be the coach to these guys,” said Smith, who is an assistant for Carson Cunningham at the University of Incarnate Word. “It’s a great group of guys."
TBT will be broadcast on ESPN, the first televised hoops in the nation since the world was paralyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic in March. What’s the motivation for a Men of Mackey roster that includes former Boilermaker luminaries Isaac Haas, Evan Boudreaux, Johnny Hill, Jon Octeus and Jacquil Taylor? The winning team will split a $1 million prize. The other 23 squads will go home with bupkus. How would Haas spend some of his loot if the Men of Mackey won TBT?
“Right now, I would just use it for offseason training, and use it to invest in my future,” said Haas, “just in terms of setting up training, maybe for next year. You know, things like that. Maybe my retirement fund. I could have thought of a multitude of things to spend it on before I was a professional. Now that I am hit with the adult world, I’m starting to think about the future.”
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The Men of Mackey are playing for a cause: The Tyler Trent cancer research endowment at the Purdue Cancer Center. If the Men of Mackey are able to win TBT, a portion of the their winnings will be donated in honor of Trent.
“It's important,” said Smith. “It's a great cause, obviously. What Tyler represented for our university was incredible. Just the strength he showed … it’s an incredible family. I’m honored to be a part of it. Obviously, honoring Tyler's legacy that he left behind in West Lafayette and actually nationwide was awesome. So, to play for something bigger than yourself is obviously a great opportunity.”
Added Octeus: “I’m just excited to be part of the Purdue name again.”
While everyone is eager to get back on the floor, there are concerns about becoming infected with COVID-19. The players have been and will continue to be subject to testing protocols. Octeus says testing has been vigilant.
“It has been every day since I have been here,” he said. “It took us a minimum of 24 hours before we could even leave our rooms. I think they are doing a really great job of trying to keep us safe as possible throughout this process.”
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pool of TBT teams was shrunk to 24 and the event will be held in a central location (Nationwide Arena in Columbus). There also is an extensive health and safety plan.
“I mean, obviously, it is nerve-wracking at times, especially when you're in airports and things like that,” said Haas. “I feel like I have a pretty strong immune system. So, I know that if I were to get sick, maybe, or have it that I probably wouldn't show symptoms. It’s not really just about me. I’m more worried about giving it to other people. And then, obviously, I don’t want to get sick, as well. And I take the necessary precautions with that. I wear gloves and the mask and make sure that I'm staying sanitized … “
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The Men of Mackey are seeded No. 19 and will open play vs. No. 14 Heartfire, which is led by former Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy and includes former Baylor star Isaiah Austin, ex-NBA first-round pick Jordan Adams and one-time Michigan State star Branden Dawson.
The winner will play No. 3 Boeheim’s Army—a group of Syracuse alums that has a first-round bye—a loaded squad that features four former first-round NBA draft picks. Also on the same side of the bracket as the Men of Mackey is Overseas Elite, a four-time winner of TBT which has added seven-time NBA All-Star Joe Johnson. Needless to say, the Men of Mackey have their work cut out for them. Haas hopes his improved skill-set will help.
“The past two years, I've really developed a lot of shooting from the outside, whether it be threes, 15-footers, taking people off the dribble, face-ups, being a little bit more crafty …,” said Haas. “It took two years to really develop and feel it, but I feel ready to show it.”
Can the Men of Mackey win the event?
“I think that's a great question,” said Smith. “I certainly have the optimism to do so. I think it's all about when you get hot. I think we have great guards and unselfish dudes on the team that we've made a conscious effort to put on our roster. I think that's very important in a tournament like this where you can play together as a team and not try to get a guy that's going to go iso the whole game and obviously you got the big fellows underneath.
"I think if you can get easy baskets early and get stops early, you can get some momentum and get hot. Like any other sport, any other setting, you know, the team that gets hot has a great chance to win it. We’ll see what happens on Sunday.”
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