Former Louisville basketball players return to Freedom Hall for TBT. Here's what to know (2024)

One year after galvanizing the Louisville men's basketball fan base at its lowest, a group of former Cardinals will take the court again at Freedom Hall with $1 million on the line.

The Ville is back in The Basketball Tournament (TBT), hosting one of its eight regional sites from July 20-24. Headlined by Montrezl Harrell, Peyton Siva and Russ Smith, it will try to improve upon falling four wins shy of the grand prize in last summer's Round of 16.

There's even more local flavor in the 64-team, single-elimination tournament this year.

Bellarmine is fielding its first TBT team, which will compete in the Louisville Regional. Kentucky is also making its debut and will host a regional at Rupp Arena.

All roads lead to Philadelphia, where a champion will be crowned Aug. 4.

Here's what to know about The Ville and the other teams coming to Freedom Hall:

Who's on The Ville TBT roster?

Note: Roster last updated June 26

• Dillon Avare, a Lexington native who played at Louisville from 2014-16, then transferred to Eastern Kentucky for his final two seasons of eligibility. Avare logged five minutes during last year's TBT.
• Chane Behanan, a physical forward from Cincinnati whose time with the Cards (2011-13) came to an abrupt end when he was dismissed from the program due to a failed drug test. Behanan finished second on The Ville in points (13.3) and rebounds (seven) per game last summer.
• Montrezl Harrell, an eight-year NBA vet who was a freshman during U of L's national championship run in 2013. Harrell missed the 2023-24 season while recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL and a meniscus tear in his right knee.
• Chris Jones, who played for the Cards from 2013-15 and torched The Ville for 25 points last summer as a member of the Jackson TN Underdawgs. In May, Jones helped the London Lightning of Ontario win a third consecutive Basketball Super League title and received its Most Valuable Player award.
• Kyle Kuric, who's best known for his 22-point performance that spearheaded Louisville's upset of No. 1 Syracuse in the final game at Freedom Hall on March 6, 2010. This past season, he averaged 12.8 points on 42.9% shooting while playing for Zenit Saint Petersburg in Russia.
• Nick Mayo, a four-year starter at EKU from 2015-19 and a four-time member of the All-Ohio Valley Conference first team. The 6-foot-9 forward played for The Ville in 2023 and won fans over with a thunderous, one-handed dunk worthy of a poster in the team's first-round victory.
• Chinanu Onuaku, a 6-10 center who left U of L for the NBA after the 2015-16 season; during which he was named to the ACC's All-Defensive team as a sophom*ore. Onuaku spent two years with the Houston Rockets and returns to The Ville after another stint with Santeros de Aguada in Puerto Rico.
• Omar Prewitt, a Mount Sterling native who played at William & Mary from 2013-17 and left as a top-five scorer in program history. The 6-7 wing had 13 points in 16 minutes during The Ville's second-round win last summer.
• Peyton Siva, the point guard who led the Cards to a national title in 2013. This spring, Siva was named to new Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey's staff as director of player development and alumni relations. A year ago, he amassed 19 points, 12 assists and six steals during TBT.
• Russ Smith, a star of the 2013 national championship team whose No. 2 is hanging in the KFC Yum! Center rafters. The former All-American has been playing in Italy and created limited-edition bottles of his Mr. & Mrs. Bourbon for TBT. He was The Ville's top scorer in two of its three games last summer.

Who is coaching The Ville TBT team?

Reece Gaines, a U of L Athletics Hall of Famer who ranks fourth among the top scorers in program history, has replaced Mark Lieberman as The Ville's head coach. Gaines returned to his alma mater in 2021 as Chris Mack's director of player development and alumni relations, then shifted into a video operations role under Kenny Payne.

Members of Gaines' staff include: Luke Hanco*ck, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2013 Final Four; Keith Oddo, who played for the Cards as a walk-on graduate transfer during the 2019-20 season; Mike Stone, an assistant at Transylvania University; and Terrence Commodore, whose coaching resume includes stints at EKU and Evansville.

Who else is playing in the TBT Louisville Regional?

• No. 1 seed Team Diesel: The team formerly known as Gutter Cats, which eliminated The Ville in last year's Round of 16, has rebranded after teaming up with Shaquille O'Neal as a sponsor. It features O'Neal's son, Shareef.
• No. 3 seed Sideline Cancer: The 2020 runner up boasts the second-most TBT wins (16) out of any team in this year's field. It features a Louisville native, Chris Coffey; he played for Seneca High School and Georgetown College.
• No. 4 seed Run DFW: A Dallas-based team appearing in TBT for the first time. It features former Gonzaga/Texas A&M shooting guard Admon Gilder and Cedric Henderson Jr., a wing who played for Arizona.
• No. 5 seed Team Fredette: Former BYU star Jimmer Fredette is not playing in TBT this year, but his team will carry on without him. It features former Marquette point guard Darius Johnson-Odom.
• No. 6 seed PUMA/VBL: PUMA will hold a TBT qualifying tournament at its Venice Basketball League in the coming weeks. Whichever team wins that tournament will take the court in Louisville.
• No. 7 seed UKnighted: A group of mostly Bellarmine graduates, including: Adam Eberhard, Vance Hall, Braydon Hobbs and Jeremy Kendle.
• No. 8 seed Team DRC: Named after sponsor Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, a former All-Pro cornerback in the NFL, this team was eliminated in the first round of last year's TBT but has four wins under its belt over the years. It features former Memphis point guard Darius Washington.

TBT schedule 2024: Louisville Regional bracket

(Note: All game times are Eastern)

Saturday, July 20

Game 1: No. 2 The Ville vs. No. 7 UKnighted, 1 p.m. (FOX)

Game 2: No. 1 Team Diesel vs. No. 8 Team DRC, 3 p.m. (TBT)

Game 3: No. 3 Sideline Cancer vs. No. 6 PUMA/VBL, 6 p.m. (TBT)

Game 4: No. 4 Run DFW vs. No. 5 Team Fredette, 8 p.m. (TBT)

Monday, July 22

Game 5: Game 1 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 7 p.m. (FS1)

Game 6: Game 2 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 9 p.m. (TBT)

Wednesday, July 24

Championship: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 7 p.m. (FS1)

The winner of the Louisville Regional will play the winner of the Lexington Regional on July 29 or 30.

If The Ville and UK's team, La Familia, both win their regionals, TBT will use ticket sales to determine whether their quarterfinal matchup will be played at Freedom Hall or Rupp Arena.

How to buy Louisville TBT tickets for games at Freedom Hall

Tickets to the Louisville Regional can be purchased on TBT's official website.

Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.