Syracuse Basketball: Boeheim’s Army to host TBT regional in Syracuse

Boeheim’s Army (Syracuse Basketball’s alumni team) play annually in The Basketball Tournament every summer. This summer the alumni team will get to play right here at home in Syracuse.  Inside the Loud House examines whether its really worth our investment.

Boeheim’s Army is a treat for Syracuse basketball fans every summer when they play in The Basketball Tournament (TBT). We get to see our favorite Orange players from the last decade or so suit up together once again for a chance to win Two Million dollars. What could be sweeter?

Well, this year The Basketball Tournament is bringing the tournament to Syracuse, NY and will serve as a regional site. What’s more, Boeheim’s Army will be the host and get to play right here in Syracuse for Rounds 1-3, July 26-28, according to TBT’s official website.

The team will unfortunately not play at the Carrier Dome, but at SRC Arena, located at Onondaga Community College. Src Arena houses up to 4,000 people for basketball events. If I were to guess, those seats won’t last long now that our former Orange will be playing in the heart of their fanbase.

If that doesn’t excite you, maybe this will. Last year’s team included the following: Eric Devendorf, John Gillon, Arinze Onuaku, Hakim Warrick, Brandon Triche, Demetris Nichols, Kris Joseph, DaShonte Riley, and James Southerland. Talk about a lineup with lots of depth!

The team went all the way to the Elite Eight before losing 90-86 at the hands of a dagger three point shot from Travis Diener of the Golden Eagles (Marquette Alumni) in the Elam Ending according to Syracuse.com. The team was probably the deepest and most talented team Boeheim’s Army has had yet and this year could be even better.

Among those who are really excited about this move is none other than Ryan Blackwell, Liverpool High School’s Basketball’s coach. He has led Boeheim’s Army the last four years to two berths in the Regional Championship (aka Elite Eight), a Super 16 appearance, and the Final Four. In addition, last year he led his Liverpool Warriors  Boys Basketball team to a 26-1 record, the programs first Class AA state championship, and won New York States USA Coach of the Year award, according to Syracuse.com. Considering he coaches my alma mater,  I had to mention all this, so sorry for the shameless plug, moving on…

"In regards to Boeheim’s Army playing at home here in Syracuse he told Syracuse.com that, “An arena like SRC is perfect. I think it’ll be sold out. We talked to some of the people at TBT last summer and we said, ‘We have a lot of fans who travel, why not bring it to Syracuse?’ It’s a no-brainer.”"

Coach Blackwell may be right. Boeheim’s Army has always filled the arenas the team has played at in years past, so why should this year be any different, especially now that its at home here in Syracuse?  The cost for an all-day pass is $25.00 plus tax. That’s not bad considering you get to catch our boys in action and then can also watch the rest of the day’s games for free.

Let’s face it, you can watch our college boys in Orange play any ACC team in the Dome for over $50 dollars for good seats. In The Basketball Tournament though you can see our former Orange stars compete and only pay $25 dollars. In addition, you still get to be really close to the action while still being among die-hard Orange fans. Sounds like money well spent to me.

https://www.facebook.com/BoeheimsArmy/videos/231530137788482/

Personally, I’m sure many of us have dreamed of watching these guys play in action once again, but just didn’t want to make the roadtrip in years past. To see them finally come home to Syracuse so we won’t have to travel to Philadelphia or Brooklyn makes this even more attractive. Yeah we could watch on the couch once again this year, but why would we do that when its like 15-20 minutes from our home?

I’m sure these games will be spectacular and an event all in themselves. The way this city and its media has embraced a team of former players has been nothing short of amazing. Here’s hoping this summer brings another awesome chapter to Boeheim’s Army’s legacy and our boys in Orange.