Before a sea of Orange-clad Syracuse basketball fanatics on Friday night, Boeheim’s Army took its first step toward repeating as The Basketball Tournament (“TBT”) champions by triumphing in a convincing manner.
The No. 1 seed in the Syracuse region, which is being held at the SRC Arena, Boeheim’s Army dispatched of No. 8 seed and new TBT participant India Rising in a round of 64 match-up by a final count of 90-62.
This summer’s roster for Boeheim’s Army boasts six former ‘Cuse guys as well as four talented players who suited up elsewhere in college. Despite a lot of new faces for Boeheim’s Army in the 2022 TBT, the squad looked pretty darn good in its opening-round game.
One down🍊🧡 pic.twitter.com/6qrGRKAYjB
— Boeheim's Army (@BoeheimsArmy) July 23, 2022
All 10 Boeheim’s Army players scored at least four points. Point guard Dee Bost from Mississippi State led the Boeheim’s Army charge with 18 points.
Boeheim’s Army guard Matt Morgan, a former star at Cornell, chipped in 16 points, as did former Syracuse basketball shooting guard Andrew White III.
Boeheim’s Army, a collection of former Syracuse basketball players and others, moves on in the TBT.
As a collective unit, Boeheim’s Army connected on 47 percent from the field, 29 percent from beyond the arc and 79 percent from the free-throw line.
Boeheim’s Army had the edge over India Rising in rebounds, assists, turnovers committed and steals.
What’s more, Boeheim’s Army owned massive advantages in points scored off of turnovers, points in the paint, fast-break points, and bench points. All in all, a dominating effort.
Despite this solid first conquest, Boeheim’s Army doesn’t have much time to celebrate. The squad will face off with No. 4 seed The Nerd Team in the round of 32 on Saturday, July 23.
Tip-off is slated to begin at 2 pm. ESPN is providing television coverage. In the round of 64, The Nerd Team got past the No. 5 seed Brown & White, 79-71.
The Nerd Team, playing in its second-straight TBT, has a line-up that includes players who suited up in college for schools such as Notre Dame, Brown, Harvard and Yale.
If Boeheim’s Army can get by The Nerd Team, our beloved boys in Orange would advance to the Sweet 16. That duel would take place on Monday, July 25, beginning at 7 pm and airing on ESPN2.
Naturally, though, Boeheim’s Army has bigger plans in mind, like cutting down the nets for the second summer in a row and earning another $1 million by capturing a second-consecutive TBT title.
Boeheim’s Army has a long way to go, but its performance on Friday evening was an excellent start toward reaching its ultimate goal.