JHX Hoops vs. Purple Reign: Sunflower Showdown in The Basketball Tournament

The alumni of two familiar foes will meet tonight in the second round of The Basketball Tournament.

Jan 13, 2018; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Billy Preston (23) warms up before the game against the Kansas State Wildcats at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

JHX Hoops kicked off The Basketball Tournament (TBT) with a convincing win on Saturday, taking down No. 7 seed OffDaHook by a score of 91-78.

That victory set up a Sunflower Showdown matchup in TBT between the Jayhawks’ alumni team and Purple Reign, Kansas State’s alumni team.

While they previously met in a scrimmage where JHX Hoops came out on top, today’s contest has win-or-go-home stakes on the line.

JHX Hoops vs. Purple Reign Preview

In the opening round of TBT, Purple Reign just squeezed by No. 6 seed The Shine in a nail-biting 85-84 win.

Purple Reign’s squad features former Wildcat stars like Jacob Pullen and Cartier Diarra. However, Austin Trice (20 points, 10 rebounds) and Shuan Williams (21 points) off the bench led the way in Game 1.

On JHX Hoops’ side, two former KU big men carried the offense’s weight most of the game. Billy Preston scored 19 points, while Cliff Alexander posted a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double.

Guard play must improve for Sherron Collins’ squad, as Zeke Mayo — who recently wrapped up his time in the NBA Summer League — shot 4-for-12 from the field and totaled 11 points.

The performance of each respective team’s backcourt mates could determine who emerges victorious.

Only one of these Kansas-based teams will advance to compete for the $1 million prize, but it should be an exciting tilt between alumni of two schools that don’t like each other very much (minus Cam Martin, the former KU forward who is playing with Purple Reign).

Fans can watch the game at 8 p.m. CT on TBT’s official YouTube account via live streaming.