Kyle Kuric Rejoins Louisville Alumni TBT Team

The former sharpshooter for the Cardinals was a key part of Louisville's run to the 2012 Final Four.

The Ville's Kyle Kuric, former UofL star, gets two with this layup against Jackson TN at the TBT / Matt Stone/Louisville Courier Journal /

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Another former member of the Louisville men's basketball program is running it back with their alumni team taking part in The Basketball Tournament.

Former Cardinals sharpshooter Kyle Kuric has officially signed to the 2024 playing roster for "The Ville," TBT announced Thursday.

With Kuric's addition, The Ville now officially has a starting five's worth of former Cards. Russ Smith, Peyton Siva and Chinanu Onuaku are all making return appearances, while Montrezl Harrell will be making his TBT debut. Reece Gaines will serve as The Ville's head coach this year, with Luke Hancock and Keith Oddo joining as assistants.

During The Ville's inaugural run in the TBT last summer, the 6-foot-4 guard/forward played in all three of their games, putting up 17 points on 6-of-21 shooting, along with seven rebounds, three assists and a block.

Since then, he spent the 2023-24 season of his professional career in Russia with Zenit Saint Petersburg. During the regular season, he averaged 12.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 40.9 percent on three-point attempts.

The native of Evansville, Ind. was a key component to Louisville's run to the 2012 Final Four. That season as a senior, he averaged 12.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, while also shooting 42.2 from the field and 32.9 percent on threes.

Kuric established himself as a fan-favorite during his time as a Cardinal. As a sophomore, he poured in 22 points in the final game at Freedom Hall to help Louisville pull off an upset over No. 1 Syracuse. The next season as a junior, he scored the winning layup in the come-from-behind "Miracle on Main Street" win against Marquette, and threw down one of the most vicious dunks in Louisville history against Notre Dame.

In his career, he totaled 979 points while connecting on 169 total three pointers, which ranks just outside the top ten all-time in Louisville history.

TBT is a 64-team, $1 million winner-take-all tournament that has seen its popularity rise in recent years after it was first established in 2014. While anyone over 18 years old and not currently on an NBA roster can play, teams more often than not consist of former collegiate and professional basketball players.

It is also home to the Elam Ending, which is an alternate way to conclude basketball games without them turning into an intentional foul fest. At the first dead ball under four minutes in the fourth quarter, a target score for both teams is then established by adding eight points to the leading team’s score.

The Ville will host to one of TBT’s eight regional locations, with play taking place at legendary Freedom Hall. Eight teams will compete in the Louisville Regional, with the regional champion advancing to the quarterfinals. The Louisville Regional will take place on July 19-14.

(Photo of Kyle Kuric: Matt Stone - Louisville Courier Journal)

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