'Men of Mackey' Ready For TBT Challenges

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Whether it's been a few months or a few years, for the "Men of Mackey'' guys getting ready to start The Basket Tournament this weekend, it's great to be slipping on Purdue gear again.

TBT is a winner-take-all event, with $1 million to go to the winning team in this summer basketball event that will be broadcast live on various ESPN networks. It's also a charity event, and the Mackey crew is playing for the Tyler Trent Foundation.

Former Purdue star Ryne Smith is the coach of the team, and several former Purdue players make up the roster. They met with the media via Zoom on Thursday prior to their first practice. Men of Mackey play their first game on Sunday at 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

If they win, they'll play again on Tuesday at 4 p.m. against a team dominated with former Syracuse players. That game with be on ESPN.

First team meeting in the books! Practice #1 later this evening. Stay tuned for some behind the scenes footage. pic.twitter.com/vmHWwE5jGe
— Men of Mackey (@PurdueTbt) July 2, 2020

The event is taking place in Columbus, Ohio, with no fans. It's a single-elimination tournament, and all players are being quarantined during the 10-day event.

"It's really exciting. We've got a great mix of guys,'' Smith said. "It's a unique situation obviously, and people will see our guys play hard and play together.''

Twenty-four teams are in the event, and all teams will undergo multiple levels of testing for COVID-19 before being allowed to play in this year’s TBT, which is in its seventh year.

All games will feature the Elam Ending, the end-of-game format made famous during the 2020 NBA All-Star Game that eliminates the game clock after a certain point and features teams playing to a Target Score.

Aside from the players getting a winner-take-all prize of $1 million, fans also are rewarded, as all the registered supporters for the championship winning team will split $50,000.

Playing in an empty arena will seem weird, former Purdue forward Jon Octeus said.

"It's hard to imagine playing at Mackey with no fans, because we know what Mackey is like when it's full,'' he said. "So this will definitely be different there (at Nationwide Arena in Columbus.''

Here's what they had to say:

Coach Ryne Smith

"It's a Purdue basketball family, so I'm excited to get out there with them. I certainly have the optimism to (win it all). We've got great guards, and it's very important to play like a team in this type of tournament. Like any other setting, a team that gets hot has a great chance to win it. We'll see what happens Sunday.

Isaac Haas

"It's going to be fun to play with some of my brothers from back in the day. We need to play the way we know how to play, making that extra pass and playing hard. Ryne reached out to me and asked me if I wanted to play, and I said 'absolutely.' '

"Playing in TBT is fun. You're playing at the highest level. You're playing with pros, it's on TV. It's going to be a great attention grabber. You want to win the money of course, but you also want to show people what you're doing.''

Evan Boudreaux

"It's been a crazy couple of months with everything ending so quickly, so it's great to put on Purdue gear again. There's such a great bit of school spirit and school pride here, and it's great to be a part of it.

"It's great that a lot of the Purdue guys know each other and we know about what it's like to play Purdue. We'll play hard. That's non-negotiable with Purdue guys.''

Jon Octeus

"It doesn't go away when you graduate, so it's great to play with Purdue guys. Purdue was kind of the finale to my college career, so I really got to grow there and be part of the family. It's super exciting to be part of it.

Jacquil Taylor

"The main thing I loved about Purdue so much was the guys. The Purdue fan base is like none other. They'll support you forever. It's special for all Purdue people to remember how special Tyler was.''