The Basketball Tournament (TBT) – the $1 million, winner-take-all summer basketball event broadcast live on ESPN networks – today revealed that Purple & Black, the Kansas State alumni team, has been admitted into TBT’s 64-team field. Purple & Black, now entering its sixth year competing in TBT, will be competing in the Wichita Regional at Koch Arena from July 22-25.
Purple & Black is organized by former Kansas State forward Jordan Henriquez and guard Martavious Irving. Henriquez will serve as the team’s head coach for the second straight summer. Both Henriquez and Irving will also be on the active roster as well.
Their current roster includes:
- Henry Walker (2006-08)
- Jacob Pullen (2007-11)
- Jordan Henriquez (2009-13)
- Martavious Irving (2009-13)
- Thomas Gipson (2011-15)
- Justin Edwards (2014-16)
- Kamau Stokes (2015-19)
- Trevor Gaskins (Ole Miss/Louisiana Tech)
- Khalid Thomas (Southern Idaho/Arizona State/Portland State)
- Terrence Joyner (Mississippi Valley State)
- Tavrion Dawson (Cal-State Northridge)
Jacob Pullen will return to Purple & Black for the first time since 2017, while this summer will be Henry Walker’s TBT debut.
The #3 seed Purple & Black will take on #6 seed Lone Star Legends in the team’s first-round game on Friday, July 22 at 6 pm CT. If Purple & Black advances to the second round, they will face the winner of #2 seed Eberlein Drive and #7 seed Bleed Green (North Texas alumni) on Sunday, July 23 at 5 pm CT.
The Wichita Regional championship game is Monday, July 25 at 8 pm CT.
The winner of the Wichita Regional will face the winner of the Omaha Regional in the quarterfinals in Wichita on July 27. Semifinals will be in Dayton, Ohio at UD Arena on July 30, and the $1M winner-take-all championship game on Aug. 2
