The reigning champions of TBT will once again participate in the million-dollar winner-take-all tournament.
On Wednesday afternoon, The Ohio State University alumni team, Carmen’s Crew, announced that they would be playing in this year’s TBT to defend their 2024 title.
Three returners from last year’s championship team were announced — Jeff Gibbs, Kaleb Wesson, and Keyshawn Woods. Two guys who have previously played for Carmen’s Crew but did not last summer — Trevor Thompson and Will Buford — were also announced as players on this year’s team.
Several more roster additions will be announced before the tournament begins on July 18.
Last week, Connor and Justin debated which game has been Bruce Thornton’s most impressive as a Buckeye. Justin went with Thornton’s 30-point performance over Kentucky last season, while Connor picked his 31-point performance against Maryland.
Although it was a much lower vote turnout than normal, Justin won the poll with 50% of the vote. 37% of the readers agreed with Connor, and the final 13% thought that Thornton’s best game was something other than those two games.
After 209 weeks:
Connor- 95
Justin- 88
Other- 20
(There have been six ties)
Carmen’s Crew has a bare bones group that could field a starting lineup, but they need several more players to fill out the roster. A big chunk of last year’s team that won the title was made up of players who had Ohio State connections, but did not play for the Buckeyes.
So far this year, four of the five players are Ohio State alumni. Knowing that there will be a few Buckeyes and a few non-Buckeyes added to the team, here are two former Ohio State players we think should suit up this summer…
This week’s question: Which former Buckeyes should suit up for Carmen’s Crew?
Connor: Duane Washington Jr.
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
In recent memory, there has not been a single player more capable of going on a hot streak over several games than Duane Washington Jr. A crafty finisher at the basket and a streaky three-point shooter, Washington is exactly the type of player you want in a winner-take-all tournament where the prize is a million dollars.
After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, Washington has made brief appearances in the league with the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks but most recently played for Partizan Belgrade, playing in the Serbian League and the Adriatic League.
Washington frustrated fans at times with his long cold streaks and apparent inability to give up the basketball, but also wowed and endeared himself to fans with his knockout performances against Michigan and in Big Ten Tournament play. Sure, he could get a little ball-hoggy at times, but Washington was also capable of flipping the switch and becoming essentially unguardable for multi-game stretches.
In the 2021 Big Ten Tournament, Washington carried 9-seed Ohio State to the final game of the tournament, playing four games in four days. The Buckeyes ultimately fell to Illinois in overtime in the Big Ten title game, but Washington did his part, scoring 32 points in a herculean effort. For the tournament, Washington averaged 23 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while also hitting 16 three-pointers.
After struggling to shoot it from distance as a freshman, Washington was a 38% three-point shooter his sophomore and junior seasons, and was an 83% free throw shooter both seasons.
Still only 25, Washington has drifted away from the NBA and won’t be risking an NBA contract playing in TBT. His ability to get hot quick would make him a great addition to the Ohio State TBT roster.
Justin: Keita Bates-Diop
Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports
I was surprised to learn that Keita Bates-Diop is eligible for TBT now since he spent the last season playing for the Qingdao Eagles in the Chinese Basketball Association and is not currently on a NBA contract.
Keita Bates-Diop is one of the best Ohio State players to come through Columbus in the last decade, and spent six seasons in the NBA after getting picked No. 48 in the 2018 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Bates-Diop came off the bench as a freshman at OSU in the 2014-2015 season. As a sophomore, he expanded his role on the team and averaged 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
As a junior, he suffered a stress fracture in his left leg, sitting out all but the first nine games. In those nine games, Bates-Diop averaged 9.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. He was granted a medical redshirt and came into his redshirt junior season ready to go.
In 2018 as a junior, Bates-Diop was named the Big Ten Player of the Year. He averaged 19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Following Ohio State’s loss in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, Bates-Diop declared for the 2018 NBA draft.
In his final season, he was named a Consensus second-team All-American, the Big Ten Player of the Year and First-team All-Big Ten.
Bates-Diop is only 29 years old and is still a high-level basketball player. Mix his experience in the NBA with his size and scoring prowess and he would be a top fit for the TBT and what Carmen’s Crew currently needs for its roster.