"The Basketball Tournament" to feature a number of Big East alumni - possibly including Marcus Hatten

The Basketball Tournament, a new tournament with a $500,000 grand prize, will be played at Philadelphia University from June 6th to 8th.  What makes this different from any other basketball tournament you ask, besides the prize money?

This tournament is loaded with talent from college basketball from the last decade-plus. Along with the familiar rosters, there is a pretty cool concept on how you get into the tournament - social media. The 32 team field is created by picking the Top 25 with most fans (you can become a fan very easily on the site linked above) and then the follow eight teams will be deemed wild cards. The wild card teams are determined by overall talent level, number of fans and overall marketability.

Currently locked in for the 2014 Tournament are representatives of the 2009 Final Four Villanova squad, including Scottie Reynolds and Dante Cunningham, the 2010 Sweet Sixteen Cornell team, along with teams from Maryland, LSU and Notre Dame.  Some of the individual players that are signed up for the tournament are North Carolina National Champion Rashad McCants, former Duke guard Dahantay Jones, Syracuse’s Hakeem Warrick and teammate Donte Greene.

The Big East will also be sending some players that will get some people’s attention in the tri-state area. Former Seton Hall scorers Herb Pope and Jeremy Hazell will be in the city of Brotherly Love, as well as former UCONN big man Josh Boone - and others.

"There are types of players you know will be immediately drawn to a high stakes, single-elimination format like this. Certainly, I'd put Big East players right up there," stated TBT founder Jon Mugar. "They also have the added benefit of playing in one of the best conference tournaments. Big East players are very well positioned to succeed in TBT."

Players that will draw some of St. John’s fans' attention are Marcus Hatten and Nurideen Lindsey.

Hatten, under coach Mike Jarvis, was an NIT champion and MVP, two time Big East First Team Selection and averaged 21.2 points per game. His signature moment, of course, was the last second steal and and foul drawn to beat Duke in 2003 [video], the year that a struggling St. John's team battled all the way to that NIT Championship.  He is slated to play for Team BMore.

Lindsey only played 9 games for St. John’s in the 2011 season  before leaving the program. He did play at Rider for a year and left there as well, trying to pursue a career overseas. He is on team Sideline Cancer’s roster, a non-profit team.

Overall this tournament is pretty cool meeting of players throughout the country and of different years. The tournament final will be on June 28th. The destination will be decided by you the fans in a vote after their Final Four is completed. If you haven’t checked out this tournament, we suggest you do so, and become a fan!