The Basketball Match 2025: Yogi Ferrell, DJ Burns Jr. Amongst Gamers to Watch

The Basketball Match is again!

Twenty-six video games from the highly-anticipated hoops event shall be broadcast stay on FOX, FS1 and FS2, with the motion kicking off on Friday. There shall be 64 groups competing for the $1 million prize, with the championship recreation set for August 3.

TBT, an annual basketball event between groups primarily composed of former faculty stars, is brimming with elite expertise as soon as once more this yr. The sphere, which is break up into eight areas, contains alumni groups representing powerhouse packages like Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Ohio State, Syracuse, UConn and lots of extra. 

That stated, listed here are 10 headliner names to be careful for this yr:

Montrezl Harrell gained the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Yr after starring at Louisville. (Picture by Maddie Meyer/Getty Pictures)

Harrell, a former Louisville standout and eight-year NBA veteran, is about to return to The Ville as soon as once more this summer season. Harrell made his debut for The Ville in 2024, averaging 12.5 factors and seven.0 rebounds per recreation en path to serving to the crew win the Louisville Regional and advance to the quarterfinals.

Harrell spent three years at Louisville from 2012-15, showing in 112 video games. As a sophomore, he produced 12 double-doubles, together with 11 in his closing 22 video games, and led the American Athletic Convention in discipline purpose proportion (.609).

Harrell was chosen within the second spherical (No. 32) of the 2015 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, with whom he spent two seasons with. He then joined the LA Clippers, the place he gained the NBA Sixth Man of the Yr honors in 2020. After leaving the Clippers in 2021, Harrell bounced round to some completely different NBA groups earlier than making the transfer abroad. 

Willie Cauley-Stein, La Familia (Kentucky alumni)

Willie Cauley-Stein was a top-10 decide within the NBA Draft after a standout profession at Kentucky. (Picture by Andrew Snook/Icon SMI/Corbis/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Pictures)

Kentucky’s former 7-foot heart spent seven seasons within the NBA after being drafted sixth total by the Sacramento Kings in 2015. He additionally hung out with the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets. Over his seven seasons, he averaged 8.7 factors and 5.9 rebounds per recreation on 54.4% taking pictures. When LA Familia joined TBT in 2024, so did Cauley-Stein, who helped lead his crew to the semifinals. That yr, he swatted 14 blocks, which earned him Defensive Participant of the Yr within the event.

Archie Goodwin was productive in his one yr at Kentucky. (Picture by Andy Lyons/Getty Pictures)

Goodwin, who was Cauley-Stein’s teammate at Kentucky, shall be teaming up along with his former faculty teammate in TBT this yr. Goodwin declared for the NBA Draft in 2013 after averaging 14.1 factors in his freshman yr. He was chosen within the first spherical by the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, although he was instantly traded to the Phoenix Suns, the place he spent three seasons earlier than quick stints with the New Orleans Pelicans and Brooklyn Nets.

Melo Trimble, Shell Shock (Maryland alumni)

Melo Trimble is likely one of the high scorers in Maryland basketball historical past. (Picture by Rob Carr/Getty Pictures)

Trimble is likely one of the high Maryland males’s hoops gamers over the previous decade. He is one in every of simply 4 gamers in program historical past to have 1,600 factors, 400 assists and 150 steals. After incomes first-team All-Huge Ten in his sophomore and junior seasons, he declared for the draft in 2017. He went undrafted however performed briefly with the Minnesota Timberwolves. That is Trimble’s first TBT look. Can he assist lead Shell Shock to the million-dollar prize?

Jason Preston led Ohio to a MAC title and an upset win within the NCAA Match in 2021. (Picture by Stacy Revere/Getty Pictures)

After main Ohio to a convention title and successful Mid-American Convention Match MVP honors in 2021, Preston declared for the draft and was chosen within the second spherical by the Orlando Magic, although he was instantly traded to the LA Clippers. Preston performed 14 video games with the Clippers within the 2022-2023 season earlier than signing a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz the next season, spending most of his time within the G-League.

DJ Burns Jr. grew to become a family title through the 2024 NCAA Match. (Picture by Mitchell Layton/Getty Pictures)

Burns, who grew to become a family title through the 2024 NCAA Match, is again taking part in basketball in the US with Problem ALS. The previous North Carolina State star helped the Wolfpack attain the Last 4 through the 2023-24 season — their first look since 1983. Regardless of Burns’ March dominance, he did not land an NBA contract after his stint within the Summer time League with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he took his expertise abroad. That is Burns’ first yr taking part in in TBT, the place he’ll swimsuit up alongside his former teammate D.J. Horne and shall be coached by NC State’s Brandon Chambers.

[MORE: March Madness Hero DJ Burns to Play in The Basketball Tournament]

Buddy Boeheim’s 3-point taking pictures helped him change into one of many ACC’s high scorers throughout his time at Syracuse. (Picture by Wealthy Graessle/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Pictures)

Boeheim, the son of legendary Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, was one of many high gamers within the ACC by the top of his faculty profession in 2022. He emerged as an elite 3-point shooter through the 2020-21 marketing campaign, making an ACC-leading 38.3% of his 3-pointers that yr. That helped Boeheim put up a team-high 17.8 factors per recreation, as he was the catalyst for Syracuse’s two upset wins within the NCAA Match that yr en path to the Candy 16. A yr later, he led the ACC in scoring by placing up 19.2 PPG, which earned him first-team All-ACC honors. This may mark Boeheim’s first look in TBT. He’ll additionally get to play alongside his brother, Jimmy Boeheim.

Yogi Ferrell was one of many Huge Ten’s greatest gamers in his closing two seasons at Indiana. (Picture by Elsa/Getty Pictures)

For the second straight yr, Ferrell will headline Meeting Ball’s roster. The previous Indiana guard was a star throughout his 4 years (2012-16) in Bloomington, beginning each single recreation in his faculty profession because the Hoosiers made a short resurgence within the mid-2010s. He averaged no less than 16.0 factors per recreation in every of his closing three seasons and earned first-team All-Huge Ten honors twice. He helped Indiana win two regular-season Huge Ten titles and attain the Candy 16 twice. In his skilled profession, Ferrell, an undrafted rookie, bounced across the NBA for 5 seasons. He made the NBA’s All-Rookie second crew in 2017, recording 11.3 factors and 4.3 assists per recreation with the Dallas Mavericks. Final yr, Ferrell’s 20.3 factors per recreation was the second-best mark of any participant (min. three video games) in TBT, serving to Meeting Ball attain the third spherical earlier than shedding to Eberlein Drive.

Zaire Wade, DuBois Dream

Zaire Wade is looking for a breakthrough in his skilled basketball profession. (Picture by Julien Bacot/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures)

Wade, who’s making his TBT debut this yr with DuBois Dream, garnered a whole lot of consideration as a high-school recruit, receiving presents to play at DePaul and Nebraska, amongst others. He in the end opted to go professional, although. So far, Wade’s solely skilled expertise stateside has been with the Salt Lake Metropolis Stars of the G League. At simply 23 years outdated, TBT might assist function a breakthrough for Wade, the son of Basketball Corridor of Famer Dwyane Wade.

Ryan Boatright, Stars of Storrs (UConn alumni)

Ryan Boatright helped UConn win the nationwide championship in 2014. (Picture by Ronald Martinez/Getty Pictures)

The 2014 nationwide champion is taking part in for UConn as soon as once more, this time looking for to guide Stars of Storrs to comparable glory. Boatright began all however one recreation in his closing three seasons at UConn. He averaged 12.1 factors and three.4 assists per recreation through the 2013-14 title-winning season, along with his protection being considered as a key motive for the Huskies’ shock NCAA Match run. Boatright adopted that up by scoring a team-high 17.4 PPG as a senior in 2014-15.