Another day of The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is upon us. The Columbus region draws to a close as four teams look to move on to the championship series in Dayton, OH. There are four teams left in the region and two will advance to the quarterfinasl. Will it be the University of Buffalo alumni Blue Collar U? Could the Miami Alumni Category 5 be in for a big win? Will hosts and Ohio State veterans Carmen’s Crew keep dancing? Can the underdog The Money Team pull of an upset? Let’s look at the TBT picks for the Tuesday, July 27, matchups and see which teams will make it out.
(10) Category 5 vs (6) Blue Collar U -3.5 7 pm EST
Not too often do you have two first-year TBT squads battling for a shot at the quarterfinals. Blue Collar U routed The Nerd Team and Zip ‘Em Up in their first two games to begin this tournament.
Wes Clark’s game has been huge in the Buffalo alumni’s success. He is averaging 21 points and hitting 50% of his threes. CJ Massinburg had a quiet game against The Nerd Team, but he really thrived the next time out leading the team in scoring with 22 points.
For Category 5, Rion Brown Jr. has been a model citizen of consistency. He had 18 points in both outings and is shooting nearly 50% from the field. Davon Reed bounced back from a not as productive game one to dropping 21 points and eight rebounds in game two.
This game is going to be a good one. I do not think either team is going to give an inch. The backcourts for both teams can score with the best of them. With that being said, I am going to side with the points. I think this game comes down to the Elam Ending and falls inside the spread for one of the tighter picks for TBT on July 27.
The Pick: Category 5 +3.5
(1) Carmen’s Crew -4.5 vs (5) The Money Team 9 pm EST
Carmen’s Crew has gotten it done in the tournament thus far. With an average margin of victory of 11.5 points, they have found ways to close games out. And of course, the former TBT MVP William Buford is leading the way in scoring. He is doing it as efficiently as ever on 50% shooting from the field and 55% from three.
The Money Team is not one of the deepest of teams in the tournament, but man are they talented. They have multiple certified buckets on their team led by guard Jordon Crawford.
Jeff Ledbetter came alive against Team Hines hitting eight three-pointers for 26 points. Then Xavier Munford followed up with 23 of his own and going a perfect 3-3 from three. The Money Team has so many shooters that instantly they can just get hot and blow any team out.
The fact is that both of these teams can score. I still have concerns with the depth on The Money Team’s bench. Carmen’s Crew has a great rotation of guys. They also have size over The Money Team. Jarrod Jones is going to have his hands full with guys like Julian Mavunga and Kosta Kofos all night. I like Carmen’s Crew to pull away late and secure another cover. The favorites and hosts keep dancing to round out the TBT picks for July 27.
The Pick: Carmen’s Crew -4.5
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