Pair of W.Va squads set for potential face off in annual TBT basketball tournament

FAIRMONT — The Friends of Coal Bowl on the gridiron may be nowhere near making a return, but the chance of two rivals meeting on the hardwood this summer seems to be a legitimate possibility.

Following the reveal of the 2025 TBT (The Basketball Tournament) bracket, with one region set to be held in Charleston, pending results from their respective first-round matchups, Herd That and Best Virginia could meet in the second round.

The tournament, initially founded in 2014 by TV producer Jonathan Mugar, traditionally plays host to various alumni squads from across the country. This year’s bracket is set to feature teams hailing from some of the best basketball brands in the country, including “The Ville” [Louisville Alumni], “La Familia” [Kentucky Alumni], “All Good Dawgs” [Butler Alumni], and Stars of Storrs [UCONN Alumni].

After a disappointing second-round exit in the 2024 TBT, Best Virginia looks to get back on track in this year’s field, despite recent controversy surrounding one of their rostered players.

Former Marshall University and Louisville basketball player Jarrod West, who played and started in all 32 games during his time with the Herd, made the decision to join Best Virginia’s squad after it was announced that his father would be part of the coaching staff.

While Marshall and Louisville fans alike were disappointed in West’s decision to suit up for a school he ultimately never played for during his collegiate athletic career, the consensus quickly became that West would rather play for his father, Jarrod West Sr., than for either of his former teams.

Upon initial discovery, Herd That’s roster appears to be lacking in MU alumni as well. Returning players and former Herd basketball standouts include Jon Elmore, Stevie Browning, Rondale Watson, and Ryan Taylor. Elmore, who recently came off an overseas campaign playing professional basketball in Turkey, has been dubbed since his arrival in the TBT the “darling” of the tournament.

Browning, who earned Conference-USA All-Tournament Team Honors during his senior season with the Herd in 2017, is also a former Fairmont State player after spending his first two collegiate seasons with the Falcons in 2014 and 2015.

Herd That will be looking to bounce back after losing to La Familia in the Lexington Regional title game last year.

For Best Virginia, former players Wesley Harris, Kedrian Johnson, and John Flowers make up just 3 of 11 total players on the roster that are Mountaineer alums.

The roster will also include Notre Dame College forward Will Vorhees, South Carolina and North Texas shooting guard James Reese V, Ohio State and Toledo alum J.D. Witherspoon, and New Mexico State forward AB Ndoye.

Round one of the TBT is set to begin on July 18, with No.2 Herd That playing the No. 7 seed Sikh Warriors at 6 p.m. No. 3 Best Virginia will kick off at 8 p.m. against the No. 6 DuBois Dream, a unit named after a nonprofit organization in DuBois, Pennsylvania.

The West Virginia regional contests are set to be played in the Civic Center in Charleston. The winner of the Championship, which will take place on Tuesday, July 22 at 7 p.m., will advance to play in quarterfinal action against the winner of the James Madison Region.

In winner-take-all fashion, the finals of the TBT will be held on August 3rd, with $1 million in prize money on the line as the reward.