TBT 2026 Game 1: Purple Reign vs JHX Hoops

It’s summer time, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not time for basketball with a very purple-tined flair.

For the first time in nearly twenty years, a K-State legend returns to the friendly confines of Bramlage Coliseum to join a group of fellow alumni (and friends) to take on a team of KU alums (and friends) in the winner-takes-all TBT Tournament.

Consensus First Team All-American forward Michael Beasley (2007-08) headlines a group that includes All-Big 12 selection Xavier Sneed (2016-20), fellow Big 12 Champion teammates Cartier Diarra (2017-20) and Shaun Williams (2018-20), DaJuan Gordon (2019-21), Dom Sutton (2007-10), and Austin Trice (2018-19). Friends joining the group are Brandon Childress (Wake Forest), John Florevus (Georgia), and Tyonte Robertson (Panola College).

This crew will be led on the bench by former Cat guard Lance Harris, who has spent time coaching the in the NBA G-Leauge and overseas for Dubai Basketball in the ABA League and EuroLeague, as well as fellow alumni Clent Stewart and Martavious Irving. Jordan Henriquez-Roberts, along with Irving, is still one of the organizers of Purple Reign, but has stepped back from the bench.

They face off in the best-of-three series against JHX Hoops, a team headlined by a group of KU alumni that includes Darnell Jackson (2004-05), Mario Chalmers (2005-08), Tyshawn Taylor (2008-12), Kevin Young (2011-13), Carlton Bragg Jr. (2015-17), Marcus Garrett (2017-21) and Zeke Mayo (2024-25).

Other players for JHX include former Washburn players Jacob Hanna and Andrew Orr, plus Tra-Deon Hollins (Omaha) and DJ Burns (Youngstown State).

The winner of the first-round series between Purple Reign and JHX Hoops will advance to a single-elimination quarterfinal matchup against the winner of the Aftershocks (Wichita State Alumni) and The Enchantment (New Mexico Alumni). Other alumni groups include The Ville (Louisville Alumni), La Familia (Kentucky Alumni), Boeheim’s Army (Syracuse Alumni) and Hall In (Seton Hall Alumni).

The opener of the 3-game series is tonight (July 21) at Bramlage Coliseum at 8:00 p.m. CDT with the second game at Lee Arena in Topeka on Wednesday (July 22) at 7:00 p.m. CDT. A possible third game will be played at Bramlage Coliseum on Friday (July 24) at 8:00 p.m. CDT. And yes, that’s correct, while the K-State alumni group was able to snag Bramlage for this affair, the KU team is forced to slum it out at the (admittedly nice for D2) Lee Arena at Washburn.

If you can’t make it to Bramlage, tonight’s contest will be aired live on FS1. Wednesday’s game will not be on FS1, but information on watching that game is not currently available.