OT: Omaha's Finest

[khoock]

Looks like a bunch of former college players from the Omaha area are putting together a team for the TBT basketball tournament. Its a 64- team single elimination tourney. Played 5 on 5 for a 2 million winner take all prize. They will be playing under the team name, "Omaha's Finest".

 

Here is the official 10-man roster:

- CJ Carter (Omaha Benson/UNO)

- Tra-Deon Hollins (Omaha Central/UNO)

- Nick Billingsley (Omaha Central/UTSA)

- Dylan Travis (Omaha Gross/Florida Southern College)

- KJ Scott (Omaha Central/Texas Southern)

- Tyrone Criswell (Omaha Benson/Neveda)

- Greg Smith (Ralston/Colorado State)

- Tre'Shawn Thurman (Omaha Central/UNO-Neveda)

- Akoy Agau (Omaha Central/Lousiville-Georgetown-SMU)

- Justin Patton (Omaha North/Creighton)

 

Most of these names are probably familiar to you if you follow high school hoops. Dylan Travis won a D2 national title in college and Greg Smith played under Tim Miles.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

[khoock]

Some talking points:

 

Can they compete? A lot of locals believe the talent pool in Omaha is vastly undervalued. They will be competing against some top notch international teams and D1 alumni squads.

 

Who is your starting 5?

[OmahaHusker]

Dylan Travis is a straight up baller 

[khoock]

9 minutes ago, OmahaHusker said:

Dylan Travis is a straight up baller 

I think its a very solid group. Probably too small on the wing to have a legitimate shot (TC, KJ, and Billingsley are only about 6'4).

[khoock]

Ill go first...

 

Starters

- Tra-Deon Hollins

- KJ Scott

- Tyrone Criswell

- Tre'Shawn Thurman 

- Justin Patton

[Navin R. Johnson]

Who is the shooter in the group?  Travis maybe, don't remember him very well.  Scott was an okay shooter if I remember correctly.

[khoock]

1 hour ago, Navin R. Johnson said:

Who is the shooter in the group?  Travis maybe, don't remember him very well.  Scott was an okay shooter if I remember correctly.

Dylan Travis was a 37% shooter from deep in college. KJ, Nick Billingsley, and Greg Smith were all at that 34-35% range. Everyone else was 30% or below sans Patton who was a 55% shooter from deep on a very small 3PA per game.

 

Not a good shooting bunch. Unless they have improved during their post-college careers.

[AuroranHusker]

Intriguing idea.... Omaha has pumped out a lot of very, very good players over a long period of time.

 

 

[khoock]

11 hours ago, AuroranHusker said:

Intriguing idea.... Omaha has pumped out a lot of very, very good players over a long period of time.

Just to be clear, it is more than an idea. The 10 players from above are the official Omaha's Finest roster and are entered in the TBT. Not sure if there are qualifying games or if they just automatically start in the field of 64. Have heard that they are in the Wichita region but nothing confirmed. 

 

I hope this continues in future years as this is the next best thing unless a Husker Alum team ever gets put together....

 

Which leads me to my next talking point in this thread: Whats your 10-man roster for a Husker Alum team in the TBT? This isnt a super team, remember its 2020 so age and physical condition should be a factor. Also consider real life events (i.e. Andrew White prob wouldnt be a part of the this team given the circumstances of his departure).

[khoock]

Glynn Watson 6'0 G

Tai Webster 6'4 G

Isaiah Roby 6'8 F

Isaac Copeland 6'9 F

Shavon Shields 6'7 F

Terran Petteway 6'6 G

James Palmer 6'6 G

Evan Taylor 6'5 G

Walt Pitchford 6'10 F

Brandon Ubel 6'10 F

[49r]

Roby, Shields, Petteway and Palmer all on the same team?  Yes, please!

[OmahaHusker]

53 minutes ago, khoock said:

Glynn Watson 6'0 G

Tai Webster 6'4 G

Isaiah Roby 6'8 F

Isaac Copeland 6'9 F

Shavon Shields 6'7 F

Terran Petteway 6'6 G

James Palmer 6'6 G

Evan Taylor 6'5 G

Walt Pitchford 6'10 F

Brandon Ubel 6'10 F

 

We'd have to take off players under NBA contracts, right? So Roby would be out. 

 

 

[khoock]

26 minutes ago, OmahaHusker said:

 

We'd have to take off players under NBA contracts, right? So Roby would be out. 

 

 

Not sure how that works. Some lower tier NBA players did it last year. But they could have just finished a contract and not yet signed a new one for the following season. Not sure how the logistics work.

[Dean Smith]

2 hours ago, khoock said:

Glynn Watson 6'0 G

Tai Webster 6'4 G

Isaiah Roby 6'8 F

Isaac Copeland 6'9 F

Shavon Shields 6'7 F

Terran Petteway 6'6 G

James Palmer 6'6 G

Evan Taylor 6'5 G

Walt Pitchford 6'10 F

Brandon Ubel 6'10 F

Nobody throw anything at me but I don't think you can have a team with both Petteway and Palmer on it if you are talking about a real team designed to win games and not an all-star team. I would go with Palmer myself.

[49r]

1 hour ago, Dean Smith said:

Nobody throw anything at me but I don't think you can have a team with both Petteway and Palmer on it if you are talking about a real team designed to win games and not an all-star team. I would go with Palmer myself.

 

I agree with you on this point.  But it still wouldn't stop me from wanting to see them both on the court at the same time, if for no other reason than just to see what would happen.

[AuroranHusker]

6 hours ago, khoock said:

Just to be clear, it is more than an idea. The 10 players from above are the official Omaha's Finest roster and are entered in the TBT. Not sure if there are qualifying games or if they just automatically start in the field of 64. Have heard that they are in the Wichita region but nothing confirmed. 

 

I hope this continues in future years as this is the next best thing unless a Husker Alum team ever gets put together....

 

Which leads me to my next talking point in this thread: Whats your 10-man roster for a Husker Alum team in the TBT? This isnt a super team, remember its 2020 so age and physical condition should be a factor. Also consider real life events (i.e. Andrew White prob wouldnt be a part of the this team given the circumstances of his departure).

 

Yeah, it's an intriguing idea (to me). I would love to speculate on teams from my hometown, as well... That's all I meant: the possibilities are, really, endless.

[hhcmatt]

22 hours ago, khoock said:

Also consider real life events (i.e. Andrew White prob wouldnt be a part of the this team given the circumstances of his departure).

 

He plays for Syracuse's TBT team

[The Polish Rifle]

On 5/5/2020 at 4:38 PM, khoock said:

Ill go first...

 

Starters

- Tra-Deon Hollins

- KJ Scott

- Tyrone Criswell

- Tre'Shawn Thurman 

- Justin Patton

Hollins is a stud, 7 ppg, 8.5 assists, 3 steals - over his last two seasons in the G League. If he was a better shooter, he would be getting minutes in the NBA.

[basketballjones]

I would pay to watch this. Love all those guys. 

[khoock]

The Basketball Tournament cuts its field from the usual 64-teams to 24-teams (due to COVID-19). Unfortunately, Omaha's Finest did not make the cut.