Former Arizona players Ryan Luther and Nick Johnson will meet Thursday in The Basketball Tournament after Luther had seven points and four rebounds to help Herd that beat the Peoria All-Stars 80-65 on Sunday.
Herd That, a team of mostly former Marshall players, advanced to the round of 16 against Johnson's The Money Team, which received a first-round bye in the $1 million, winner-take-all event in Columbus, Ohio.
The Money Team's name derives from its a partnership between boxer Floyd "Money" Mayweather and general managers Dan Britten and T.J. Fredette. The Money Team has a number of players who faced Arizona as collegians, including Thomas Welsh and Bryce Alford of UCLA, Kyle Wiltjer (Gonzaga) and Tony Wroten (Washington).
The other former Arizona player participating in the TBT, guard Mark Lyons, was eliminated in the first round Sunday when his Heartfire team lost 85-77 to Men of Mackey. Lyons fouled out during a late-game Mackey run led by former Washington guard Justin Dentmon, who scored 33 points for the team of mostly former Purdue players.
Herd That's matchup against the Peoria All-Stars was an example of the coronavirus challenges involved in this summer's TBT event. Peoria was a replacement for Playing for Jimmy V -- which was a replacement for Best Virginia. Both Jimmy V and Best Virginia had players with positive tests, resulting in the entire team's dismissal.
The box score from Herd That's win is attached.
