Nostalgia Reigns for Purple & Black
Jul 20, 2022 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Jordan Henriquez, the tall man with a wide smile and a deep voice, has big dreams. Only months removed from a year-long stint in basketball operations and as coaching associate for the Los Angeles Lakers, where he once guarded LeBron James during drills, the former Kansas State standout has spent the past four months constructing a roster for Purple & Black, a longtime organization featuring K-State alumni that plays in The Basketball Tournament (TBT) — a high stakes, single-elimination, winner-take-all tournament with a $1 million prize waiting at the end.
"That's the beauty of TBT," Henriquez said. "It's like March Madness but on a professional level."
Purple & Black began playing in 2015 and is one of the longest-standing alumni programs in TBT, which was founded in 2014. The 2017 Purple & Black squad reached the Midwest Regional Semifinals behind former K-State players Jacob Pullen, Dominique Sutton, Jamar Samuels, Curtis Kelly, Martavious Irving, and Henriquez.
Although Henriquez has served as Purple & Black head coach in the past, this is the first year that Henriquez serves as general manager, head coach and player for the squad.
"We're really determined," Henriquez said. "We're locked in."
Henriquez's first phone call in constructing the 2022 Purple & Black squad was to Irving, his former K-State teammate and longtime friend who's been with him since day one. Together, they began working the phones and dropping texts. The second phone call from Henriquez went to Pullen, K-State's all-time leading scorer. Pullen, of course, was a high priority both in talent and prestige. Henriquez and Pullen then contacted Bill Walker — "That's my boy," Pullen says of his former teammate — and the dominoes began to fall.
Although there had been much discussion, speculation, and communication, it appeared Henriquez, Pullen and Walker had proven unsuccessful in lassoing one of the biggest K-State men's basketball stars in the last quarter century: Michael Beasley.
K-State's 2022 Purple & Black roster apparently gained a major player late.
That's because Henriquez said on Monday that Beasley "is going to play Friday."
"Mike's with us," Henriquez said on Monday. "I just spoke to him an hour ago. Having Mike with Jake and Bill, I know it'll bring a lot of memories back to our fans. When he's on the floor together, it's a mismatch. As you know, he can do it all. He's a big threat. It's huge to have him as an addition to this team."
Purple & Black will hold a meet-and-greet between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Wednesday at Chicken N Pickle (1240 N. Greenwich Road, Wichita, Kansas).
Purple & Black opens the TBT against Star Legends on Friday at 6 p.m. at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita. The game will be televised on ESPN3. The Wichita Regional takes place Friday through Monday. The Regional Champion will stay in Wichita for the quarterfinals against the Omaha Regional Champion next Wednesday.
"The only reason I'm playing is because of my homies and fans," Pullen said. "The money is cool, but it's all about playing with my homies. I haven't played with Mike and Bill forever.
"The fun part about it is being able to hoop in front of the fans. They give you that rush. I haven't gotten that rush in a long time. That'll be the most exciting thing is seeing all the fans there and being excited. That'll be so dope."
The 2022 Purple & Black roster is as follows:
Michael Beasley
Justin Edwards
Thomas Gipson
Jordan Henriquez
Martavious Irving
Terrence Joyner (Mississippi Valley State)
Mike McGuirl
Jacob Pullen
Khalid Thomas (Portland State)
Bill Walker
"K-State fans have all wanted to know if Beasley is playing," Henriquez said. "That's been the big question. They're all excited that Jake and Bill are playing for sure. They want to see those guys. That was a great group together with Mike and Jake as freshmen and Bill as a sophomore. The younger generation doesn't know about Jake, Mike, and Bill. It'll be great for them to see them play."
There was a time long, long ago when freshmen Beasley and Pullen and sophomore Walker took turns dunking on an 8-foot rim after practice at Bramlage Coliseum. Each time they dunked the ball, they swung on the rim and said, "We play for keeps." Those times were golden — and fleeting. Beasley was the No. 2 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Walker headed to the NBA as well.
The motto hasn't changed.
"We're always playing for keeps," Pullen said. "I'm in shape, man. I feel great. My body feels great after this season. If we can just be healthy, we have a great chance, especially coming out of that Wichita Regional with our fair share of fans there. It should be interesting.
"I haven't been to Kansas in a while. This should be a lot of fun."
Jordan Henriquez, the tall man with a wide smile and a deep voice, has big dreams. Only months removed from a year-long stint in basketball operations and as coaching associate for the Los Angeles Lakers, where he once guarded LeBron James during drills, the former Kansas State standout has spent the past four months constructing a roster for Purple & Black, a longtime organization featuring K-State alumni that plays in The Basketball Tournament (TBT) — a high stakes, single-elimination, winner-take-all tournament with a $1 million prize waiting at the end.
"That's the beauty of TBT," Henriquez said. "It's like March Madness but on a professional level."
Purple & Black began playing in 2015 and is one of the longest-standing alumni programs in TBT, which was founded in 2014. The 2017 Purple & Black squad reached the Midwest Regional Semifinals behind former K-State players Jacob Pullen, Dominique Sutton, Jamar Samuels, Curtis Kelly, Martavious Irving, and Henriquez.
Although Henriquez has served as Purple & Black head coach in the past, this is the first year that Henriquez serves as general manager, head coach and player for the squad.
"We're really determined," Henriquez said. "We're locked in."
Henriquez's first phone call in constructing the 2022 Purple & Black squad was to Irving, his former K-State teammate and longtime friend who's been with him since day one. Together, they began working the phones and dropping texts. The second phone call from Henriquez went to Pullen, K-State's all-time leading scorer. Pullen, of course, was a high priority both in talent and prestige. Henriquez and Pullen then contacted Bill Walker — "That's my boy," Pullen says of his former teammate — and the dominoes began to fall.
Although there had been much discussion, speculation, and communication, it appeared Henriquez, Pullen and Walker had proven unsuccessful in lassoing one of the biggest K-State men's basketball stars in the last quarter century: Michael Beasley.
K-State's 2022 Purple & Black roster apparently gained a major player late.
That's because Henriquez said on Monday that Beasley "is going to play Friday."
"Mike's with us," Henriquez said on Monday. "I just spoke to him an hour ago. Having Mike with Jake and Bill, I know it'll bring a lot of memories back to our fans. When he's on the floor together, it's a mismatch. As you know, he can do it all. He's a big threat. It's huge to have him as an addition to this team."
Purple & Black will hold a meet-and-greet between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Wednesday at Chicken N Pickle (1240 N. Greenwich Road, Wichita, Kansas).
Purple & Black opens the TBT against Star Legends on Friday at 6 p.m. at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita. The game will be televised on ESPN3. The Wichita Regional takes place Friday through Monday. The Regional Champion will stay in Wichita for the quarterfinals against the Omaha Regional Champion next Wednesday.
"The only reason I'm playing is because of my homies and fans," Pullen said. "The money is cool, but it's all about playing with my homies. I haven't played with Mike and Bill forever.
"The fun part about it is being able to hoop in front of the fans. They give you that rush. I haven't gotten that rush in a long time. That'll be the most exciting thing is seeing all the fans there and being excited. That'll be so dope."
The 2022 Purple & Black roster is as follows:
Michael Beasley
Justin Edwards
Thomas Gipson
Jordan Henriquez
Martavious Irving
Terrence Joyner (Mississippi Valley State)
Mike McGuirl
Jacob Pullen
Khalid Thomas (Portland State)
Bill Walker
"K-State fans have all wanted to know if Beasley is playing," Henriquez said. "That's been the big question. They're all excited that Jake and Bill are playing for sure. They want to see those guys. That was a great group together with Mike and Jake as freshmen and Bill as a sophomore. The younger generation doesn't know about Jake, Mike, and Bill. It'll be great for them to see them play."
There was a time long, long ago when freshmen Beasley and Pullen and sophomore Walker took turns dunking on an 8-foot rim after practice at Bramlage Coliseum. Each time they dunked the ball, they swung on the rim and said, "We play for keeps." Those times were golden — and fleeting. Beasley was the No. 2 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Walker headed to the NBA as well.
The motto hasn't changed.
"We're always playing for keeps," Pullen said. "I'm in shape, man. I feel great. My body feels great after this season. If we can just be healthy, we have a great chance, especially coming out of that Wichita Regional with our fair share of fans there. It should be interesting.
"I haven't been to Kansas in a while. This should be a lot of fun."
Players Mentioned
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