Ready to Put on a Show
Jul 19, 2023 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
The Purple & Black is back. The road to $1 million in The Basketball Tournament begins Thursday when the Kansas State alumni basketball team faces DaGuys STL in a 6 p.m. tipoff in the Wichita Regional at Koch Arena.
Martavious Irving is offering a pregame bonus.
"I'm bringing back the tunnel dance," he says.
This marks the seventh year of competition for Purple & Black, which is one of the longest-running teams in the annual summer winner-take-all tournament. TBT features former college and professional athletes. The 64-team field features regionals in Dayton, Louisville, Lubbock, Syracuse, West Virginia, Wichita and Xavier. The Final Four is in Philadelphia on August 2-3.
"We have a chance to do pretty well," says Jordan Henriquez, who's been there from the beginning and will serve as the team's GM and head coach for the third-straight summer. "We've been practicing for this opportunity. We had eight of our 11 players in training camp. We've been really productive and getting after it. We began preparing in Kansas City and hit the ground running.
"We're excited for Wichita. We're ready to showcase."
While former K-State players Clent Stewart (2004-08) and Curtis Kelly (2008-11) will serve as assistant coaches this year, the team features some familiar faces from Purple & Black a year ago.
The Purple & Black roster features Henry Walker (2006-08), Rodney McGruder (2008-12), Thomas Gipson (2011-15), D.J. Johnson (2012-17), Justin Edwards (2013-16), Marcus Foster (2013-15), Kamau Stokes (2015-19) and Mike McGuirl (2017-22). Members of the 2023 Elite Eight run — Abayomi Iyiola (2022-23) and Desi Sills (2022-23) — are also on the roster. The team also includes Marquis Addison (Missouri Southern State) and Khalid Thomas (Southern Idaho/Arizona State/Portland State).
Purple & Black held an hour-long open scrimmage at Bramlage Coliseum last Friday to showcase the skills of many of its players in front of close to 1,000 fans. Three words were displayed upon the jumbotron during the scrimmage: "BACK IN BRAM."
"It was fun just to be back in Bramlage and be around Kansas State," McGuirl says. "It's fun being back with the guys. I was super pumped to see so many fans in Bramlage. They came to support and it was awesome. I hope we entertained them.
"This year, we have even more depth. We started preparing earlier this year, which will help. We just continue to build."
Irving chuckled at the memory of performing his famous tunnel dance just outside of the K-State locker room prior to games during his career. However, he was all business on the court during the open scrimmage at Bramlage.
"Usually when you leave on Senior Night, you never think you'll be back playing in Bramlage again, but I'm glad TBT gives us the opportunity to play and prepare here," Irving says. "Being in Bramlage is magical. We're super ready for Wichita. We've been getting after it the past couple weeks. Guys are really locked in. We have a lot of bodies and a lot of talent.
"We're ready."
Henriquez and Irving contacted Stewart to serve as an assistant coach. Stewart (2004-08), is the oldest member of Purple & Black, and currently serves as highly-successful Bartlesville (Okla.) High School head coach. It didn't take much convincing for Stewart to join the Purple & Black coaching staff for the tournament. After a FaceTime meeting, Irving told Stewart, "We need to sign you up for a five-year contact."
"I've watched Purple & Black every year," Stewart says. "I'm the oldest guy in the locker room and I've watched these younger guys. To have a chance to be with these guys for two weeks and really learn about them, it's a blessing for me. I enjoy that. We're a family. We all came from different paths, but we have so much in common."
Kelly just completed his second year as graduate assistant for the K-State basketball team.
"Family brings me back," Kelly says. "To come back here and help coach is special. My guys are going to do it. We're going to try and get it done. I have confidence we're going to get it done."
Johnson is excited to begin the quest to $1 million again in Wichita.
"This is something I look forward to every summer," he says. "I'm excited to be in Wichita with K-State nation. We can really do well."
Stokes has remained in Manhattan and was a mainstay around K-State hoops this past season. He witnessed the sellout crowds at Bramlage and the tremendous turnout of K-Staters during the run to the Elite Eight at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He looks forward to a purple turnout at Koch Arena for Thursday's TBT opener.
"We have the best fans in the world, hands down," Stokes says. "They always support us no matter where we are. I love it and we look forward to putting on a show for them."
The Purple & Black is back. The road to $1 million in The Basketball Tournament begins Thursday when the Kansas State alumni basketball team faces DaGuys STL in a 6 p.m. tipoff in the Wichita Regional at Koch Arena.
Martavious Irving is offering a pregame bonus.
"I'm bringing back the tunnel dance," he says.
This marks the seventh year of competition for Purple & Black, which is one of the longest-running teams in the annual summer winner-take-all tournament. TBT features former college and professional athletes. The 64-team field features regionals in Dayton, Louisville, Lubbock, Syracuse, West Virginia, Wichita and Xavier. The Final Four is in Philadelphia on August 2-3.
"We have a chance to do pretty well," says Jordan Henriquez, who's been there from the beginning and will serve as the team's GM and head coach for the third-straight summer. "We've been practicing for this opportunity. We had eight of our 11 players in training camp. We've been really productive and getting after it. We began preparing in Kansas City and hit the ground running.
"We're excited for Wichita. We're ready to showcase."
While former K-State players Clent Stewart (2004-08) and Curtis Kelly (2008-11) will serve as assistant coaches this year, the team features some familiar faces from Purple & Black a year ago.
The Purple & Black roster features Henry Walker (2006-08), Rodney McGruder (2008-12), Thomas Gipson (2011-15), D.J. Johnson (2012-17), Justin Edwards (2013-16), Marcus Foster (2013-15), Kamau Stokes (2015-19) and Mike McGuirl (2017-22). Members of the 2023 Elite Eight run — Abayomi Iyiola (2022-23) and Desi Sills (2022-23) — are also on the roster. The team also includes Marquis Addison (Missouri Southern State) and Khalid Thomas (Southern Idaho/Arizona State/Portland State).
"I'm excited, man," Stokes says. "I haven't been in a real basketball game since October 4 when I tore my ACL in the third game of my season overseas. I'm excited to get back onto the court. I've been out a long time. I'm looking forward to competing with my brothers. I've missed basketball so much."Purple & Black's FULL TBT ROSTER🟣⚫️ pic.twitter.com/R0ZzzK5Ozb
— TBT (@thetournament) July 18, 2023
Purple & Black held an hour-long open scrimmage at Bramlage Coliseum last Friday to showcase the skills of many of its players in front of close to 1,000 fans. Three words were displayed upon the jumbotron during the scrimmage: "BACK IN BRAM."
"It was fun just to be back in Bramlage and be around Kansas State," McGuirl says. "It's fun being back with the guys. I was super pumped to see so many fans in Bramlage. They came to support and it was awesome. I hope we entertained them.
"This year, we have even more depth. We started preparing earlier this year, which will help. We just continue to build."
Irving chuckled at the memory of performing his famous tunnel dance just outside of the K-State locker room prior to games during his career. However, he was all business on the court during the open scrimmage at Bramlage.
"Usually when you leave on Senior Night, you never think you'll be back playing in Bramlage again, but I'm glad TBT gives us the opportunity to play and prepare here," Irving says. "Being in Bramlage is magical. We're super ready for Wichita. We've been getting after it the past couple weeks. Guys are really locked in. We have a lot of bodies and a lot of talent.
"We're ready."
Henriquez and Irving contacted Stewart to serve as an assistant coach. Stewart (2004-08), is the oldest member of Purple & Black, and currently serves as highly-successful Bartlesville (Okla.) High School head coach. It didn't take much convincing for Stewart to join the Purple & Black coaching staff for the tournament. After a FaceTime meeting, Irving told Stewart, "We need to sign you up for a five-year contact."
"I've watched Purple & Black every year," Stewart says. "I'm the oldest guy in the locker room and I've watched these younger guys. To have a chance to be with these guys for two weeks and really learn about them, it's a blessing for me. I enjoy that. We're a family. We all came from different paths, but we have so much in common."
Kelly just completed his second year as graduate assistant for the K-State basketball team.
"Family brings me back," Kelly says. "To come back here and help coach is special. My guys are going to do it. We're going to try and get it done. I have confidence we're going to get it done."
Johnson is excited to begin the quest to $1 million again in Wichita.
"This is something I look forward to every summer," he says. "I'm excited to be in Wichita with K-State nation. We can really do well."
Stokes has remained in Manhattan and was a mainstay around K-State hoops this past season. He witnessed the sellout crowds at Bramlage and the tremendous turnout of K-Staters during the run to the Elite Eight at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He looks forward to a purple turnout at Koch Arena for Thursday's TBT opener.
"We have the best fans in the world, hands down," Stokes says. "They always support us no matter where we are. I love it and we look forward to putting on a show for them."
Players Mentioned
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