BYU Basketball: A hypothetical Cougar alumni team for next year’s TBT
By Shaun Gordon
This year’s The Basketball Tournament was full of college alumni teams. A BYU Basketball alumni team could make noise in next year’s event.
The Basketball Tournament is over for 2018. The BYU Basketball reunion of Jimmer Fredette, Brandon Davies, and Charles Abouo made a run to the semifinals before falling to a team filled with six former NBA players.
And the return of Jimmermania was worth it.
So what about next year?
Will Team Fredette be back? Will Jimmer play again?
That’s a very real possibility.
But here’s another idea: create a team full of BYU alumni.
It’s not a novel idea. Cougar fans have been discussing it on social media over the last few weeks.
Other schools have done more than talk. They’ve created alumni teams. Team Fredette took Scarlet & Black, a team full of Ohio State alumni.
Gonzaga had an alumni team. So did St. Mary’s. And Utah.
In fact, a large portion of the TBT teams in this year’s field were alumni teams.
If BYU were to take all of their former players who are currently playing professionally or have played professionally within the last couple of years, they’d be able to field a full roster.
And it could make some noise.
Let’s take a look at the potential roster:
The Far End of the Bench
Rashaun Broadus – Point Guard
Talk about a name from the past. Broadus played for BYU from 2005-2007, averaging 8 points and 3.2 assists per game in his Cougar career.
He’s spent most of his professional career overseas, mainly in Lithuania, but played last season in Canada with the St. John’s Edge.
He’s a steady point guard who knows how to run an offense, and he’d bring veteran experience to the BYU alumni.
Trent Plaisted – Center
Plaisted retired from professional basketball earlier this year, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t still play in the TBT next year.
After being taken in the second round of the 2008 NBA draft, Plaisted enjoyed a 10-year career overseas, helping teams to championships in both Lithuania and France.
He’d be another veteran presence and another big body for the Cougar TBT team.