Blue Collar U


Blue Collar U is a former American basketball team that participated in The Basketball Tournament, an annual winner-take-all single-elimination tournament. The team consists of professional basketball players, most of whom played college basketball for the Buffalo Bulls men's basketball team. The team began participating in TBT in 2021, reaching the semi-finals. Blue Collar U won its first TBT championship in its second year of participation in 2022, winning the $1 million grand prize. In 2024, the team announced they wouldn't compete in TBT anymore.

History

2021

In TBT 2021, Blue Collar U played in the Columbus regional and was seeded 6th out of a field of 16 teams.
DateRoundLocationScoreOpponentRef.
July 24First roundColumbus, Ohio88–82The Nerd Team
July 25Second roundColumbus, Ohio93–83Zip 'Em Up
July 27Regional semi-finalsColumbus, Ohio78–61Category 5
July 31Regional finalsDayton, Ohio84–81The Money Team
August 1Semi-finalsDayton, Ohio62–78Team 23

2022

In TBT 2022, Blue Collar U played in the Syracuse regional and was seeded 2nd out of a field of 8 teams. Players wore the names of the victims of the 2022 Buffalo shooting on the backs of their jerseys in place of their own names. They won the Syracuse regional with victories over NG Saints, an alumni team for Neumann Goretti High School in Philadelphia, Friday Beers, and The Nerd Team, an alumni team of Ivy League and other highly prestigious schools. After defeating Heartfire in the quarterfinals, Blue Collar U won a true road game against Red Scare, an alumni team of Dayton Flyers men's basketball. They defeated Americana for Autism in the finals to win the $1 million grand prize.
DateRoundLocationScoreOpponentRef.
July 22First roundSyracuse, New York91–64NG Saints
July 23Second roundSyracuse, New York78–75Friday Beers
July 25Third roundSyracuse, New York83–62The Nerd Team
July 29Quarter-finalsDayton, Ohio74–66Heartfire
July 30Semi-finalsDayton, Ohio74–69Red Scare
August 2FinalsDayton, Ohio89–67Americana for Autism

2023

In TBT 2023, Blue Collar U played in the Syracuse regional and was seeded 1st out of a field of 8 teams. In the first round, Blue Collar U defeated Big 5, an alumni team composed mostly of Philadelphia Big 5 schools with the largest comeback in the history of the Elam Ending. After defeating Virginia Dream in the second round, they lost in the regional finals to Boeheim's Army, a team of primarily Syracuse Orange Basketball alumni.
DateRoundLocationScoreOpponentRef.
July 24First roundSyracuse, New York78–77Big 5
July 26Second roundSyracuse, New York107–86Virginia Dream
July 28Regional finalsSyracuse, New York54–69Boeheim's Army

Roster

Awards

YearPlayerAwardRef
2021Nick PerkinsAll-Tournament Team
2022Nick PerkinsAll-Tournament Team
2022Wes ClarkAll-Tournament Team
2022Adam BaumanAll-Tournament Team
2022C. J. MassinburgAll-Tournament Team & MVP