The Basketball Tournament 2015


The Basketball Tournament 2015 was the second edition of The Basketball Tournament, a 5-on-5, single elimination basketball tournament. The tournament involved 97 teams; it started on July 10 and continued through August 2, 2015. The winner of the final, Overseas Elite, received a one million dollar prize. The semifinals and championship game, played at Rose Hill Gymnasium at Fordham University in The Bronx, were broadcast on ESPN. The tournament was branded as "The Basketball Tournament Presented by Jack Link's Jerky".

Format

The main tournament field started with 96 teams, organized into four regions of 24 teams each. The 24 teams in each region were 18 teams selected by fans via the tournament's website and six teams selected at-large. Four teams from each region, plus 2014 tournament defending champion Notre Dame Fighting Alumni, qualified to advance to the "Super 17" in Chicago.
The winning team received 95% of the $1 million prize, while the remaining 5% was split amongst the team's top 91 fans.
An online bracket contest awarded $1717 to one fan.

Venues

The Basketball Tournament 2015 took place in five locations.
RoundDatesRegionLocation
RegionalJuly 10–12WestLos Angeles, California
RegionalJuly 10–12SouthAtlanta, Georgia
RegionalJuly 17–19NortheastPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
RegionalJuly 17–19MidwestChicago, Illinois
Super 17 July 23–24 Chicago, Illinois
QuarterfinalsJuly 25 Chicago, Illinois
SemifinalsAugust 1 New York City
FinalsAugust 2 New York City

2014 champion Notre Dame Fighting Alumni faced the Midwest's lowest remaining seed on July 23; that game's winner, plus the other 15 regional qualifiers, all played on July 24

Bracket

Eight teams in each region received a first-round bye, based on online fan votes.
Source:

Midwest regional

The 2014 champions, Notre Dame Fighting Alumni, earned an automatic entry in the "Super 17" round, where they faced the lowest remaining seed in the Midwest region, Midwest Dream Squad, on July 23. Notre Dame Fighting Alumni won that game, 79–77, thus advancing in the bracket.

Northeast regional

Three teams withdrew from the tournament—Friar Nation, The Citi Team, and Team Oohway—resulting in forfeit wins for their first-round opponents.

West regional

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Regional finals

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Semifinals & final

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Awards

MVP: D. J. Kennedy of Overseas Elite