College basketball fans can get their hoops fix this week when The Basketball Tournament (TBT) tips off this week. The Xavier-based alumni team, Zip 'Em Up, is getting ready for its fourth year in TBT and is still searching for its regional title to advance toward the $1 million winner-take-all prize. Zip 'Em Up is 4-3 all-time in TBT.
The brackets for this year's TBT were released in late-June and Zip 'Em Up will open play on Friday at 6 p.m. against Takeover B.C. at Fifth Third Arena. Zip 'Em Up is the No. 2 seed in the Cincinnati Region and this summer marks the first time since 2021 that Cintas Center will not serve as a regional host.
Fans hoping for another summer Crosstown Shootout will need Zip 'Em Up and the UC-based Nasty Nati to advance to the regional championship. The two squads, compromised of former rivals, met last year in the second round with Nasty Nati pulling out a 77-73 victory at Cintas Center.
Here are the players taking the court for Zip 'Em Up, which is coached by Darwin "Dee" Davis, who played four seasons with the Musketeers from 2011-2015.
Zip 'Em Roster
Guards: Paul Scruggs, Remy Abell, Adam Kunkel, Nathan Johnson Jr., Malcolm Bernard, Shannon Bogues, Justin Roberts
Forwards: Trevon Bluiett, Ben Stanley, Jeff Robinson, Jaylen Butz
Centers: James Farr, Jacob Polakovich
Adam Kunkel headlines additions to Zip 'Em Roster
The biggest pickup this offseason for Zip 'Em Up came in fan favorite and local product Adam Kunkel, a Cooper High School graduate who helped lead Xavier to an NIT title in 2022 and a Sweet 16 appearance in 2023.
Kunkel shot 42.5% from 3-point range in his final season with the Musketeers.
Two weeks before Kunkel entered the fold, Zip 'Em Up announced the return of standouts Trevon Bluiett and Paul Scruggs. Bluiett, a recent inductee into the Xavier Athletics Hall of Fame, helped lead the Musketeers to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 2017 under Chris Mack. Bluiett is second on Xavier's all-time scoring list and was a three-time first-team All-Big East and All-Big East Tournament selection.
Bluiett played for Zip 'Em Up last season, sinking five 3-pointers in a first-round win over Goergia Kingz.
Last summer, Scruggs returned to Cintas Center for the first time since ending his Xavier career with a torn ACL during the 2022 NIT. Scruggs, a 1,600-point scorer at Xavier, ranks top-5 in school history in assists and appeared in the most game in school history.
Ben Stanley, Jeff Robinson join Zip 'Em Up
On Saturday, Zip 'Em Up announced the additions of former Musketeers Ben Stanley and Jeff Robinson.
Stanley spent two of his five collegiate seasons at Xavier, combining to play in 13 games with one start under Travis Steele from 2020-2022. He finished his college career at Old Dominion in 2023.
Robinson, an Indianapolis native, averaged 4.6 points per game over four seasons at Xavier from 2009-2013.
Other former Musketeers taking the floor
Remy Abell is back with Zip 'Em Up along with Nate Johnson and James Farr. Malcolm Bernard was added to this year's squad at shooting guard.
Bernard finished his collegiate career as a full-time starter under Mack during Xavier's run to the Elite Eight in 2017. Bernard averaged 6.6 points and 4.1 rebounds that season.
On Sunday, Zip 'Em Up announced its "Grad Transfers" of players who didn't suit up for Xavier: Jacob Polakovich, Jaylen Butz, Justin Roberts and Shannon Bogues.
Polakovich averaged 12.2 points per game in 2023 for Southern Indiana and Butz, a Fort Wayne, Indiana native, played three seasons at DePaul University before finishing his college career alongside current Musketeer Dayvion McKnight at Western Kentucky in 2022. Roberts averaged 10.3 points per game as a three-year starter at Georgia State (2019-2022) and Bogues was second in the Southland Conference in points (536) as a senior at Stephen F. Austin in 2019.
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