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Saturday, August 22, 2026

TAT Final Four Breakdown: What Are Keys To Victory, Top Players, Odds of Winning Title

TAT Final Four Breakdown: What Are Keys To Victory, Player & Team Analysis, Odds of Winning Title

by Deon Cash

With the weekend finally here, there has been a real buzz in the Dayton community and surrounding areas as The Alumni Tournament returns for the Final Four games today and Championship Game Sunday.

Here are the schedule & times for the games today at John Wooden Gymnasium in Xenia, Ohio.

Anna vs Butler 4pm ET

Springfield vs Thurgood 6pm ET.

Let's take a look at the teams and their odds of winning the first ever TAT Title?

ANNA - (Defeated Trotwood, Defeated Fairborn)

The Rockets have been the darlings of the tournament. They have brought the most fans, and they have done it with no dunking and elite shooting, playmaking, and team defense.

They jumped all over Trotwood, before holding them off late, then knocked off the tough minded Skyhawks who were riding sky high.

Lead by Derek Billing, McKane Finkenbine & Chandon Williams, they have legitimately 5-6 shooters who can hit 3s consistently. Throw in the bigs who play their roles (Phil Hoyimg, Wes Hunsucker) and now you have a recipe for success. And let's not forget the energizer guys in Riley Huelskamp & Christian Williams who played key roles in the 2nd round win.

Today they will face the biggest obstacle they have seen thus far in A.J. Pacher and Butler. How will Coach Clark and the team strategize for the matchup today? Expect a huge fan club today for the Rockets.

Odds to win TAT: 3-1

BUTLER - (Defeated Dunbar, Defeated Sidney)

The Aviators were the team who made the most noise coming into the event, by getting the go from pro A.J. Pacher.

Pacher has been unstoppable thus far, and Butler has played off of him well.

Pacher dominated Dunbar, then came back and did the same thing to Sidney. But the only difference is that Kort Justice has started to find his rhythm along with others.

Behind its trio of stars (C-Pacher,F-Bryant Johnson and G-Kort Justice), the Aviators are better than advertised. Throw in the experience and savvy of G-Michael Kreill, G-F Adam Ney and F Jordan Greer, and the Aviators are right in the thick of it.

After the 2nd round win over Sidney Johnson spoke to the masses; "Now what they gon' say?" He said with confidence, sprinkled with a little "I Told You So" sauce.

What will be the strategy of the Aviators against the shooters of Anna? Can they continue to play their pace and do whatever they want?

Odds to win TAT: 4-1

SPRINGFIELD - (Defeated Carroll, Defeated Westerville South)

The Cats clawed their way into the Final Four. They had two tough games, and they found ways to not only get back into the games, but take control late and win them.

With the trio of Danny Davis III, Raheim Moss and Akeem Freeman, the Cats have the offense weaponry to stay in any game. Add the defensive prowess of Daeshawn Jackson and Mike Wallace, and this makes Springfield a tough out against anybody.

They trailed by 20 to Westerville and pulled off the huge comeback win. Can they knock off another top tier opponent in Thurgood today?

Raheim Moss is the leader of Kingston endings with 2.

Odds to win TAT: 4-1

THURGOOD - (Defeated Xenia in 2nd Round)

The Cougars were dominant in all phases against Xenia, who looked good themselves coming into the game. The Cougars, on paper, are the slight favorites when you look at the four rosters.

But its not what's on paper.

It's how you perform with the lights on. And the Cougars put on a show in front of a packed house filled with Cougar fans.

Lead by Joe Thomasson Jr, Joe Ballard, and Mark Alstork, this team is loaded with pro talent. Add clutch vereran performers in Edmund Early Jr, Dwayne Chastain and Tremayne Hawkins and you have a team built to win.

And you can't forget about the young stars in Mekhi Elmore and Kadeim Jones. Elmore hit the Kingston ending shot to finish off Xenia while Jones looked polished in his debut.

While all four teams can with the TAT, one thing is for certain. The Cougars seem to be hitting on all cylinders. Will they keep it up today vs Springfield and get to the championship game on Sunday?

Odds to Win TAT: 2-1

Follow S.E.Live365 for Exclusive TAT Coverage All weekend long.

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Then There Was Four; The Alumni Tournament 1st Round & Quarterfinals Recap

Then There Was Four

The Alumni Tournament 1st & 2nd Round Recap

By Deon Cash

With a full weekend of The Alumni Tournament under our belt, we take a look at the weekend recap, the four teams who made it & the matchups coming up this weekend.

Saturday Games Headlines (1st ROUND)

Xenia Throttles Portsmouth Behind Ward - Sims, Willams, Fans

Xenia went toe to toe with Portsmouth and while the early stages were back and forth, Xenia wore down the Trojans in the 2nd quarter, grabbing a double-digit lead before halftime.

In the 2nd half it was all Xenia as they cruised to a big victory. Kenji Ward-Sims had a breakout game to lead the Bucs.

STAR PLAYER - KENJI WARD SIMS - Xenia

STAR PLAYER - TYRONE WILLIAMS -Portsmouth

SPRINGFIELD STOPS CARROLL WITH DEFENSE, MOSS LEADING THE WAY

The Springfield Wildcats was able to outlast the Carroll Patriots as Springfield pulled away late with the leadership of Raheim Moss, Danny Davis & some gutty defense.

Carroll was game, lead by Sean McKitrick and Eli Ramsey...However, late in the game, the Patriots was not able to execute, missing key shots and free throws while Springfield applied the final finishing touches for the win. Moss & Akeem Freeman lead the Cats to the tight win late.

STAR OF THE GAME: RAHEIM MOSS - Springfield

STAR OF THE GAME: ELI RAMSEY - Carroll

ANNA SURVIVES RAMS COMEBACK, SEALS DEAL BEHIND TORRID SHOOTING OF BILLING

Anna and Trotwood was a hardcore battle, with the Rockets taking full control in the first half after the Rams shot poorly early and had no cohesion.

These teams had scrimmaged a week ago and Trotwood came back and won late. Would they do it again? Anna would go up nearly 20 points behind a incredible shooting performance by Derek Billing.

In the 3rd quarter the Rams made a signature run, cutting the lead down to as small as 6 late in the 4th quarter.

However Anna would not blow this game as Billing, Charles Williams, and McKane Finkenbine sealed the deal. Billing would hit the final free throws to preserve the win.

STAR OF THE GAME: DEREK BILLING - Anna

STAR OF THE GAME: RYLAND DAWSON - Twood

AVIATORS RIDE PACHER TO VICTORY OVER DUNBAR

In a game that featured the biggest big man in the tourney, Dunbar would have trouble matching up against the 6'10 pro in A.J.Pacher, who caused foul trouble for star F Terrance Landers and the Wolverines front line.

Dunbar jumped out early behind Landers, Darien Leslie, and R.J. Sneed, but Butler stayed with their game plan and took the lead in the 2nd quarter behind Pacher, Bryant Johnson, and Kort Justice.

They would stretch the lead out to double digits before Dunbar made a run to cut it to single-digits. Ultimately, Pacher and company were too strong, eliminating the Wolverines, who were considered a favorite coming into The Alumni Tournament.

STARS OF THE GAME: A.J. PACHER - Butler

STARS OF THE GAME: R.J. SNEED - Dunbar

SKYHAWKS STUN WAYNE TRAIN AS LEWIS, PULLEN, CROWD SENDS FAIRBORN TO ELITE 8

In the final game of the day, the Fairborn Skyhawks showed up and showed out as they faced the Wayne Warriors, lead by former Ohio State WR L'Christian "Blue" Smith.

The game was back and forth, with Wayne possessing a halftime lead behind the scoring and defense of Smith, Dwight Coleman and the hot shooting of Collin Rusell.

The Warriors had a double digit lead in the 2nd half, but could not hold on to it as the trio of Dwight Lewis, Shaunn Monroe, and Brandon Easterling continued to apply pressure, carving into the lead until late in the game.

In a frantic comeback, Skyhawks guard D.J Houser hit a huge 3, followed by a bucket by Wayne's Devin Reed. Another big bucket would setup the final play, in which Wayne would give up a decisive layup on a transition bucket by F Julius Pullen, who also had a solid game as well.

When the game ended the Fairborn contingent went wild as the Warriors looked stunned at what had just happened.

STAR OF THE GAME: DWIGHT LEWIS, Fairborn

STAR OF THE GAME: BLUE SMITH, Wayne

SUNDAY HEADLINES

SPRINGFIELD STORMS BACK, STOPS WESSON, WESTERVILLE ON KINGSTON ENDING BUCKET BY MOSS

The Springfield Wildcats trailed by 20 points in the 2nd quarter of the game against former Ohio State star and Columbus legend Caleb Wesson and Westerville South.

Wesson, Anthony Mills, and Dwayne Dingus had completely controlled the game in the 1st half.

So much so, that a couple of players thought the game was over.

Not so fast my friends.

Raheim Moss, Daeshawn Jackson, and Danny Davis heated up, and before you knew it, Springfield had clawed back into the game, turning a huge deficit and taking the lead (65-63).

South would have one last shot, but the long 3-pointer by Dingus was no good, and Moss would finish off South with a drive to the basket as Springfield would celebrate the huge comeback in epic fashion.

"That's what we do in Springfield...it's in our culture. Were going to scratch and claw and once we sped up the game, we had them." Head Coach Terry Toliver stated after the game.

Westerville South came with only 5 players, and Wesson admitted they needed at least one more.

"If we would have had one more I think we could have gotten that one. We played well in the first half. You gotta give credit to Springfield...We will definitely be back next year." Wesson stated after the game.

STARS OF THE GAME: RAHEIM MOSS - Springfield

STARS OF THE GAME: CALEB WESSON - Westerville South

JUSTICE SERVED FOR BUTLER AS THEY UPEND SIDNEY FOR SPOT IN FINAL FOUR

The Butler Aviators were considered a sleeper team before The Alumni Tournament began. Once A.J. Pacher decided to play, they instantly rose to a contender, and they showed it once again as they took out the Sidney Yellow Jackets to reach The Alumni Tournament Final Four.

Pacher would start fast, scoring the first 12 points for Butler. Sidney would respond with Sam Reynolds, Avante Martin, and the inside presence of Taborn, taking a early lead.

But similar to the 1st round, Butler would settle in and continue to ride the hot hand of Pacher, going inside-out. Butler would grab the lead (37-33) heading into half.

In the 2nd half it was more Butler, as Kourt Justice found the range, connecting on multiple 3-pointers and changing the momentum of the game. This would ultimately cost Sidney as they had completely lost the momentum.

It also didn't help that Sidney shot poorly in the 4th quarter as well.

"A lot of people slept on us. What they saying now?" Johnson stated after the game. And with good reason as Butler is definitely a legit candidate for that 20k championship this weekend.

STAR OF THE GAME: A.J.PACHER, KOURT JUSTICE

STAR OF THE GAME: SAM REYNOLDS

ANNA HOLDS OFF FAIRBORN AS WILLIAMS, HUNSUCKER SHOWS UP WITH CLUTCH BUCKETS

Anna knew they would be facing a team with a ruckus fan crowd and a hyped-up organization.

They survived both, as the guard play was clutch in grabbing the key win. Anna would control the game in the 1st half, as the Williams brothers played well, along with the defense.

They had Fairborn playing off balance and from behind until late in the 2nd half, when the Skyhawks made a run.

Julius Pullen would hit 2 bombs to cut the lead to 6, but it was Wes Hunsucker who hit a back breaking 3, only to be followed by the final dagger by Chandon Wiliams.

Fairborn stayed in the game and gave its fans something to cheer about. But it wasn't enough to stop one of the favorites to win The Alumni Tournament in the Rockets.

"We gave it a great run. We're proud of what we done. There were some chances but they didn't fall our way. We will be back next year." Skyhawks Coach Houser stated after the game.

THURGOOD SILENCES XENIA WITH MASTERFUL PERFORMANCE AS ALSTORK, THOMASSON, DEFENSE LEAD THE WAY

The Thurgood Marshall Cougars heard about Dunbar, Trotwood, and Wayne losing.

Some felt they would be next.

In front of a packed house, the Cougars put on a show as they dominated Xenia to grab the final spot in the TAT Semifinals.

Joe Thomasson Jr started hitting the first two shots, and the Cougars never looked back. They never trailed in the game, and they shot a blistereing percentage from 2 & 3, as the Bucs had no shot.

Edmond Early Jr played well early, and Mark Alstork found his range, being the leading scorer for the Cougars in the game. After halftime it was a show that kept the fans glued to their seats, lead by "Jumpin Joe" Ballard.

Mekhi Elmore would end the game on a layup, finishing a very good performance for himself and the team. Xenia was lead by F-C Kenji Ward Sims & Ray James.