IT'S OFFICIAL: THURGOOD WIN 2026 TAT CHAMPIONSHIP, DEFEATS ANNA
COUGARS DEFENSE, DEPTH, STAR POWER FUELS 1ST EVER ALUMNI TOURNAMENT TITLE
By Deon Cash
The Thurgood Marshall Cougars entered in The 2026 Alumni Tournament as the last entry.
They registered right before the final deadline.
Joe Thomasson Jr, and Mark Alstork met, planned, coordinated, and then put the final team together.
Once they put the team together it was all gas and no brakes as the Cougars steamrolled to the 1st ever The Alumni Tournament championship by defeating Anna 80-55 at the Wooden Gymnasium in Xenia, Ohio.
While The Alumni Tournament was electric from start to finish, the Cougars matched that same energy from the moment they entered the fray.
The practices were intense. The players were invested. The mission was simple.
Win.
Once the roster was released, they became one of the favorites quickly around the city to win it all.
"Once we decided to put a team in, there was no question what we was going to do."
Thomasson stated.
"We knew we had the best team in the tournament. But you have to go and prove it."
And that they did, as the Cougars shut down Xenia, Springfield, and Anna en route to the Title & the $20,000 championship pot.
While elite programs lost early (Dunbar, Trotwood, Wayne, Westerville South, Portsmouth), Thurgood kept dominating throughout the tourney.
"This was about the brotherhood. We did this for the Cougars, our families, and the fans who supported us." Mark Alstork stated.
Alstork was the guy who put the idea in motion.
"We wanted to finish this one. We lost in the state and we knew there was no way in hell we wasn't gonna win the title this time." Jumpin Joe Ballard stated.
While the Cougars captured the title, they also captured the hearts of Dayton along with the energy of high school, as Cougars TAT coach and Miami - Hamilton assistant Quinton Alstork felt the nostalgia of the event and what he saw.
"It was crazy to see these guys hooping again. It felt like it was 15 years ago all over again.
It was a honor to coach these guys. The atmosphere was incredible and the team was completely locked in."
As for Anna?
The darlings of The Alumni Tournament were classy and gracious, which was one of the beautiful things about this tournament.
The Rockets embraced the moment, so much so, that they brought their entire community to the games.
And even the Anna mascot.
"We take our hats off to Thurgood, they were a tough team and the best team in the tourney. We battled but just came up a little short. We want to thank our city for all the support during the tournament.
We're excited to see what The Alumni Tournament will turn out to be in the next couple of years." Derrick Billing, star guard of Anna stated.
Congratulations to the Cougars winning the title in 26.
Not only did they win a title, they infused some juice into the city. They made a impact (from the youngsters to the old heads) who missed their run in high school.
And they put a lot of former hoopers on notice.
"We will see yall in 27. We gon' be ready." Thomasson stated.
Thomasson did average the most points in the Kingston ending (4.5ppg), and hit the final 20k shot while Alstork powered the team in scoring on multiple nights, including the championship night. "Jumpin Joe" Ballard hit the Kingston Ending on a signature alley-oop against Springfield.
With teams all over the state and the winners pot expanding in 27, who will be able to challenge Thurgood as they look to repeat in 27?
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