Nasty Nati is set to take on Fort Wayne Champs in The Basketball Tournament on Monday night at the Cintas Center. Tro..."/> Nasty Nati is set to take on Fort Wayne Champs in The Basketball Tournament on Monday night at the Cintas Center. Tro..."/>
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Previewing Nasty Nati’s TBT matchup with Fort Wayne Champs

By Charles Post

Jacob Evans of the Cincinnati Bearcats is seen during player introductions before the game against the Connecticut Huskies. Getty Images.
Jacob Evans of the Cincinnati Bearcats is seen during player introductions before the game against the Connecticut Huskies. Getty Images. /
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Nasty Nati is set to take on Fort Wayne Champs in The Basketball Tournament on Monday night at the Cintas Center. Troy Caupain, Jarron Cumberland, Jacob Evans and Isaiah Miller headline the Bearcats alumni team that will compete in TBT Xavier Regional and look to advance to the second round on Wednesday.

Prior to the first round matchup, Nasty Nati split a pair of exhibition games against Xavier’s Zip ‘Em Up on Saturday in Cincinnati. Nasty Nati won the initial scrimmage 41-29 before Zip ‘Em Up secured a 31-26 win to close the night. Both teams will play on Monday with the former Bearcats scheduled to tip off at 6 PM on ESPN3.

Previewing Nasty Nati’s TBT matchup with Fort Wayne Champs

In addition to the previously mentioned players, Nasty Nati consists of Coreontae DeBerry, Octavius Ellis, Ty Johnson, Marquez Letcher-Ellis, Tre Scott and Shaq Thomas. The 10 players are led by head coach Corie Blount and assistant Cane Broome. Caupain, Cumberland, Ellis, Evans and Scott earned All-AAC honors during their Bearcats career.

Fort Wayne has participated in the $1 million tournament multiple times with a 10-6 record. The current roster includes recent G-League standouts Skyler Flatten and Stephan Hicks, former Oklahoma guard Rashard Odomes and Iowa State center Solomon Young, plus a couple of former All-MAC members in Taylor Persons and Demajeo Wiggins.

If Nasty Nati can eliminate Fort Wayne on Monday, they will take on top seeded Florida TNT or Team AboutBillions on Wednesday at 6 PM. A potential rematch with Zip ‘Em Up could take place in the Xavier Regional championship on Thursday at 7 PM as the 64-team event narrows down to eight by the end of this week.

"“It’s just good to be back and do something for the city. It’s been a while since I’ve been back. Just to know that we can gather the people around and support us,” Caupain explained per Joe Danneman. “It’s big for both universities, the community and city. It stands for something and people show that so it’s good to do that for them as well.”"