The Basketball Tournament: What to know about Saturday’s semifinals

Dayton alumni team, the Red Scare, will play at 6 p.m.
C.J. Massinburg, of Blue Collar U, reacts after making a 3-pointer during the Elam Ending against Heartfire in the quarterfinals of The Basketball Tournament on Friday, July 29, 2022, at UD Arena in Dayton. David Jablonski/Staff

Credit: David Jablonski

Credit: David Jablonski

C.J. Massinburg, of Blue Collar U, reacts after making a 3-pointer during the Elam Ending against Heartfire in the quarterfinals of The Basketball Tournament on Friday, July 29, 2022, at UD Arena in Dayton. David Jablonski/Staff

Four teams remain in The Basketball Tournament. One will win the $1 million prize on Tuesday.

Below is a glance at the two semifinals that will be played Saturday at UD Arena. The game times were flipped Friday. The Red Scare vs. Blue Collar U game was originally scheduled to take place at 4 p.m., but will now be the second game at 6 p.m.

Fans going to the games can also get autographs from five current Dayton players. DaRon Holmes II, Koby Brea, R.J. Blakney, Malachi Smith and Mike Sharavjamts will sign from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the East Concourse Club. This time was also changed Friday. It was originally scheduled to start at 5:15 p.m.

4 p.m.: Aftershocks (Wichita State alums) vs. Americana for Austism

Aftershocks: This is the only semifinalist that has yet to play at UD Arena. It won its first four games in Wichita, Kan., advancing with a 74-67 victory Wednesday over the Gutter Cats.

Darral Willis Jr., who averaged 10.1 points in two seasons (2016-18) at Wichita State, leads the Aftershocks in scoring (13.3 points per game) through four games. The roster includes eight players from Wichita State and three from other schools.

Americana for Austism: Americana for Autism beat Florida TNT 93-83 in the quarterfinals Thursday night at UD Arena. Femi Olujobi, who played for Oakland, North Carolina A&T and DePaul, scored 14 points as did former Georgetown guard Chris Wright.

Delroy James, who scored 1,460 points for Rhode Island (2007-11), leads the team with 13.3 points per game.

6 p.m.: Red Scare (Dayton Flyers alums) vs. Blue Collar U (Buffalo alums)

Red Scare: Jordan Sibert leads the Reds Scare with 13.3 points per game through four games. Scoochie Smith is averaging 12.8 points and 5.3 assists. Darrell Davis is averaging 12.5.

The Red Scare has beaten two No. 1 seeds in its last two games: The Money Team on Wednesday and Best Virginia on Friday.

Blue Collar U: Blue Collar U, the champion of the Syracuse Region, where it was the No. 2 seed, beat Heartfire 74-66 at UD Arena on Friday. The team plays with the names of the Buffalo shooting victims on the backs of its jerseys.

Nick Perkins led the team with 21 points. He played at Buffalo from 2015-19 and scored 1,774 points. C.J. Massinburg, who played at Buffalo the same four years as Perkins and scored 1,990 points, had 19 points

Massinburg leads the team with 16.5 points per game. Wes Clark, who played three seasons at Missouri and one season at Buffalo, averages 13.5. Perkins averages 12.8.

This is the second straight year Blue Collar U has reached the semifinals at UD Arena. It lost to Team 23, which changed its name to Heartfire this year, a year ago.

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