Championship Showdown
The Basketball Tournament’s Alumni Bracket championship will pit La Familia against JHX Hoops, a squad that carries the banner of the Kansas Jayhawks, in a high‑stakes showdown at Memorial Coliseum.
La Familia earned its place in the final by dispatching Boeheim’s Army, a team coached by former Syracuse star Gerry McNamara, in a gritty semifinal that highlighted the depth of the alumni circuit.
JHX Hoops, meanwhile, survived a close contest with the Wichita State AfterShocks, securing a 64‑59 victory thanks in large part to a clutch three‑pointer from Frank Mason III, the former Kansas point guard who now leads the charge for the Jayhawks’ representation.
Scoring 25 points, Zeke Mayo, a transfer from South Dakota State, anchored the offense for JHX Hoops, providing the firepower that kept the AfterShocks at bay and cemented the team’s momentum heading into the championship.
The matchup also rekindles a long‑standing rivalry between Kentucky and Kansas, two programs that have met 36 times in college basketball; Kentucky holds a 24‑12 edge, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the alumni affair.
Scheduled for Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the game will be televised on FS1, offering fans a prime‑time glimpse of the final act before the winner moves on to face the Non‑Alumni bracket champion for a $2 million prize.
Beyond the monetary incentive, the championship promises a narrative of redemption and legacy, as former Jayhawk standouts attempt to translate their college glory into a professional‑style showcase on a national stage.