The Basketball Tournament (TBT) kicks off this July, bringing together alumni from across the country in a high‑stakes competition for a $2 million prize pool.
Among the participants is a new squad called Red Rose War Ready, a merger of the former Team War Ready and Red Rose Thunder that now fields four former Auburn players who earned their stripes under coach Bruce Pearl.
Auburn’s Legacy in the Tournament
Wendell Green Jr., Malik Dunbar, Babatunde Akingbola and Laron Smith each bring a distinct skill set to the roster. Green, a point guard, averaged more than 10 points per game during his two seasons at Auburn. Dunbar, a forward who started 13 games in Auburn’s 2018‑19 Final Four run, scored in double figures 12 times that season. Akingbola, known by the nickname “Stretch,” anchored the frontcourt as a center, while Smith contributed modestly as a forward, posting 2.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in his lone year with the Tigers.
The team’s first test will come on July 22, when Red Rose War Ready meets Heartfire Elite in Las Vegas. The matchup marks the debut of the combined squad and sets the stage for a potential deep run in the tournament.
Beyond the court, the participation of these alumni underscores the growing pipeline from college basketball to the professional‑style format of TBT, while also highlighting the enduring influence of Pearl’s coaching philosophy on player development.