Sullinger says ‘21 Carmen’s Crew ‘more dynamic’ than ‘19 team
COLUMBUS, Ohio –– Just a year after winning the The Basketball Tournament in 2019, top-seeded Ohio State alumni team Carmen’s Crew looked a step slow and frankly a bit old in its disappointing one-game run in last year’s event.
Even though the team’s core remains intact, head coach and general manager Jared Sullinger has made a few key additions ahead of this summer’s tournament –– beginning Friday for Carmen’s Crew –– and the former two-time All-American believes that the current group may even compare favorably to the roster that won the $2 million first-place prize a couple years ago.
“I think we’re more dynamic. Shannon Scott adds a different skillset to our team,” Sullinger said Monday. “The ability to pass, shoot, make people better, and defensively he’s a monster. Similar to Craft defensively.”
Scott, who has played in both Greece and the NBA G League since closing out his four-year collegiate career with the Buckeyes in 2014-15, appears to have a leg up to start at point guard for Carmen’s Crew after returning guard Aaron Craft said Monday that he expects to come off the bench this year. Craft retired from pro basketball after last year’s tournament and has spent his subsequent time in medical school at Ohio State.
RELATED: Craft says he’s not quite in shape, expects to come off bench in TBT
However, Scott is far from the only exciting new piece for Sullinger and company. After former All-Big Ten big man Kaleb Wesson withdrew from the tournament to participate in the NBA Summer League recently, Carmen’s Crew announced that NBA veteran and 2008 NIT MVP Kosta Koufos would fill the void down low.
Carmen’s Crew mainstays like Craft, William Buford, David Lighty and Jon Diebler each logged four (or more) seasons in the Buckeye program, but Koufos played just one year for Thad Matta during the aughts. Still, Sullinger said he didn’t have to use much persuasion on the former first-round draft pick.
“It was pretty easy. I called Kosta, asked him if he wanted to play, he said, ‘Yeah, I’m willing to do it.’ The rest is history,” Sullinger said. “Kosta adds a different dynamic to our team. The length, the strength, the rim protection and the ability to play from the 3-point line in. That dynamic is really gonna change a lot with our team. Our small ball is not gonna be so small.”
Another first-time Carmen’s Crew member this summer, and one that will pair with Scott and Craft in a talented backcourt, is recent Buckeye guard Keyshawn Woods, who started 15 games and averaged 8.1 points per game as a grad transfer for Ohio State in 2018-19.
“Keyshawn Woods, we didn't really get to see his full skillset at Ohio State,” Sullinger said. “That’s life. But he can really play and really can create for other people. So we added some great pieces to the pieces that we already had, and we’re looking forward to going out and competing on Friday.”
As for last year’s first-round exit courtesy of prolific big man Mike Daum and Illinois alumni team House of ‘Paign, Sullinger said that the COVID-19 outbreak played a role in the flat performance from Carmen’s Crew.
“No gym, hard to get strength and conditioning workouts in, so guys were pretty out of shape, as crazy as that sounds,” Sullinger said. “We were pretty out of shape, and that Fighting Illini team had a game above us, and that really helped, kind of got their jitters out.”
A No. 1 seed again this year, Carmen’s Crew opens play against No. 16 seed Mid American Unity at 9 p.m. Friday at the Covelli Center on Ohio State campus.
With an increased level of preparation in the lead-up, the aforementioned roster additions and a hometown crowd in attendance, Sullinger expects a better showing from his unit this year.
However, the pressure that comes with being a top seed and a former tournament champion still rests with Carmen’s Crew entering the Columbus regional round.
“We’re ready, we’re playing almost every day and just getting ready to build up for that tournament run,” Sullinger said. “We just learned from last year, we know we’re the hunted. Everybody wants to hunt us, we’re no longer the hunters.”