Breaking Down the UConn Men's Basketball Alumni TBT Team

PITTSBURGH The stars of Storrs are perfectly aligned.

A team comprised primarily of former UConn men's basketball players will participate The basketball tournamentstarting with the first round this Saturday on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh.

With a roster of 12 players, the Stars of Storrs are one of 64 teams competing in this year's single-elimination TBT for a $1 million prize. For UConn men's basketball fans, the team's final roster is a dream come true, as Husky greats from multiple eras are set to share the court.

The roster, loaded with fan favorites, includes several national championship winners and even more former NBA players. Head coach Chris Smith is the UConn men's basketball team's all-time leading scorer with 2,145 varsity points. He will lead a talented group at the Peterson Events Center in Pittsburgh, home of a former rival that has given headaches to generations of Huskies.

The 2014 national champion and four-year Husky will lead the Stars of Storrs into battle this weekend and hopefully beyond. As a member of the 2014 All-Final Four team, Boatright's defense played a key role in UConn's fourth national championship return to Storrs. In 2015, Boatright was unanimously named a first-team All-American Athletic Conference selection.

After going undrafted in 2015, Boatright played briefly in the NBA Development League before embarking on a successful career overseas that is still ongoing.

The gritty point guard could be the leading candidate to bring the ball up the court for the Stars of Storrs. Cole spent the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons with UConn after transferring from Howard. With UConn, Cole surpassed 2,000 career points. UConn fans grew to love Cole for the relentless effort he displayed on a nightly basis. And who can forget his game-winning goal against No. 8 Villanova in February 2022?

After going undrafted in 2022, Cole made his mark overseas, winning the Lithuanian League championship with Rytas Vilnius in 2024.

Another key part of the 2014 national championship, Daniels played for UConn from 2011-14. During that magical run 10 years ago, Daniels was named to the NCAA All-Tournament East Region team and scored 20 points on the top-seeded Florida Gators in the Final Four. It all came together for Daniels in March, as he scored from every angle: the post, the perimeter and beyond the arc.

After declaring for the 2014 NBA draft, Daniels was selected 37th overall. However, he never broke out with the Raptors and played in the NBA G League before continuing his professional career in the NBL North.

Adrien, a feared low-ball player and a four-year player for the Huskies, was a key part of the 2009 Huskies team that reached the Final Four. During his collegiate career, Adrien scored over 1,600 points and grabbed over 1,100 rebounds, earning him first-team All-Big East honors in 2008 and 2009. Known for his leadership, rebounding and toughness, Adrien helped lead one of Jim Calhoun's last great teams at UConn.

Adrien went undrafted in 2009, but that didn't stop him from making the NBA roster. He joined the Golden State Warriors in 2010-11. In 2011-12, Adrien played for the Houston Rockets alongside his former Husky teammate, Hasheem Thabeet. In 2012-13, he played alongside another former UConn teammate, Kemba Walker, with the Charlotte Hornets. In 2014-15, Adrien played with the Minnesota Timberwolves before continuing his career overseas.

Another UConn legend, the four-year Husky is considered one of the most dynamic scorers and dunkers in program history. And if questions remained after Dyson tore his lateral meniscus in 2009, the Huskies lost that season in the Final Four to Michigan State. The following season, he returned from injury his senior year and averaged 17.7 points, becoming the 2010 Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year.

After going undrafted in 2010, Dyson spent several years in the NBA Developmental League before joining the New Orleans Hornets in 2010. He appeared in nine NBA games before eventually playing overseas.

The last Husky to be named to the final Stars of Storrs roster is Calcaterra, or “Joey California,” who has shined as an alternate for the 2022-23 national champions. After playing for the University of San Diego, Calcaterra transferred to UConn in the summer of 2022. He made an immediate impact. While his stats may not jump out at you, Calcaterra made several big shots during UConn’s dominant run in the tournament, including two big three-pointers in the national championship game.

Last season, Calcaterra played several seasons with the South Bay Lakers, the G-League affiliate of the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers.

An electric athlete who played for UConn for three seasons in the mid-2010s, Purvis notably helped the Huskies reach the Round of 32 in 2016. Known for his tenacious defense and ability to shoot from deep, Purvis also had the occasional impressive dunk. Purvis averaged a career-high 13.8 points in his final season at UConn in 2016-17.

Although he was not selected in the draft, Purvis impressed in the NBA's G League, where he was named to the league's All-Rookie Team in 2018. In March 2018, Purvis signed with the NBA's Orlando Magic for the remainder of the season. He returned to the G League for one season before playing overseas.

Majok played just one season in Storrs, in 2009-10, and left many wondering what might have happened if he hadn't left the school before the 2010-11 season. In his lone season at UConn, he averaged 2.3 points, 3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. He seemed like he had the potential to grow into a bigger role, but that never happened.

Majok was selected 58th overall in the 2011 NBA draft, but has never made an NBA roster. He has nevertheless enjoyed a successful international career and currently plays for US Monastir, a Tunisian professional basketball club.

A native of Anchorage, Alaska, he played for UConn in 2017-18 and 2018-19. He never averaged more than 1.4 points per game in limited action, but captivated the nation with his high-level dunks in practices and workouts.

The Starrs of Storrs roster includes several other players who are not UConn affiliates. They include Seth Maxwell, a 7-foot-4 center who played junior college for Indiana Wesleyan University, Terry T.J. Maston, a 6-foot-10 power forward who played for Baylor, and Elijah Thomas, a 6-foot-10 power forward who played for Texas A&M and Clemson.

What is The basketball tournament

Established in 2014, the TBT is an open-to-all, single-elimination tournament held each summer in the United States. In recent years, the number of participating teams has grown to 64 and the prize pool has increased to $1 million, to be shared among all winning teams. Many of the competing teams are comprised of alumni from Division I college basketball programs across the country. This is the first year that the Stars of Storrs will compete in the TBT.

Stars of Storrs First Opponent/Playing Time

The Stars of Storrs kick off TBT in the Pittsburgh area Saturday at 6 p.m. Games will be broadcast on the FOX Sports family of networks. The Starrs of Storrs' first game is against the Herkimer Originals, a minor league basketball team playing in the East Region of the American Basketball Association.

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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and editor at FOX61 News. He can be reached at [email protected].

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