WOAY – The summer basketball showcase known as The Basketball Tournament announced Wednesday that the 2020 edition will see multiple changes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In past years, the tournament had held regional contests featuring 64 teams across the country, but this year will see only 24 teams play in a 10-day span in one site. Charleston had originally been selected to host one of the regionals from July 24-26.
A team of West Virginia basketball alumni, named “Best Virginia,” reached the second round of the 2019 tournament, while teams featuring alumni from Marshall (“Herd That”) and the Mountain East Conference (“Underground Kings”) had originally been slated to play in the Charleston regional.
Started in 2014, The Basketball Tournament is a winner-take-all event that has gained popularity for its use of the “Elam Ending,” where games end when one team reaches a set point total, instead of the clock running out in the fourth quarter.
TBT officials have told ESPN they are putting a health and safety plan for competitors, which involves multiple rounds of COVID-19 testing, and potentially eliminating a team if a player tests positive.
