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Looking at the complete La Familia roster for The Basketball Tournament

Looking at the complete La Familia roster for The Basketball Tournament

USA Today3 days ago
The Basketball Tournament is just about to begin, and the various teams are finalizing their rosters. That includes the Kentucky Wildcats alumni team, La Familia, who are now at ten players, ready to compete for this year's crown.
Last year, La Familia made a deep run in the tournament, making it to the final four teams. This year, under new coach Sean Woods, they'll look to go all the way. It's another talented roster this season, with some of the players from last year coming back. There are some new faces as well.
The games begin on July 18th, and La Familia will open play in Lexington as the top seed. They'll be one of the favorites to win the $1 million prize, but will face some stiff competition along the way.
The La Familia roster features some familiar faces, but some new ones as well, including a player from last year's Wildcats team. Here's a look at the current roster with the start of the tournament nearly here.
Sean Woods - Head Coach
At Kentucky: 1988-1992
Woods was the starting point guard on some very good Wildcats teams under Rick Pitino. He has since began a coaching career in college basketball. Last season, he was an assistant coach for La Familia, but will be the head man this year.
Willie Cauley-Stein
At Kentucky: 2012-2015
Cauley-Stein began his Wildcats career as a backup, but would go on to win the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award. He also spent seven years in the NBA as a solid role player. He played on last year's La Familia team, and averaged 10 points and led the tournament with 14 blocked shots.
Aaron Harrison
At Kentucky: 2013-2015
Fans remember him for some clutch shots at Kentucky in his two years there, and he was a very popular player. Like Cauley-Stein, he played for La Familia last year, averaging seven points and three rebounds per game. He was also solid on defense, totaling 4 steals.
Andrew Harrison
At Kentucky: 2013-2015
Andrew's career path has been similar to his brother overall, with two years in Lexington, followed by a brief NBA stint. He was terrific for La Familia last year, posting 11.6 points and 4 assists per game. He was also disqualified twice, which led the tournament.
Kerem Kanter
At Kentucky: N/A
Kanter didn't play for the Wildcats, but his brother Enes was set to before being declared ineligible by the NCAA. Last year at TBT, he was terrific, averaging over 12 points and 9 rebounds per game. He returns this year, looking to lead them on a deeper run.
Doron Lamb
At Kentucky: 2010-2012
Lamb was a fan favorite at Kentucky due to his ability to shoot the ball from range. He was a part of the last Wildcats championship team, and scored 22 points in the final. Fans will enjoy seeing him back in action, making three-pointers, once more.
DeAndre Liggins
At Kentucky: 2008-2011
Liggins did a little bit of everything in three years with the Wildcats. Those skills will be put to use by coach Woods for La Familia, where he can be a specialist for them. He will be a very valuable role player in this year's tournament.
Archie Goodwin
At Kentucky: 2012-2013
Goodwin was fantastic in his only season at Kentucky. He was a terrific scorer who led the team at more than 14 points per game. La Familia will certainly look to use that ability to get to the rim when he's on the floor.
Ansley Almonor
At Kentucky: 2024-2025
Almonor spent just one season with the Wildcats, but became a fan favorite for his ability to knock down shots from behind the arc. He'll be the youngest player on the team, having just finished his college career a few months ago.
Kahlil Whitney
At Kentucky: 2019-2020
Whitney's tenure with Kentucky was brief, and he didn't even make it a full season. He would later hint at some off-court issues as the reason. However, he was a major talent and a terrific athlete who could be a very underrated addition to the squad.
D.J. Burns
At Kentucky: N/A
Like Almonor, he hasn't been out of college for long. Unlike Almonor, he didn't play for Kentucky. Most recently, he averaged 13 points and 11 rebounds per game for Youngstown State. He'll be counted on to be strong on the boards for La Familia.
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