TBT 2025 Bracket and Schedule Revealed for Indiana Alumni Team Assembly Ball The Basketball Tournament (TBT) – the $1 million, winner-take-all summer basketball event broadcast live on FOX Sports – will see the return of Assembly Ball, an Indiana University alumni team. Assembly Ball, alongside All Good Dawgs (Butler Alumni), will serve as co-hosts of the Indianapolis Regional at Hinkle Fieldhouse from July 19-22. Assembly Ball, the second seed in the Indianapolis Regional, is organized by former Hoosier Christian Watford. Assembly Ball’s current roster includes James Blackmon Jr. (2014-17), Aljami Durham (2017-21), Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell (2012-16), Jordan Hulls (2009-13), Miller Kopp (2021-23), Juwan Morgan (2015-19), Race Thompson (2019-23), Christian Watford (2009-13), and Troy Williams (2013-16). Additional player announcements for Assembly Ball will be announced via TBT and the team’s social media channels.
The rest of the Indianapolis region includes top-seeded Carmen’s Crew (Ohio State Alumni), fourth-seeded Locked in Elite, fifth-seeded Fort Wayne Champs, sixth-seeded Shield 219 (Valparaiso Alumni), seventh-seeded Fail Harder, and eighth-seeded GoTime Green Machine. All Good Dawgs will face Shield 219 in the opening round on Saturday, July 19, at 2 p.m. ET. Later that afternoon, Assembly Ball will play Fail Harder at 4 p.m. ET on FS1. If Assembly Ball and All Good Dawgs both advance to the second round, they will face each other on Monday, July 21, at 8 p.m. The Indianapolis Regional championship game is Tuesday, July 22 at 8 p.m. ET. on FS2. The winner of the Indianapolis Regional will play the winner of the Syracuse Regional in the quarterfinals on Sunday, July 27, at 7 p.m. on FS1. The semifinals and $1 million winner-take-all championship game will be July 31 and Aug. 3. For more information and Indianapolis Regional tickets, visit https://tbthoops.com/tickets/indianapolis/
About The Basketball Tournament The home of the Elam Ending®, The Basketball Tournament has grown from a unique idea among friends to one of the most exciting and engaging events on the summer sports calendar, with national exposure, social media buzz and regional championships across the country – culminating in a winner-take-all $1 million game. Every year it attracts some of the best players in the world. For more information on TBT’s 12th season, visit tbthoops.com.
IndyGo to Provide Fare Free Rides for the WNBA All-Star Weekend IndyGo announced it is offering fare-free rides for fans planning to attend WNBA All-Star festivities on July 18 and 19 to “enhance the fan experience.” According to a news release, riders can board most of the downtown routes and access the Julia M. Carson Transit Center, with Gainbridge Fieldhouse one block south of the center. Fans planning to attend WNBA All-Star events at the Indiana Convention Center can take Route 8 or IndyGo’s Red and Purple Bus Rapid Transit lines. Anyone planning to head westbound on Route 8 can take the Washington Street and Senate Avenue bus stop. People traveling eastbound can use the Statehouse Station near Washington Street and Capitol Avenue. For those interested in paying a visit to the Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park, they can travel westbound using Washington and West Streets. Anyone heading eastbound can use the Washington Street and Schumacher Way bus stop. The 2025 WNBA All-Star game will be held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis on July 19. IndyGo recommends using its trip planner tool to help plan your trip. That can be found online here.
Tyrese Haliburton Undergoes Successful Surgery for Torn Achilles He Suffered in Game 7 of the NBA Finals Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton had surgery Monday night to treat his right Achilles tendon injury. According to an Indiana Pacers news release, Haliburton had surgery with Dr. Martin O’Malley at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. He went down with the injury during the first quarter of Game 7 of the NBA Finals Sunday night. He was seen receiving assistance from teammates and Pacers staff after suffering the injury. Haliburton did not return to the game as the Pacers went on to lose 103-91 as the Oklahoma City Thunder closed the series to become NBA champions. Before his game-changing injury, Haliburton had recorded nine points in seven minutes. Just before 11 p.m. Monday night, Tyrese Haliburton posted on social media that he is out of surgery and shared a message with fans, saying that “the frustration is unfathomable.” Click here to read his whole post.
Taylor University Men’s Lacrosse Collects Trio of Academic All-District Awards The Taylor men’s lacrosse program collected three academic honors recently, with Casey Bane, Ben Harrell and Will Vanderkodde being named to the 2025 CSC NAIA At-Large Academic All-District Team. Bane earned his second-straight CSC Academic All-District nod with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.53 in public relations. The senior defender closed his playing career with the Trojans with a career-high 29 caused turnovers to go along with 44 ground balls. Harrell made the CSC Academic All-District Team in his first season of eligibility with a 3.72 GPA in communications. The second-year goalie continued his strong play for TU with 199 saves and a 52.8 save percentage between the posts. Vanderkodde also secured the first CSC Academic All-District award of his career with a 3.85 grade-point average in environmental sciences. The senior midfielder had a breakout year in 2025, posting career-bests with 15 goals, 10 assists, 37 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers for the Trojans.
The three CSC Academic All-District awards from TU men’s lacrosse increased the number of honors by Taylor Athletics for the 2024-2025 year to 62. The CSC Academic All-District distinction is designed to recognize student-athletes for outstanding achievements in academics and athletics. To receive the honor, an athlete must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 or higher, must have reached sophomore status academically during their season, and must have played in at least 90-percent, or started in 66-percent of their team’s competitions as a key performer during the current season. Each university is limited to six nominations for the men’s at-large team and six for the women’s at-large team, which recognize student-athletes from an assortment of sports, including lacrosse, competitive cheer and golf. Selected CSC Academic All-District recipients advance to the ballot for CSC Academic All-American honors, which will be voted on by members of the CSC before being announced on July 9.
Rapper The KID LAROI to Headline Fever Fest During the WNBA All-Star Game The inaugural Fever Fest is set to have a huge kickoff in coordination with Kevin Harts company, Hartbeat. At the intersection of comedy and culture, the festival will be headlined by Kid LAROI. The new movement will feature Cedric the Entertainer, Leslie Jones, and Aida Rodriguez as comical guest. Further, the show will have music artist G-Eazy and BIA. The event will be hosted by actor and comedian, Deon Cole, on Saturday, July 19, at 6 p.m. at Everwise Amphitheater during the AT&T WNBA All-Star 2025 in Indianapolis. “Fever Fest is the kind of bold, high-energy event that reflects exactly what Hartbeat and PS&E set out to build together,” said Jeff Clanagan, President, Chief Distribution Officer of Hartbeat.
“This is just the beginning. Through our collaboration, Hartbeat will bring cultural activations to Indianapolis year-round, cementing the city and region as a destination for unforgettable experiences at the intersection of sports, entertainment and culture,” said Clanagan. Tickets will go on sale at 3 p.m. on June 24 on Ticketmaster and can be purchased here. The first 250 general admission tickets will be released at $25, according to a press release from Pacers Sports & Entertainment. “Fever Fest delivers a unique opportunity to bring our global fanbase together during WNBA All-Star,” said Joseph Graziano, EVP of Strategy and Business Ventures at PS&E. “Through this partnership with Hartbeat, we’re curating moments that celebrate culture, community and creativity. This is only the start of how we’re imagining entertainment for our city and state,” said Graziano. For more information and to sign up for ticket updates, visit here.
Taylor University Names Grace Gildewell its New Softball Head Coach Taylor University announced on Monday that Grace Glidewell had been named the new head coach for the TU softball program and is set to begin her tenure with the Trojans immediately. “It is with a lot of excitement that we welcome Grace to Taylor University to serve as our head softball coach,” stated TU Associate Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Natalie Young. “Grace brings an incredible list of accomplishments as a former NCAA Division-I student-athlete, as well as a family history of coaching softball at the collegiate level. Even more exciting is her passion and desire to build a championship level softball program at a school that prioritizes discipling and developing young women. We look forward to her and her husband Matt joining us in Upland.”
Glidewell spent the 2024-2025 season as an assistant coach at NAIA institution, Carolina University, after completing a decorated playing career that included time at North Carolina State, UNC Charlotte and Carolina. “I am incredibly honored and excited to be named the head softball coach at Taylor University,” stated Glidewell. “From the moment I stepped on campus, I felt a strong connection to Taylor’s unwavering commitment to excellence in all areas and its vibrant Christian community. My vision for this program is rooted in the powerful truth of Ephesians 3:20, that God is able to do ‘exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.’ With His power at work within us, and through the dedication of our student-athletes, coaches, and the entire Taylor community, we will continue to grow this program to reach its full potential. Not only will we achieve our goals on the field, but we will also develop young women of strong character who will make a positive impact in the world and, most importantly, an eternal Kingdom impact. I cannot wait to get started and contribute to the rich legacy of Taylor University Athletics.”
Prior to beginning her coaching career at Carolina, Glidewell played to first-team all-region honors as a graduate-senior at Carolina after leading the NCCAA with 14 home runs. Glidewell finished her 2024 season with a .391 average, an .899 slugging percentage and 35 extra-base hits. Glidewell spent a red-shirt season and an injury-shortened campaign with NC State to begin her collegiate career, before serving as a utility player with UNC Charlotte during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. In addition to her one year as an assistant at Carolina where she helped the Bruins to a 26-18 clip, Glidewell has offered individual instructional lessons since 2020 and worked with Tread Athletics as a Strength and Conditioning Coach from 2021 through 2023.
Glidewell comes from a coaching family and has familiarity with Taylor and the Crossroads League, as her parents Jay and Heather Johnson led the softball program at Grace College from 2010 through 2016. Glidewell earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from UNC Charlotte in 2023 and a master’s in business administration from Carolina in 2025. Glidewell was recently married to her husband, Matt, who will serve as an assistant coach and strength coordinator for the Taylor softball program.