Defending champs Blue Collar U lead '23 TBT field after $1M prize - ESPN

Defending champions Blue Collar U and alumni teams from Kansas and Louisville headline the 2023 field for The Basketball Tournament.

The 64-team TBT bracket, which was released Wednesday, features 34 college alumni teams and three former tournament champions.

This year's TBT will feature eight regionals in seven cities, with Wichita's Koch Arena hosting two regionals — one hosted by Wichita State and one hosted by Kansas. Koch Arena holds the TBT attendance record. The other cities set to host regionals are Lubbock, Texas; Cincinnati; Syracuse, New York; Morgantown, West Virginia; Dayton, Ohio; and Louisville, Kentucky.

The teams will compete for the $1 million, winner-take-all championship prize. The semifinals and championship game will be held at Daskalakis Athletic Center, better known as the DAC, Drexel's home arena, in Philadelphia.

Blue Collar U, a team of Buffalo alumni, is back to defend its title. They have been in two TBTs, reaching the semifinals two years ago and winning it all last summer. Nick Perkins, CJ Massinburg and Wes Clark — the three stars from last year's title game — once again lead the way.

The 2-seed in their region is another former champion, with Boeheim's Army playing at home. It's a refreshed roster, with the likes of Tyus Battle, Chris McCullough and Jimmy Boeheim on the squad. Boeheim's Army won the TBT title in 2021 but suffered an early upset last summer.

The third former tournament champion is Carmen's Crew, a team of Ohio State alumni that won the title in 2019. They are the 4-seed in the Dayton region and will be coached by Jared Sullinger.

One of the pre-tournament favorites is Mass Street, a team of Kansas alumni that hasn't been in TBT since 2019. Coaches Marcus Morris and