Jimmer Fredette, potential NBA lottery picks Ausar and Amen Thompson among big names participating in 2022 TBT

Former National Player of the Year Jimmer Fredette and potential top-10 NBA draft picks Ausar and Amen Thompson headline the 2022 field for The Basketball Tournament.

The 64-team TBT bracket, which was released on Wednesday, features a record 71 players with NBA experience as well as 29 college alumni teams.

For the first time in the event's history, the TBT will have games played outdoors as one of its regionals is being hosted at historic Rucker Park in New York City. The other seven regional cities include Omaha, Nebraska; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Wichita, Kansas; Syracuse, New York; Charleston, West Virginia; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Dayton, Ohio.

«This year's field is electrifying,» TBT founder and CEO Jon Mugar said. «Nine years ago, we set out to be the home for high stakes, open-to-all basketball, pitting people against one another from all walks of life. This year's field demonstrates how far we've come. It is exceptionally diverse and talented. I can't wait to see what team wins six straight games.»

The teams will compete for the $1 million, winner-take-all championship prize.

Fredette, the former BYU guard who led the country in scoring in 2011 and won consensus National Player of the Year honors before being selected 10th overall in the NBA draft, is headlining The Money Team.

«I'm going to get out and play again and have fun,» Fredette told ESPN. «My brother [general manager TJ Fredette] is part of getting the team together. It should be a lot of fun, to get back out on the court again and play competitive basketball.»

After playing for the Shanghai Sharks in China in 2021, Fredette opted to stay home this winter and spring as he and his wife welcomed their third child. He's now joining a team that reached the