DePaul University Athletics
Former Blue Demons Shoot for Million Dollar Jackpot
7/23/2021 12:06:00 PM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
Myke Henry, Billy Garrett Jr., Eli Cain, Femi Olujobi tip off Sunday in TBT
CHICAGO – A quartet of former Blue Demon standouts will take the court on Sunday with the hope of winning $1,000,000 in an innovative basketball enterprise known as The Basketball Tournament (TBT).
Savvy point guard Billy Garrett, Jr. (2013-17) organized the SCD Hoops (Sickle Cell Disease) team to compete in the winner-take-all, 64-team TBT with games being televised on the ESPN family of networks.
SCD Hoops tips off at noon Sunday against Autism Army in the first round of the Illinois Regional at the Peoria Civic Center on ESPN3.
Joining Garrett are ex-teammates Myke Henry (2013-16), Eli Cain (2015-19) and Cain's former teammate, 6-foot, 9-inch Femi Olujobi (2018-19).
Garrett became the first NBA player with sickle cell disease when he signed a 10-day contract with the New York Knicks in April of 2019. In four games, Garrett averaged 6.5 points and nearly two assists.
It was his idea to represent the fight against sickle cell disease.
"I was working with the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA) and an idea popped into my head about organizing a TBT team," said Garrett after a practice earlier this week at McGrath-Phillips Arena. "It would be a good idea to represent SCDAA and provide a national platform through ESPN to bring the disease to light.
"There was no better place to do it than TBT with games being televised on ESPN and highlights being shown on 'SportsCenter.' I knew we could put a good product on the floor after having played with a lot of talented pros.
"We partnered with the SCDAA and the Third and Long Foundation that's run by Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes whose son T.J. is under treatment for the disease."
After playing with the Phoenix Suns in the 2019 NBA Summer League, Garrett has played in France and Greece. He spent the 2021 season with the Orlando Magic G League team.
Garrett played in the TBT last year with a team of Illinois alums called House of 'Paign that advanced to the quarterfinals.
Along with the four Blue Demons, SCD Hoops also features Laquinton Ross who played on the Ohio State team that won the tournament in 2019.
Among others on the SCD Hoops roster are Garrett's G League teammate and former Texas A&M standout D.J. Hogg, 6-8 Derek Pardon from Northwestern (Israeli Premier League) and James Palmer, Jr., All-Big Ten Third Team at Nebraska who played on the Los Angeles Clippers G League team last season and will play in Poland this year.
"I called one of my best friends (ex-DePaul player) Edwind McGhee who had just gotten the coaching job at Lincoln (Ill.) College," Garrett said. "We began putting it in motion and it just snowballed. Ed is our coach and general manager, and my dad (ex-DePaul assistant coach) Billy Garrett Sr. is on our coaching staff.
"There wasn't much time to put the team together, so we looked for multi-positional players who could play either guard or forward. These guys are all pros who are accustomed to making adjustments on the fly and learning to blend together quickly.
"We basically had one week to prepare, and everyone is in Chicago this week practicing."
Cain has played in Luxembourg and Ukraine until the pandemic shut everything down. He is presently talking to some overseas clubs and also considering the NBA Summer League.
"Originally I was going to play for a TBT team in New Jersey where I work out, but that team wasn't selected for the field of 64," Cain said. "Billy called me and asked if I wanted to come over to his team.
"It's nice to be playing again with former teammates and good friends. Some of us are best friends. I'm excited."
Returning TBT teams will have an edge initially as the new teams like SCD Hoops look to blend quickly.
"Is a week long enough to get ready?" Cain said "Ideally, no. But we're all pros and used to something like this. I know some teams that aren't holding any practices.
"It's such a short span that it will be an advantage some of us have played together before. The DePaul guys know each other's game. The other guys being professionals will quickly adapt. Another key is that we have a group of really good people."
Olujobi nodded his head in agreement.
"We have the kind of team that guys are pros and we know how to pick each other up when needed," said Olujobi who played the last two seasons in Lithuania and Macedonia. "It will definitely help that the DePaul guys know each other, and that will help getting the other guys to work as a team.
"It's all about knowing how to compete and win. It's how we prepare as a team. We've done a good job getting individuals to come together and play for a greater cause."
Henry earned national and international acclaim playing on a Chicago-based, three-on-three team that won the national title in 2016 and earned a silver medal at the 2016 FIBA 3x3 World Championship in China.
He signed a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies in January of 2018 and played with the Oklahoma City G League team in 2019-20. Henry played in Italy last season and will play in France this season.
Autism Army represents Life's WORC, a non-profit organization providing care and support services for people with developmental disabilities and autism. The team stars former Rhode Island forward Delroy James, whose son has been diagnosed with autism along with ex-St. John's star D'Angelo Harrison, JayVaughn Pinkston (Villanova) and Isaiah Swann (Florida State).
Two teams from each of four regionals (Peoria, Ill., Wichita, Kan., Columbus, Ohio, Charleston, W. Va.) will advance to the July 31 quarterfinals in Dayton, Ohio. The semifinals are Aug. 1 and the million-dollar showdown is Aug. 3.
SCD Hoops is just six wins away from a seven-figure payoff that will be divided among players, coaches and the sickle cell organizations.
"I was thinking the other day about what if we win the tournament," Garrett said. "I think my reaction would be: We really did pull it off. We've got the talent to do it.
"I don't have any plans for spending the money. With our season right around the corner, I'll just put my money away and bank it.
"That's pretty much the same for me," Cain said. "With getting ready for the upcoming season, I don't have any ideas about spending it."
"I will give my mom half of it and bank the rest," Olujobi said.
Savvy point guard Billy Garrett, Jr. (2013-17) organized the SCD Hoops (Sickle Cell Disease) team to compete in the winner-take-all, 64-team TBT with games being televised on the ESPN family of networks.
SCD Hoops tips off at noon Sunday against Autism Army in the first round of the Illinois Regional at the Peoria Civic Center on ESPN3.
Joining Garrett are ex-teammates Myke Henry (2013-16), Eli Cain (2015-19) and Cain's former teammate, 6-foot, 9-inch Femi Olujobi (2018-19).
Garrett became the first NBA player with sickle cell disease when he signed a 10-day contract with the New York Knicks in April of 2019. In four games, Garrett averaged 6.5 points and nearly two assists.
It was his idea to represent the fight against sickle cell disease.
"I was working with the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA) and an idea popped into my head about organizing a TBT team," said Garrett after a practice earlier this week at McGrath-Phillips Arena. "It would be a good idea to represent SCDAA and provide a national platform through ESPN to bring the disease to light.
"There was no better place to do it than TBT with games being televised on ESPN and highlights being shown on 'SportsCenter.' I knew we could put a good product on the floor after having played with a lot of talented pros.
"We partnered with the SCDAA and the Third and Long Foundation that's run by Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes whose son T.J. is under treatment for the disease."
After playing with the Phoenix Suns in the 2019 NBA Summer League, Garrett has played in France and Greece. He spent the 2021 season with the Orlando Magic G League team.
Garrett played in the TBT last year with a team of Illinois alums called House of 'Paign that advanced to the quarterfinals.
Along with the four Blue Demons, SCD Hoops also features Laquinton Ross who played on the Ohio State team that won the tournament in 2019.
Among others on the SCD Hoops roster are Garrett's G League teammate and former Texas A&M standout D.J. Hogg, 6-8 Derek Pardon from Northwestern (Israeli Premier League) and James Palmer, Jr., All-Big Ten Third Team at Nebraska who played on the Los Angeles Clippers G League team last season and will play in Poland this year.
"I called one of my best friends (ex-DePaul player) Edwind McGhee who had just gotten the coaching job at Lincoln (Ill.) College," Garrett said. "We began putting it in motion and it just snowballed. Ed is our coach and general manager, and my dad (ex-DePaul assistant coach) Billy Garrett Sr. is on our coaching staff.
"There wasn't much time to put the team together, so we looked for multi-positional players who could play either guard or forward. These guys are all pros who are accustomed to making adjustments on the fly and learning to blend together quickly.
"We basically had one week to prepare, and everyone is in Chicago this week practicing."
Cain has played in Luxembourg and Ukraine until the pandemic shut everything down. He is presently talking to some overseas clubs and also considering the NBA Summer League.
"Originally I was going to play for a TBT team in New Jersey where I work out, but that team wasn't selected for the field of 64," Cain said. "Billy called me and asked if I wanted to come over to his team.
"It's nice to be playing again with former teammates and good friends. Some of us are best friends. I'm excited."
Returning TBT teams will have an edge initially as the new teams like SCD Hoops look to blend quickly.
"Is a week long enough to get ready?" Cain said "Ideally, no. But we're all pros and used to something like this. I know some teams that aren't holding any practices.
"It's such a short span that it will be an advantage some of us have played together before. The DePaul guys know each other's game. The other guys being professionals will quickly adapt. Another key is that we have a group of really good people."
Olujobi nodded his head in agreement.
"We have the kind of team that guys are pros and we know how to pick each other up when needed," said Olujobi who played the last two seasons in Lithuania and Macedonia. "It will definitely help that the DePaul guys know each other, and that will help getting the other guys to work as a team.
"It's all about knowing how to compete and win. It's how we prepare as a team. We've done a good job getting individuals to come together and play for a greater cause."
Henry earned national and international acclaim playing on a Chicago-based, three-on-three team that won the national title in 2016 and earned a silver medal at the 2016 FIBA 3x3 World Championship in China.
He signed a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies in January of 2018 and played with the Oklahoma City G League team in 2019-20. Henry played in Italy last season and will play in France this season.
Autism Army represents Life's WORC, a non-profit organization providing care and support services for people with developmental disabilities and autism. The team stars former Rhode Island forward Delroy James, whose son has been diagnosed with autism along with ex-St. John's star D'Angelo Harrison, JayVaughn Pinkston (Villanova) and Isaiah Swann (Florida State).
Two teams from each of four regionals (Peoria, Ill., Wichita, Kan., Columbus, Ohio, Charleston, W. Va.) will advance to the July 31 quarterfinals in Dayton, Ohio. The semifinals are Aug. 1 and the million-dollar showdown is Aug. 3.
SCD Hoops is just six wins away from a seven-figure payoff that will be divided among players, coaches and the sickle cell organizations.
"I was thinking the other day about what if we win the tournament," Garrett said. "I think my reaction would be: We really did pull it off. We've got the talent to do it.
"I don't have any plans for spending the money. With our season right around the corner, I'll just put my money away and bank it.
"That's pretty much the same for me," Cain said. "With getting ready for the upcoming season, I don't have any ideas about spending it."
"I will give my mom half of it and bank the rest," Olujobi said.
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