The Basketball Tournament is back at Wichita State’s Koch Arena with a twist in 2022
It was no surprise on Wednesday when The Basketball Tournament announced Wichita would once again be one of eight regional host sites in the 64-team, $1 million winner-take-all this summer.
What was a surprise was that Koch Arena will play host to a TBT quarterfinal game for the first time. The winner of the Omaha regional will play the winner of the Wichita regional on Thursday, July 28.
That means the AfterShocks, the Wichita State men’s basketball alumni team, could play four straight games in front of its home fans at Koch Arena and reach the TBT Final Four in Dayton without leaving home.
The eight-team Wichita regional (the rest of the field will be announced at a later date) will be played at Koch Arena starting Friday, July 22 and ending on Monday, July 25 with all games being televised on ESPN.
“Wichita State fans continue to amaze us,” TBT founder Jon Mugar said in a release. “Not only do they own the all-time TBT attendance record, but they also put on an amazing show every year supporting their AfterShocks. The Elam Ending on its own is intense, but putting it in the Roundhouse makes it explosive.”
A pair of familiar faces will be back on the AfterShocks, as Conner Frankamp and Rashard Kelly are among the early commitments on the 2022 roster. Zach Bush is also back as the team’s head coach and will serve as co-general manager along with J.R. Simon. The rest of the roster will be announced at a later date.
“Having TBT continue to return to Wichita each year is a tremendous honor for our team, but it’s a testament to how special the Shocker fan base is,” Frankamp said in a statement. “I love coming back here each summer to create new memories with my teammates, and can’t wait to do it again in 2022. We’re excited about the possibility of playing a quarterfinals game at Koch Arena as well, and know that the city of Wichita will continue to get behind us as we try to finally bring home that grand prize.”
The first two times Wichita has hosted a TBT regional has provided some of the summer tournament’s most memorable moments.
In the AfterShocks’ debut in 2019, Wichita shattered the TBT single-game attendance record with 7,184 fans to witness them defeat Iowa United. Wichita also broke the TBT regional attendance record with more than 20,000 fans to Koch Arena as a first-time host.
When the tournament returned this past summer, Frankamp capped two straight dramatic comebacks with game-winning shots. In their second TBT appearance, the AfterShocks won their first regional championship.
Another highlight from the 2021 event was a reunion for former WSU players, which attracted both of the program’s two current NBA players in Fred VanVleet and Landry Shamet.
“One of the highlights of my summer was getting to catch up with all of our former players and seeing them back in their element — winning big games inside a packed house,” WSU coach Isaac Brown said in a statement. “I can’t wait to cheer them on again this July.”
The other regional host cities are also featuring alumni teams in Omaha (Creighton), Albuquerque (New Mexico), Cincinnati (Xavier), Syracuse, Charleston (West Virginia) and Dayton. An eighth regional will be announced later.
The championship weekend in Dayton will have the semifinals on Sunday, July 31 with the $1 million, winner-take-all final on Tuesday, August 2.
This story was originally published December 8, 2021 at 11:00 AM.
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