DeAndre Liggins played in the 2022 TBT with Heartfire but this summer he will be playing for La Familia, Kentucky’s team. (TBT Photo)
La Familia’s roster for this summer’s The Basketball Tournament (TBT) regional at Memorial Coliseum July 18-23 is starting to take shape as former Cats Doron Lamb, a starter on UK’s 2012 national title team, and DeAndre Liggins, a starter on the 2011 Final Four team, are now on the roster.
Earlier Willie Cauley-Stein had announced he would be back for a second year with the team of former UK players trying to win the $1 million prize. La Familia reached the semifinals last year before losing.
Lamb played in 78 games at Kentucky and was UK’s leading scorer in the 2012 national championship game win over Kansas with 22 points. He averaged 13.1 points per game in his time at Kentucky.
Lamb played for multiple NBA teams before moving overseas. He currently plays for UEB Gesteco Cividale in Italy.
Liggins played in 100 games at UK as he started his career under coach Billy Gillespie and finished under John Calipari. Liggins was a key contributor in the Wildcats Elite Eight and Final Four runs in 2010 and 2011. Liggins played for multiple teams in the NBA from 2011-18, before traveling overseas to play professionally. Liggins currently plays for Dijlah Al-Jamiea of the Iraqi Basketball Association.
Liggins became a defensive stopper for Calipari but he also hit a 3-pointer with 37 seconds left in the Elite Eight to help secure a 76-69 win over North Carolina that sent Calipari to his first Final Four at Kentucky.
Calipari was so overjoyed that he kissed Liggins’s forehead during a timeout after the shot — a moment I will never forget. Liggins played 35 minutes and had 12 points, four assists, three steals, two rebounds and one block.
The previous game in Newark, N.J., UK had upset No. 1 Ohio State and Liggins had 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the field, six rebounds, three blocks and three assists
The winner of the Lexington Regional will advance to TBT’s quarterfinals on July 29. The semifinals will be held on July 31, and TBT’s $1 million championship will be played on Aug. 3.
For the first time, TBT will give each host team the opportunity to have home court advantage for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the $1 million championship game. Should two regional hosts face off, the tiebreaker will be determined by which host sells 4,000 tickets the fastest.
Tickets will go on sale May 6. To be the first to secure tickets for the event, fans can sign up for ticket and team updates here.
4 Responses
2 guys who brought it EVERY game FOR the WildCats! The results were in line with the legendary great UK. The 2011 Cats were in their way to the Title when the one ball hog (can’t & down care to recall his name) was encouraged by the fraud to keep shooting instead of telling everyone to give the ball to Lamb who was hitting shots in the big barn, where those UK players had never been in anything like it before that game.
Then Lamb was a vital part of the 2012 big banner with his excellent shot from long range.
Liggins and Lamb 2 of my all time favorites!!
Good choices!
My 2 are Jeff Sheppard and Tyler Ulis.