ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Basketball Tournament (TBT) announced the teams and matchups for the New Mexico regional on Wednesday. Among the first round matchups will be The Enchantment, a team of former Lobos, against the Panamaniacs, a team of former Aggies.
“This a very unique opportunity being able to come and bring TBT here, which is huge, because we want them to be able to come back, and we want to put on a show,” said Enchantment coach and former Lobo Kenny Thomas. “I am pretty sure playing against the Aggies is going to bring a lot of people from all over the state.”
The game between the former UNM and NMSU players will be on Monday, July 18 at 8 p.m. at the Pit, and the rivalry talk has already began. Enchantment coach Thomas and player J.R. Giddens are confident that they will be the ones to come out victorious, especially since the team has been months in the making.
“I think that they did a better job of putting the team together this year and we are going to gel more and we are going to come out here and blend together to try and do our best,” Giddens said. “I think its a great opportunity to see us all in the same place and the same time, because my kids don’t know who I am, but they know who Anthony Mathis is, you know, and its crazy. So, for Lobo fans of all ages I think that this is a great opportunity for everybody to come out. See your favorite Lobos play vs the team that we want to beat the most.”
TBT is a $1 million winner-take-all single elimination tournament comprised of 64 teams. The New Mexico Regional consists of three rounds and eight teams, with the winner moving on to Dayton, Ohio. Games will begin on July 18 and end on July 21.
