Aggies, Lobos (and more) coming together as one for The Basketball Tournament

Three years ago, when Brandon Mason began moving on forming a team to compete in the annual 64-team, $1 million winner-take-all TBT (The Basketball Tournament), the idea was simple.

Bring together some of the best former college basketball players with New Mexico ties to try and compete in the single-elimination tournament broadcast and streamed each July on the ESPN family of networks.

It wasn’t about Lobos for Mason, a former UNM assistant coach.

And it wasn’t about Aggies for Mason, a former NMSU player.

“At the end of the day, we are in the state of New Mexico and we wanted to all be together and uplift the entire state,” said Mason, now in his third year as co-General Manager of The Enchantment, the team that more visibly became known for being a UNM Lobos alumni roster in its first two seasons of competing in TBT.

The team plays in the Lubbock regional starting next Wednesday.

This year — a year removed from one of the TBT regional sites being located in the Pit when there was an NMSU alumni team and a UNM alumni team — the team is back to having more of a statewide makeup.

Considering the past year of turmoil in the heated rivalry, the fact that this year’s team that is competing next will be comprised of mostly former Lobos but also a pair of former NMSU Aggies and even some former New Mexico-based players who have had successful careers playing professionally overseas.

“What better way to bring basketball fans in a state that really loves its basketball together it than with Aggies and Lobos and New Mexico-born kids that are pros all coming together to play for the same purpose?” Mason asked. “And hopefully we get all their fans cheering at the same time for one team.”

Among the familiar Lobo names on this year’s Enchantment squad are the return of head coach Kenny Thomas and players like Darington Hobson, Roman Martinez, Troy Simons and Jamal Fenton. Joining them are former Aggies Johnny McCants and B.J. West — big men that should help shore up the frontcourt for the roster.

But then there are also former Cibola High School star forward Christian Cunnigham and the star of last year’s TBT games in the Pit, Del Norte High graduate Scott Bamforth.

And so far, by all accounts, the group chat has remained PG as the players were starting to gather last week for several days of intense practice before next week’s games in Lubbock.

“It seems kind of fun and playful so far,” said Bamforth of the former rivals all playing together — a rivalry he wasn’t even a part of as neither school recruited the player who went on to be one of top professional players out of the state playing overseas.

“At the end of the day, we’re all adults. We’re all grown men and we’re all professionals. Basketball can do that. You can be rivals. You can have feelings about other teams or whatever, but when you’re suiting up together, that’s your team.”

FOR JB: Fedonta “JB” White was a couple days away from moving into his apartment in Albuquerque to become a Lobo and enroll at UNM in 2020. Instead he was shot and killed at a party near Santa Fe, where he was a prep basketball star who had heavy national recruiting interest, but wanted to stay home in New Mexico.

This year’s Enchantment team has dedicated their run in TBT to JB’s memory and the JB White Foundation. His grandmother, Jude Voss, will be at the games on the team bench with The Enchantment.

“Since that happened, she (Voss) always wanted to bring national attention to JB’s name and to gun violence,” said Mason, who recruited White and became very close with him and his family. “People in New Mexico are aware of the story, but now maybe we can get a little more attention on that and play for something a little bigger than just being in a tournament.

“We’re all playing for JB.”

SCRIMMAGE/SHOWCASE: The Enchantment will host a fundraising scrimmage and showcase event Sunday night at Bosque School. Admission is $10.

A middle school all-star game begins at 5 p.m. with an Enchantment 3-point contest and slam dunk contest starting at 6 p.m. and then The Enchantment will scrimmage a team called the 505 League All-Stars.

CHIPPING IN: There are severals ways fans interested in helping can donates to help fund the team’s travel and expenses to compete in TBT.

In addition to proceeds from Sunday’s events going toward the team’s expenses, there is a GoFundMe page the team has set up and there is a Monday night fundraising banquet being hosted at Lava Rock Brewing. Doors open at 6 p.m. with a cost of $25 per person. People wanting to attend the banquet are asked to RSVP by Friday and can contact Celena Ortiz with questions at cortizhomes@gmail.com.