Craft was uncertain if he would play in TBT this summer due to medical school.
Although he said the 2020 tournament would be his last, former Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft announced on Monday afternoon that he will once again suit up for Carmen’s Crew in this year’s rendition of The Basketball Tournament.
A former four-star prospect from Findlay (Ohio) Liberty Benton, Craft averaged 8.9 points, 4.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds in four seasons with the Buckeyes from 2010-14. He led the program to two Big Ten regular season championships, two Big Ten tournament titles and four NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the 2012 Final Four.
Craft spent six years playing in the NBA D-League or overseas but notably announced his retirement from professional basketball after last year’s tournament in order to attend medical school. He did leave the door open for a potential return to Carmen’s Crew, though.
"We'll see," Craft told The Columbus Dispatch. “I do have the summer off, I will say that. It’s my last full summer off, so we’ll see..."
Other former Ohio State players who have committed to play for Carmen’s Crew this summer include William Buford, Jon Diebler, David Lighty, Evan Ravenel, Shannon Scott, Lenzelle Smith Jr., Kaleb Wesson and Keyshawn Woods. Jared Sullinger and Evan Turner, meanwhile, will once again serve as the team’s general manager/head coach and assistant coach, respectively.
This marks the fifth tournament appearance for Carmen’s Crew, which was originally known as Scarlet & Gray for the two years of play but changed its name to comply with the university’s trademark and licensing department. The team won the championship at the $2 million prize in 2019, but lost in the first round of last year’s event despite the tournament being played in a bubble at Nationwide Arena in Columbus due to the pandemic.
This year’s tournament will be played at four regional sites, including the Columbus Regional at Ohio State's Covelli Center on July 23-27. The top two teams from each regional site will advance to tournament play at the University of Dayton Arena on July 31-Aug. 3.
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