The Louisville men's basketball program's alumni team that is taking part in the 2023 iteration of The Basketball Tournament is adding a legendary sharpshooter to their roster.
Former Cardinals Kyle Kuric has officially signed to the playing roster for "The Ville," TBT announced Thursday.
The 6-foot-4 forward joins a roster that is already full of names familiar to Louisville fans. Russ Smith, Peyton Siva, Wayne Blackshear, Chane Behanan, Steven Enoch, Rakeem Buckles and Dillon Avare have also committed to the playing roster; while Luke Hancock, Mark Lieberman and Jordan Sucher are among those that will serve on the coaching staff for "The Ville."
While Kuric was originally included as part of The Ville's announcement back in February, there were concerns that he might not be able to participate due to potential conflicts with his previous club FC Barcelona. His contract with Barca expired on June 30, and he later signed Russian-based club Zenit Saint Petersburg.
In his final season with FC Barcelona, Kuric averaged 5.0 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.5 assists per in 22 appearances and five starts. He also averaged 43.7 percent from the field and 43.6 percent on three-point attempts.
The native of Evansville, Ind. was a key component to Louisville's run to the 2012 Final Four. That season as a senior, he averaged 12.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, while also shooting 42.2 from the field and 32.9 percent on threes.
Kuric established himself as a fan-favorite during his time as a Cardinal. As a sophomore, he poured in 22 points in the final game at Freedom Hall to help Louisville pull off an upset over No. 1 Syracuse. The next season as a junior, he scored the winning layup in the come-from-behind "Miracle on Main Street" win against Marquette, and threw down one of the most vicious dunks in Louisville history against Notre Dame.
In his career, he totaled 979 points while connecting on 169 total three pointers, which ranks just outside the top ten all-time in Louisville history.
TBT is a 64-team, $1 million winner-take-all tournament that has seen its popularity rise in recent years after it was first established in 2014. While anyone over 18 years old and not currently on an NBA roster can play, teams more often than not consist of former collegiate and professional basketball players.
It is also home to the Elam Ending, which is an alternate way to conclude basketball games without them turning into an intentional foul fest. At the first dead ball under four minutes in the fourth quarter, a target score for both teams is then established by adding eight points to the leading team’s score.
The Ville will host to one of TBT’s eight regional locations, with play taking place at legendary Freedom Hall. Eight teams will compete in the Louisville Regional, with the regional champion advancing to the quarterfinals. One of TBT’s Quarterfinals games will also take place at Freedom Hall, with the winner of the Louisville Regional taking on the champion of another regional.
The Louisville Regional lasts from Tuesday, July 25 to Saturday, July 29, with the Quarterfinal at Freedom Hall taking place on Monday, July 31. The Ville will kick off their run on the first day of the regional at 7:00 p.m. EST against the Auburn alumni team War Ready.
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