Oct 2, 2023; Boston, Celtics, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jay Scrubb (55) during Boston Celtics Media Day. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II-Imagn Images

Louisville Alumni TBT Team Adds Jay Scrubb

Originally posted on Louisville Cardinals on SI
By Matthew McGavic | Last updated May 5, 2025 4:56 PM ET

A player with local ties is joining the TBT Louisville men's basketball alumni team.

Jay Scrubb, a Louisville native and one-time UofL commit, has been added to The Ville's 2025 playing roster, executive director of operations Chrissy Banta tells Louisville Cardinals On SI.

With Scrubb's addition, The Ville now officially has a starting five's worth of players. Earlier Monday, former Cardinals guard David Johnson and former Kansas State/ETSU guard David Sloan were officially announced, while Russ Smith and Montrezl Harrell were both previously announced.

A Trinity alum and Kentucky Mr. Basketball finalist, Scrubb went the JUCO route out of high school, spending two seasons at John A. Logan College. Following a sophomore season in which he averaged 21.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, Scrubb was named the NJCAA D1 Player of the Year.

The No. 1 JUCO prospect in the Class of 2020, Scrubb committed to play for Louisville, and had even signed his National Letter of Intent. However, he instead chose to declare for the 2020 NBA Draft, getting selected by the Brooklyn Nets in the second round with the No. 55 overall pick. He was the first JUCO player to be drafted since Donta Smith in 2004.

The Nets traded Scrubb to the Los Angeles Clippers later that offseason, where he spent the first two years of his career, mainly as an end-of-the bench piece. He had a very brief stint with the Orlando Magic for the 2022-23 season, then signed with the Boston Celtics' G League Affiliate, the Maine Celtics, for the current season. In 31 games, he averaged 16.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists.

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.

For the third year in a row, The Ville is serving as the host to one of TBT’s eight regional locations, with play once again taking place at legendary Freedom Hall. For the first time in TBT history, regional hosts have the opportunity to have home court advantage all the way up through the championship game.

The Louisville Regional will take place on July 19-23, with exact matchups and and tip-off times being announced at a later date.