Pitt Alumni DeJuan Blair and Ryan Luther to Play for Zoo Crew in TBT 2024
6/19/2024 10:42:00 AM | Men's Basketball
PITTSBURGH – Zoo Crew, the Pitt alumni team hosting The Basketball Tournament's (TBT) regional at the Petersen Events Center from July 20-24, today announced the roster addition of former Panthers DeJuan Blair and Ryan Luther.
The duo joins former Pitt stars Lamar Patterson, Jamel Artis, Nike Sibande, and Nelly Cummings as the team's current roster.
A local star at Schenley High School, Blair starred at Pitt from 2007-09. During his two years at the school, Pitt won a Big East championship, and made the NCAA Tournament both years with an Elite Eight appearance in 2009. Blair was named Big East co-Player of the Year and consensus First Team All-American in his final season as a Panther. Selected with the 37th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, Blair spent seven years in the NBA before embarking on a career in the G League and overseas. Blair also won a TBT championship in 2017 as a member of Overseas Elite.
Also native to the Pittsburgh area, Luther played at Pitt from 2014-18, and made an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2015 during his time as a Panther. A five-year overseas pro, Luther most recently played for Manisa BB in Turkey. Luther is a TBT veteran having previously played with Herd That. He was a member of Zoo Crew last summer but was unavailable for its opening round game.
Zoo Crew will be joined in the Pittsburgh Regional this summer alongside Stars of Storrs (UConn Alumni), Happy Valley Hoopers (Penn State Alumni), Best Virginia (West Virginia Alumni), and four other teams, all vying for TBT's $1 million grand prize. TBT's bracket for the Pittsburgh Regional will be unveiled on June 26.
Tickets for the 2024 Pittsburgh Regional are currently on sale at thetournament.com/tbt/tickets.
For more information on this year's TBT or Zoo Crew, visit TheTournament.com.
About The Basketball Tournament
The home of the Elam Ending®, The Basketball Tournament has grown from a unique idea among friends to one of the most exciting and engaging events on the summer sports calendar, with national exposure, social media buzz and regional championships across the country - culminating in a winner-take-all $1 million game. Every year it attracts some of the best players in the world. For more information on TBT's tenth season, visit www.thetournament.com
