The Basketball Tournament returning to Baltimore in ’18

Summer event scheduled for Morgan State will be broadcast on ESPN

The Basketball Tournament’s semifinals and finals, played last summer at Coppin State and hosted by NBA star Carmelo Anthony, will be back in Baltimore this summer.

The final four of the $2 million, winner-take-all summer event will take place Aug. 2-3 at Morgan State and be broadcast live on ESPN.

Last summer, Overseas Elite came away with its third straight tournament title and the $2 million, holding off Team Challenge ALS, 86-83, at Coppin State. Overseas Elite remains perfect with a 19-0 record in its three tournament appearances.

This summer, Columbus, Ohio, Richmond, Va., Brooklyn and Los Angeles will serve as regional sites, while the Super 16 will be held in Atlanta from July 26-29, with Georgia State serving as the host venue. ESPN networks will broadcast all TBT games live.

Sites and dates for regional competi- tions:

South – Arthur Ashe Jr. Center in Richmond, July 13-15

West – Cal State in Los Angeles, July 13-15

Northeast – Long Island University of Brooklyn, July 20-22

Midwest – Capital University in Columbus, July 20-22

“The Basketball Tournament has grown into a summer staple in an incredibly short amount of time, given the typical developmental runway for a sports property,” TBT founder and CEO Jon Mugar said in a statement. “This year was our toughest decision yet, as we received interest from so many great cities that wanted to bring TBT to their communities.”

The single-elimination 5-on-5 tournament will begin with a 72-team bracket featuring college alumni teams, international basketball stars, ex-NBA players and future NBA players.

The application period for TBT 2018 runs from April 2 to June 1. Teams compete for spots in the tournament by soliciting support from fans via social, digital and other forms of media. Applicants must be 18 or older and willing to forego their amateur status.