Tuoyo, Upshaw back on the floor
The last time former Middle Tennessee State University star Reggie Upshaw Jr. and former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga standout Justin Tuoyo met on a basketball court was Dec. 19, 2014, with Upshaw’s Blue Raiders getting the best of the visiting Mocs, 68-58.
While each player’s fan base certainly cares more about that result than their next potential meeting, should Upshaw’s team meet Tuoyo’s squad in Saturday night’s championship game of the Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational basketball tournament, both players’ NBA draft stock could make a noticeable jump.
“Ever since I’ve been in college I’ve heard coaches and players talk about Portsmouth,” said Tuoyo of the allstar showcase for departing college seniors that has been held every spring since 1953. “My agent (Adam Pensack) and I talk every day about this opportunity. I’m looking forward to it.”
So is Upshaw, whose former college roommate — MTSU star Shawn Jones — played in the Portsmouth event at the close of the 2014 season. His Blue Raiders teammate this past season — Conference USA player of the year JaCorey Williams — is also in Portsmouth, but on a different team.
“Shawn was my roommate my freshman year,” said Upshaw, who prepped at Baylor School before going
on to lead MTSU to backto-back first-round NCAA tournament wins the past two springs. “He told me how difficult it was playing with guys you really didn’t know. I just know I was excited to get the invite. It’s going to be fun playing against the top players in my senior class.”
Including Tuoyo and Upshaw, there are 64 seniors divided into eightman teams. Each squad is guaranteed three games in front of crowds heavily laced with personnel from both the NBA and European professional leagues.
Because they are in opposite brackets — Upshaw’s team, the Portsmouth Sports Club, opened play Wednesday; Tuoyo’s squad, K&D Rounds Landscaping, plays tonight — their teams couldn’t meet before Saturday, win or lose.
That doesn’t mean they won’t hang out a bit before then.
“Me and Reggie have become real good friends,” Tuoyo said. “Obviously, the career he had at Middle Tennessee is ridiculous.”
Added Upshaw: “We played against each other two years ago. (Justin’s) a tremendous player. Great shot-blocker. Great defensive player. It will be good to see him there.”
Both players are surrounded by some pretty fair senior talent, despite the men’s college basketball’s one-and-done perception of late.
Upshaw will have former Virginia point guard London Perrantes to throw him the ball and Naz Long, the former Iowa State sharpshooter, to score points.
As for Tuoyo, he may be on the team to beat, with former Wisconsin point guard Bronson Koenig running the show, former Arizona guard Kadeem Allen to lock down the other team’s best perimeter threat and former Michigan wing Zak Irvin to stretch defenses from afar.
To further help both players, Perrantes and Upshaw got to know each other at the National Association of Basketball Coaches all-star game two weeks ago in Phoenix in conjunction with the Final Four. Tuoyo also has an unique link to Koenig due to new UTC coach Lamont Paris having previously been an assistant at Wisconsin.
“I’ve watched (Koenig) play a few times,” Tuoyo
said. “Great point guard. Veteran leader.”
Any chance Paris might encourage Koenig to feed the three-time Southern Conference defensive player of the year in the low post? “I hope so,” he said. Upshaw got the hope he wanted to hear during the NABC game played inside the same University of Phoenix Stadium that held more than 70,000 people for the Final Four.
“I can’t even put into words what that was like,” said Upshaw, who scored eight points and pulled down two rebounds in 19 minutes of court time. “It was crazy, playing on a stage like that. It was definitely
different, shooting at those goals with that background. But I understand the scouts liked what they were seeing with me.”
What the NBA and European league folks will see this weekend is hard to say. As Upshaw pointed out, most of these 64 seniors have never been teammates before. And almost none of these players are considered so much as possible first-rounders. Most hope at beast to be second-rounders in the June draft or later sign as free agents. Almost all of them will wind up in the NBA’s developmental league or overseas.
Yet there are success stories from this tournament. Three-time Chicago Bulls all-star Jimmy Butler first hit NBA radars in Portsmouth. All-time NBA greats Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, John Stockton, Rick Barry — whose son Canyon is in this year’s tourney — and Dave Cowens played there. So did Avery Johnson (the current Alabama coach) and Ben Wallace.
And all of that has inspired Tuoyo to work harder than ever.
“I’ve definitely been working on my shot,” he said, though his 65 percent field-goal percentage speaks for itself. “But I’m not going to try and do something I’m not comfortable with. I also want to show I can guard positions one through five.”
Those are wise words for all 64 players.
But Tuoyo didn’t stop there. Voicing a sentiment that is surely universal among these professional hoops dreamers, the only player from the SoCon invited to Portsmouth said: “My agent’s doing his part. I just have to do my part.”
No matter what happens this weekend or down the road, that level of maturity should make Mocs Maniacs proud the nation over.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@ timesfreepress.com.