Best Virginia Defeats Maryland’s Alumni Team 130-100 in ABL Game

Best Virginia, WVU’s alumni basketball team, defeated Maryland’s team 130-100 in Fairmont on Saturday night. The game was a part of the ABL League (Alumni Basketball League).

This was Best Virginia’s annual game before the TBT tournament later this month. Former Mountaineers that played on Saturday included Kevin Jones (F), John Flowers (F), Kedrian Johnson (G), Alex Ruoff (G), Sean McNeil (G), Teyvon Myers (G), Jonathan Holton (F), and Esa Ahmad (F).

Jones was named the Most Valuable Player of the game.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alumni Basketball League (@ablballin)

With four minutes to go, the game went into the Elam Ending. This is the rule that TBT uses to end games and avoid late fouling. The leading team’s points plus eight is the target score to end the game. Best Virginia reached their goal with a three-pointer by Holton to end it.

Even though Ruoff, Holton and Ahmad played for Best Virginia on Saturday night, they are not scheduled to play in the TBT tournament with the team. Former Mountaineers Chase Harler and Nathan Adrian are expected to play in TBT after not being available in Fairmont.

Best Virginia received the No. 1-seed in the Wheeling regional of the TBT tournament. The super regional will take place from July 25-30 at Wesbanco Arena. Best Virginia will take on Dubois Dream in the first round. Herd That (Marshall) and Zoo Crew (Pitt) will play in the first round as well with the winner potentially facing Best Virginia in the next round.

This marks Best Virginia’s third-straight summer of hosting a regional; two in Charleston (2021-22) and now in Wheeling (2023). Last year, Best Virginia made a run to the Elite-8 in Dayton, the closest the group has been to the $1 million prize.

Best Virginia is 6-2 all-time in their TBT history, dating back to 2019.

Wheeling will be one of TBT’s eight regional locations this summer. Eight teams will compete in the West Virginia Regional over the course of five days in July in the single-elimination event, with the West Virginia Regional champion advancing to the quarterfinals.

The Basketball Tournament is a 64-team field, which the winning team takes home $1 million.