Anthony Mathis, fellow Lobo alums start prep work for TBT regional

Jul. 5—Anthony Mathis just completed his second season playing at just about the highest level of professional basketball in the NBA's G-League.

And while he might have run up and down basketball courts in Albuquerque thousands of times through the years, the former UNM Lobo guard was still feeling the effects last week of his return to the high desert air he once called home while playing pickup games at the ABC Prep basketball court along with several other Lobo alums.

"I mean, I feel like I'm in pretty tip top shape right now, and it was tough out there," Mathis said after playing with several former Lobos, including a few who will team up with him on The Enchantment team for the July 18-21 TBT (The Basketball Tournament) regionals in the Pit.

"I worked out before we played and my breath was still gone (when we were on the court). Just the elevation and coming here and getting adjusted to it again is a big deal, for sure."

Mathis played for Enchantment in last year's $1 million, winner-take-all TBT event and decided to run it back for Year No. 2 — this time with the added benefit of home court advantage in the Pit. He and a handful of Enchantment teammates are already back in Albuquerque, some working out regularly at the ABC facility run by former NMSU Aggie player and former UNM Lobo assistant Brandon Mason. Mason is also serving as the general manager for both school's alumni teams competing in this year's TBT regional in Albuquerque.

Ticket sales for the event started to pick up a little steam in the past week after the tournament's bracket reveal showed the team of former Lobos will take on the Panamaniacs — the team of mostly former Aggies — on the opening night (July 18) at 8 p.m.

"It's a big factor getting this year in the Pit," Mathis said. "Last year in Wichita, they had all their fans (a Wichita State alumni team played after the Lobos lost to the Stillwater Stars in the opening round of last summer's event). I think they almost sold out one game. It was insane to just to see that for a TBT game. Obviously Lobo fans are some of the best in the country, so hopefully as we get closer and closer to the game, the tickets keep going."

With head coach Kenny Thomas on hand, Mathis and fellow Enchantment players J.R. Giddens, Jamal Fenton and Philip McDonald were practicing last week while several other local players were on hand to help them get in shape. That included former Lobos not playing the event like Daniel Faris, Darren Prentice, Devon Williams, Chad Adams and others.

Even though it's not full-on practice time yet until more of the team arrives in town over the next two weeks, the pickup games so far aren't exactly just lighthearted goofing off, either.

"It's fun, just getting the shape and then seeing the guys, but at the end of the day, we still have a goal we want to hit — especially in this first game with it being a rivalry game," said Fenton. "We start going at each other pretty hard and it'll keep getting more intense as the (game) gets closer."

CONTRACT DETAILS: The contract between UNM and The Basketball Tournament for the Pit — one of the eight regional sites in this year's TBT — calls for an even 50-50 split on ticket sales between TBT and UNM, with seven games being played — four on July 18, two on July 19 and one (the regional championship) on July 21.

TBT gets all television or streaming revenue (all games around the country in the 64-team event will be televised or streamed on the ESPN family of networks) and all TBT merchandise sales.

UNM is responsible for staffing all concessions and parking and keep 100 percent of that revenue.

Tickets can be purchased online at GoLobos.com/TBT, including all-session tickets for all three days of games or single-session tickets. Session 1 has the first two games July 18, Session 2 has the second two games — including the UNM/NMSU matchup. Session 3 includes the two regional semifinals on July 19 and Session 4 is good for the July 21 regional championship game.

TBT: New Mexico Regional

July 18-21, The Pit (Day 1: UNM alumni vs. NMSU alumni, 8 p.m.; Tickets: GoLobos.com/TBT