Peyton Siva on 2013 Louisville basketball reunion and playing for 'The Ville' with ex-Cards

Like an actor taking the stage for opening night on Broadway, Peyton Siva said a "fourth wall" went up when he stepped onto the court in front of more than 74,000 fans packed inside the Georgia Dome for the 2013 national championship game.

"You don't see faces," the former Louisville men's basketball guard told The Courier Journal. "You don't see people. It was all a blur in the background."

The disorientation intensified, Siva said, when the confetti started to fall on the Cardinals following their 82-76 victory over Michigan to claim the program's third NCAA title. The locker room celebration, the joyous welcome home, the media appearances and the parade — all of those moments blurred together, too.

But, if you were among the thousands who turned out to show your appreciation to Siva and his teammates, know that he still feels the love 10 years later.

"There's no better fans," said Siva, who recently returned to Louisville after a stint playing professionally in Australia. "They hold a special place in my heart."

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That sentiment was the driving force in Siva's decision to suit up for "The Ville," a team comprised of former U of L players that will compete against 64 others for $1 million in The Basketball Tournament beginning in July. Thus far, the roster also includes: Dillon Avare, Rakeem Buckles, Steven Enoch and Kyle Kuric.

Earlier this month, Freedom Hall was named a TBT regional host site, giving Siva and the ex-Cards a chance to return to their roots by playing in front of the fanbase they hold dearest at a venue that means so much to the program's history. Tickets go on sale April 1.

With Louisville sitting at 3-23 (1-14 ACC) in Year 1 of the Kenny Payne era, those clinging to memories like Kuric going nuclear in the Freedom Hall finale back on March 6, 2010, will soon be able to watch them come to life.

"Hopefully, we can bring some exciting basketball," Siva said. "Being able to compete and try to win $1 million is awesome, but I think the fact that it's gonna be in Louisville, where a lot of (former players) live, in front of their families and in front of the home fans, I think that was a major key for a lot of guys committing early to play."

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This isn’t U of L's first brush with TBT. In 2020, Ryan McMahon came two victories away from the $1 million prize playing alongside primarily ex-Dayton Flyers under strict COVID-19 precautions in Columbus, Ohio. A year later, former walk-on grad transfer Keith Oddo tried to put together a team called 3-Time Champs with the Most Outstanding Player of the 2013 Final Four, Luke Hancock, as an assistant coach.

The roster included the likes of Chane Behanan, Wayne Blackshear, Lamarr "Fresh" Kimble, Preston Knowles and Samardo Samuels, but Oddo said TBT turned them down.

"The administrator said that the team was talented enough to make the tournament," Oddo wrote in a tweet at the time, "but they wanted the first Louisville team to have more brand-named Cardinal players."

Hancock will assume the role of The Ville's general manager. Siva said he was hoping his former teammate would join him on the court and joked that they'll save his sharpshooting in the event an opponent hits them with a 2-3 zone.

Rounding out the staff are Collegiate head coach Mark Lieberman and Lexington Catholic assistant Jordan Sucher, both of whom spent time working under Rick Pitino at Louisville. Their challenge will be cultivating chemistry among players who share the same alma mater but in some cases didn’t run the court together back in the day.

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"It’s gonna be tough," Siva said. "We’ve just got to figure out each other’s games again and go from there."

Before he turns his attention toward TBT preparations, Siva will be reminded yet again of the admiration Louisville fans have for the 2013 squad when he and 12 of his former teammates are honored at halftime of Saturday night's game between the Cardinals and Clemson.

Those who will be in attendance include: Hancock, Blackshear, Mike Baffour, Logan Baumann, Jordan Bond, Gorgui Dieng, Montrezl Harrell, Tim Henderson, Mike Marra, Zach Price, Stephan Van Treese and Kevin Ware.

"A lot of us have different lives; we're playing in different countries, so our schedules don't always line up to each others', so it'll be good to see everybody again in one spot — hang out, talk to them," Siva said. "And for me, the big thing is for my teammates to see how much they are loved in the city of Louisville. For the guys who do live in different states and different countries, I think it'll be perfect to see the love the fans are going to shower them with."

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There will be no mention of the championship the group won after it and 123 wins between 2010-14 were vacated in June 2017 due to a scandal involving payments made to strippers and prostitutes to dance for, and have sex with, former players and recruits.

A banner will be raised, however, commemorating U of L finishing No. 1 in the final coaches poll of the season — a gesture signifying progress after the program last fall avoided a postseason ban and other major punishments stemming from another NCAA investigation into alleged violations during the head-coaching tenures of Pitino and Chris Mack.

"I was just happy for the university and happy for the players and the coaches and fans, most importantly,” Siva said of the ruling. “It was tough living with that cloud over your head, living with the unknown of the future. I was happy for them the most just to move on past it all. It was great to see. Hopefully, the university and the program can just move forward and get back to where it used to be, and I'm looking forward to watching that process."

When the party's over Saturday, Siva will get back to work. If he and the members of "The Ville" are able to recapture the magic of what the Cardinals used to be when TBT tips off at Freedom Hall, a championship could be in its future.

Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball: Peyton Siva talks 2013 NCAA title, TBT team