Dontay Hampton
Dontay Hampton '13 and Ricky Taylor '12 are basketball players. It's woven deeply in their DNA. They're also in different businesses in the Chattanooga area. But for the next few weeks, they're teammates again.
The Chattanooga Trenches is one of 64 entries in the Basketball Tournament (TBT). According to Wikipedia, TBT is an open-application, single-elimination tournament played each summer in the United States, currently featuring 64 teams.
Hampton and Taylor are joined by Raymon Austin, Dominique Harper, Philip Jurick, Sidney Pointer, Randall Smith, Fred Sturdivant and Trey Suttles. The group is coached by David Cothran.
For Hampton, it’s great to be back on the court in a competitive atmosphere.
“The last time I played competitively was two years ago with the Chattanooga Railrunners,” he shared. “I’m just looking forward to competing and displaying that UTC has talent and representing our city again. Just shine a positive light on what we have to offer.”
Being back on the court with Taylor is more of the same.
“It really is the same,” he added. “The difference is we’re a lot older. But the chemistry is still there. I already know where he is or is going to be on the court.”
TBT is a 5-on-5, single-elimination event. The 64 teams are playing for a winner-takes-all $2 million purse.
The Chattanooga squad travels to Charlotte, N.C., for the July 8-9 South Regional. Two wins carries the team to Brooklyn, N.Y., for the Super 16 and Regional Championships. The four regional winners advance to the semifinals August 1 in Baltimore, Md., followed by the championship contest on August 3.
The Trenches open with Overseas Elite. OE is undefeated in TBT winning the last two titles.
Ricky Taylor