After a two-hour intense training at Jamesville-DeWitt High School, the Layne’s Hope team moved to the SRC Arena inside Onondaga Community College for another hour-long practice to get used to the game court, where they will face No.4 seed We Are D3 in the Syracuse-Region tipoff of The Basketball Tournament on Saturday, July 19.
TBT arrives in Syracuse, bringing together eight teams at the SRC Arena. The regional champion will advance to the national stage after four days on the same court. Besides some familiar faces previously seen in TBT, the stage now welcomes Layne’s Hope.
Formerly known as Team Fredette and The Money Team in past TBT editions, the Syracuse regional team aims to compete with purpose this year.
“This year, we decided to play for more of a purpose,” said Layne’s Hope General Manager, Mike Sugamosto. “We’re dedicating our play and hopefully any money we win to (Layne’s Hope).”
According to the TBT website, the team plays in honor of Layen, a young man with Prader-Willi Syndrome. Layne’s Hope, a local charity, raises funds for those with Prader-Willi syndrome, pet adoption, and toy creation. Sugamosto explained that the organization joined the tournament to raise awareness of the syndrome and its sufferers.
Sugamosto teamed up with head coach EJ Gallup after previously coaching against each other in junior college, Sugamosto at Corning Community College and Gallup at Fulton-Montgomery. When Gallup learned his team would compete in the Syracuse region, he reached out to Sugamosto, a local native, for support.
Since then, they have worked closely to prepare the team, conducting intense practices over the past 48 hours focusing on recovery, shooting, and scouting their first-round opponent, No.4 seed We Are D3.
Coach Gallup had been very familiar with TBT, who played alongside Jimmer Fredette in a Final Four run in 2018. With coaching experience at the junior college level and TBT coaching stints with Team Fredette and The Money Team, Sugamosto believed he was the best fit for Layne’s Hope this year.
“He’s been very successful in TBT; he’s coached on teams that went to the Final Four and a couple of Elite Eights. He’s completed,” Sugamosto said.
Layne’s Hope roster features NCAA Division I talents, including Ben Middlebrooks, who started at center for NC State and posted up 7.5 points and 4.2 rebounds last season. The team also includes a familiar face that avid Syracuse fans will instantly recognize.
Symir Torrence, who played for Syracuse from 2021 to 2023, gained TBT experience last year with the Herkimer Originals. The Syracuse native said he was “excited” about returning to his hometown to play in front of his family.
“Playing in front of your family and friends is something that everybody, every little basketball player growing up, dreams of. And I can’t take this opportunity for granted,” Torrence said.
Additionally, the chance to perform before Orange fans and potentially face Boeheim’s Army if Layne’s Hope went past the first round, which features his former teammates Buddy and Jimmy Boeheim as well as former coach Jim Boeheim, heightened his excitement.
“It will be incredible because I’ve worn that jersey before and now I’m playing against them,” he said. “I’m reminiscing about all of my colleges, not only Syracuse, but how far it took me to get here. It was a long journey, but I got her and still got some work to do.”
Trevor Booker, another familiar face, might be recognized by NBA fans for his viral 0.1-second buzzer-beater in 2015. After playing for The Money Team under Coach Gallup in the TBT 2023, his good relationship with Gallup led him back to the court.
“It feels great (to be back),” Booker said. “Anytime I get to compete and play against other top-level players, it’s always a fun time. I love competing. I’m with a new group of guys. I’m excited for the opportunity to see what we can do.”
Due to the diverse backgrounds and short integration period, building team chemistry was a major challenge for Layne’s Hope before the tournament, according to Sugamosto. However, the professionalism of the roster made the process smooth. Each player, on a pro contract and experienced in quickly adapting to new teammates, often arriving, practicing, and competing right away, contributed to this.
“It’s the biggest thing that caught our attention, though, is how all these guys can mix? But so far, it’s been so good,” he said. “They’ve been getting along so well. They’re almost inseparable off the floor. So the chemistry is there, and we’re excited to see it come to fruition.”
Layne’s Hope entered the tournament with a clear objective. Instead of setting lofty goals, the team concentrated on what comes next.
“Our goal is to win one game at a time, then set our sights on whoever’s next. I feel like we would do ourselves a disservice if we were looking ahead.”
Kevin Lu is a contributor for Fingerlakes1.com. He freelanced for the site during The Basketball Tournament (TBT) in 2025.