The Basketball Tournament is changing its bracket. Louisville and Kentucky are getting the first shot at making it matter.

Tournament officials have not yet announced details for this year’s event, but Smith said the group was determined to continue the program’s connection to Louisville basketball fans.

The Ville — a roster stacked with Louisville fan favorites — had the crowd, the energy, and, for a time, a furious fourth-quarter rally.

Montrezl Harrell wasn’t just The Ville’s leading scorer. He was the headliner, hype man, and heart rate monitor, thundering his way to 25 points and 12 rebounds in a 91-71 win over Boston vs. Cancer.

The field has dwindled to eight teams in the 64-team, $1 million winner-take-all The Basketball Tournament.

Rick Pitino’s once-fractured relationship with the University of Kentucky has flowered into a full détente.

All The Ville had to do Wednesday night was defeat Team DRC and a remarkable summer basketball moment was guaranteed.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Cleveland Cavaliers and former Louisville star Donovan Mitchell agreed to a three-year contract extension worth $150.3 million. 

One more basket. That is all The Ville needed to defeat the Gutter Cats Saturday at Freedom Hall to advance past the halfway point of their journey of claiming the $1 million winner-take-all prize in The Basketball Tournament.