Summer means TBT is officially back, and judging by this year’s Purple Reign roster, Kansas State fans have every reason to be excited. Headlining the team is the long-awaited return of Wildcats legend Michael Beasley to the hardwood.
Purple Reign TBT roster featuring former Lakers Forward, Wildcats legend Michael Beasley
Beasley is something of a household name in The Little Apple. He played for the Wildcats in just one season, averaging 26.2 points across 33 games.
BREAKING NEWS: MICHAEL BEASLEY IS PLAYING IN TBT!
— TBT (@thetournament) May 19, 2026
The @KStateMBB Legend RETURNS with one goal in mind…
TO BEAT KU!
Tickets on sale at 5pmCDT: https://t.co/uxP5OIzYdq pic.twitter.com/NiVFTjxMRc
Against Baylor back in 2008, Beasley set the program's single-game scoring record with 44 points. It's a record that was also tied by Denis Clemente in 2009. It was his multi-30 point scorers record that both Nate Johnson and P.J. Haggerty tied earlier this season.
That's where the nostalgia comes in. The Purple Reign are set to play a best-of-three Sunflower State series, with the first matchup on July 21. In the series, expect to see Beasley coaching from the sidelines.
What makes Beasley's return so special?
It's worth noting that Beasley hasn't played professional basketball since the 2022-23 season, a year in which he spent abroad for the Shanghai Sharks. His NBA career effectively ended back in 2019 after a series of off-court issues, but the larger story in recent years is the bounce back.
What started as controversy has since faded into a sense of reflection, quieter appreciation and a love for the Kansas State fanbase. It only makes sense, especially coming from a guy who defined the program in during the 2000s.
Whenever returns like Beasley's happen, there's a funny sense of familiarity that time can't erase. The building will always look the same, and the memories eventually come flooding back in. For the fans, it's exactly that kind of moment.
Whether or not the series goes to a third game will determine whether or not a return to Bramlage Coliseum actually happens.
Schedule of events
Game 1 is scheduled for July 21, at 8 p.m. on FS1. The second of three games will be played at Lee Arena in Topeka, Kansas, home of the Washburn Ichabods on July 22 at 7 p.m.
A third game, if played, would take place in Manhattan on July 24 at 8 p.m.
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