La Familia will turn back time to Kentucky's last championship in a dream TBT semifinal

After being handed a gnarly 20-point loss by The Ville last week, La Familia recovered at home when it mattered, advancing to the single-elimination second round to face the previously undefeated Boeheim's Army. The Syracuse alumni, too, fell to our former Cats, elevating La Familia to a cushy position in the TBT Alumni Championship. One more win will advance them to the final round.

And now, after a grueling wait, we know who will step into the ring across from the blue and white. JHX Hoops, the Kansas alumni team, beat out Wichita State's Aftershocks (last year's champs) on the road, meaning a 2012 National Championship rematch (of sorts) is officially in order.

Beating Louisville's team in the first round satisfied a great many Kentucky fans as it were, but at their current rate of success, you couldn't blame anyone for believing that La Familia has the tools to go all the way. A win this Wednesday at Memorial Coliseum will put them in position to do just that.

Yet, a foray of familiar faces stand in the way. The Jayhawks have come prepared this summer.

JHX Hoops Have Come Prepared to TBT

It isn't only Kansas fans familiar with names like Frank Mason III and Mario Chalmers. The latter is widely known for his later championship-winning NBA career with the Miami Heat, but he's also notorious for a clutch triple late that helped the Jayhawks bury the Memphis Tigers in the 2008 NCAA Championship.

Of course, that Tigers team was led by John Calipari, who would get his revenge on Bill Self only a few years later with Kentucky. That's neither here nor there, though.

Mason, while not a champion at Kansas, was the 2017 National Player of the Year, and he led the Jayhawks to four straight Big 12 total in as many seasons. These are two of the most accomplished Kansas players in recent memory, both turning back the clock with JHX in their own bid for TBT's $2 million prize.

Hot-shot scorer Zeke Mayo is also a name to watch, having led JHX with 20 points and three triples against the Aftershocks. This is a deep group with multiple ways to hurt you.

Having to Go Through the Wildcats

Unfortunately for them, though, that means going through the Wildcats in Lexington first. Archie Goodwin's 30-point performance on Sunday took La Familia to new heights, and they'll be relying on him again this week as they look to outdo Kansas' group.

La Familia will benefit from their rowdy home crowd, as they have all tournament - this time in a "white-out" environment - and should be at full strength on the health front, too.

That means we're in for a pure battle between the alumni of two of college basketball's most prestigious programs. Is now a good time to remind Jayhawks fans of their history with Kentucky? They wouldn't want to hear about their 12-24 all-time record?

Another time, I suppose. Tune in on Fox Sports 1 this Wednesday, at 7:00 PM, or one of the most unique iterations of this rivalry in history. If La Familia manages their third straight victory, they'll advance to the tournament title to host the winner of the non-alumni side.

Just two more dubs, BBN. Show up and show out at Memorial Coliseum if you can!

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