photo by: Justin Mohling/The Basketball Tournament

JHX Hoops' Zeke Mayo exclaims during a game against Heartfire on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo.

Two familiar faces will join the Kansas alumni team in The Basketball Tournament this summer.

Guards Zeke Mayo and Lagerald Vick have committed to play for JHX Hoops next month, it was announced on Thursday. Both will return after being part of the team in 2025, and in Vick’s case, each year since the inception of the current iteration of the KU alumni team in 2023.

Mayo, who went undrafted last summer before a brief stint with the Washington Wizards in the NBA Summer League, ended up playing for the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League during the 2025-26 season. In 36 games with two starts, he averaged 8.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 35.8% from beyond the arc. Vick’s most recent pro experience was with the Southland Sharks in New Zealand.

In last year’s edition of TBT, Vick recorded just 4.3 points per game, but was responsible for perhaps JHX Hoops’ most memorable TBT moment ever when he made a game-deciding steal and transition layup as the KU alumni beat their rivals from Purple Reign, 59-57, in improbable fashion at Municipal Auditorium. Mayo, fresh off his Summer League appearance, averaged 12.3 points per game and in a third-round clash with Heartfire brought JHX within three points of moving on with a late shot before the team eventually suffered a 71-68 loss.

Mayo and Vick will attempt to help the KU alumni advance past their third game, where they have lost each of the past three years, for the first time ever. There are only 16 teams taking part in the tournament this summer.

KU coach Bill Self weighed in specifically on the addition of Mayo — a Lawrence native who spent one season at KU after three at South Dakota State — in an appearance on TBT’s official podcast that was published on Thursday.

“I saw him play last year, Zeke, and Zeke had to be on the ball a lot,” Self said. “And what Zeke can really do is shoot the ball. And so having a guy (Mason) that can help create where he doesn’t have to do all (his) own creating will be a bonus for him. So that’d be a pretty good backcourt, there’s no question. Because Zeke still comes up in the gym and shoots every day, and he still shoots it as well as anybody.”

The podcast’s host, Andrew Zoldan, also asked Self to opine on the “rumored” additions of Marcus and Markieff Morris. Both have been involved in coaching the KU alumni in years past and are not far removed from lengthy NBA careers.

“First of all, we got to make sure they get in shape,” Self joked, “but yeah, they’re two of the best to play here … Their basketball IQ and feel for the game is off the charts.”

TBT is using a new format this summer with $2 million on the line. JHX Hoops will begin its run by playing a best-of-three series against Purple Reign, with the first game scheduled for July 21 at Bramlage Coliseum.