These three Philly-area hoops teams could become $1 million richer in their own hometown

While players with Philly connections are scattered across The Basketball Tournament, three main teams will look to represent the city when the annual $1 million winner-takes-all competition tips off this weekend.

Brotherly Love, the Red Rose Thunder, and the appropriately titled Million Dollaz Worth of Game team, headlined by North Philly natives Nasir “Gillie Da Kid” Fard and Wallace “Wallo” Peeples, are the three entrants looking to best the field of 64 and win the championship game.

The TBT semifinals and final will once again be played at Drexel’s Daskalaskis Athletic Center.

Semifinal games are scheduled for Aug. 2, with the nationally televised championship on Aug. 4 (2 p.m., Fox).

It’s a long way from 17 people watching the first iteration of the tournament 11 years ago inside the Gallagher Center at Jefferson University (then Philadelphia University and previously known as Philadelphia Textile).

“We love Philadelphia, I mean it’s historic for us,” said TBT spokesperson Jake Pavorsky. “It’s always been a great place for us. To be back [at Drexel], it’s a great gym in a great location. Philly is just a great basketball city and we just want to contribute to the landscape and add something else that people can enjoy.”

» READ MORE: He’s a 20-year-old GM. His mother is the coach. Together, they’re trying to win the TBT’s $1 million prize.

Philly fans can root for the Brotherly Love Pro-Am team that features a collective of former and current college and professional players. The headliners on the squad include former Temple player Ramone Moore as GM and Novar Gadson, the Bartram forward who last played professionally in Japan. Brotherly Love will open its TBT campaign against Best Virginia, a collective of former players from West Virginia University, on Saturday (3 p.m., watch live).

Red Rose Thunder is a team hailing from Lancaster that will make its debut in the tournament. Head coach Malin Morrison is one of the first women to coach a TBT team in its decade-plus history. The team includes 6-foot-4 former Drexel guard Luke House and former Villanova forward Markus Kennedy. Red Rose Thunder tips off its $1 million quest on Friday in Cincinnati against Brown Ballers (3 p.m., watch live).

In the case of Million Dollaz Worth of Game, the Barstool podcast of the same name co-hosted by Gillie and Wallo, it will also be the team’s first foray into the tournament. However, don’t expect to see the pair take the court as they are partnering to put a team on the floor, despite Gillie’s prowess on the court being well-documented.

Even without Gillie and Wallo taking the floor, the Million Dollaz team is well represented with former Temple players Nate Pierre-Louis, Anthony Lee, and Andrew “Scootie” Randall on the floor and La Salle assistant coach Trey Lowe playing the same role for this TBT squad. Million Dollaz opens its TBT tournament run in Pittsburgh against Zoo Crew, a team of Pitt alums, on Saturday (8 p.m., watch live).

Other notables include the Happy Valley Hoopers, representing Penn State and featuring Archbishop Ryan grad Izaiah Brockington, who had a stint with the New Orleans Pelicans this season.

“The atmosphere for these games has that March Madness feel,” Pavorsky said. “No one wants to go home, and their fan bases know and appreciate that these guys are still going strong. We’re excited to potentially crown a new TBT winner and do it in Philly really is the icing on the cake.”