Stubbornness, in part, drives Southampton’s Michael Rejniak in The Basketball Tournament. He’s entering the We Are D3 team in the 2023 edition for the fifth time since 2018. The program is 0-4, losing tight contests to a UCLA alumni team in 2018, a Syracuse alumni team in 2019 and the Challenge ALS squad composed of former NBA players in 2021. Injuries derailed last season’s attempt, which led to a blowout against Wichita State’s alumni team.

“We’re right there. It’s kind of my white whale, to be honest. We’ve been right there multiple times,” said Rejniak, the team’s head coach and general manager. “It’s that chip on your shoulder that you want to prove we can do it. Realistically we’ve been pitted up against every heavy hitter in the tournament. We’re never going to get a good seed because of preconceived notions.”

The team is the No. 8 seed in the Wichita 2 Regional against No. 1 Mass Street, a Kansas alumni team featuring national champions and former NBA players like Mario Chalmers, Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor, at 9 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN-Plus).

“Personally I know we’re better than several of the teams in the tournament. Because of the TBT, right wrong or indifferent, it’s about storylines, too. What creates great viewership is David versus Goliath,” Rejniak said. “When it comes to ratings on ESPN, we’re one of the highest-rated watches because we do come up and perform.”

That stubbornness extends to how the team has been constructed. Every player must have at least one season of Division 3 basketball experience and be a current professional player. They’ve tried former pros before but learned the difference between being in shape and being in basketball shape.

“I know we do things the right way. I’ve been stubborn to the fact that we’re D3. I’ve had the opportunity to have multiple NBA guys on our roster, and I’m not going to sell out,” Rejniak said. “That’s part of it and staying true to who we are. I am stubborn and get pissed off that we keep getting slighted so I want to prove them wrong and I want to help the players get better opportunities.”

The tournament provides a stage for the players to showcase their talent – and Division 3’s talent – and potentially earn a chance at a better deal or to play in a more competitive league.

“The really cool thing about TBT is we’ve had guys have a dominant game and literally the next day I’m getting calls from NBA teams about them. It’s a great platform for us,” said Rejniak, who previously coached at Amherst College and currently works as a recruiting specialist with Next College Student Athlete. “The common misconception as always is Division 3 basketball, you can’t play. These players have proven their skillset transfers to the professional level. It’s good to have that opportunity. It’s a transient team, once you get a contract you’re making decent money for your family, we’ve done our job.”

That opportunity would be even better if teams saw the players over multiple games. That means winning a TBT contest for the first time. Rejniak has fine-tuned how We Are D3, which is now its own business that runs pro combines and connects players with potential teams, selects its roster and the type of player that fills out the roster. He’s learned throughout the years what kind of players translate to TBT and how to manage the logistics of bringing the team together. They pull from a pool of around 70 professional Division 3 players.

“There’s a lot. What do you separate one all-American from another all-American? They all can score, and they’re all really talented,” Rejniak said. “It’s versatility, we switch them around a lot.”

It’s also who can handle playing in front of 10,000 people in a sold out arena like the Charles Koch Arena likely will be with the former Jayhawks on the other sideline. That requires talking to teammates, former coaches, agents and the players themselves.

“You’ve got to find those players that will be in a foxhole with you and willing to fight,” Rejniak said. “When you’ve got those players who aren’t going to be intimidated, that’s when you’ve got something special.”

The roster includes former national champion and All-American Adam Fravert from Wisconsin-Oshkosh, former national player of the year Buzz Anthony, former UMass Dartmouth All-American Marcus Azor and former Putnam standout Ty Nichols that went on to an all-conference career at Keene State.

“It’s cool to compile this dream team and see how they gel,” Rejniak said.

They’re the team he’s willing to bet on.

“I’m a gambling guy, I’ve got to believe I can shoot 20 percent,” he said.

Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.]]>