While Ohio State came up a few games short of making this year's Final Four, one member of this past season's Buckeyes is in San Antonio and competing on the basketball court this weekend.
Jae'Sean Tate is one of four seniors from this past season representing the Big Ten – along with Indiana's Robert Johnson, Minnesota's Nate Mason and Purdue's Vincent Edwards – in the inaugural 3X3U National Championship, a competition pitting 31 teams of college basketball players who exhausted their eligibility this past season, joined by conference affiliation, in a 3-on-3 tournament for cash prizes.
Tate and the Big Ten won both of their games in pool play on Friday night, receiving $1,000 in cash – handed to them in a bag immediately after each game – for each win.
Tate scored the game-clinching layup to lead the Big Ten to a 21-16 win in its first game of the night against the team from the Southland Conference.
Mr. @o_tate_ getting BUCKETS for @B1GMBBall! Big Ten are 1-0. #3X3U pic.twitter.com/BXV5glHROA
— 3X3U National Championship (@3X3UHoops) March 31, 2018
In the Big Ten's second game of the night, a 21-18 win over Conference USA (first team to 21 points wins each game), Tate had multiple highlights including a block in the paint and a posterizing left-hand dunk over a Conference USA defender, as can be seen in the video below.
Ohio State assistant coach Ryan Pedon, special assistant Mike Netti and associate athletic director of communications Dan Wallenberg were all at the event on Friday night to support Tate, while former Buckeye Mark Titus is also in San Antonio working as one of the commentators for the event, which is being broadcast live through the event's official Twitter account. The Ohio State basketball team's official Twitter account posted a photo of all five of them together.
@OhioStateHoops in San Antonio. pic.twitter.com/BWAhadi32K
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) March 31, 2018
Wallenberg also posted a video of Tate discussing his experience at the event after the Big Ten team's first win.
JaeSean Tate of @OhioStateHoops on playing in 3x3 event in San Antonio. pic.twitter.com/YLZL9Fsz7t
— Dan Wallenberg (@OSUADAthComm) March 31, 2018
"It's been real fun," Tate said. "Just to be able to compete with other seniors from the conference, and also play with some of the top players in the Big Ten, it's a great experience. It's fun, we're having fun with it, but you also are able to win some money, so that's the other plus to it."
