For most observers, The Enchantment’s TBT run was just another ordinary three-game series resulting in disappointment. But for the players, it felt like a month's worth of adversity packed into five days.
New Mexico’s alumni team, composed of former Lobos and Aggies, fell to Wichita State’s alumni, the AfterShocks, in the opening three-game series of TBT 2-1. In less than a week, The Enchantment not only played three games, but experienced a whirlwind of events leading up to and during the tournament’s opening round.
“It was wild… I had never experienced such things,” an anonymous player told the Daily Lobo. “We finished the series with seven people and gave the AfterShocks the most competitive games of the tournament.”
Following Donovan Dent’s decision to pursue a fifth year of college eligibility — leaving him ineligible to play — The Enchantment played eight players in Games One and Two (tied with Boeheim's Army for the fewest) and just seven players in Game Three, which was the fewest among any team in the entire tournament. An anonymous player said the team had four players who no-showed when practices began.
“Honestly, I believe (the no-shows) affected you if you let it,” guard KJ Jenkins said. “It’s basketball, go out there, compete, communicate, and have fun. That’s exactly what we did in Game Two. It doesn’t matter if LeBron James was on the team or Will Ferrell… we played as a team and had fun.”
The Enchantment initially announced 11 players on their roster, but after the unexpected no-shows, former New Mexico State Aggie Jayland Randall, was one of two reserves called up just one day before the team’s first game.
“When we were practicing three days before the game, we only had seven to eight people,” the anonymous player said.
Randall’s arrival was so last-minute that he played the tournament without his last name on his jersey.
According to an anonymous player, one who had originally committed to play for The Enchantment switched to the AfterShocks two days before the series. The player, who was not identified, was believed by the source to have been paid to switch teams, though the Daily Lobo could not independently verify this claim.
Just as The Enchantment began to settle into the tournament, another abrupt roster change emerged: Power forward Joe Petrakis — the second player called up as a reserve, who played a pivotal role in Games One and Two — would not participate in Game Three after a disagreement over compensation.
Petrakis, however, told the Daily Lobo that he informed team officials before joining the roster that he could only commit to the first two games because of a previously planned vacation that conflicted with the tournament’s schedule after the first two games.
Petrakis said he asked team officials for compensation that would allow him to cancel the trip and remain with the team for the rest of the tournament, but the sides were unable to reach an agreement.
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“I had to make the business decision to not play in that third game as much as I wanted to,” Petrakis said. “I (talked) to the general manager (Brandon Mason). (He’s) a great dude. He tried to help as much as he could.”
Brandon Mason did not immediately respond to the Daily Lobo for comment regarding Petrakis’s situation.
“We knew Petrakis promised us two games and that’s exactly what he did out of his own pocket,”Jenkins said. “He had plans with his girlfriend which I believe should always come first. He provided tremendously for the team.”
The team held just three practices that included all seven players who would play in the tournament, according to the anonymous player. Multiple players, including Randall and Petrakis, didn’t participate in the practices held in Albuquerque before traveling to Wichita, Kansas for the series.
Seven players — five of which were starters — from last season’s championship team returned for the AfterShocks, including tournament MVP Marcus Keene. To only increase the difficulty, The Enchantment were the only team without a true home game in the entire tournament.
“We are the youngest team The Enchantment put together,” the anonymous player said. “We were the youngest team in the tournament.”
If Game One was any indication, it showed. The Enchantment were outworked 98-77 in the opener and their 40 4th-quarter points masked the game’s true identity.
Rather than panic after the loss, head coach Kenny Thomas kept his message to the team simple.
“‘Play as a team and with a chip on your shoulder,’” KJ Jenkins recalled. “‘It doesn’t matter if we have 5 players or 15.’”
Their response was immediate. The Enchantment took an early 16-4 lead in Game Two and never looked back. Behind guard Vance Jackson’s seven three-pointers and 29 points, The Enchantment did what Jackson later described as “(shocking) the world.”
Game Three’s loss ended their TBT run, but it didn’t define it. After five days of constant roster changes, New Mexico’s alumni said they cherished the experience, and outperformed many expectations.
Edge Garcia is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @ByEdgeGarcia
