This year’s La Familia team turned to players from outside Kentucky’s alumni base to help chase The Basketball Tournament’s $2 million prize. The nostalgia of former Wildcats sells tickets, but after a disappointing 2025 run, La Familia needed proven TBT talent. They found it in Chris Coffey.
The Louisville native may not be a former Wildcat, but Kentucky fans will appreciate one line on his resume. Last summer, Coffey helped eliminate Louisville’s alumni team, The Ville, from TBT’s second round, posting 11 points and nine rebounds in Sideline Cancer’s upset victory at Freedom Hall.
Coffey was one of TBT’s top performers in 2025, averaging 12 points and eight rebounds while shooting 56 percent from the field over four games. Sideline Cancer reached the tournament semifinals before its run came to an end. He played 35 minutes per game.
Before his TBT success, Coffey starred just down the road at Georgetown College. He helped lead the Tigers to the 2019 NAIA Division I national championship, earning Tournament MVP and All-American honors. The following year, he was named NAIA National Player of the Year as a senior in 2020, as the Tigers finished 30-2 overall and won the Mid-South Conference’s regular-season and conference tournament championships before the COVID-19 pandemic ended Georgetown’s opportunity at a title defense.
Now, he’s back playing basketball in Central Kentucky.
The Ville’s Montrezl Harrell (5) goes for a layup against Sideline Cancer’s Chris Coffey (22) during their game on Monday, July 22, 2024 in Louisville, Ky. at Freedom Hall during the second round of The Basketball Tournament.
Why La Familia?
Sideline Cancer does not have a team in the new 14-team format this year, so Coffey was a free agent when La Familia’s general manager, Twany Beckham, gave him a call.
“La Familia called, and I was ready,” the five-year TBT veteran told KSR during La Familia’s media day.
“It sounded like a regular call. He checks up on you and then hits you with the news, and it’s like, you’ve got a decision to make. Do you want to play with us or do you want to think about it? But I knew from the jump that I wanted to play, and he gave me the opportunity so I took it.”
Coffey grew up on the Louisville side of the UK-UofL rivalry, watching legends like Russ Smith, who is a player/GM/owner of The Ville this year.
“At the end of the day, I love Louisville, but I’m with Kentucky now, so my heart’s here right now so I’m going to go out there and play my best.”
Playing college ball 15 minutes from Lexington, Coffey knows the passion of Big Blue Nation and how Kentucky fans support the Wildcats. He spent a lot of time on UK’s campus while at Georgetown.
“It’s all love,” he said of his connection to BBN. “I’m a family man, and these are my brothers right now, so we’re going to go to war.”
As for what he adds to the team, Coffey described himself as La Familia’s energy guy both on and off the court, bringing dunks, rebounds, and putbacks.
They’ll need his expertise in beating The Ville, too. Coffey and La Familia begin their best-of-three series against the former Cards on Saturday.