It’s the first weekend of August, which only means one thing: It’s time for the Danny Rumph Classic.

The 21st edition of the tournament tipped off Thursday night showcasing the best of Philly hoops. There’s no elimination at stake on the first night with all eight teams hoping to be the last one standing after Monday night’s final.

GAME ONE: Rex6 79, Philadelphia All American Game 56

It was only fitting that the tournament opened up with Wali Hepburn and his Rex6 squad of South Philly ballers. The 2021 Rumph MVP and his team took on the debuting Philadelphia All American Game, showing why his nickname is Wali’s World in a 79-56 win.

Rex6 were moving up and down the court with ease, leaving Philadelphia All American Game in their dust. Hepburn and big man Mike Watkins were unstoppable on offense, both finishing with 12 points and hauling five and seven rebounds, respectively .

But the best player on the night was neither of them.

The doors have opened for the 21st annual Rumph Classic! #savethenextbrightstar pic.twitter.com/2ywoEqlTfw

— Rumph Classic (@RumphClassic) August 6, 2026

In fact, it was Philadelphia native and former Temple guard Hysier Miller in his second Rumph Tournament. It didn’t matter if it was a three, a mid-range or just driving to the rim, if Miller shot it, good luck stopping it.

Even MC Ghee-Funny knew it, announcing “they can’t stop him” whenever Miller, who ended with 17 points and three assists, had the ball. Rex6 went up by double digits 10 minutes into the game and never looked back in the wire-to-wire win. 

James Stanback led Philadelphia All American Game with 21 points in the loss. Rex6 (1-0) will play in the winners bracket tomorrow while  Philadelphia All American Game (0-1) looks to stave off elimination. – Ryan Mack

GAME TWO: Rumph Center 90, TBB 82

It was Wali’s World in the first game, but the following contest was De’Andre’s Domain. De’Andre Hunter, the Sacramento Kings wing scored 14 of his 21 points in the second half as Rumph Center topped TBB 90-82 in the second contest of Thursday’s slate.

Both teams boasted NBA-level talent, but TBB’s Justin Jaworski and Rumph Center’s Rasool Diggins stole the show in the first half. Jaworski delivered 19 points while Diggins poured in 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting from three through 20 minutes. They traded baskets in a game that featured constant fast-break action.

Neither team gained separation until Tyrese Martin showed why he’s made three NBA rosters. His 10 points, five rebounds and two assists pushed TBB to a 52-46 halftime lead. By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, there were more “ooohs” and “ahhs” from fans than stops. The perimeter scoring on display offered a playground feel.

Hunter made his Rumph debut, but it took him until the second half to find a rhythm; he hasn’t played competitive basketball since February. Hunter took everyone off the dribble and delivered. His spurt flipped the script as Rumph Center took a 66-59 lead with 10 minutes left.

TBB couldn’t keep up as Martin and Eric Dixon shouldered the scoring load. Dixon, the former Villanova Wildcat, finished with 14 points. The game saw eight players reach double digits. But it was Rumph Center who came out on top.

Rumph Center (1-0) now plays in the winner’s circle on Friday, while TBB(0-1) has just one more chance to make Saturday’s quarterfinal. – Jacob Moreno

GAME 3:  Immortal Vision Studio 76, 8Eye 67

There are three guarantees in life: death, taxes and Brandon Austin going off in the Rumph.

Austin had a scoring avalanche. It looked like his Immortal Vision Studio would suffer an opening round loss in their first-ever Rumph game to 8Eye, before snatching a 76-67 win.

The first five minutes gave the illusion that 8Eye was going to cruise to the winner’s bracket. It was Tarojae Brake and Robert “Man Man” Smith hitting shot after shot for a smooth 16-4 lead. Immortal Vision Studio had no answers for the scoring barrage and fell into the early hole.

Then the problems were solved — credit Austin and Wooga Poplar.

The two scored at will to close out the first half, helping Immortal Vision Studio chip away at 8Eyes’ lead while their scoring went silent. Austin had nine points in the first half and Poplar, the former Miami Hurricane and Villanova Wildcat, pitched in with 11. Just like that, it was knotted at 31 when the halftime buzzer sounded.

And then the wheels fell off completely for 8Eye.

Austin found his form, which meant the only thing 8Eye could do was pray for a miss. Sadly, they were few and far between. The Rumph mainstay poured on 15 points in the second half, pushing Immortal Vision Studio’s advantage to double digits.

Poplar’s shooting stroke waned after the half. It didn’t matter. 8Eye’s last-minute rally to cut the score to single digits came too little too late. Brake finished the night with 21 and helped close the gap, but an Austin dagger from the elbow sealed Immortal Vision Studio’s win.

Now Immortal Vision Studio (1-0) will play tomorrow to secure a spot in Sunday’s slate, while 8Eye (0-1) is in a must-win on Friday not to avoid elimination. – Ryan Mack 

GAME FOUR:  Develop Now 82, Coach Tone Runs 73

DevelopNow beat Coach Tone Runs 82-73 in a game that experienced a number of lead changes that I wish were included in the box score to end the night.

Early on, Coach Tone Runs prevented DevelopNow from running in the open floor, contested shots well, and got their hands on the ball. DevelopNow shot 27.8% from beyond the arc as a result.

Coach Tone Runs had a little more offensive juice, on the other hand. Delaware native and former Duke Blue Devil Trevon Duval got his way off the dribble, scorching DevelopNow for a game-high 30 points. 

He picked up the slack for Jordan Hall, who couldn’t find his shot consistently. Hall, who scored 50 points in last year’s tournament, finished with only nine Thursday night.

Guard Aaron Estrada paced DevelopNow with eight points and five rebounds through 20 minutes as they crept back into the game. Coach Tone Runs saw its lead cut to 34-33 at halftime.

DevelopNow built on that momentum in the second half, taking control with tighter defense and Estrada’s scoring as he finished with 27 points. But Coach Tones Runs battled back as they frantically sprinted down the floor and moved the ball for paint points to level the score at 54; Hall recorded a contest-best five assists.

But Coach Tones Runs’ inability to hold off Estrada was critical as DevelopNow pulled away in the closing minutes. They’ll play Immortal Vision Studio in tomorrow’s winners bracket, and Coach Tone Runs takes on 8Eye. – Jacob Moreno