COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Nothing brings rival sides together like the chance to compete for $2 million. So get ready to see a group of Ohio State and Michigan basketball players teaming up this summer.

Former Buckeyes Jae'Sean Tate, Kam Williams and Andrew Dakich will be teaming up with former Wolverines Duncan Robinson, Mark Donnal, Jon Horford and Stu Douglass to form Big X, which will compete in the 2018 edition of The Basketball Tournament. Former Illinois big man Nnanna Egwu will also play.

Dakich, who played for Ohio State and Michigan, put the team together.

He tried to get a spot on the Ohio State alumni team, Scarlet & Gray, that competed last year, but spots were full.

"I told (coach) Scoonie (Penn) I'll take five grand, and Ill be a locker room guy," Dakich told cleveland.com.

When that wasn't an option, he decided to start his own team.

"I did some pleading," he said. "I was swaying people to jump on board. It's difficult t with some of the guys, because they don't know what their future entails. They might have an opportunity to play in the NBA Summer League, but this is after. I don't think they expect to get drafted. If they make a camp, that takes place in August. Might as well try to make six figures before that."

The Basketball Tournament is a 72-team bracket, played single-elimination, NCAA-tournament style until one team remains and claims the $2 million prize to split how it sees fit among the players and coaches.

Last year Scarlet & Gray, competing in the event for the first time, won the Midwest Region and reached the national semifinals before seeing its run end. That team, comprised of former Buckeyes like Aaron Craft, David Lighty, Jared Sullinger and Jon Diebler will be back to defend its Midwest Region title and look to win the whole thing this year.

To do that, it could have to beat this new team of Big Ten alums.

Big X will also compete in the Midwest Region, which will be held July 20-22 at Capital University just outside of Columbus.

"It would be fun," Dakich said of potentially playing Scarlet & Gray. "They have way more chemistry than we do. I kind of put an AAU all-star team together. Maybe well get a few practices in. But if I get a chance to go against Aaron Craft I'd love it. He can probably still kick my ass, but having that mathcup against guys I watched growing up that would be awesome."

BIGX fans! We are excited to gather some of the BIG10's finest players and join forces to take on the competition in the #TBT2018 🏀 Our goal is simple-- WIN THE TOURNAMENT--and we need your help to make that possible by voting for our team! Click below

🔽https://t.co/r1O8BhHn5Y — The BIGX_TBT (@TheBIGX_TBT) May 14, 2018

For that to happen, Big X needs your help. The top nine teams with the most fan support and votes in each region make the field. Right now Big X is 28th in the Midwest Region. You can sign up to be a supporter here. The top 201 supporters of the winning team split a $200,000 chunk of the prize money.

If Big X doesn't get in via fan vote, it could get one of the four at-large berths in each region. Dakich is hoping on the vote.

"I hope so. Maybe (Ohio State and Michigan fans) don't want to see us play together," he joked. "They may not like each other, but I think there's a respect."

Scarlet & Gray is automatically in this year after winning its region last year.

TBT's 2018 play will begin on June 29 with the Hoopfest West Regional Pod in Spokane, Washington. It will conclude with the semifinals and $2 million championship game on Aug. 2 and 3 in Baltimore. All games will be televised on ESPN and ESPN 2, or streamed online by ESPN.