ERIE, Pa. – Former Penn State Behrend men's basketball standout Russ Conley (Transfer, PA/Reynolds) will return to the Sideline Cancer Basketball Team and will take part in the second annual "The Basketball Tournament", a 97-team, single-elimination event beginning July 17 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Sideline Cancer squad will be competing as a non-profit entity. Should the team win, the $1,000,000 championship prize would be donated to the Greg and Cathy Griffith Family Foundation of Hollidaysburg, PA, to help fund a cure for pancreatic cancer research. The 11-member team is made up of professional basketball players who are coming together to play for a cause.

After a stellar career at Behrend that included two Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Player of the Year selections, Conley played one year with Citybasket Recklinghausen, a professional team in Germany, and spent last season with the NBA D-League Team Erie Bayhawks.

Fans can vote for the Sideline Cancer team to help secure a first-round bye for the tournament. The voting concludes on June 22nd and the tournament will begin on July 10th. To support the team and vote, visit www.thetournament.com/teams/sideline-cancer. The finals of "The Basketball Tournament" will be broadcast on ESPN on August 2nd and played at Fordham University in New York City.

For more information about The Basketball Tournament, visit www.thetournament.com. To learn more about the Greg and Cathy Griffith Family Foundation, visit www.griffithfamilyfoundation.org.