2026 TBL Draft Review - 4 Bears Roar

On Sunday, February 1st, the 4 Bears Roar, a professional basketball team in the TBL participated in the 2026 TBL Combine Draft. Nearly 200 players converged on the beautiful UNRNKD basketball facility in Indianapolis, IN. For two days, players came from all over the United States, including Canada, Australia, and Greece came to show their skills to all 38 teams in the TBL.

"This is some of the best, if not the absolute best lineup of talent this combine and draft has had over the years," said TBL president David Magley.

The 4 Bears Roar were in full force with their coaching staff, front office staff, and scouting staff all in attendance. Day 1 say around 100 players showcase for nearly 5 hours. On Day 2, another set of 100 players came in for the annual TBL combine. Players got headshots, wingspans, vertical jumps, and sprints to develop some scouting attributes for the players.

On Sunday evening, the Roar staff sat down in the luxurious Hotel Carmichael in Carmel, IN, along with the 37 other TBL teams for the 2026 TBL Draft. Prior to the combine, the Roar acquired the 1st Round Draft Pick (17th Overall) from the Great Falls Electric (TBL) of the Western Conference for cash considerations. Then later on Saturday, the Roar acquired the 1st Round Draft Pick (5th Overall) from the Willamette Valley Jaguars (TBL) of the Western Conference for future considerations. These moves landed the Roar with three 1st round picks, with the 5th, 17th, and 22nd overall. The TBL Draft began around 6:00pm and was live streamed on TBLTV.

1st Round - 5th Overall Pick
Jimario Rivers
6'8" Guard-Forward
Memphis, TN
University of Memphis
Cheshire (UK-Super League)
Trey Stephens, Director of Scouting & Player Personnel:
"He was the best player in the gym Saturday."
After averaging 11.5 pts and 7.0 rebounds per game in junior college, Rivers transferred home to play D1 at the University of Memphis. He would be a two-year starter for the Tigers under legendary coach Tubby Smith. Rivers would then go on to play one season for the Cheshire Phoenix (UK-Super League) where he averaged 13.9 pts and 7.5 rebounds per game. Since then, Rivers has been a powerhouse recently for the Nashville Aces (ABA), a semi-pro team. Currently he is averaging 20.0 points per game with 12.4 rebounds per game.

1st Round - 17th Overall Pick
Denzel Smith
6'7" Guard-Forward
Danville, IL
Tarleton State University
Lebanon Leprechauns (TBL)
Trey Stephens, Director of Scouting & Player Personnel:
"He was a strong rebounder and active around the rim, a big body"
Smith played at Walters State CC for two seasons, averaging over 12 points per game which led him to play for Tarleton State University in Texas. He would go on to play briefly in China before returning to the US. He was an all-star in the CBA for the Illinois Coal Miners. This would earn him a contract with the Little Rock Lightning (TBL) and later the Lebanon Leprechauns (TBL). Smith took a couple years off to get back into shape before re-entering the 2026 TBL Combine Draft.

1st Round - 22nd Overall Pick
Marcus Friend
6'0" Guard
Albany, NY
Troy University
Albany Patroons (TBL)
Trey Stephens, Director of Scouting & Player Personnel:
"He's a guard with a solid build, good handle and can shoot"
After a successful collegiate career, capped by a D1 stop at Troy University, Friend went on to play professional basketball. Last season, Friend played for the Albany Patroons (TBL) and averaged 5.6 points per game as a backup point guard. After some off-season workouts, Friend returned and was the 3rd point guard selected in the 2026 TBL Draft.

Before closing out the 1st round, the Roar traded their 2nd Round Draft Pick (43rd overall) to the Grant County Redtails (TBL) of the Western Conference for future considerations.

These three draft picks will now join the rest of the roster for the 2026 Roar Preseason Training Camp presented by Dynamic Gaming Solutions in Las Vegas, February 6-7. The final roster cuts will be made after training camp and the team will officially report to North Dakota on February 19th.