Blue Team Tops White in Men's Basketball Exhibition

The Kentucky basketball team appears to have a couple of things that the 2020-21 squad was lacking – depth and shooting. Both of those items were on full display in Friday’s Blue-White Game at Rupp Arena.

Oscar Tshiebwe scored 25 points and grabbed 21 rebounds as the Blue team topped the White squad 108-80 in UK’s first public scrimmage.

Kentucky head coach John Calipari played 13 players, 11 of whom scored in Friday’s contest. And that did not include CJ Fredrick and Jacob Toppin, neither of whom played in the game.

As for how he gets all of the players into the game, Calipari is confident that the situation will work itself out.

“I will figure it out,” Calipari said. “If 12 guys deserve to play, I will figure it out. If I have to figure out ways to get guys minutes, I’ll figure it out.”

Of those who did play, Calipari was impressed with Tshiebwe’s game.

“I mean, he’s 255. The biggest thing, do you see how hard he plays, how fast he runs, how nimble his feet are for 255?,” Calipari said. “Yeah, you better put a body on him. He did good things. He can shoot the ball. You saw the 15-footer.”

Freshman guard TyTy Washington Jr. had 24 points and 10 assists while playing minutes for both teams. Washington’s play also impressed Calipari on Friday night.

“He can score the ball on all levels,” Calipari said. “And you know what else he can do? He can pass. He just plays the game.”

Fellow freshman Daimion Collins had 22 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, while classmate Bryce Hopkins had 18 points and nine rebounds, also while playing for both teams.

Sophomore forward Lance Ware made eight of 13 from the floor and all four of his free throws for 20 points while pulling down 10 boards. Junior Keion Brooks Jr. had 20 points and seven rebounds.

The teams combined to make 53.8 percent of their shots from the floor, including 18 of 46 (39.1 percent) from behind the arc. Calipari likes having shooters, but he likes something else even more.

“We’ve got some makers,” Calipari said. “Makes it easier, makes it look like you have great offense. Making shots makes up for a multitude of sins.”

The White team had the best of things early, taking the lead on a pair of Lance Ware free throws, then extending the lead to 11-6 on consecutive baskets by Mintz and Grady.

But from there, the Blue team took command, running off 13 consecutive points, with six points from Tshiebwe and five from Collins. At the end of the streak, the Blue team had a 19-11 lead with 13:42 to play in the half.

The White team would cut the lead to seven, 22-15, on a Mintz layup. However, the Blue team would score the next eight points to establish a 30-15 advantage with 10:30 to play in the half.

The Blue team would eventually stretch the lead to 19 points at 50-31 before the White team rallied late in the half. The White team would close the half on a 13-5 run, keyed by Tyty Washington, to make it 55-44 at the break. Tshiebwe led all scorers with 15 points in the first half while Washington had 14.