The Kentucky Derby Classic was this Saturday night and the game is everything that you would expect from an All-Star event. The Louisville Cardinal recruits and Indiana Hoosier recruits were on separate teams which made for an interesting matchup.
The 1st quarter started off with a bang as Diamond Stone knocked down two straight threes and Mitchell scoring the first two buckets for the white team. Adel and Spalding usually got each other’s missed shots and put them back up with authority.
It was all Cardinals in that first quarter but both teams missed tons of lay ups and easy shots. The purple team led 32-26 at the end of the first quarter. Diamond Stone and Donovan Mitchell were the two standout players at that point.
The 2nd quarter was a lot like the 1st but it was the IU players' turn. Thomas Bryant proved himself to be a perimeter threat. He scored 11 points in a 5 minute stretch to give the IU fans something to cheer for. The purple team was pulling away behind solid defense and their 3-point ability. The white team was getting clobbered in the paint and went ice cold for a stretch.
There was even a moment of nervousness for every Louisville fan as Deng Adel got hit hard and slammed on the floor. He was deemed well enough to play and stayed a part of the action. Austin Grandstaff was launching threes from well behind the arch. He was the hot hand heading down the stretch of the 1st half.
A funny moment occurred during a fast break as KJ Lawson went up for a monster slam and got rejected by the rim. A lot of players missed easy shot opportunities by pulling down on the rim too hard. The purple team led at halftime, 77-61.
At halftime there was the 3-point shootout and dunk contest finale. Matt Ryan gained the narrow victory as he only outscored Diamond Stone by a single point. McMahon and Sampson each had 19 points as they came up short.
The dunk contest was much better than the one on Friday night. Simon and Purifoy had a view missed dunks early on but they didn’t have any breathtaking dunks. Donovan Mitchell, was a different story all together. He earned another perfect score, after he threw the ball off the backboard for a tomahawk slam.
The 2nd round was no different. Simon and Purifoy each had decently impressive dunks. Donovan Mitchell threw a backwards pass, between his legs off the backboard that led to another slam dunk. Mitchell earned a perfect score every round throughout the dunk contest and took home the award for the dunk contest champion.
The 3rd quarter began with a comeback attempt by the white team. They came out punching as they tried to make a statement by hitting a few shots. Two of the Louisville players missed a couple of easy shot attempts as they couldn’t convert their layups. McMahon got the crowd roaring with an alley-oop pass to Mitchell for a tomahawk dunk.
Adel and Spalding missed a few layups but got each other’s offensive rebound for a couple easy slams. It was pretty obvious that Spalding wasn’t capable of making long range bombs. Matt Ryan and Price Ali were hitting every shot they were given as they lead the white team back within 10 points. The purple team led 101-92 at the end of the 3rd quarter.
The white team came within 6 points until Juwan Morgan made a monster dunk that led the purple team on another run. The game was a back-and-forth affair after Deng Adel made a euro-step dunk. Justin Simon then made a deep three that pushed the lead further. The purple team was leading 118-111 with over 4 minutes remaining.
Ryan McMahon finally made his first points as he drilled a corner three. Price Ali made an athletic dunk that made the game a two point affair. The purple team eventually pulled away as they won 125-119.
Donovan Mitchell was named the MVP of the white team after scoring 21 points, 6 steals, and 4 rebounds. Deng Adel also scored 21 points as he played the most minutes out of everyone. Raymond Spalding recorded 6 points and 6 rebounds. Ryan McMahon had 3 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. (Louisville recruits)
“It was a great feeling because I haven’t won a dunk contest since last season,” said Mitchell.
OG Anunoby was named the fan-favorite as he scored 12 points and recorded 4 rebounds. Thomas Bryant was named the MVP of the purple team has he scored 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Juwan Morgan had 12 points and 6 rebounds. (Indiana Recruits)
Daniel Giddens 15 points and 8 rebounds. Austin Grandstaff 18 points and 3 rebounds. (Ohio State)
KJ Lawson 8 points and 7 rebounds. Dedric Lawson 14 points and 8 rebounds. (Memphis)
Tonight was an incredible night for every player and fan. The players had a memorable experience and will carry this momentum into the upcoming season.