Arizona’s Red-Blue scrimmage means one thing: Basketball season is back

TUCSON, Ariz. — KJ Lewis played high school basketball in Texas, but he grew up here, not far from the University of Arizona. He knows the passion associated with the basketball team. As a recruit, he twice attended the program’s “First Watch Red-Blue Showcase.”

On Friday night, Lewis was back at McKale Center, this time as an Arizona freshman. He was nervous to start, but settled down enough to win the event’s dunk contest. As for the energy in the near-capacity arena?

“Ten out of 10,” Lewis said. “I can just imagine how much louder and how it’s going to rock (during the regular season).”

The seasons don’t change much in the desert. Summer stretches to Halloween. Autumn lasts a few weeks before the arrival of sweatshirt weather, which most years is as close to winter as this place gets. The Red-Blue scrimmage at least symbolizes one change: Basketball season is coming. That means something here.

Kansas may have the nation’s premier preseason event. Over the years “Late Night in the Phog” has included entertainers such as Snoop Dogg, Run-DMC and 2 Chainz. Flo Rida is scheduled to perform next week at the event. That’s hard to top, but in terms of tradition, Arizona comes close.

“What it’s like is an SEC football spring game,” said Josh Pastner, a former Arizona coach and player.

In his third season, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd understands the event’s significance. Not only is the showcase used to introduce his team — this year’s squad features seven newcomers — it’s also a tremendous recruiting opportunity.

Attendance had dipped in recent years because of the pandemic and coaching change. During Lloyd’s first season, in 2021, about 8,000 showed up. Last year it was around 10,000. Friday was another step, and Lloyd has even bigger plans for the future.

“We’re in real talks for bigger and more exciting things and going to make this a can’t-miss event for the community,” he said.

On Friday night, former Arizona stars Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye — hosts of the popular podcast “Road Trippin’” — served as the event’s emcees. Two days before the scrimmage, during a Zoom call with reporters, Jefferson and Frye were asked how they would describe the Red-Blue energy.

“Let me take this one,” Jefferson said to his co-host. “My 6- and 8-year-old boys are going to go to this, to Tucson. I don’t know if this is the first time, but this will be the first time that they’ll fully get the experience, and I am so excited because there is no other experience like this.”

Added Frye: “You know, it’s easy to go to an Arizona-Kansas game, an Arizona-UCLA game, when they’re both ranked pretty high, but to pack it out and have the electricity and energy of like a Red-and-Blue (scrimmage) … you realize it’s more than just basketball. This is the culture of Tucson.”

Although a starting point is difficult to determine, most agree this is a Lute Olson creation. The event has changed over the years, but not much. It has been called a scrimmage, game and showcase. In 1983, Olson’s first season as coach, it even went by different colors — the “Blue-White” scrimmage. At first, the practice was free to the public. Over time, the athletic department started charging. The best seats Friday night went for $20, but $10 could get a person in the building.

“I think what really got it started was Lute thinking there are a lot of people that want to come to the games, so let’s open it up to the general public and really make it for people that don’t have season tickets,” former Olson assistant coach Jim Rosborough said. “That was kind of the idea behind it.”

Let’s get this party started #BearDown
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) September 30, 2023

In 1988, Sean Elliott, Tom Tolbert and Steve Kerr led the Wildcats to the Final Four and suddenly the preseason event became must-see basketball. After the Red-Blue scrimmage in 1990, Tucson Citizen columnist Corky Simpson described the enthusiasm with exclamation points:

“Does this place love basketball or what?

“I mean, you couldn’t park your car on the UA campus by 5 yesterday afternoon.

“By 5:30 the arena was almost filled and by 6 they were hanging from the rafters …

“For a practice that started at 7!!”

Former players remember conference championships and NCAA Tournament runs, but they also recall the first time they walked out of the tunnel in front of 14,000 at the Red-Blue scrimmage.

“It was something that was not forgettable,” former guard Matt Othick said.

In 1992, Corey Williams was a touted freshman from Batavia, Ill., a town of 26,000 about 40 miles west of Chicago. Williams had grown up in Big Ten country, home of Indiana’s Bob Knight, Purdue’s Gene Keady and Illinois’ Lou Henson. He understood hoops passion.

Then he arrived at Arizona. A week into practice, teammate Damon Stoudamire mentioned the Red-Blue scrimmage. Williams said he had heard about it, but didn’t know much. Stoudamire looked at Williams like he “was from Mars.”

“I remember coming out of the tunnel and hearing this insane roar just for us running out onto the court,” Williams said. “In that instant, I knew I was involved in something that I would have to quickly figure out because there’s no reason for these people to make this much noise during the layup line.”

The part people missed: Olson took the scrimmage seriously. No different than a regular-season game. Everything was charted. Every play dissected.

Frye said that during his freshman year, two starting spots were mostly determined at the scrimmage. Williams said that during his time, the Wildcats were told beforehand: “We’re going to split the team down the middle. If you get beat on defense, if you give up an offensive rebound, if you don’t know the plays, it’s not going to be good for you.”

Not everything has gone as planned. In 2003, a walk-on freshman named Beau Muhlbach started hitting shots and never stopped. After the game, an Arizona staffer informed Olson that Muhlbach had scored 36 points. “He what?” Olson said in disbelief. (Muhlbach played in eight games that season and ultimately transferred to Texas A&M.)

Friday’s event had star power. In addition to Jefferson and Frye, former Arizona standouts Miles Simon, Mike Bibby and Andre Iguodala were in attendance. Kerr and Luke Walton were Zoomed in on the video board to explain to this year’s team what it means to be Wildcats.

Lloyd again has a preseason Top 25 team, an interesting mix of international and transfer players. North Carolina transfer Caleb Love is among the country’s most experienced guards. Alabama transfer Jaden Bradley last season was an All-SEC freshman. Lloyd said he thinks this could be his deepest Arizona team.

On Friday night, he got a look at how the Wildcats reacted in front of a packed house. Sophomore Filip Borovicanin won the 3-point contest. Lewis jumped over 7-foot center Oumar Ballo to win the dunk contest. During a 24-minute scrimmage, Ballo had 18 points and 10 rebounds. San Diego State transfer Keshad Johnson added 13 and four. Love had 12 points and four assists.

And the winning dunk for @thekjlewis 🏆
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) September 30, 2023

In two seasons under Lloyd, the Wildcats have gone 61-11. They have rolled through regular seasons, only to stumble in the NCAA Tournament. In 2022, No. 1 seed Arizona lost in the Sweet 16. Last year, the second-seeded Wildcats lost to Princeton in the first round. On Friday, Lloyd told fans that he stays up each night thinking of how he can deliver a championship to this community.

That journey always starts at the same place, the Red-Blue scrimmage. In front of thousands. It’s basketball season.

“Here we go,” Lloyd said.

GO DEEPER

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(Photo: Doug Haller / The Athletic)