Kentucky Basketball Blue-White Game: Tyler Herro, Reid Travis Shine as Blue Wins

Blue was better than White in Lexington, Kentucky, on Sunday.

The Blue team defeated the White team, 104-96, in the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team annual intrasquad scrimmage at Rupp Arena. Freshman Tyler Herro led the way for the White squad with 34 points, while PJ Washington had 23 for Blue.

Kyle Tucker of The Athletic shared the entire box score, which was somewhat convoluted, as players such as Reid Travis (27 points in all, 16 for White and 11 for Blue) switched teams during the game. EJ Montgomery also added 21 points and eight boards for White as Kentucky fans got their first extended look at how some of the talent will fit together during game action.

John Calipari's era as the head coach for Kentucky has largely been defined by his excellence on the recruiting trail, which leads to freshman playmakers who can help carry the team.

This season figures to be no different after he landed the No. 2 class in the country for the 2018 cycle behind only Duke, per 247Sports. That group features four 5-star players in Montgomery, Ashton Hagans, Keldon Johnson and Immanuel Quickley, as well as Herro, who is a 4-star.

The youngsters—along with the returning experience of Nick Richards, Quade Green and Washington, as well as Stanford transfer Travis—is why Andy Katz of NCAA.com ranked the Wildcats as his No. 1 team in the country.

Herro may have been a 4-star instead of a 5, but he was the dominant force on the floor Sunday.

He was 12-of-16 from the field and 4-of-6 from deep as he showed off his shooting and ability to slice through the lane and create looks for himself or others (four assists). He figures to be a primary option throughout the season and impressed those in attendance for the scrimmage:

Travis also turned heads as a veteran who averaged 19.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game for the Cardinal last season.

He brings size at 6'8", and ESPN's Myron Medcalf called him a "grown man," underscoring the potential he brings as someone with experience who can help balance out the youngsters. Travis has played in pressure-packed games in power-conference venues and won't be intimidated on the road. He can also battle bigs underneath and hit jumpers over smaller defenders as a versatile weapon.

He will share a frontcourt with Montgomery, who demonstrated his three-point range even at 6'10".

Montgomery and Travis have the potential to be an inside-outside combination who can score on the blocks or pull defenders away from the basket and open up driving windows for Herro and others.

Kentucky hinted at its arsenal of talent during the Blue-White Game, and it will be battle-tested right away with a showdown against Duke on Nov. 6 in the Champions Classic in Indianapolis. The winner figures to take the top spot in the polls and put an early notch on a resume with hopes of landing the No. 1 overall seed come Selection Sunday.

If Herro, Travis and others play like they did Sunday, the Wildcats can defeat the Blue Devils and make a statement right off the bat.