KSR LIVE BLOG: La Familia vs. The Ville, Game 1

It’s finally here: Game 1 of La Familia vs. The Ville in The Basketball Tournament. KSR’s LIVE BLOG will bring you all the sights and sounds from Historic Memorial Coliseum as the Kentucky vs. Louisville rivalry is renewed to tip off TBT 2026. This will be the first meeting of the two teams since the heated showdown in the 2024 TBT quarterfinals, a 70-61 victory by La Familia. This year’s matchup features a lot of the same characters. La Familia is led by Willie Cauley-Stein, who is in his final run with La Familia, Andrew Harrison, DeAndre Liggins, Kahlil Whitney, and Marcus Lee. Archie Goodwin is also on the roster, but unavailable for today’s game. The Ville’s roster includes Montrezl Harrell, Chris Jones, David Johnson, and Russ Smith, who also serves as general manager. Today’s game is the first in a best-of-three series, and airs live on FOX. Game two will take place at Freedom Hall in Louisville on Monday. If necessary, the series will return to Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday night. Refresh the feed below for updates from Historic Memorial Coliseum and KSR’s takes on the game. You can also join the conversation on the KSBoard Game Thread. By:Drew FranklinTerance Mann sitting courtside07/18/2026 11:41:55 AMBrooklyn Nets guard Terance Mann made the trip to Lexington for Game 1 of La Familia vs The Ville. He isn’t showing any emotion or support for either side, but he is enjoying the action. Mann was a teammate of Montrezl Harrell with the Clippers, but has BBN ties because he carries a Rajon Rondo rookie card in his wallet at all times. By:Drew FranklinThe other guys are leading La Familia07/18/2026 11:34:08 AM The non-alums flipped the scoreboard early in the second quarter. First, Sean McNeil scored a crafty bucket to cut it to two, then Darryl Morsell tied it with a drive. After that, James Mainor-Bell took a charge, setting up a McNeil three. BBN loves it, even if they’re not sure who these guys are. By:Drew FranklinThe Ville leads after the first quarter07/18/2026 11:23:07 AM Things got off to a fun start in HMC, as Cauley-Stein put La Familia on the board first with an alley-oop finish to open the game. But it’s The Ville on top through the first quarter, leading 21-17. Former Card Chris Jones is the early star with nine points on 3-for-3 shooting from the field and 4-of-5 from the line. Andrew Harrison paces the good guys with an early five. By:Drew FranklinWillie Cauley-Stein opens TBT with a dunk07/18/2026 11:20:53 AMAndrew Harrison lobbed to Willie Cauley-Stein to open things up in Historic Memorial Coliseum! By:Drew FranklinOscar Tshiebwe in the house07/18/2026 11:21:36 AM Spotted behind La Familia’s bench, Oscar Tshiebwe is in the house. Tshiebwe and several former teammates, including Jacob Toppin, are in Lexington this weekend for Brennan Canada‘s wedding. By:Drew FranklinThe current Wildcats are in attendance to support the former07/18/2026 11:11:41 AM By:Tyler ThompsonThe TBT trophy07/18/2026 10:41:20 AMThe winner of TBT gets $2 million and, apparently, this beautiful trophy. By:Tyler ThompsonTeam Rosters07/18/2026 10:31:17 AM La Familia Kahlil Whitney (2019-20) Willie Cauley-Stein (2012-15) Marcus Lee (2013-16) Andrew Harrison (2013-15) Archie Goodwin (2012–13) – Not available for Game 1 DeAndre Liggins (2008–11) Chris Coffey (Georgetown College) Darryl Morsell (Maryland/Marquette) Sean McNeil (West Virginia/Ohio State) James Mainor-Bell (Villanova) Head Coach: Jon Hood General Manager: Twany Beckham The Ville Jae’Lyn Withers (2020-23) David Johnson (2019–21) Malik Williams (2017-22) Ray Spalding (2015–18) Trey Lewis (2015-16) Jaylen Johnson (2014-17) Chris Jones (2013-14) Montrezl Harrell (2012-15) Angel Nunez (2011-13) Russ Smith (2010-14) Alex Matthews (University of Texas Permian Basin) Head Coach: Michael Baffour (2012-13) General Manager: Russ Smith