LEXINGTON — Rupp Arena might as well have been a time machine Friday night. Kentucky basketball greats of the past, back on the same floor in which they once suited up in the program’s iconic blue-and-white uniforms, showcased how much they still had left in their tanks.

Pick a play. Any play.

Aaron Harrison draining shots well beyond the 3-point line. His twin brother, Andrew Harrison, also contributing offensively. Willie Cauley-Stein blocking shots and altering others. Eric Bledsoe driving to the basket at will and finding open teammates when opportunities presented themselves.

There were highlights aplenty from that quartet — and others — for La Familia, the UK alumni team that cruised to an 82-56 victory over 305 Ballers in a round of 64 matchup in The Basketball Tournament.

Guided by another former Kentucky star — Tyler Ulis is the head coach — the visitors from Florida had no answers for La Familia. 305 Ballers never led; after La Familia took a 3-0 lead, 305 Ballers knotted the score at 3-all. La Familia took control from there, extending the advantage to as many as 27 (76-49) after the Elam Ending was enacted in the fourth quarter, setting a target score of 82.

Ironically, the only player on the La Familia roster who never played for Kentucky had the best outing Friday.

Kerem Kanter, who played at Green Bay and Xavier and is the younger brother of Enes Kanter (he signed with UK but never was allowed to play a game after the NCAA ruled him permanently ineligible), posted a double-double, finishing with game highs in points (21) and rebounds (12). Bledsoe and Aaron Harrison were next in line with 13 points apiece, followed by Nate Sestina (12) and Andrew Harrison (11). Bledsoe also led all players with five assists.

Isaiah Reese had a team-high 14 points to pace 305 Ballers.

The 26-point victory clinched La Familia’s spot in the round of 32, where it will face The Nawf, a team made up of players from the greater Atlanta area, which beat WoCo Showtime, 87-76, in another round of 64 matchup Friday. La Familia’s tussle with The Nawf will tip off at approximately 2 p.m. Sunday at Rupp.

This story will be updated.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: UK TBT game: Kentucky team advances in The Basketball Tournament 2024