CHRIS CODUTO/Arizona Daily Wildcat Sophomore forward Andre Iguodala slams home two of his 32 points in last night's men's basketball Red-Blue game in McKale Center. Iguodala's Blue team won, 99-93.

Forward leads all scorers in Red-Blue scrimmage

With the offseason departure of last year's three senior leaders, the Arizona men's basketball team has been searching for someone to take over that role.

Forward Andre Iguodala made a definitive case for himself last night in McKale Center, leading the UA Blue squad to a 99-93 victory over the UA Red team during the team's annual Red-Blue intrasquad scrimmage.

"I was pretty excited putting on a jersey again," Iguodala said.

Iguodala dominated from start to finish, scoring a game-high 32 points after stealing the ball away from the Red team at the opening tip, giving his team an early lead.

Thirty-nine minutes of basketball later - with team Blue leading 96-93 - the 6-foot-6, 207-pound Iguodala was in the right place at the right time again, blocking a potential game-tying 3-point shot by junior guard Salim Stoudamire in the final minute of play.

The Blue squad led for most of the first half. Its largest lead of the opening frame came after an Iguodala basket put the Red team down by eight with just over four minutes to go.

Team Red fought back, however, outscoring the Blue team 15-5 - including three buckets by freshman forward Kirk Walters - over the final 3:34 of the first half as it headed to the locker room with a 45-43 advantage.

But Team Blue regained the lead after a 3-pointer by Iguodala gave his team a 1-point advantage just 1:47 into the second half. Team Red tied the game at 90 on a layup by junior center Channing Frye with just under five minutes remaining, but the Blue team was able to regroup and hold on for the 6-point victory.

"I was real proud of everyone," said head coach Lute Olson. "I think we've got a long way to go, but we still look pretty good."

Stoudamire notched 16 points, but connected on just two of 7 3-point attempts.

"I thought Salim forced some shots," Olson said.

Big men Isaiah Fox of the Blue squad and Frye of the Red team beat up on each other all night down low, combining for 54 points and 20 rebounds while shooting nearly 62 percent from the floor.

"Me and Isaiah have been playing each other for three years," said the 6-foot-10 Frye. "We're always trying to make new moves and challenge each other."

Frye displayed a shooter's touch both near and far from the basket. He cut into the Blue team's lead by knocking down back-to-back jumpers from the top of the key, en route to shooting 12-of-23 from the field. Frye finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds, including five on the offensive end.

The story of the game, however, was Iguodala's inside-out game, as the sophomore led all scorers with 32 points to go along with his game-high 17 rebounds.

Iguodala hit 3-of-8 3-point attempts, dished out five assists and tallied three steals, displaying his versatility during the entire 40-minute exhibition.

"I've been working on it all summer," said Iguodala of his oft-questioned jump shot. "I think a lot of work needs to be done, especially on the defensive end."

Olson was both critical and complementary of the sophomore swingman - who also committed six turnovers - despite his gaudy numbers.

"I thought Andre's shooting was a plus," Olson said. "But we need to get more of his 15 defensive boards. He's got to push the ball better."

Some fresh faces also got into the act, as the 6-foot-10 Walters made 9-of-13 field goals - good for 22 points - and grabbed 10 boards.

Walters' inexperience showed at times, however, in the first half. He didn't pick up his first basket until ten minutes into the game, and hit the front of the rim on his way up for a dunk. Walters also shot a near-air-ball on an early free-throw try.

Regardless, Olson said he was glad he got a chance to see Walters in action.

"I think it was good for the new guys," he said. "Kirk Walters every day gets better. He was really nervous early."

Freshman point-guard Mustafa Shakur struggled to gain his touch on the shooting end, finishing 5-of-15 from the field, but still managed 14 points and nine assists on the night.

While the two were rarely paired up against each other, sophomore guard Chris Rodgers' experience made the difference in the point guard battle. Rodgers finished with 23 points and six assists on 9-of-17 shooting, despite missing all five attempts from beyond the 3-point arc.

Iguodala said he was looking forward to the team's next game, an exhibition contest against a squad from Sydney, Australia on Wednesday. He said it will be beneficial for the team to play against people other than themselves.

"I think we took a little bit of a beating, but it's only going to help us in the end," Iguodala said. "I'm very anxious. We're tired of beating each other up."