Basketball Game Preview: Manual Thunderbolts vs. KIPP Denver Collegiate White Tigers

The Manual Thunderbolts will square off against the KIPP Denver Collegiate White Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Manual is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 66.3 points per game this season.

Manual took a loss when they played away from home back in December of 2024, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They claimed a resounding 72-18 win over Rocky Mountain Prep SMART. The Thunderbolts have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four matches by 40 points or more this season.

Manual's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Zubayr Carpenter led the charge by dropping a double-double on 15 points and ten rebounds. The dominant performance gave Carpenter a new career-high in boards. Zeek Watson was another key player, going 5 of 9 on his way to 12 points along with five boards and four steals.

Manual smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in three consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, KIPP Denver Collegiate suffered their biggest loss since January 30, 2024 on Tuesday. They took a blow against DSST: Cedar, falling 81-40.

Manual's victory was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-2. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 54 points. As for KIPP Denver Collegiate, they now have a losing record at 2-3.

Everything came up roses for Manual against KIPP Denver Collegiate in their previous meeting back in December of 2015, as the team secured a 76-45 win. Will Manual repeat their success, or does KIPP Denver Collegiate have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.