Team Colorado celebrates advancing to the Final Four of The Basketball Tournament.
Photo by: Joel Broida
Akyazili Wraps Up U20 European Championships With Belgium
July 10, 2016 | Men's Basketball, Alumni C Club
July 24, 2016
Colorado sophomore Thomas Akyazili had 11 points, four assists and four rebounds as Belgium fell to France, 79-70, to close out the 2016 FIBA U20 European Championships in Helsinki Finland.
Belgium finished the competition in 14th place, sporting an overall record of 2-5.
Akyazili topped the Belgians in scoring for the championship at 13 points per game and also led the squad in assists (2.7 apg) and steals (2.3 spg). Overall he shot 38 percent from the field and made 8-of-24 from 3-point range.
Akyazili was able to get to the free throw line, twice as much as anyone else on the Belgian squad, and he made those opportunities count. He sank 29-of-34 from the charity stripe for a solid 85 percent showing.
Overall at the championship, Akyazili finished fourth in both free throw percentage and steals per game among all participants.
Akyazili actually averaged just under 15 points over the tournament's last five games. He had a tournament-high 23 points against Israel; a game in which he also had personal-best seven rebounds. During group play against the Czech Republic he hit all 10 of his free throw attempts, contributing a 17-point effort.
This was Akyazili's fourth FIBA European championship, and his second with Belgium's U20 squad.
Box Score: France 79, Belgium 70
July 23, 2016
July 22, 2016
Dominique Coleman scored 16 points to lead a balanced scoring effort as Team Colorado defeated the West Region's top seed, Team 23, 78-73, in the Super 16 round of The Basketball Tournament Friday in Philadelphia.
Five players scored in double figures as fifth-seeded Team Colorado, comprised of Buffaloes basketball alumni, advances to Saturday's Elite Eight round. Marcus Hall had 15 points, Austin Dufault 14, Levi Knutson 13 and Marcus Relphorde 11.
Team Colorado will play Team Utah, a 93-81 winner over Few Good Men, on Saturday. Time has yet to be announced but all quarterfinal games will be on either ESPNU or ESPN2.
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Team Colorado led by as many as 16 points in the first half, thanks to the 3-point shooting efforts of Knutson and Dufault, who hit 5-of-10 from downtown.
Arizona-based Team 23, the 2015 tournament runner-up, made a mad dash in the second half. Team Colorado was hampered by turnovers – 24 in all – allowing Team 23 come back and take a four-point lead with just under six minutes left.
Team Colorado had the final answer though. Coleman tied the score at 68 with a pair of free throws. After a Team 23 score, Hall gave the Buffaloes the lead for good at with a 3-pointer. Off a Team 23 turnover, Dufault scored on a transition layup to give Team Colorado a 75-71 lead with 1:30 left, and the Buffaloes held on from there.
Coleman didn't miss from the floor. He was 4-of-4 from the field, including two from 3-point range, and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Coleman also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists.
Box Score: Team Colorado 78, Team 23 73
At the 2016 U20 European Championships, Colorado sophomore Thomas Akyazili scored a tournament-high 23 points, but Belgium fell to Israel, 93-89, in 9th-16th place classification game in Helsinki, Finalnd.
Akyazili hit a trio of 3-pointers and finished the day hitting 9-of-14 from the floor. He also had a team-best four steals along with seven rebounds.
Box Score: Israel 93, Belgium 89
Akyazili is the co-leader of the championship in steals at 2.8 per game and is second in free throw percentage, hitting on 21 of 22 attempts (.955). He has taken over the lead as Belgium's top scorer for the tournament at 14 points per game while averaging 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
Belgium (1-4) will face Hungary (0-5) in a 13th-16th place classification round on Saturday at 7:15 a.m. MT.
July 20, 2016
Thomas Akyazili registered team highs with 13 points and four assists as Belgium fell to undefeated Ukraine, 95-73, in the Round of 16 at the 2016 U20 European Championships in Helsinki, Finland.
Belgium (1-3) will play Israel (2-2) in the 9th through 16th place classification round on Friday, July 22, at 9:30 a.m. MDT.
Akyazili also had three rebounds, two blocks and two steals in nearly 30 minutes. He shot 5-of-16 from the floor, and the Belgians as a whole struggled from the field, hitting just 37 percent. By contrast, Ukraine made 59 percent of its shots.
Belgium trailed by just four at the half (48-44), but the Ukraine blew the game open in the third on a 28-9 run.
Including Friday's game, Akyazili and the Belgium national squad will play three more contests as the championship wraps up on Sunday, July 24.
Box Score: Ukraine 95, Belgium 73
July 19, 2016
Thomas Akyazili scored 17 points to help Belgium to an 85-83 triumph over the Czech Republic in the final game of group play at the 2016 U20 European Championships in Helsinki, Finland.
Akyazili was a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line as Belgium picked up its first win of the competition (1-2). He scored six points in the final quarter, including a pair of free throws that gave his team an 83-80 lead with only 23 seconds remaining. Akyazili added four rebounds three steals and two assists.
The Colorado sophomore has made all 18 of his free throw attempts, leading all players at the championship. Overall, Akyazili is averaging 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists, ranking second on Belgium's squad in each of those categories. He leads Belgium and ranks second in the tournament in steals at 2.7 per contest.
Belgium moves on to the Round of 16 and will face Ukraine (3-0) on Wednesday, July 20, at 11:45 a.m. MT.
Box Score: Belgium 85, Czech Republic 83
Team Colorado resumes action in The Basketball Tournament on Friday, July 22, as the group of Buffaloes alumni play in the "Super 16" West Region semifinals. Fifth-seeded Team Colorado will take on the West's top seed, Team 23, an Arizona area squad, at 12 p.m. MT at Philadelphia University in Philadelphia.
Friday's semifinal game will be available on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN App. All remaining games of The Basketball Tournament can be views on the ESPN Family of Networks.
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July 18, 2016
Former Colorado great Spencer Dinwiddie had eight points, seven rebounds and two blocks to help Chicago defeat Minnesota 84-82 in overtime in the championship game of the 2016 NBA Summer League Tournament in Las Vegas.
Dinwiddie and the Bulls finished a perfect 7-0 during Summer League play. He averaged 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists over seven games and was prominent in crunch time for the Bulls throughout the Summer League.
The seven rebounds in the title game were Dinwiddie's most in Las Vegas. He scored in double figures in five of seven games with a high of 14 against Philadelphia on July 10.
Dinwiddie wasn't the only player on the floor with Colorado ties. Xavier Silas, who played two seasons at Colorado (2006-08) before transferring to Northern Illinois had 10 points and four rebounds for the Timberwolves.
Box Score
July 17, 2016
Colorado sophomore Thomas Akyazili and the Belgium National Team had a rough Day 2 at the 2016 U20 European Championships, falling to Italy, 89-64, in Group D play Sunday in Helsinki, Finland.
Akyazili had nine points and four rebounds in nearly 24 minutes. The Belgians (0-2) struggled with ball security, committing 24 turnovers. Italy also dominated the paint by a 44-30 count and hit 55 percent from the field.
Belgium will play its third pool play contest on Tuesday, July 19, against the Czech Republic, at 11:45 a.m. Mountain.
The Chicago Bulls advanced to the championship game of the NBA Summer League Tournament by defeating Cleveland 85-79. Spencer Dinwiddie continues to have a huge impact on the Bulls, who remain undefeated in Summer League action (6-0). Dinwiddie was one of six Bulls in double figures, scoring 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting.
Chicago will play Minnesota in Monday's Summer League Championship.
Minnesota defeated Askia Booker's Phoenix Suns 93-83 in the other semifinal. Booker had his best Summer League game scoring 19 points, hitting 6-of-12 from the field including both 3-point attempts. Booker also had four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 20 minutes.
July 16, 2016
Sophomore guard Thomas Akyazili scored eight points and had a team high four steals as Belgium fell to Sweden 60-53 on the opening day of the 2016 U20 European Championships in Helsinki, Finland, Saturday.
Akyazili also had five rebounds and dished out three assists. He hit just 2-of-10 from the field, but made all four of his free throw attempts. Belgium struggled from the field as team, hitting just 27 percent.
Belgium continues Group D play Sunday against Italy, at 5 a.m. MT.
Box Score: http://www.fiba.com/europe/u20/2016/1607/Sweden-Belgium#tab=boxscore_statistics
In NBA Summer League Tournament play in Las Vegas, Spencer Dinwiddie had 11 points, two assists and two rebounds as Chicago defeated Washington 85-82. The Bulls, undefeated in Summer League play (5-0), will meet Cleveland or New Jersey on Sunday in one semifinal.
Askia Booker had four points, three assists and three rebounds in 23 minutes as the Phoenix Suns edged Denver, 83-82, in overtime on a Ty Ulis last second 3-pointer.
Booker and the Suns will face Minnesota in Sunday's other semifinal game in Las Vegas. The schedule for the semifinals will be announced late Saturday night.
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July 15, 2016
Josh Scott and Askia Booker on the court together again – as opponents? Could happen Saturday.
The Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns will meet in the quarterfinals of the NBA Summer League Tournament Saturday, July 16, at 4 p.m., at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas which will air live on ESPN2.
Both teams are 3-1 overall in Summer League play and received byes into the second round of the tournament. Scott's Nuggets team defeated Utah 80-60 in their second round game on July 14. The two-time All-Pac-12 forward had two points, making his lone field goal attempt, and a rebound in nearly six minutes of action.
The Suns edged Miami 77-74 in their second round game yesterday. Booker had two points and three rebounds in just over four minutes for Phoenix.
On the other side of the bracket, Spencer Dinwiddie and the undefeated Chicago Bulls moved to 4-0 in Summer League play with an 86-73 win over Dallas in their second round game. Dinwiddie put together another solid stat line with eight points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in 27 minutes.
Chicago's quarterfinal game against Washington will follow the Nuggets-Suns, scheduled for 6 p.m. and will also air on ESPN2.
Former Colorado standout Andre Roberson, who just completed his third year with Oklahoma City, is currently in Taiwan representing the Thunder at the 2016 NBA Youth Madness in Taiwan.
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July 14, 2016 - Box Score: Australia NT 93, Pac-12 All-Stars 63
Colorado senior Wesley Gordon and the Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball All-Stars wrapped up their tour with a 93-63 setback to the Australian National Team early Thursday in Melbourne.
Gordon got the start for the All-Stars, his second in three overall exhibition contests, finishing with four points on 2-of-3 shooting and five rebounds in 17 minutes. He tied for the team lead in rebounds with Oregon State's Drew Eubanks.
Gordon was the Pac-12's top performer on the boards in all three exhibition contests, including 10 against the Melbourne Tigers on July 10.
"I am very proud of this group," Pac-12 All-Stars head coach Mike Montgomery said. "We had a couple days of practice and then played these games. They performed well against a veteran team in Australia. Our guys accepted the challenge and I was pleased with each and every one of these guys. We are very appreciative these guys gave up part of their summer to play with this team. It was a lot of fun to coach them."
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Arizona State's Tra Holder and Utah's Lorenzo Bonam paced the Pac-12 All-Stars with nine points apiece.
The Australian National Team, also called the Boomers, got production throughout its lineup in its final exhibition appearance in its homeland before heading to Rio for the Summer Olympics next month.
Australia's Patty Mills, who plays for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, poured in a game-high 29 points, which included five three-pointers.
The Boomers opened an early lead, taking advantage of a cold-shooting Pac-12 All-Stars (4-of-16 from the field) in the first quarter.
Holding a 22-13 lead after the opening 10 minutes, the Boomers looked to increase their advantage. However, the Pac-12 All-Stars refused to go away, responding with a 7-1 run to cut it to 24-17 midway through the second quarter.
The Pac-12 All-Stars kept it within single digits for most of the first half, before Australia pushed its lead to 40-28 at the break.
Mills took over for Australia in the third quarter, collecting eight of his 29 points in the third period alone. He extended the Boomers' lead to 53-36 with a four-point play midway through the third.
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NBA Summer League Tournament play continues today with three former Buffaloes in action. Chicago (Spencer Dinwiddie), Denver (Josh Scott) and Phoenix (Askia Booker) all received bye's into today's second round.
Booker's Suns face Miami at 4 p.m. on NBATV, Scott and the Nuggets take on Utah at 6 p.m. on NBATV and Dinwiddie and the Bulls battle Dallas at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
July 12, 2016, 3 p.m. - Box Score: Australian NT 92, Pac-12 All-Stars 83
Colorado senior Wesley Gordon had a team-high seven rebounds along with two points as the Pac-12 All-Stars dropped a 92-83 decision to the Australian National Team early Tuesday morning in Melbourne.
Gordon came off the bench for the All-Stars, adding an assist and a steal in nearly 16 minutes. Four of his rebounds were on the offensive end, a fitting mark for the Pac-12's top offensive rebounder in conference games in 2016.
This morning's game will re-air on the Pac-12 Network at 7 p.m. MT, and Pac-12 Mountain at 8 p.m.
Arizona's Kadeem Allen led the Pac-12 with 15 points. Utah's Lorenzo Bonam added 12. Australia was led by Aaron Baynes' 28 points and nine rebounds.
The Pac-12 All-Stars went toe-to-toe with the Boomers, the 11th ranked team in the current FIBA world Rankings for the first half, trailing by just two, 50-48, at the break.
Australia opened the second half with 10 straight points and held a 74-61 lead after three quarters. The Pac-12 fought back in the fourth, chipping away at the Boomers' lead. A three-pointer by Bonam was followed by a three-point play from Allen to cut the lead to 89-81 with 1:21 play. But Australia's 2016 Olympic entry held on for the win.
Australia controlled the paint, outscoring the Conference of Champions 54-30 and holding a 52-34 rebounding edge.
"I was pleased overall," Pac-12 All-Stars head coach Mike Montgomery said. "That is a great team we are facing. We just didn't have an answer for Baynes inside. I saw some good things out of our group. It was a great experience for our guys. I am hoping we can come out Thursday and make some corrections and play a little bit better."
The Pac-12 All-Stars will play the Australia National Team again on Thursday at 3:30 a.m. MT in Melbourne. The game will be televised live on the Pac-12 Network and rebroadcast at 7 p.m. on both Pac-12 Network and Pac-12. Mountain.
NBA Summer League in Las Vegas continues today. Askia Booker and the Phoenix Suns play Miami at 4:30 p.m. (NBATV) while Spencer Dinwiddie and the Chicago Bulls face San Antonio at 6 p.m. (ESPN). Dinwiddie has made an impressive impact on the Bulls this summer, according to Sam Smith on the Bulls official website.
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July 10, 10 p.m.
Marcus Hall scored 31 points on an electric 10-of-13 shooting to lead Team Colorado past Skinner's Frate Train, 94-85, in the second round of The Basketball Tournament Saturday afternoon on the campus of Cal State Los Angeles.
Team Colorado moves on to the "Super 16" in Philadelphia and will play top seeded Team 23 on Friday, July 22. Team 23, comprised of former Arizona players, was the runner up in last year's Tournament, defeating Team Colorado in the first round.
Hall made 6-of-8 3-pointers and also registered four rebounds and three steals against Skinner's Frate Train, a team of Boston College alumni. Â Richard Roby had 23 points and six rebounds, sinking 8-of-12 from the free throw line. Marcus Relphorde had 13 points while Dominique Coleman pitched in 12 points and grabbed five rebounds.
The time for Team Colorado's next game is still to be announced. All remaining games of The Tournament are scheduled to be on ESPN's family of networks.
In NBA Summer League action, Spencer Dinwiddie had 14 points, four assists and four rebounds off the bench to help Chicago improve to 2-0 with an 83-70 win over Philadelphia in Las Vegas. The Bulls will play San Antonio on Tuesday, July 12, at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.
Askia Booker dished out an assist in five minutes as Phoenix defeated Boston 87-74 in Las Vegas Summer League play. The Suns move to 2-0 and will play Miami on Tuesday, July 12, at 4:30 p.m. on NBATV..
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July 10, 10 a.m.
Saturday was a busy day for current and former University of Colorado men's basketball players.
Wesley Gordon and the Pac-12 Conference All-Star team played its first competition of their week-long trip to Australia, defeating the Melbourne Tigers 107-51.
Gordon, who started for the All-Stars, had a team-high 10 rebounds to go along with six points and a blocked shot in 17 minutes against the Tigers of the South East Australian Basketball League. The Pac-12 squad will now play a pair of games against the Australian Men's National Team in Melbourne on Tuesday, July 12, and Thursday, July 14. Both games will air live on the Pac-12 Network at 3:30 a.m. and will re-air at 7 p.m. later each day.
Team Colorado won its first game of The Basketball Tournament. Made up of former Buffs, Team Colorado defeated Shaare Zedek 78-73 in the first round of the West Region in Los Angeles. Marcus Hall scored 27 points on 11-of-16 from the field. Marcus Relphorde had 13 points while Richard Roby had 12 points and eight rebounds.
Fifth-seeded Team Colorado moves on to Sunday's second round where they will play Skinner's Frate Train, a team of Boston College alumni, at 3:30 p.m. on the campus of Cal State Los Angeles.
Highlights of Saturday's first round game: https://youtu.be/v1_RJz1QFUk
All three former Buffaloes playing on NBA Summer League teams in Las Vegas saw action Saturday. Josh Scott made his professional debut, scoring two points and recording a steal in just under six minutes as the Denver Nuggets blitzed Memphis 106-62. The Nuggets moved to 2-0 and will play Miami on Monday at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 10 points and dished out three assists in 18 minutes for Chicago as the Bulls opened their Summer League slate with a 71-62 win over Boston. The Bulls will play Philadelphia on Sunday at 6:30 p.m., and will be televised by ESPN2.
Askia Booker played seven minutes in his first Summer League action with Phoenix as the Suns defeated Portland 86-73. Phoenix will play Boston on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. an can be seen on ESPN2.
Colorado sophomore Thomas Akyazili had 11 points, four assists and four rebounds as Belgium fell to France, 79-70, to close out the 2016 FIBA U20 European Championships in Helsinki Finland.
Belgium finished the competition in 14th place, sporting an overall record of 2-5.
Akyazili topped the Belgians in scoring for the championship at 13 points per game and also led the squad in assists (2.7 apg) and steals (2.3 spg). Overall he shot 38 percent from the field and made 8-of-24 from 3-point range.
Akyazili was able to get to the free throw line, twice as much as anyone else on the Belgian squad, and he made those opportunities count. He sank 29-of-34 from the charity stripe for a solid 85 percent showing.
Overall at the championship, Akyazili finished fourth in both free throw percentage and steals per game among all participants.
Akyazili actually averaged just under 15 points over the tournament's last five games. He had a tournament-high 23 points against Israel; a game in which he also had personal-best seven rebounds. During group play against the Czech Republic he hit all 10 of his free throw attempts, contributing a 17-point effort.
This was Akyazili's fourth FIBA European championship, and his second with Belgium's U20 squad.
Box Score: France 79, Belgium 70
July 23, 2016
Team Colorado is headed to New York City and the final four of The Basketball Tournament.
The team, comprised of Colorado basketball alumni, claimed the West Region championship by defeating Team Utah, 83-78, Saturday in Philadelphia.
Marcus Hall, a legitimate tournament MVP candidate, scored a game-high 22 points, hitting 9-of-20 from the field, to go along with six rebounds and four assists. Calvin Williams registered a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Austin Dufault had 17 points, including a couple big second-half 3-pointers. He was 3-of-4 from downtown and also added four rebounds. Dominique Coleman had 16 points while Marcus Relphorde added 14.
Team Colorado struggled early, shooting only 34 percent in the first half allowing Utah to jump out to lead as large as 14 points before going into the locker room up 44-35.
The former Buffaloes turned it on in the second half, using a 12-1 run out of the gate to quickly erase Utah's lead. Colorado hit 54 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes, including 7-of-14 from 3-point range.
Hall hit several clutch baskets, including a late runner that gave Colorado an 81-76 lead with about one minute left. Utah hit a late layup to move to within three, but Hall and Coleman each hit a free throw to ice the game.
Team Colorado will face Always a Brave (Bradley) in their Saturday, July 30, semifinal at 3 p.m. Always a Brave defeated Golden Eagles Alumni (Marquette) 89-81 on Saturday. Â City of Gods and defending champion Overseas Elite will be in the other semifinal at 5 p.m. Both games will air live on ESPN.
Box Score: Team Colorado 83, Team Utah 78
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FINAL: @TBTColorado defeats @team_utah 83-78 to advance to #TBT2016 Final Four! pic.twitter.com/9Gs2YWg9tF
— TBT (@thetournament) July 23, 2016
AKYAZILI SCORES 10 IN BELGIUM WIN: At the 2016 FIBA U20 European Championships, Colorado sophomore Thomas Akyazili scored 10 points and dished out a team-best four assists as Belgium defeated Hungary, 89-83, in Helsinki Finland.
Belgium (2-4) will close out the competition by playing France (2-4) for 13th place on Sunday at 5 a.m. MT. Akyazili continues to lead Belgium in scoring during the championship at 13.3 points per game. He is second in steals in the entire tournament field at 2.5 per game and is third in free throw percentage (.889).
Box Score: Belgium 89, Hungary 83July 22, 2016
Dominique Coleman scored 16 points to lead a balanced scoring effort as Team Colorado defeated the West Region's top seed, Team 23, 78-73, in the Super 16 round of The Basketball Tournament Friday in Philadelphia.
Five players scored in double figures as fifth-seeded Team Colorado, comprised of Buffaloes basketball alumni, advances to Saturday's Elite Eight round. Marcus Hall had 15 points, Austin Dufault 14, Levi Knutson 13 and Marcus Relphorde 11.
Team Colorado will play Team Utah, a 93-81 winner over Few Good Men, on Saturday. Time has yet to be announced but all quarterfinal games will be on either ESPNU or ESPN2.
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FINAL: @TBTColorado defeats Team 23 78-73 pic.twitter.com/OiBL2nRXKC
— TBT (@thetournament) July 22, 2016
Team Colorado led by as many as 16 points in the first half, thanks to the 3-point shooting efforts of Knutson and Dufault, who hit 5-of-10 from downtown.
Arizona-based Team 23, the 2015 tournament runner-up, made a mad dash in the second half. Team Colorado was hampered by turnovers – 24 in all – allowing Team 23 come back and take a four-point lead with just under six minutes left.
Team Colorado had the final answer though. Coleman tied the score at 68 with a pair of free throws. After a Team 23 score, Hall gave the Buffaloes the lead for good at with a 3-pointer. Off a Team 23 turnover, Dufault scored on a transition layup to give Team Colorado a 75-71 lead with 1:30 left, and the Buffaloes held on from there.
Coleman didn't miss from the floor. He was 4-of-4 from the field, including two from 3-point range, and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Coleman also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists.
Box Score: Team Colorado 78, Team 23 73
At the 2016 U20 European Championships, Colorado sophomore Thomas Akyazili scored a tournament-high 23 points, but Belgium fell to Israel, 93-89, in 9th-16th place classification game in Helsinki, Finalnd.
Akyazili hit a trio of 3-pointers and finished the day hitting 9-of-14 from the floor. He also had a team-best four steals along with seven rebounds.
Box Score: Israel 93, Belgium 89
Akyazili is the co-leader of the championship in steals at 2.8 per game and is second in free throw percentage, hitting on 21 of 22 attempts (.955). He has taken over the lead as Belgium's top scorer for the tournament at 14 points per game while averaging 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
Belgium (1-4) will face Hungary (0-5) in a 13th-16th place classification round on Saturday at 7:15 a.m. MT.
July 20, 2016
Thomas Akyazili registered team highs with 13 points and four assists as Belgium fell to undefeated Ukraine, 95-73, in the Round of 16 at the 2016 U20 European Championships in Helsinki, Finland.
Belgium (1-3) will play Israel (2-2) in the 9th through 16th place classification round on Friday, July 22, at 9:30 a.m. MDT.
Akyazili also had three rebounds, two blocks and two steals in nearly 30 minutes. He shot 5-of-16 from the floor, and the Belgians as a whole struggled from the field, hitting just 37 percent. By contrast, Ukraine made 59 percent of its shots.
Belgium trailed by just four at the half (48-44), but the Ukraine blew the game open in the third on a 28-9 run.
Including Friday's game, Akyazili and the Belgium national squad will play three more contests as the championship wraps up on Sunday, July 24.
Box Score: Ukraine 95, Belgium 73
July 19, 2016
Thomas Akyazili scored 17 points to help Belgium to an 85-83 triumph over the Czech Republic in the final game of group play at the 2016 U20 European Championships in Helsinki, Finland.
Akyazili was a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line as Belgium picked up its first win of the competition (1-2). He scored six points in the final quarter, including a pair of free throws that gave his team an 83-80 lead with only 23 seconds remaining. Akyazili added four rebounds three steals and two assists.
The Colorado sophomore has made all 18 of his free throw attempts, leading all players at the championship. Overall, Akyazili is averaging 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists, ranking second on Belgium's squad in each of those categories. He leads Belgium and ranks second in the tournament in steals at 2.7 per contest.
Belgium moves on to the Round of 16 and will face Ukraine (3-0) on Wednesday, July 20, at 11:45 a.m. MT.
Box Score: Belgium 85, Czech Republic 83
Team Colorado resumes action in The Basketball Tournament on Friday, July 22, as the group of Buffaloes alumni play in the "Super 16" West Region semifinals. Fifth-seeded Team Colorado will take on the West's top seed, Team 23, an Arizona area squad, at 12 p.m. MT at Philadelphia University in Philadelphia.
Friday's semifinal game will be available on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN App. All remaining games of The Basketball Tournament can be views on the ESPN Family of Networks.
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ICYMI: #TBT2016 Super 16 TV Schedulehttps://t.co/OeQEFDVajR pic.twitter.com/e5tqP8t0FF
— TBT (@thetournament) July 19, 2016
July 18, 2016
Former Colorado great Spencer Dinwiddie had eight points, seven rebounds and two blocks to help Chicago defeat Minnesota 84-82 in overtime in the championship game of the 2016 NBA Summer League Tournament in Las Vegas.
Dinwiddie and the Bulls finished a perfect 7-0 during Summer League play. He averaged 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists over seven games and was prominent in crunch time for the Bulls throughout the Summer League.
The seven rebounds in the title game were Dinwiddie's most in Las Vegas. He scored in double figures in five of seven games with a high of 14 against Philadelphia on July 10.
Dinwiddie wasn't the only player on the floor with Colorado ties. Xavier Silas, who played two seasons at Colorado (2006-08) before transferring to Northern Illinois had 10 points and four rebounds for the Timberwolves.
Box Score
July 17, 2016
Colorado sophomore Thomas Akyazili and the Belgium National Team had a rough Day 2 at the 2016 U20 European Championships, falling to Italy, 89-64, in Group D play Sunday in Helsinki, Finland.
Akyazili had nine points and four rebounds in nearly 24 minutes. The Belgians (0-2) struggled with ball security, committing 24 turnovers. Italy also dominated the paint by a 44-30 count and hit 55 percent from the field.
Belgium will play its third pool play contest on Tuesday, July 19, against the Czech Republic, at 11:45 a.m. Mountain.
The Chicago Bulls advanced to the championship game of the NBA Summer League Tournament by defeating Cleveland 85-79. Spencer Dinwiddie continues to have a huge impact on the Bulls, who remain undefeated in Summer League action (6-0). Dinwiddie was one of six Bulls in double figures, scoring 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting.
Chicago will play Minnesota in Monday's Summer League Championship.
Minnesota defeated Askia Booker's Phoenix Suns 93-83 in the other semifinal. Booker had his best Summer League game scoring 19 points, hitting 6-of-12 from the field including both 3-point attempts. Booker also had four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 20 minutes.
July 16, 2016
Sophomore guard Thomas Akyazili scored eight points and had a team high four steals as Belgium fell to Sweden 60-53 on the opening day of the 2016 U20 European Championships in Helsinki, Finland, Saturday.
Akyazili also had five rebounds and dished out three assists. He hit just 2-of-10 from the field, but made all four of his free throw attempts. Belgium struggled from the field as team, hitting just 27 percent.
Belgium continues Group D play Sunday against Italy, at 5 a.m. MT.
Box Score: http://www.fiba.com/europe/u20/2016/1607/Sweden-Belgium#tab=boxscore_statistics
In NBA Summer League Tournament play in Las Vegas, Spencer Dinwiddie had 11 points, two assists and two rebounds as Chicago defeated Washington 85-82. The Bulls, undefeated in Summer League play (5-0), will meet Cleveland or New Jersey on Sunday in one semifinal.
Askia Booker had four points, three assists and three rebounds in 23 minutes as the Phoenix Suns edged Denver, 83-82, in overtime on a Ty Ulis last second 3-pointer.
Booker and the Suns will face Minnesota in Sunday's other semifinal game in Las Vegas. The schedule for the semifinals will be announced late Saturday night.
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#BullsWin pic.twitter.com/II2sgUHGI4
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) July 17, 2016
July 15, 2016
Josh Scott and Askia Booker on the court together again – as opponents? Could happen Saturday.
The Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns will meet in the quarterfinals of the NBA Summer League Tournament Saturday, July 16, at 4 p.m., at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas which will air live on ESPN2.
Both teams are 3-1 overall in Summer League play and received byes into the second round of the tournament. Scott's Nuggets team defeated Utah 80-60 in their second round game on July 14. The two-time All-Pac-12 forward had two points, making his lone field goal attempt, and a rebound in nearly six minutes of action.
The Suns edged Miami 77-74 in their second round game yesterday. Booker had two points and three rebounds in just over four minutes for Phoenix.
On the other side of the bracket, Spencer Dinwiddie and the undefeated Chicago Bulls moved to 4-0 in Summer League play with an 86-73 win over Dallas in their second round game. Dinwiddie put together another solid stat line with eight points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in 27 minutes.
Chicago's quarterfinal game against Washington will follow the Nuggets-Suns, scheduled for 6 p.m. and will also air on ESPN2.
Former Colorado standout Andre Roberson, who just completed his third year with Oklahoma City, is currently in Taiwan representing the Thunder at the 2016 NBA Youth Madness in Taiwan.
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Reppin OKC and the Thunder! Andre Roberson hangs out with fans in Taiwan at 2016 NBA Youth Madness. pic.twitter.com/5HkBW5eDeU
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) July 14, 2016
July 14, 2016 - Box Score: Australia NT 93, Pac-12 All-Stars 63
Colorado senior Wesley Gordon and the Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball All-Stars wrapped up their tour with a 93-63 setback to the Australian National Team early Thursday in Melbourne.
Gordon got the start for the All-Stars, his second in three overall exhibition contests, finishing with four points on 2-of-3 shooting and five rebounds in 17 minutes. He tied for the team lead in rebounds with Oregon State's Drew Eubanks.
Gordon was the Pac-12's top performer on the boards in all three exhibition contests, including 10 against the Melbourne Tigers on July 10.
"I am very proud of this group," Pac-12 All-Stars head coach Mike Montgomery said. "We had a couple days of practice and then played these games. They performed well against a veteran team in Australia. Our guys accepted the challenge and I was pleased with each and every one of these guys. We are very appreciative these guys gave up part of their summer to play with this team. It was a lot of fun to coach them."
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Two great Buffs! Wesley Gordon caught up with Pac-12 Champion and current Australian pro @Nate_Tomlinson this week! pic.twitter.com/mcGqm6NmuL
— Colorado Basketball (@CUBuffsMBB) July 14, 2016
Arizona State's Tra Holder and Utah's Lorenzo Bonam paced the Pac-12 All-Stars with nine points apiece.
The Australian National Team, also called the Boomers, got production throughout its lineup in its final exhibition appearance in its homeland before heading to Rio for the Summer Olympics next month.
Australia's Patty Mills, who plays for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, poured in a game-high 29 points, which included five three-pointers.
The Boomers opened an early lead, taking advantage of a cold-shooting Pac-12 All-Stars (4-of-16 from the field) in the first quarter.
Holding a 22-13 lead after the opening 10 minutes, the Boomers looked to increase their advantage. However, the Pac-12 All-Stars refused to go away, responding with a 7-1 run to cut it to 24-17 midway through the second quarter.
The Pac-12 All-Stars kept it within single digits for most of the first half, before Australia pushed its lead to 40-28 at the break.
Mills took over for Australia in the third quarter, collecting eight of his 29 points in the third period alone. He extended the Boomers' lead to 53-36 with a four-point play midway through the third.
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Cool moment for @CUBuffsMBB's Wesley Gordon... On his 22nd birthday, he hits a half court shot during shoot-around pic.twitter.com/GYkhBRGiTq
— Doug Drabik (@DougDrabik) July 14, 2016
NBA Summer League Tournament play continues today with three former Buffaloes in action. Chicago (Spencer Dinwiddie), Denver (Josh Scott) and Phoenix (Askia Booker) all received bye's into today's second round.
Booker's Suns face Miami at 4 p.m. on NBATV, Scott and the Nuggets take on Utah at 6 p.m. on NBATV and Dinwiddie and the Bulls battle Dallas at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
July 12, 2016, 3 p.m. - Box Score: Australian NT 92, Pac-12 All-Stars 83
Colorado senior Wesley Gordon had a team-high seven rebounds along with two points as the Pac-12 All-Stars dropped a 92-83 decision to the Australian National Team early Tuesday morning in Melbourne.
Gordon came off the bench for the All-Stars, adding an assist and a steal in nearly 16 minutes. Four of his rebounds were on the offensive end, a fitting mark for the Pac-12's top offensive rebounder in conference games in 2016.
This morning's game will re-air on the Pac-12 Network at 7 p.m. MT, and Pac-12 Mountain at 8 p.m.
Arizona's Kadeem Allen led the Pac-12 with 15 points. Utah's Lorenzo Bonam added 12. Australia was led by Aaron Baynes' 28 points and nine rebounds.
The Pac-12 All-Stars went toe-to-toe with the Boomers, the 11th ranked team in the current FIBA world Rankings for the first half, trailing by just two, 50-48, at the break.
Australia opened the second half with 10 straight points and held a 74-61 lead after three quarters. The Pac-12 fought back in the fourth, chipping away at the Boomers' lead. A three-pointer by Bonam was followed by a three-point play from Allen to cut the lead to 89-81 with 1:21 play. But Australia's 2016 Olympic entry held on for the win.
Australia controlled the paint, outscoring the Conference of Champions 54-30 and holding a 52-34 rebounding edge.
"I was pleased overall," Pac-12 All-Stars head coach Mike Montgomery said. "That is a great team we are facing. We just didn't have an answer for Baynes inside. I saw some good things out of our group. It was a great experience for our guys. I am hoping we can come out Thursday and make some corrections and play a little bit better."
The Pac-12 All-Stars will play the Australia National Team again on Thursday at 3:30 a.m. MT in Melbourne. The game will be televised live on the Pac-12 Network and rebroadcast at 7 p.m. on both Pac-12 Network and Pac-12. Mountain.
NBA Summer League in Las Vegas continues today. Askia Booker and the Phoenix Suns play Miami at 4:30 p.m. (NBATV) while Spencer Dinwiddie and the Chicago Bulls face San Antonio at 6 p.m. (ESPN). Dinwiddie has made an impressive impact on the Bulls this summer, according to Sam Smith on the Bulls official website.
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.@SDinwiddie_25 is starting to shine in #NBASummer and make an impact with the #Bulls: https://t.co/A0LRqAZowh pic.twitter.com/fT1KpiJNyj
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) July 12, 2016
July 10, 10 p.m.
Marcus Hall scored 31 points on an electric 10-of-13 shooting to lead Team Colorado past Skinner's Frate Train, 94-85, in the second round of The Basketball Tournament Saturday afternoon on the campus of Cal State Los Angeles.
Team Colorado moves on to the "Super 16" in Philadelphia and will play top seeded Team 23 on Friday, July 22. Team 23, comprised of former Arizona players, was the runner up in last year's Tournament, defeating Team Colorado in the first round.
Hall made 6-of-8 3-pointers and also registered four rebounds and three steals against Skinner's Frate Train, a team of Boston College alumni. Â Richard Roby had 23 points and six rebounds, sinking 8-of-12 from the free throw line. Marcus Relphorde had 13 points while Dominique Coleman pitched in 12 points and grabbed five rebounds.
The time for Team Colorado's next game is still to be announced. All remaining games of The Tournament are scheduled to be on ESPN's family of networks.
In NBA Summer League action, Spencer Dinwiddie had 14 points, four assists and four rebounds off the bench to help Chicago improve to 2-0 with an 83-70 win over Philadelphia in Las Vegas. The Bulls will play San Antonio on Tuesday, July 12, at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.
Askia Booker dished out an assist in five minutes as Phoenix defeated Boston 87-74 in Las Vegas Summer League play. The Suns move to 2-0 and will play Miami on Tuesday, July 12, at 4:30 p.m. on NBATV..
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Team Colorado headed to Philly for the Super 16 on 7/22! @CUBuffsMBB #TBT2016 pic.twitter.com/jkS1ettddY
— TBT (@thetournament) July 10, 2016
July 10, 10 a.m.
Saturday was a busy day for current and former University of Colorado men's basketball players.
Wesley Gordon and the Pac-12 Conference All-Star team played its first competition of their week-long trip to Australia, defeating the Melbourne Tigers 107-51.
Gordon, who started for the All-Stars, had a team-high 10 rebounds to go along with six points and a blocked shot in 17 minutes against the Tigers of the South East Australian Basketball League. The Pac-12 squad will now play a pair of games against the Australian Men's National Team in Melbourne on Tuesday, July 12, and Thursday, July 14. Both games will air live on the Pac-12 Network at 3:30 a.m. and will re-air at 7 p.m. later each day.
Team Colorado won its first game of The Basketball Tournament. Made up of former Buffs, Team Colorado defeated Shaare Zedek 78-73 in the first round of the West Region in Los Angeles. Marcus Hall scored 27 points on 11-of-16 from the field. Marcus Relphorde had 13 points while Richard Roby had 12 points and eight rebounds.
Fifth-seeded Team Colorado moves on to Sunday's second round where they will play Skinner's Frate Train, a team of Boston College alumni, at 3:30 p.m. on the campus of Cal State Los Angeles.
Highlights of Saturday's first round game: https://youtu.be/v1_RJz1QFUk
All three former Buffaloes playing on NBA Summer League teams in Las Vegas saw action Saturday. Josh Scott made his professional debut, scoring two points and recording a steal in just under six minutes as the Denver Nuggets blitzed Memphis 106-62. The Nuggets moved to 2-0 and will play Miami on Monday at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 10 points and dished out three assists in 18 minutes for Chicago as the Bulls opened their Summer League slate with a 71-62 win over Boston. The Bulls will play Philadelphia on Sunday at 6:30 p.m., and will be televised by ESPN2.
Askia Booker played seven minutes in his first Summer League action with Phoenix as the Suns defeated Portland 86-73. Phoenix will play Boston on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. an can be seen on ESPN2.
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