Buffs Open Road Trip With Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series

PAC-12/SWAC LEGACY SERIES: Friday's Colorado-Grambling State game is part of the Pac-12 Conference/Southwest Athletic Conference Legacy Series, an educational and basketball scheduling partnership between the two leagues.

The 2022 edition features six men's and six women's Pac-12 programs beginning a home-and-home series with SWAC institutions. The series began with the Oregon men hosting Florida A&M on Nov. 7, an 80-45 victory for the Ducks.

Colorado will be the first to be a road opponent as the Buffaloes visit Grambling and marks the first time the Tigers have hosted a Power 5 opponent in their history. Grambling will make a return visit to Boulder in 2023-24.

Friday morning, Colorado will tour the Eddie G. Robinson museum near the Grambling campus. The museum is a landmark dedicated to recognizing the contributions of the school's legendary football coach as a source of education and inspiration.

For more information visit: pac12.me/Legacy-Series.

THE SEASON: Colorado tipped off its 120th season of varsity men's basketball with an 82-66 win over UC Riverside on Nov. 7 at the CU Events Center.

The Buffaloes had four players score in double-figures, led by junior J'Vonne Hadley. The junior college transfer just missed a double-double in his CU debut, finishing with 16 points and nine rebounds. Point guard KJ Simpson scored 14, Tristan da Silva scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds and Jalen Gabbidon, a transfer from Yale, also had 12.

Colorado shot 47 percent from the floor (30-for-64) and held Riverside to 40 percent shooting (29-for-72), including just 4-for-21 from 3-point range. The Buffs also forced 15 turnovers, which they converted into 22 points, but they did lose the rebound battle, 44-43.

Luke O'Brien came off the bench to grab six rebounds. Redshirt freshman Javon Ruffin, who missed all of last season with an injury, had an outstanding debut with seven points, two rebounds and an assist in 14 minutes on the floor. All 10 players who saw the floor played at least 10 minutes.

OPENERS: Colorado improved to 85-35 (.708) in all-time season openers and has won its last seven. The Buffaloes are 11-2 under head coach Tad Boyle and 38-5 in overall season openers since 1980-81.

The Buffaloes are 96-24 (.800) all-time in home openers, have won their last 15 and 21 of their last 22. Boyle's teams are 13-0 in home openers.

NONCONFERENCE NUMBERS: Colorado is 111-34 (.766) in nonconference regular season games under head coach Tad Boyle including a 64-17 mark (.790) since the beginning of the 2014-15 season.

Colorado is 83-7 (.922) in nonconference home games under Boyle, a record which includes a 6-1 mark in postseason action.

ABOUT THE TIGERS: Grambling State opened its season with an 82-57 home win over UNT-Dallas on Nov. 7. Carte'are Gordon led the Grambling State effort with 18 points and 14 rebounds. Shawndarius Cowart and Terrence Lewis had 13 points each while Zahad Munford had 10 points off the bench.

Grambling State was picked to finish sixth in the SWAC Preseason poll. Cameron Christian was selected to the Preseason All-SWAC First Team.

THE SERIES: This is the second all-time meeting between Colorado and Grambling State. The Buffaloes won the first meeting, 93-47, on Dec. 29, 2007, in Boulder. Colorado is 13-0 all-time against the Southwest Athletic Conference. This will be the Buffaloes' first road game with a SWAC opponent.

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Players Mentioned

Tristan da Silva

Jalen Gabbidon

J'Vonne Hadley

Luke O'Brien

Javon Ruffin

KJ Simpson