Buffs Host Milwaukee To Begin Sunshine Slam

Game 3 - Milwaukee, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 7:02 p.m. MT
TV: Pac-12 Network (Drew Goodman, Dan Belluomini)
Watch Online: Pac-12 Now App
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Satellite: Sirius XM 383 & SXM App (973)
Listen Online: CUBuffs.com
Live Statistics: http://statb.us/b/483966

SUNSHINE SLAM: Colorado's game with Milwaukee is part of the Sunshine Slam Tournament. Both teams will head to Daytona Beach next week. The Buffaloes will play Richmond on Nov. 20 and either Florida State or UNLV on Nov. 21. Following a home game on Friday with Luther College, the Panthers will continue the Sunshine Slam with Stetson on Nov. 20 and either Siena or Central Michigan on Nov. 21.

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado has a 2-0 start for the seventh time in the last eight years after a 95-63 win over Grambling State on Nov. 10.
NATIONALLY RANKED: Colorado debuted at No. 25 in the first regular season Associated Press Top 25 Men's Basketball Poll released on Nov. 13.

Colorado is ranked by the AP for the first time since holding the No. 22 spot in the final poll of the 2020-21 season. That year the Buffaloes finished 23-9 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

It's just the second time since 1970 the Buffaloes have appeared in the first regular season AP Poll. Colorado appeared in the exact same spot, No. 25, on Nov. 11, 2019; a season where the Buffaloes were ranked for a school-record 13 weeks, climbing as high as No. 16.

Overall the recognition marks Colorado's 56th all-time appearance in the AP Poll. The Buffaloes were second among teams receiving votes in this year's preseason poll.

Colorado fell just short of breaking into the USA Today Sports Coaches Top 25 Poll by the slimmest of margins. The Buffaloes are listed first in the "others receiving votes" category with 46 points, just one behind UCLA and Virginia who are tied for No. 25 with 47 each.

With Colorado's women's basketball team vaulting to No. 5 in their edition of the poll, it marks the first time since Jan. 13, 2014 the Buffaloes' men's and women's programs are ranked by the AP at the same time.

NONCONFERENCE NUMBERS: Colorado is 120-37 (.764) in nonconference regular season games under head coach Tad Boyle including a 73-20 mark (.785) since the beginning of the 2014-15 season.

Colorado is 91-8 (.919) in nonconference home games under Boyle, a record which includes a 7-2 mark in postseason action.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS: Milwaukee is 1-1 overall, recording a home win over Wisconsin-Stout, 91-73, in its opener on No. 6 and then falling at Providence - coached by former Buffaloes assistant Kim English - 79-69 on Nov. 11. BJ Freeman had a 33-point, 10-rebound double-double in the loss to Providence.

THE SERIES: This will be the sixth meeting between Colorado and Milwaukee. The Buffaloes have won the five previous meetings; four of the five in Boulder. The last contest was just two years ago, a 65-54 decision on Dec. 10, 2021.

WINSTON HOMECOMING: Colorado will welcome back a familiar name in Milwaukee assistant coach Jose Winston, a three-year letterwinner for the Buffaloes who holds the program's single-game and season assist records.

Winston played at Colorado from 1998-2001 before finishing up his career at Milwaukee in 2002-03. He set Colorado's single-season assist record of 194 in 2000-01 and owns the single-game record of 15 against Coppin State on Jan. 2, 2001.

Winston returned to his native Wisconsin for his senior year and helped guide Milwaukee its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2003. He was a long-time high school coach in Wisconsin before joining Bart Lundy's staff ahead of the 2022-23 season.

SHARING THE BALL: Colorado dished out 28 assists against Grambling State, the program's most since dishing out 29 vs Mercer on Dec. 22, 2005. It ties for the 19th most in a single game in team history.

Colorado dished out 21 assists in the season-opener against Towson. The 49 assists over a two-game span are CU's most since December 2001 when the Buffaloes totaled 49 in back-to-back games against Southern (28) and ironically Milwaukee (21).

Colorado has won 27-straight when dishing out at least 21 assists and has won 74 of its last 78 dating back to the 1996-97 season.

1,000-POINT CLUB WATCH: Colorado's active leading scorer, Tristan da Silva is 54 points away from becoming the 39th member of Colorado's 1,000-point club. He is currently 41st with 946 points needing 34 to break the top 40.

Colorado Career Points
Rk.        Player Season Points
38.        Andre Roberson           2010-13             1,012
39.        Toney Ellis        1976-80             990
40.        Randy Robinson           1988-93             980
41.        Tristan da Silva              2020-pre           946

SIMPSON MOVING UP IN CAREER ASSISTS: KJ Simpson had a career-high eight assists against Grambling State and in the process jumped into a tie for 26th on CU's all-time list with 208. He's on pace to reach the top 15, or possibly top 10, by the end of the season.

Colorado Career Assists
Rk.        Player Season Assists
20.        Howard Frier   1994-98             231
21.        Lynn Baker       1963-67             229
22.        Spencer Dinwiddie      2011-14             227
23.        Dominique Collier        2014-18             221
24.        Nick Mohr        1998-08             219
25.        Michael Lee     1984-88             213
26.        KJ Simpson       2021-pre           208
              James Wright 2001-03             208
              Jaques Tuz        1977-82             208

Players Mentioned

Tristan da Silva

KJ Simpson

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