Buffaloes Open Pac-12 Play Friday Against Washington

Friday, December 29

Boulder, Colo.

7:00 PM

Colorado

Washington

Photo by: Tony Harman

December 28, 2023 | Men's Basketball

Colorado Notes Washington Notes

By: Troy Andre, Associate Director/Athletic Communications

Game 12 - Washington, Friday, Dec. 29, 2023
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 7:01 p.m. MT
TV: ESPNU (Eric Rothman, Mike O'Donnell)
Watch Online: WatchESPN
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Satellite: Sirius XM 373 & SXM App (Pac12)
Listen Online: CUBuffs.com
Live Statistics: http://statb.us/b/483971

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado opens Pac-12 Conference play after finishing the nonconference portion of its schedule with a 9-2 record, its best after 11 games since hitting the same mark in 2019-20. The Buffaloes have won four straight and five of their last six.

Colorado is one of the top all-around shooting teams in the country, ranking in the top 10 nationally in all three percentage categories: overall field goal, 3-point and free throws. The Buffaloes lead the nation in overall shooting at 52.6 percent, rank seventh in 3-point percentage (.407) and eighth from the line (.789). Colorado is the only program in the nation ranked in the top 10 of all three categories (through games of Dec. 27). The Buffaloes lead the Pac-12 Conference in all three as well.

The offense has been rocking. Over the last six games the Buffaloes are averaging 89.5 points while shooting 56.1 percent from the floor.

Colorado has hit the 90-point mark six times in 11 games including the last four. It's the first time in team history the Buffaloes have scored at least 90 points in four-straight games. Colorado had just two games of 90-plus points last season and just three in 2021-22.

The Buffs have won 32 games in a row when reaching the 90-point plateau (6-0 this season), last losing on March 7, 2015 at Washington State, 96-91 in overtime. CU is 53-2 under Tad Boyle when scoring 90-plus (5-0 with 100 or more), and has at least one 90-point game in 15 straight seasons.

This year's Buffaloes a flirting with the most 90-point games in program history in a season; CU had eight in 1989-90, going 6-2, and seven three times, in 1990-91 (6-1), 2000-01 (7-0) and 2001-02 (6-1).

Against Utah Tech, Colorado shot 57.4 percent, hitting the .500 mark for the fifth time in sixth games and the eighth time overall. The Buffaloes shot 50 percent seven times in 35 games last season (6-1).

Colorado is 101-8 in the Tad Boyle era (since 2010-11) when shooting at least 50 percent.

The Buffaloes also sport top 20 marks nationally in assists (19.4 apg; 8th), rebound margin (+11.5, 10th), scoring offense (86.2 ppg, 15th) and scoring margin (+17.2, 17th).

INDIVIDUALLY SPEAKING: Junior KJ Simpson tops Colorado at
19.9 points, 4.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game while ranking fourth in rebounding (4.5 rpg). He had a game-high 23 points against Utah Tech, marking his seventh 20-point game of the season and the 14th of his career. Simpson also dished out six assists with five rebounds and three steals.

On the season, Simpson is shooting 57.7 from the field, 48.9 percent from 3-point range and 90.4 percent from the free throw line. He is the only player in the country shooting at least 55-45-90 from those three spots (with a minimum five field goals made per game). Only one other player is at the coveted 50-40-90, that is Marquette guard Tyler Kolek (54.1-43.5-91.7).

Over the last six games, Simpson has shot 66.7 percent from the field (44-66), including 13 of 23 from 3-point range (.565).

Simpson has made 47 of 52 from the line (.904) leading the Buffaloes in all three categories. He had a team season-best streak of 20-straight made free throws end against Utah Tech.

Simpson leads the Pac-12 in 3-point percentage while ranking second in scoring and free throw shooting, third in steals and assist-to-turnover ratio 92.8), fifth in assists and seventh in overall shooting.

Nationally he is 24th in scoring, 33rd in free throw percentage, 53rd in steals, 47th in overall shooting and 54th in assist-to-turnover ratio.

Senior Tristan da Silva is averaging 15.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, ranking second on the team in all three categories. He is shooting 54 percent from the field, 39 percent from 3-point range and 84 percent from the free throw line.

Da Silva had 15 points and grabbed seven boards in the win over Utah Tech. Over the last six games, he is averaging 16.5 points while his rebounding average has jumped to nearly six per game.

On the Pac-12 charts, da Silva ranks eighth in free throw percentage, 11th in scoring, 12th in 3-point percentage and 15th in defensive rebounds (4.4 drpg).

Da Silva saw a string of 18-straight free throws made end against Utah Tech, but has still made 33 of his last 36 overall. Da Silva and Simpson - Colorado's top two free throw shooters by number of attempts have combined to make 87.4 percent from the line (83-95) on the season.

Freshman Cody Williams is third on the team in scoring at 14.0 points per game while shooting a team-best 62.3 percent from the field. Over his last four games Williams is averaging 17.8 points while shooting 68.3 percent from the field (28-41). He has missed the last three games with a wrist injury.

Junior Julian Hammond III is averaging 9.7 points and is fifth on the team in assists with 26. He had 10 points and grabbed a career-best six rebounds against Northern Colorado.

Hammond is second in the Pac-12 in 3-point percentage (.459) and ranks 14th in overall shooting.

Senior J'Vonne Hadley averages 10.0 points per game while ranking second on the team in rebounding (5.8 rpg) and steals (17) and third in free throws made and attempted (28-36, .778). He had 11 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals vs. Utah Tech.

On the Pac-12 charts, Hadley is eighth in field goal percentage (.569, 10th in steals (1.6 spg) and 16th in rebounding. He has nine steals over the last four games (2.3 spg).

Senior Eddie Lampkin, Jr., leads the Buffaloes and ranks fifth in the Pac-12 in rebounding at 7.5 per game. Lampkin recorded his second-straight double-double, and third of the season, with a season-high 16 points and 10 rebounds vs. Utah Tech. He was 8 for 10 from the free throw line, setting a collegiate career-high in free throws made and matching his personal-best in attempts.

In all he has five double-digit rebounding games for the Buffaloes, including three in the last four games. The Utah Tech double-double was the ninth of his collegiate career, adding his six from TCU.

On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Lampkin is also seventh in defensive rebounds (5.1 drpg) and offensive boards (2.4 orpg).

Senior Luke O'Brien is averaging 7.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. He leads the team in blocked shots with six and ranks fourth in steals (nine) and fifth in rebounding.

O'Brien had 18 points on eight field goals made against Utah Tech, both career-highs. He has scored in double-digits in three consecutive games for the first time in his career (he had a string of three-straight appearances in double-figures last year, with two DNPs in the middle of that stretch) averaging 15.0 points in that span.

O'Brien ranks eighth in the Pac-12 in 3-point shooting at 41.4 percent. He has made 9 of his last 13 (.692) from long range. O'Brien made a career-high four 3-point field goals against Northern Colorado.

ABOUT THE HUSKIES: Washington enters Pac-12 play at 8-3 overall and has won its last four including a 78-73 home win over Gonzaga on Dec. 9. This will be just the second true road contest for the Huskies, who defeated cross-town rival Seattle U., 100-99 in double-overtime on Dec. 17. Washington averages 83.0 points per game, ranking third in the Pac-12 right behind Colorado. Defensively, the Huskies give up 74.5 points per game, but have been stingy around the perimeter, holding opponents to just 29.2 percent from 3-point range.

Graduate senior Keion Brooks Jr. leads the Pac-12 in scoring at 20.1 points per game. He also tops the Huskies in rebounding (7.6 rpg) and free throws made and attempted (52-64, .813). Graduate senior guard Sahvir Wheeler leads the Pac-12 and ranks fifth in the nation in assists at 7.1 per game. Wheeler is also tied for the team lead in steals (12) and is second on the team in scoring at 15.6 per game. Forward Moses Wood averages 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while leading the Huskies in 3-pointers made with 23.

THE SERIES: This will be the 37th meeting between Colorado and Washington with the Huskies holding a 21-15 advantage. The Buffaloes snapped a three-game Washington winning streak in the series with a 74-68 win over the Huskies in the first round of the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament. Colorado has a 10-5 series lead in Boulder.