Colorado University Athletics
Sunday, December 31
Boulder, Colo.
12:00 PM
Colorado
vs
Washington State
Javon Ruffin
Photo by: Sarah Grim, Colorado Athletics
Buffs Close '23 With WSU On New Years Eve
December 30, 2023 | Men's Basketball
Game 13 - Washington State, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 12:02 p.m. MT
TV: Pac-12 Network (Drew Goodman, Earl Watson)
Watch Online: Pac-12 Now App, Pac-12.com
Radio: KHOW 630 AM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Satellite: Sirius XM 373 & SXM App (Pac12)
Listen Online: CUBuffs.com
Live Statistics: http://statb.us/b/498239Â
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 10-2 overall and 1-0 in the Pac-12 Conference after tipping off the league season with a hard-fought 73-69 win over Washington on Dec. 29. The Buffaloes have won a season-best five straight and six of their last seven. Colorado's 10-2 mark is its best after 12 games since the 2019-20 season. The Buffaloes, who had a five-game win streak at this same time last year, will be searching for their first six-game run since late in the 2020-21 NCAA Tournament season.
Colorado is one of the top all-around shooting teams in the country, ranking in the top 20 nationally in all three percentage categories: overall field goal, 3-point and free throws. The Buffaloes are fifth  in the nation in overall shooting at 51.9 percent, rank eighth in 3-point percentage (.407) and 18th from the line (.789).Â
Colorado is one of only three programs in the nation top 20 of all three categories (through games of Dec. 29). Ironically the other two were both CU nonconference opponents in Colorado State and Miami (Fla.). The Buffaloes lead the Pac-12 Conference in all three as well.
The Buffaloes also sport top 30 marks nationally in rebound margin (10th, +12.0), assists (11th, 18.9 apg), scoring offense (22nd, 85.1 ppg), scoring margin (25th, +16.1) and win percentage (27th, .833). Â
The offense has been rocking. Over the last seven games the Buffaloes are averaging 87.1 points while shooting 54.3 percent from the floor.Â
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.
As for rebounding, a program staple, the Buffaloes have outrebounded their opponent in all 12 games this season with a margin of plus-12 per game. In the last two contests - Utah Tech and Washington - that margin has grown to plus-20.5. Colorado had a season-high 49 rebounds in the win over Washington.
Along with leading the Pac-12 in all major shooting categories, the Buffaloes are second in scoring, assists, scoring margin and rebound margin, third in rebounding and fourth in scoring defense (69.0 ppg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3).
INDIVIDUALLY SPEAKING: Junior KJ Simpson tops Colorado atÂ
20.0 points, 4.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game while ranking fourth in rebounding (4.9 rpg). He had an impressive line against Washington with a game-high 21 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists - with just one turnover - and three steals. It was his second career double-double and matched his personal-best in rebounds (both figures vs. Tennessee last season). It marked his fourth-straight 20-point, game, eighth of the season and 15th of his career.
On the season, Simpson is shooting 56.3 from the field, 47.9 percent from 3-point range and 85.9 percent from the free throw line. He is the only player in the country shooting at least 55-45-85 from those three spots (with a minimum five field goals made per game).
Over the last seven games, Simpson has shot 62.5 percent from the field (50-80), including 14 of 26 from 3-point range (.538).
On the Pac-12 charts, Simpson is second in scoring, 3-point shooting, steals and assist-to-turnover ratio, fifth in free throw percentage and seventh in overall shooting. He is averaging 3.8 steals over the last four games.
Nationally he is 21st in scoring, 37th in assist-to-turnover ratio, and 45th in steals.
Senior Tristan da Silva, who missed the Washington game with an injured ankle, 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 his 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 seventh in free throw percentage, ninth in scoring, 12th in 3-point percentage and 15th in defensive rebounds (4.4 drpg).
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 four games with a wrist injury.
Junior Julian Hammond III is averaging 9.8 points and is fifth on the team in assists with 28. Against Washington, Hammond had 11 points, hitting 3 of 6 from 3-point range, with five rebounds and a pair of assists.Â
Hammond is third in the Pac-12 in 3-point percentage (.465) and ranks third in overall shooting (.538).
Senior J'Vonne Hadley averages 10.1 points per game while ranking second on the team in rebounding (5.7 rpg) and steals (18). He had 11 points in the win over Washington including his first 3-point field goal in a CU uniform.
On the Pac-12 charts, Hadley is 11th in steals (1.5 spg), 12th in field goal percentage (.541), and 19th in rebounding. He has 10 steals over the last five games (2.0 spg).
Senior Eddie Lampkin, Jr., leads the Buffaloes and ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in rebounding at 7.8 per game. Lampkin recorded his third-straight double-double, and fourth of the season, with a season-high 17 points and 12 rebounds vs. Washington.
In all he has six double-digit rebounding games for the Buffaloes, including three straight and four of the in the last five games (8.6 rpg in that span. 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 second in offensive rebounds (2.8 orpg) and eighth in defensive boards (5.1 drpg).
Senior Luke O'Brien is averaging 7.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. He leads the team in blocked shots with seventh and ranks fourth in steals (10) and fifth in rebounding.Â
O'Brien had 11 points and a season-high nine rebounds against Washington, scoring in double-figures for the fourth-straight time, the longest span of his career. During that run he's averaging 14.0 points per game.
O'Brien had 18 points on eight field goals made against Utah Tech, both career-highs.Â
O'Brien ranks 10th in the Pac-12 in 3-point shooting at 41.9 percent. He has made 10 of his last 15 (.667) from long range. O'Brien made a career-high four 3-point field goals against Northern Colorado.Â
ABOUT THE COUGARS: Washington State is 9-3 overall and 0-1 in the Pac-12 after dropping it conference opener at Utah, 80-58, on Dec. 29. The Cougars are averaging 75.8 points while shooting 46.8 percent from the field. Washington State has the second-best scoring defense in the Pac-12, allowing 63.9 points per game. The Cougars lead the league and rank 20th in the nation in field goal defense at 38.2 percent.
Fifth-year senior Isaac Jones leads Washington State at 15.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 58 percent from the field. Freshman guard Myles Rice is second on the team in scoring at 14.8 points an outing. Senior forward Andrej Jakimovski averages 9.5 points and 6.6 rebounds along with a team-best 18 3-point field goals.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 26th meeting between Colorado and Washington State with the Buffaloes holding a 18-7 series edge. Colorado won the only meeting during the 2022-23 season, a 58-55 decision in Boulder on Jan. 22. Colorado has won nine of the last 13 in the series and is a perfect 12-0 against Washington State in Boulder.
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CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 12:02 p.m. MT
TV: Pac-12 Network (Drew Goodman, Earl Watson)
Watch Online: Pac-12 Now App, Pac-12.com
Radio: KHOW 630 AM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Satellite: Sirius XM 373 & SXM App (Pac12)
Listen Online: CUBuffs.com
Live Statistics: http://statb.us/b/498239Â
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 10-2 overall and 1-0 in the Pac-12 Conference after tipping off the league season with a hard-fought 73-69 win over Washington on Dec. 29. The Buffaloes have won a season-best five straight and six of their last seven. Colorado's 10-2 mark is its best after 12 games since the 2019-20 season. The Buffaloes, who had a five-game win streak at this same time last year, will be searching for their first six-game run since late in the 2020-21 NCAA Tournament season.
Colorado is one of the top all-around shooting teams in the country, ranking in the top 20 nationally in all three percentage categories: overall field goal, 3-point and free throws. The Buffaloes are fifth  in the nation in overall shooting at 51.9 percent, rank eighth in 3-point percentage (.407) and 18th from the line (.789).Â
Colorado is one of only three programs in the nation top 20 of all three categories (through games of Dec. 29). Ironically the other two were both CU nonconference opponents in Colorado State and Miami (Fla.). The Buffaloes lead the Pac-12 Conference in all three as well.
The Buffaloes also sport top 30 marks nationally in rebound margin (10th, +12.0), assists (11th, 18.9 apg), scoring offense (22nd, 85.1 ppg), scoring margin (25th, +16.1) and win percentage (27th, .833). Â
The offense has been rocking. Over the last seven games the Buffaloes are averaging 87.1 points while shooting 54.3 percent from the floor.Â
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.
As for rebounding, a program staple, the Buffaloes have outrebounded their opponent in all 12 games this season with a margin of plus-12 per game. In the last two contests - Utah Tech and Washington - that margin has grown to plus-20.5. Colorado had a season-high 49 rebounds in the win over Washington.
Along with leading the Pac-12 in all major shooting categories, the Buffaloes are second in scoring, assists, scoring margin and rebound margin, third in rebounding and fourth in scoring defense (69.0 ppg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3).
INDIVIDUALLY SPEAKING: Junior KJ Simpson tops Colorado atÂ
20.0 points, 4.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game while ranking fourth in rebounding (4.9 rpg). He had an impressive line against Washington with a game-high 21 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists - with just one turnover - and three steals. It was his second career double-double and matched his personal-best in rebounds (both figures vs. Tennessee last season). It marked his fourth-straight 20-point, game, eighth of the season and 15th of his career.
On the season, Simpson is shooting 56.3 from the field, 47.9 percent from 3-point range and 85.9 percent from the free throw line. He is the only player in the country shooting at least 55-45-85 from those three spots (with a minimum five field goals made per game).
Over the last seven games, Simpson has shot 62.5 percent from the field (50-80), including 14 of 26 from 3-point range (.538).
On the Pac-12 charts, Simpson is second in scoring, 3-point shooting, steals and assist-to-turnover ratio, fifth in free throw percentage and seventh in overall shooting. He is averaging 3.8 steals over the last four games.
Nationally he is 21st in scoring, 37th in assist-to-turnover ratio, and 45th in steals.
Senior Tristan da Silva, who missed the Washington game with an injured ankle, 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 his 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 seventh in free throw percentage, ninth in scoring, 12th in 3-point percentage and 15th in defensive rebounds (4.4 drpg).
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 four games with a wrist injury.
Junior Julian Hammond III is averaging 9.8 points and is fifth on the team in assists with 28. Against Washington, Hammond had 11 points, hitting 3 of 6 from 3-point range, with five rebounds and a pair of assists.Â
Hammond is third in the Pac-12 in 3-point percentage (.465) and ranks third in overall shooting (.538).
Senior J'Vonne Hadley averages 10.1 points per game while ranking second on the team in rebounding (5.7 rpg) and steals (18). He had 11 points in the win over Washington including his first 3-point field goal in a CU uniform.
On the Pac-12 charts, Hadley is 11th in steals (1.5 spg), 12th in field goal percentage (.541), and 19th in rebounding. He has 10 steals over the last five games (2.0 spg).
Senior Eddie Lampkin, Jr., leads the Buffaloes and ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in rebounding at 7.8 per game. Lampkin recorded his third-straight double-double, and fourth of the season, with a season-high 17 points and 12 rebounds vs. Washington.
In all he has six double-digit rebounding games for the Buffaloes, including three straight and four of the in the last five games (8.6 rpg in that span. 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 second in offensive rebounds (2.8 orpg) and eighth in defensive boards (5.1 drpg).
Senior Luke O'Brien is averaging 7.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. He leads the team in blocked shots with seventh and ranks fourth in steals (10) and fifth in rebounding.Â
O'Brien had 11 points and a season-high nine rebounds against Washington, scoring in double-figures for the fourth-straight time, the longest span of his career. During that run he's averaging 14.0 points per game.
O'Brien had 18 points on eight field goals made against Utah Tech, both career-highs.Â
O'Brien ranks 10th in the Pac-12 in 3-point shooting at 41.9 percent. He has made 10 of his last 15 (.667) from long range. O'Brien made a career-high four 3-point field goals against Northern Colorado.Â
ABOUT THE COUGARS: Washington State is 9-3 overall and 0-1 in the Pac-12 after dropping it conference opener at Utah, 80-58, on Dec. 29. The Cougars are averaging 75.8 points while shooting 46.8 percent from the field. Washington State has the second-best scoring defense in the Pac-12, allowing 63.9 points per game. The Cougars lead the league and rank 20th in the nation in field goal defense at 38.2 percent.
Fifth-year senior Isaac Jones leads Washington State at 15.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 58 percent from the field. Freshman guard Myles Rice is second on the team in scoring at 14.8 points an outing. Senior forward Andrej Jakimovski averages 9.5 points and 6.6 rebounds along with a team-best 18 3-point field goals.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 26th meeting between Colorado and Washington State with the Buffaloes holding a 18-7 series edge. Colorado won the only meeting during the 2022-23 season, a 58-55 decision in Boulder on Jan. 22. Colorado has won nine of the last 13 in the series and is a perfect 12-0 against Washington State in Boulder.
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