Colorado Set To Host Utah Valley Sunday

NIT POSTSEASON FACTS: Colorado makes its second-straight National Invitation Tournament (NIT) appearance and 13th overall. The Buffaloes are a No. 3 seed in one of four eight-team regions.

With its 65-64 win over Seton Hall in the first round, Colorado improved to 14-11 all-time in the NIT and advances past the first round for the seventh time in 13 appearances.

Overall, this is Colorado's 29th postseason tournament past the conference level. Head coach Tad Boyle leads the Buffaloes into their 11th national-level postseason appearance in 12 possible seasons (no postseason in 2020 due to covid). Included in that span is a school-record seven-straight appearances from 2011 to 2017. Prior to that seven-year run, no Colorado team had participated in the postseason more than two consecutive years.

Colorado is 55-74 in all-time postseason play, including conference tournaments; 26-29 on the national level (NCAA, NIT, CBI). The Buffaloes won the NIT title in 1940. Colorado also has a runner-up finish in 1938, a third place showing in 1991 and a semifinal appearance in 2011.

THE SEASON: Colorado is 18-16 overall and has won three of its last four. The Buffaloes were 1-1 at the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament. As the No. 9 seed, Colorado defeated No. 8 Washington 74-68 in the first round on Nov. 8, before falling to top-seeded UCLA, 80-69, in the quarterfinals on Nov. 9. The Buffaloes have clinched a .500 or better overall record for the eighth-straight season and 12th time in 13 years under head coach Tad Boyle.

Colorado will play its 35th game of the season on Sunday, tying for the fourth most in team history. The 2013-14 Buffaloes played 35 games, finishing 23-12 advancing to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The school record for games played in one season is 38 set by the 2010-11 NIT semifinalist squad (24-14). Colorado would have a chance to equal that mark with a run to the NIT Championship game.

The Buffaloes finished 8-12 in league play, tying with Washington for eighth place in the final league standings. Colorado finished sub-.500 in league play for the first time since the 2017-18 team was 8-10. The 12 league losses are the most in the Boyle era (7-11 in 2014-15).

On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Colorado is second in steals (7.4 spg), third in turnover margin (+0.2), fourth in scoring defense (66.7 ppg), 3-point defense (.316), overall rebounding (37.4 rpg), offensive boards (11.2 orpg), defensive boards (26.2 drpg) and fifth in rebound margin (+3.8).

Colorado allowed 64.5 points during conference play, ranking second on the league charts. The Buffaloes have held five conference opponents to 46 or fewer in the Pac-12 era, three have come this season.
46 Points Or Fewer Allowed In Pac-12 Games
Date - Opponent, Result
12/31/2011 – vs. Utah, W 73-33
3/4/2017 – vs. California, W, 54-46
1/5/2023 – vs. Oregon, W 68-41
1/7/2023 – vs. Oregon State, W, 62-42
2/2/2023 – vs. California, W, 59-46

Colorado led the Pac-12 during conference play in 3-point defense, allowing opponents just 30.2 percent from long range. The Buffaloes held UCLA to just one 3-point field goal and shot just 7.1 percent (1 for 14), both opponent season lows.

Junior forward Tristan da Silva leads Colorado at 16.0 points per game on 50 percent shooting from the field while averaging 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals an outing. Da Silva averaged 17.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists at the Pac-12 Tournament. He led the Buffaloes with 17 points against UCLA. Da Silva had 18 points, on 7 of 11 shooting, and tied a career-best with five assists in the win over Washington.

Da Silva has scored 20-plus points in 11 games this season, the most since Derrick White had 15 in 2016-17. He had a string of five-straight 20-plus games, the first by a Buffalo since Josh Scott had five in a row from Dec. 2-19, 2015.

On the Pac-12 charts, da Silva is fourth in 3-point shooting (.406),
sixth in scoring, ninth in steals, 10th in field goal percentage and 15th in free throw percentage (.750).

Luke O'Brien is averaging 6.1 points and leads the Buffaloes in total rebounds (180) while ranking second on a per game average (5.6), ranking 16th on the Pac-12 charts. He led Colorado in rebounding in Pac-12 play at 6.2 per game, which ranked 12th on the league leaderboard. O'Brien is averaging 8.7 points and a team-best 10.3 rebounds in three postseason games.

O'Brien had eight points and a career-high 14 rebounds in the first round win over Seton Hall. His 14 rebounds are the most by Buffalo in the NIT and most by a Colorado player in a national-level postseason game since Josh Scott had 15 against Gardner Webb in the CBI on Mar. 18, 2015.

O'Brien's 14 rebounds mark his fifth double-figure effort of the season. Three of those have come in the last five games. He has led the Buffaloes in rebounding a team-best 12 times this season, including three straight and 10 of the last 14 games.

O'Brien averaged 9.0 points and a team-best 8.5 rebounds at the Pac-12 Tournament. He notched his second career double-double, and second in a three-game span, with 13 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Washington. He was 6 for 10 from the field logging career-highs in field goals made and attempted.

O'Brien has made 27 of his last 55 from the floor (.491) and is averaging 9.2 points and 8.5 rebounds over the last six games.

Julian Hammond III is averaging 6.9 points and is second on the team in assists with 69. He has started the last four games, averaging 15.0 points, 4.5 assists and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 51 percent from the field in those contests.

Hammond co-led the Buffaloes in scoring at the Pac-12 Tournament at 17.5 points per game while averaging 4.0 assists and shooting 59 percent from the floor. He had a career-high 21 points hitting 7 of 12 from the field and 5 of 5 from the free throw line in the first round win over Washington. He had 14 points and a career-best six assists vs. UCLA.

He originally stepped into the starting role against Utah and co-led the Buffaloes in scoring with 15 points while adding five assists and five steals.

It was the first 15-5-5 game by a Pac-12 player this season and the first by a Buffalo in exactly 15 years. Marcus Hall had 22 points, seven assists and six steals against Kansas State on Mar. 4, 2008. Hammond's five steals were a personal best and his five assists tied a career high (vs. Arizona, Mar. 11, 2022).

Sophomore Lawson Lovering leads Colorado in blocks (32) while ranking fourth in rebounding (4.6 rpg) and averaging 4.4 points per contest. He averaged 9.0 points and shot 70 percent from the field at the Pac-12 Tournament (7-10). Lovering led the Buffaloes in shooting at 56.9 percent (41-72).

Lovering is 11th in blocked shots (1.0 bpg) and 14th in offensive rebounds (1.9 orpg) in the Pac-12.

Nique Clifford is averaging 5.9 points and 4.0 rebounds while ranking second on the team in blocks (20), third in assists (48) and fourth in steals (24). He recorded his first career double-double with 14 points and a personal-best 11 rebounds against Utah. After being held without a rebound against USC, he has 35 the last five games (7.0 rpg).

Graduate senior Ethan Wright had a season-high 18 points on 4 of 6 from the 3-point line and five rebounds against Seton Hall. The 18 points were his most since he scored 18 in his final game at Princeton, against VCU in the first round of the 2022 NIT. Wright has 25 3-pointers on the season, 11 of which - or 44 percent - have come in the last six games.

Wright is Colorado's third-leading scorer in three postseason games averaging 12.3 points while shooting 46 percent from the field. He has made 6 of his last 10 from 3-point range. Wright is also averaging 4.7 rebounds during postseason play. He has 47 points over the last four games (11.8 ppg) after scoring just 18 over the previous seven contests.

Graduate senior Jalen Gabbidon is averaging 6.3 points on 57 percent shooting in three postseason games. He tied his season-high with 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 from the field in the Pac-12 quarterfinal against UCLA. He is 3 of 6 from 3-point range during the postseason after shooting just 2 of 11 from 3-point range in regular season conference play.

Both Wright and Gabbidon good showings on Senior Day against Utah. Wright had 10 points against the Utes, his first double-figure scoring game against a Pac-12 opponent and second-best to that point of the season. Gabbidon had five points and four rebounds against Utah after missing the previous two games with an injury.

MISSING BUFFS: Sophomore KJ Simpson has missed the last four games after being diagnosed with mononucleosis. His status for the NIT continues to be evaluated. Simpson leads Colorado in assists (111) and steals (43) and is second in scoring at 15.9 points per game.

On the Pac-12 charts Simpson is fifth in free throw percentage (.817), sixth in steals, seventh in scoring and assists, 12th in minutes played (31.8 mpg) and 13th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5).

Junior J'Vonne Hadley has missed the last 10 games and is expected to miss the remainder of the season with an injury to his right (shooting) hand. Hadley averaged 8.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 52.5 percent from the field. He was Colorado's leading rebounder and ranked second on the team in field goal shooting and third in scoring and steals at the time of his injury

Javon Ruffin has missed the last six games with a knee injury and is expected to miss the rest of the season. He was averaging 6.0 points and is second on the team in 3-point percentage (.358) and fifth in 3-pointers made (24).

Colorado has featured nine different starting lineups this season, its most since the 2017-18 team had 11.

ABOUT THE WOLVERINES: Utah Valley is 26-8 overall after defeating New Mexico, 83-69, in an NIT first round game on Mar. 15. The Wolverines won the Western Athletic Conference regular season title with a 15-3 record, but fell to Southern Utah in the semifinals of the WAC Tournament. Utah Valley averages 77.2 points while shooting 46.4 percent from the floor. The Wolverines lead the WAC in both free throw percentage (.741) and assists per game (16.1). Defensively, the Wolverines allow 68.2 points while holding opponents to 39 percent shooting, the latter ranking sixth in NCAA Division I. Utah Valley leads the nation in blocks at 6.7 per game.

Junior guard Le'Tre Darthard leads Utah Valley at 14.0 points per game, hitting 44 percent from the field and 90 percent from the free throw line. Junior guard ranks second on the team in both points (13.7 ppg) and assists (2.9 apg). Senior guard Trey Woodbury averages 13.4 points and a team-best 4.5 assists. Sophomore center Aziz Bandaogo averages a double-double at 11.4 points and 10.2 rebounds. He ranks fourth in the nation in blocks (2.9 bpg) and 11th in rebounding.

SERIES RECORDS: This will be the first meeting between Colorado and Utah Valley. The Buffaloes are 14-8 against teams that currently make up the Western Athletic Conference. Colorado's last game against a WAC opponent, was earlier this season, an 86-78 home win over Southern Utah on Dec. 21. Utah Valley was 1-2 against Southern Utah this season.

SINGLE SEASON SCORING: Tristan da Silva eclipsed 500 points for the season during the Pac-12 Tournament win over Washington on Mar. 8. He became the 30th Buff to reach that mark and first since Derrick White in 2016-17. He moved into CU's season Top 15 after scoring 15 against Seton Hall.

Da Silva has 544 total points, tying Jaquay Walls (1999-2000) and Cliff Meely (1969-70) for 15th on CU's single season list.

Colorado Season Points
Rk.        Player    Season Points
10.        Stevie Wise        1989-90 599
11.        Cory Higgins       2009-10 587
12.        Donnie Boyce     1993-94 582
13.        Chauncey Billups 1996-97 555
14.        Richard Roby      2007-08 545
15.        Tristan da Silva    2022-23 544
            Jaquay Walls      1999-00 544
            Cliff Meely         1969-70 544

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Players Mentioned

Nique Clifford

Tristan da Silva

Jalen Gabbidon

J'Vonne Hadley

Julian Hammond III

Lawson Lovering

Luke O'Brien

Javon Ruffin

KJ Simpson

Ethan Wright