Buffs Conclude Homestand With Oregon State Saturday

Game 19 - Oregon State, Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 5:06 p.m. MT
TV: Pac-12 Network (Jenny Cavnar, Matt Muehlebach)
Watch Online: Pac-12 Now App, Pac-12.com
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Satellite: Sirius XM 373 & SXM App (Pac12)
Listen Online: CUBuffs.com
Live Statistics: https://statb.us/b/498950

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 13-5 overall and 4-3 in the Pac-12 Conference after knocking off Oregon, previously unbeaten in league play, 86-70 on Jan. 18. The Buffaloes improved to a perfect 11-0 at the CU Events Center, their best start to a season at home since the 2013-14 squad won their first 11. It's CU's longest overall home winning streak since a 12-game run spanning two seasons from Feb. 2 to Dec. 4, 2019. Last week's win over USC was the 500th at the facility in program history (501-190, .725).

In its 11 home games this season, Colorado is averaging 85.5 points and winning by a margin of nearly 19 per game. The Buffaloes are shooting 52.7 percent from the field, including 43.6 percent from 3-point range, while enjoying a plus-10.5 advantage on the boards.

Overall, Colorado is one of the top all-around shooting teams in the country, ranking in the top 15 nationally in all three percentage categories: overall field goal, 3-point and free throws. The Buffaloes are eighth in the nation in field goal percentage (.501), 14th from 3-point range (.392) and 15th at the line (.772).

Colorado is the only program in the nation's top 15 of all three categories (through games of Jan. 18). Colorado also sports top 50 marks nationally in rebound margin (+7.9, 22nd) and assists (16.9, 26th).

Against Oregon, Colorado shot 30 for 59 from the floor (.508), hitting the 50 percent mark for the 10th time, the most in one season since the 2014-15 team had 10 in 34 games. Colorado is 103-8 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 16 of 18 games this season with a margin of plus-7.9 per game. Colorado had a season-high 49 rebounds in the win over Washington.

Colorado leads the Pac-12 in overall shooting, free throw percentage and rebounding defense (29.7 rpg), second in 3-point shooting, scoring and rebound margin, third in scoring margin and fourth in assists.

INDIVIDUALLY SPEAKING: Wooden Award midseason top 25 watch list member KJ Simpson tops Colorado at 19.4 points, 4.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game while ranking fourth in rebounding (4.9 rpg). He scored 22 points with five rebounds, five assists and three steals in the win over Oregon, notching his 11th 20-point game of the season.

Simpson is shooting 51.1 percent from the field, 47.1 percent from 3-point range and 87.5 percent from the free throw line. He is one of five players in the country shooting at least 50-45-85 from those three spots (with a minimum five field goals made per game) and is the top scorer among those players at 19.4 per game.

On the Pac-12 charts, Simpson is first in free throw percentage, third in scoring, 3-point percentage and steals, fourth in assists, fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1) and 14th in overall shooting.

Senior Tristan da Silva is second on the team in scoring at 15.7 points per game while ranking third in rebounding (5.3 rpg) and assists (43). Da Silva had 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds against Oregon.

On the Pac-12 charts, da Silva ranks seventh in free throw percentage (.827), 11th in scoring, 12th in defensive rebounds (4.4 drpg), 19th in 3-point percentage (.373) and 20th in overall rebounding.

McDonald's All-American Cody Williams is third on the team in scoring at 15.0 points per game while shooting 59 percent from the field. He scored a career-high 23 points, hitting 10 of 13 from the field, in the win over Oregon. His 10 field goals matched a team season best. Williams had two blocks, matching a career high and a figure he's hit in each of the last three games.

Senior J'Vonne Hadley averages 10.6 points per game while ranking second on the team in steals (23) and rebounding (5.7 rpg). He had a team-high 15 points on 7 of 11 from the field against USC along with matching a season-high nine rebounds.

On the Pac-12 charts, Hadley is seventh in field goal percentage (.565), 10th in free throw percentage (.815), 13th in rebounding and 14th in steals (1.3 spg).

Senior Eddie Lampkin, Jr., leads the Buffaloes and ranks fifth in the Pac-12 in rebounding at 7.4 per game. Lampkin recorded his team-best fifth double-double of the season, with a career-high 22 points and 11 rebounds at California.

In all he has seven double-digit rebounding games for the Buffaloes. The California double-double was the 11th of his collegiate career, adding his six from TCU.

On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Lampkin is also fourth in offensive rebounds (2.6 orpg), ninth in defensive boards (4.8 drpg) and 12th in field goal percentage (.533).

Senior Luke O'Brien is averaging 6.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He is tied for second on the team blocked shots with seven and is third in steals (17) and fifth in rebounding.

O'Brien had 10 points, on 5 of 8 shooting, with four rebounds and a pair of steals vs. Oregon.

Sophomore guard Javon Ruffin has returned to the lineup for the Pac-12 season after missing the nonconference portion of the schedule recovering from offseason knee surgery. He was initially expected to miss the season, but his rehab went better than expected and began basketball activities Dec. 19.

Ruffin had 11 points and four rebounds at Arizona, leading Buffaloes in scoring for the first time in his career. It was his seventh-career double-figure scoring game and he matched a career-high with 10 field goal attempts.

Junior Julian Hammond III is averaging 8.2 points and is fifth on the team in assists with 33. He is seventh in the Pac-12 in 3-point percentage (.438).

ABOUT THE BEAVERS: Oregon State is 9-8 overall and in last place in the Pac-12 at 1-5. The Beavers have dropped their last four including a 74-47 setback at Utah on Jan. 18. Oregon State averages 70.4 points on 43.8 shooting. The Beavers are the second-best free throw shooting team in the Pac-12 at 74.6 percent. Defensively, Oregon State allows 70.9 points while opponents are shooting 42.5 percent from the floor.

Guard Jordan Pope leads Oregon State at 17.4 points and 3.6 assists per game. He also tops the Beavers in 3-pointers made (39) hitting 38 percent from long range. Forward Tyler Bilodeau averages 12.4 points and 5.6 rebounds. Dexter Akanno is OSU's third double-digit scorer at 12.2 points an outing.

SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 33rd meeting between Colorado and Oregon State with the Buffaloes holding a 21-11 advantage. The teams split the season series in 2022-23, each winning at home. Colorado has won six of the last eight meetings overall and has won 12 of 15 all-time meetings in Boulder.

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Players Mentioned

Tristan da Silva

J'Vonne Hadley

Julian Hammond III

Luke O'Brien

Javon Ruffin

KJ Simpson

Cody Williams