Saturday, December 21
Boulder, Colo.
1 p.m.
Colorado
vs
Bellarmine
Photo by: Tony Harman
Buffs Wrap Up Nonconference Schedule Saturday Against Bellarmine
December 20, 2024 | Men's Basketball
Game 11 - Bellarmine, Saturday, December 21, 2024
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 1:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)Â https://buffs.me/49Ogunk
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Jerry Schemmel)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 390, SXM App 980
Live Statistics:Â http://statb.us/b/546200
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 8-2 overall and winners of its last three following an 81-70 win over South Dakota State on Dec. 13. The Buffaloes improved to 7-0 at the CU Events Center this season, have won their last 10 home games dating back to last year and have won 23 of 24 since the beginning of the 2023-24 season.
Away from the friendly confines, Colorado placed sixth at the 2024 Maui Invitational. A thrilling 73-72 win over then-No. 2/2 ranked UConn on the tournament's second day (Nov. 26) highlighted the trip for the Buffaloes who eventually fell to No. 5/5 Iowa State 99-71 in the consolation final (fifth place game) on Nov. 27 to round out the event with a 1-2 record. The game against Iowa State counted as a nonconference game and the two long-time rivals are set for a rematch in the Big 12 Conference opener in Boulder on Dec. 30.
Colorado is averaging 76.5 points per game, shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from 3-point range. Colorado's 3-point percentage ranks 28th in the nation and third in the Big 12.
Defensively, Colorado is allowing 69.7 points per game while opponents are shooting 41.4 percent.
The Buffaloes have had a flair for the dramatic this season. Colorado has had to overcome double-figure deficits in three wins including a rally from 11-down in the win over Pacific. The Buffaloes erased a 17-point deficit in the opener over Eastern Washington (details on page 6).
Colorado is 3-2 this season when trailing at the half, compared to the 2024 NCAA Tournament team that won just two of 10 contests in that situation. The Buffaloes are 3-0 in games decided by 10 points or less.
At home the Buffaloes are averaging 80.7 points per game while shooting 49.0 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from 3-point range. Colorado is holding its home opponents to 64.9 points on 37.0 percent shooting while enjoying a plus-10 advantage on the boards.
GRAND GRADS: As anticipated, Colorado's three graduate transfers, spanning all levels of collegiate basketball, have made immediate impacts for the Buffaloes.
Andrej Jakimovski, a four-year standout at old Pac-12 rival Washington State, is averaging 12.1 points per game while leading the team in steals (13) and ranking second in 3-point field goals (18) and third in rebounding at 5.0 per contest. He is closing in on 1,000 points for his collegiate career, needing 24 for that milestone.
Jakimovski had 17 points against Pacific, leading the Buffaloes in scoring for the third time. He had four 3-point field goals, the third one giving him 200 for his collegiate career.
Jakimovski averaged 11.3 points and a team-best 6.0 rebounds at the Maui Invitational. He had Colorado's first double-double of the season, and the fifth of his collegiate career with 12 points and 10 rebounds against UConn. He also hit the eventual game-winning shot against the No. 2 ranked Huskies with under eight seconds remaining.
It was Jakimovski's eighth career double-figure rebounding game. One of his four previous double-doubles came against Colorado while he was at Washington State on Jan. 30, 2022.
Elijah Malone, the 2024 Bevo Francis Award winner as the best small-school player in the nation (Grace College [Ind.] - NAIA) tops the Buffaloes in shooting at 65.3 percent (49-75) while averaging 12.3 points an outing. Malone is also shooting 75.9 percent from the free throw line (22-29) and is second on the team in blocks (10) and fourth in rebounding at 3.2 per game.
Malone had 15 points and a personal CU-high nine rebounds against South Dakota State. He hit 7 of 8 from the field, matching the team's best this season in terms of percentage (.875) with at least four field goals made. Malone has made 15 of his last 19 from the field, spanning the last three games.
Against Harvard, he went over the 2,000-point milestone for his collegiate career.
Trevor Baskin, an NCAA Division II All-American at Colorado Mesa, leads Colorado in rebounding at 6.8 per game and blocked shots (12) while averaging 9.1 points on 51.9 percent from the field.
Baskin flirted with a triple-double against Pacific, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. It was his 23rd collegiate double-double and first with CU. His seven assists were a team season-high and were an overall collegiate personal best (he had six in a game at New Mexico Highlands on Feb. 23, 2024).
Against Colorado State, Baskin recorded a team season-high 11 rebounds, just missing a second double-double with nine points along with two blocks, two steals and two assists.
HAMMOND TIME: Julian Hammond III, the most experienced player in terms of games for the Buffaloes (playing in his 99th career game on Saturday), leads Colorado at 13.4 points and 3.4 assists per game. Hammond also tops the Buffaloes in 3-point field goals (20) and is shooting 92.3 percent from the free throw line.
Hammond had a career-high game against South Dakota State with 23 points, on 8 of 14 from the field along with seven assists. It was the third 20-point game of his career and second this season, surpassing his previous best of 21 points against Washington in the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament.
Hammond has made his last 17 free throw attempts including a 5 for 5 performance against South Dakota State.
Hammond led Colorado at the Maui Invitational averaging 17.0 points while shooting 54.5 percent from the field (18-33), 52.9 percent from 3-point range (9-17) and hitting a perfect 6 of 6 from the free throw line.
SMITH'S RETURN, AND START: Sophomore guard RJ Smith is averaging 7.2 points while shooting 54 percent from the field in his return to action after missing the final 30 games of 2023-24 with a leg injury.
Smith matched a career-high 11 points and had a personal-best five assists against South Dakota State. He was 4 of 6 from the field including 3 of 5 from 3-point range. Smith has made 11 of his last 17 from 3-point range over the last five games and is shooting  a team-best 58.6 percent overall from long range (17-29).
Smith made his first career start against Colorado State, pitching in nine points on 3 of 4 from the field and four rebounds. He was a perfect 2 of 2 from the 3-point line.
In Maui, Smith averaged 5.3 points and was second on the team in assists with eight. He had eight points hitting a perfect 3 of 3 from the field against UConn.
OUT OF THE RUFF: Junior guard Javon Ruffin is averaging 5.4 points and ranks third on the team in assists (21) and tied for fourth in steals (7). Ruffin scored a career-high 15 points against Harvard, on a very efficient game hitting 4 of 5 from the field and a perfect 4 of 4 from the line.
DIOP ALL-AROUND GAME: Sophomore forward Assane Diop ranks second on the team in rebounding at 5.2 per game. He grabbed eight rebounds against Colorado State, the third time this season with at least eight in a game. He added three points, three assists and a pair of blocks against the Rams.
BD's BIG DAY: Sophomore forward Bangot Dak led the Buffaloes against CSU scoring a career-high 16 points on 7 of 8 from the field along with four rebounds. He doubled his previous career-best of eight points, set previously against Iowa State. It was his first time leading Colorado in scoring and the 7 of 8 performance from the field (.875) is the team's best percentage wise this year with at least four field goals made.
Dak is averaging 6.3 points on the season but has jumped that number to 9.8 over the last four games. He is third on the team in blocks (8) and fifth in rebounding (3.0 rpg).
ABOUT THE KNIGHTS: Bellarmine, out of the Atlantic Sun Conference, is 3-9 overall and has lost two-straight and four of its last five. The Knights are coming off a 92-55 setback at Wyoming on Dec. 19. Bellarmine has just one win against an NCAA Division I opponent, defeating Bowling Green at home, 80-68, on Nov. 23. The Knights average 74.3 points and are the top shooting team in the ASUN both overall (.472) and from 3-point range (.366). Defensively, Bellarmine allows 79.8 points while opponents shoot 48 percent from the field and nearly 40 percent from 3-point range.
Junior guard Ben Johnson averages 13.2 points and has a team-best 30 3-point field goals. Junior guard Billy Smith averages 12.8 points and leads the team in assists (29) and is second in 3-point field goals (29). Junior forward Curt Hopf is Bellarmine's top rebounder at 5.1 per contest.
THE SERIES: This will be the first meeting between Colorado and Bellarmine. The Buffaloes are 9-1 all-time against schools that currently make up the Atlantic Sun Conference, the last game an 84-60 Colorado win over North Alabama on Dec. 15, 2022.
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CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 1:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)Â https://buffs.me/49Ogunk
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Jerry Schemmel)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 390, SXM App 980
Live Statistics:Â http://statb.us/b/546200
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 8-2 overall and winners of its last three following an 81-70 win over South Dakota State on Dec. 13. The Buffaloes improved to 7-0 at the CU Events Center this season, have won their last 10 home games dating back to last year and have won 23 of 24 since the beginning of the 2023-24 season.
Away from the friendly confines, Colorado placed sixth at the 2024 Maui Invitational. A thrilling 73-72 win over then-No. 2/2 ranked UConn on the tournament's second day (Nov. 26) highlighted the trip for the Buffaloes who eventually fell to No. 5/5 Iowa State 99-71 in the consolation final (fifth place game) on Nov. 27 to round out the event with a 1-2 record. The game against Iowa State counted as a nonconference game and the two long-time rivals are set for a rematch in the Big 12 Conference opener in Boulder on Dec. 30.
Colorado is averaging 76.5 points per game, shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from 3-point range. Colorado's 3-point percentage ranks 28th in the nation and third in the Big 12.
Defensively, Colorado is allowing 69.7 points per game while opponents are shooting 41.4 percent.
The Buffaloes have had a flair for the dramatic this season. Colorado has had to overcome double-figure deficits in three wins including a rally from 11-down in the win over Pacific. The Buffaloes erased a 17-point deficit in the opener over Eastern Washington (details on page 6).
Colorado is 3-2 this season when trailing at the half, compared to the 2024 NCAA Tournament team that won just two of 10 contests in that situation. The Buffaloes are 3-0 in games decided by 10 points or less.
At home the Buffaloes are averaging 80.7 points per game while shooting 49.0 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from 3-point range. Colorado is holding its home opponents to 64.9 points on 37.0 percent shooting while enjoying a plus-10 advantage on the boards.
GRAND GRADS: As anticipated, Colorado's three graduate transfers, spanning all levels of collegiate basketball, have made immediate impacts for the Buffaloes.
Andrej Jakimovski, a four-year standout at old Pac-12 rival Washington State, is averaging 12.1 points per game while leading the team in steals (13) and ranking second in 3-point field goals (18) and third in rebounding at 5.0 per contest. He is closing in on 1,000 points for his collegiate career, needing 24 for that milestone.
Jakimovski had 17 points against Pacific, leading the Buffaloes in scoring for the third time. He had four 3-point field goals, the third one giving him 200 for his collegiate career.
Jakimovski averaged 11.3 points and a team-best 6.0 rebounds at the Maui Invitational. He had Colorado's first double-double of the season, and the fifth of his collegiate career with 12 points and 10 rebounds against UConn. He also hit the eventual game-winning shot against the No. 2 ranked Huskies with under eight seconds remaining.
It was Jakimovski's eighth career double-figure rebounding game. One of his four previous double-doubles came against Colorado while he was at Washington State on Jan. 30, 2022.
Elijah Malone, the 2024 Bevo Francis Award winner as the best small-school player in the nation (Grace College [Ind.] - NAIA) tops the Buffaloes in shooting at 65.3 percent (49-75) while averaging 12.3 points an outing. Malone is also shooting 75.9 percent from the free throw line (22-29) and is second on the team in blocks (10) and fourth in rebounding at 3.2 per game.
Malone had 15 points and a personal CU-high nine rebounds against South Dakota State. He hit 7 of 8 from the field, matching the team's best this season in terms of percentage (.875) with at least four field goals made. Malone has made 15 of his last 19 from the field, spanning the last three games.
Against Harvard, he went over the 2,000-point milestone for his collegiate career.
Trevor Baskin, an NCAA Division II All-American at Colorado Mesa, leads Colorado in rebounding at 6.8 per game and blocked shots (12) while averaging 9.1 points on 51.9 percent from the field.
Baskin flirted with a triple-double against Pacific, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. It was his 23rd collegiate double-double and first with CU. His seven assists were a team season-high and were an overall collegiate personal best (he had six in a game at New Mexico Highlands on Feb. 23, 2024).
Against Colorado State, Baskin recorded a team season-high 11 rebounds, just missing a second double-double with nine points along with two blocks, two steals and two assists.
HAMMOND TIME: Julian Hammond III, the most experienced player in terms of games for the Buffaloes (playing in his 99th career game on Saturday), leads Colorado at 13.4 points and 3.4 assists per game. Hammond also tops the Buffaloes in 3-point field goals (20) and is shooting 92.3 percent from the free throw line.
Hammond had a career-high game against South Dakota State with 23 points, on 8 of 14 from the field along with seven assists. It was the third 20-point game of his career and second this season, surpassing his previous best of 21 points against Washington in the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament.
Hammond has made his last 17 free throw attempts including a 5 for 5 performance against South Dakota State.
Hammond led Colorado at the Maui Invitational averaging 17.0 points while shooting 54.5 percent from the field (18-33), 52.9 percent from 3-point range (9-17) and hitting a perfect 6 of 6 from the free throw line.
SMITH'S RETURN, AND START: Sophomore guard RJ Smith is averaging 7.2 points while shooting 54 percent from the field in his return to action after missing the final 30 games of 2023-24 with a leg injury.
Smith matched a career-high 11 points and had a personal-best five assists against South Dakota State. He was 4 of 6 from the field including 3 of 5 from 3-point range. Smith has made 11 of his last 17 from 3-point range over the last five games and is shooting  a team-best 58.6 percent overall from long range (17-29).
Smith made his first career start against Colorado State, pitching in nine points on 3 of 4 from the field and four rebounds. He was a perfect 2 of 2 from the 3-point line.
In Maui, Smith averaged 5.3 points and was second on the team in assists with eight. He had eight points hitting a perfect 3 of 3 from the field against UConn.
OUT OF THE RUFF: Junior guard Javon Ruffin is averaging 5.4 points and ranks third on the team in assists (21) and tied for fourth in steals (7). Ruffin scored a career-high 15 points against Harvard, on a very efficient game hitting 4 of 5 from the field and a perfect 4 of 4 from the line.
DIOP ALL-AROUND GAME: Sophomore forward Assane Diop ranks second on the team in rebounding at 5.2 per game. He grabbed eight rebounds against Colorado State, the third time this season with at least eight in a game. He added three points, three assists and a pair of blocks against the Rams.
BD's BIG DAY: Sophomore forward Bangot Dak led the Buffaloes against CSU scoring a career-high 16 points on 7 of 8 from the field along with four rebounds. He doubled his previous career-best of eight points, set previously against Iowa State. It was his first time leading Colorado in scoring and the 7 of 8 performance from the field (.875) is the team's best percentage wise this year with at least four field goals made.
Dak is averaging 6.3 points on the season but has jumped that number to 9.8 over the last four games. He is third on the team in blocks (8) and fifth in rebounding (3.0 rpg).
ABOUT THE KNIGHTS: Bellarmine, out of the Atlantic Sun Conference, is 3-9 overall and has lost two-straight and four of its last five. The Knights are coming off a 92-55 setback at Wyoming on Dec. 19. Bellarmine has just one win against an NCAA Division I opponent, defeating Bowling Green at home, 80-68, on Nov. 23. The Knights average 74.3 points and are the top shooting team in the ASUN both overall (.472) and from 3-point range (.366). Defensively, Bellarmine allows 79.8 points while opponents shoot 48 percent from the field and nearly 40 percent from 3-point range.
Junior guard Ben Johnson averages 13.2 points and has a team-best 30 3-point field goals. Junior guard Billy Smith averages 12.8 points and leads the team in assists (29) and is second in 3-point field goals (29). Junior forward Curt Hopf is Bellarmine's top rebounder at 5.1 per contest.
THE SERIES: This will be the first meeting between Colorado and Bellarmine. The Buffaloes are 9-1 all-time against schools that currently make up the Atlantic Sun Conference, the last game an 84-60 Colorado win over North Alabama on Dec. 15, 2022.
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