Buffs Set To Host No. 8 Arizona Saturday

Game 24 - Arizona, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 8:05 p.m. MT
TV: ESPN (Dave Pasch, Sean Farnham)
Watch Online: WatchESPN
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Satellite: Sirius XM TBA & SXM App (TBA)
Listen Online: CUBuffs.com
Live Statistics: http://statb.us/b/498951

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 16-7 overall and tied for fourth place in the Pac-12 Conference at 7-5, just two games out of first. The Buffaloes kept pace with the league leaders with their 82-70 win over Arizona State last night as the top three in the Pac-12 standings all won their games and setting up Colorado's showdown with first place Arizona on Saturday.

Colorado is 13-0 at home for the first time in team history after defeating the Sun Devils on Feb. 8, eclipsing previous best of 12-straight to begin a season last achieved by the 1968-69 Big Eight Championship team which won all 12 of its games in that title season. Overall, the 13-game home winning streak is the program's best since a 14-game span over two seasons from Feb. 17, 2010 to Jan. 15, 2011.

Colorado has won seven-straight home games over Pac-12 teams dating back to last season, its most since a similar seven-game stretch over two seasons from Feb. 2, 2019 through Jan. 2, 2020.

In its 13 home games this season, Colorado is averaging 85.6 points and winning by a margin of nearly 20 per game. The Buffaloes are shooting 52.3 percent from the field, including 43.0 percent from 3-point range, while enjoying a plus-10.2 advantage on the boards.

Overall, Colorado is one of the top all-around shooting teams in the country, ranking in the top 13 nationally in all three percentage categories: overall field goal, 3-point and free throws. The Buffaloes are seventh in the nation in free throw percentage (.791), 10th in 3-point accuracy (.391) and 13th in overall shooting (.493).

Colorado is one to two programs in the nation's top 15 of all three categories (through games of Feb. 8) joining Indiana State. Colorado also sports top 50 marks nationally in rebound margin (+7.9, 16th), assists (16.2 apg, 35th), free throws made (16.9 mpg, 24th), scoring offense (80.7 ppg, 39th) and defensive rebounding (27.6 drpg, 44th).

Colorado leads the Pac-12 in all three shooting categories along with rebounding defense (30.1 rpg) while ranking second in scoring margin and rebound margin, third in scoring offense and defense (71.2 ppg) and fourth in assists and defensive boards.

INDIVIDUALLY SPEAKING: Wooden Award late season top 20 watch list member KJ Simpson tops Colorado at 19.4 points, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game while ranking third in rebounding (5.5 rpg). He is Colorado's second-leading rebounder in Pac-12 games at 6.4 per contest, while still pacing the Buffaloes at 18.9 points and 4.3 assists.

Simpson had 17 points, matched a career-high eight assists and grabbed six boards against Arizona State. He is averaging 7.6 boards over the last five games and has at least five rebounds in 11 of 12 Pac-12 contests.

Simpson is one of two major conference players averaging 19.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game joining Kansas' Kevin McCullar Jr. He is one of four in all of NCAA Division I with those numbers.

Simpson leads all major conference players in rebounding (both in conference and overall) for those listed at 6' 2" and under. He tops the Pac-12 in rebounding for all players listed at 6' 5" and under.

On the Pac-12 charts, Simpson is first in free throw percentage, third in scoring, assists, and steals, fourth in 3-point shooting, fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0), 11th in defensive rebounds (4.6 drpg), 12th in minutes (32.6 mpg) and 17th in overall rebounding.

Senior forward Tristan da Silva is second on the team in scoring (15.3 ppg), field goals made (105), and 3-pointers (35) while ranking third in steals (21) and fourth in rebounding (5.4 rpg). Da Silva had 15 points, four rebounds and hit all five free throw attempts vs. Arizona State.

On the Pac-12 charts, da Silva ranks 10th in free throw percentage (.822), 12th in scoring, 15th in defensive rebounds (4.4 drpg), 18th in rebounding and 20th in 3-point shooting (.372).

McDonald's All-American Cody Williams is third on the team in scoring at 14.4 points per game while shooting a team-best 56.9 percent from the field. He had 11 points, three rebounds and dished out three assists against Arizona State.

Senior J'Vonne Hadley averages 11.4 points per game while ranking second on the team in shooting (.563), steals (29) and rebounding (5.8 rpg).

Hadley recorded his first career NCAA Division I double-double with 19 points and a career-high 11 rebounds against Arizona State. It was his third-career double-figure rebounding game; his previous high was 10 achieved twice last season (vs. Tennessee, at UCLA). He was 7 for 7 from the line, matching his career-high in free throws made, achieved for the third time, and it was his most free throws made without a miss. He is now 35 of 39 from the line in conference play (.897), the best mark in the Pac-12.

On the overall Pac-12 charts, Hadley is seventh in free throw percentage (.840) and field goal shooting, 11th in steals (1.3 spg) and 13th in overall rebounds and defensive boards (4.4 drpg).

Senior Eddie Lampkin, Jr., leads the Buffaloes and ranks sixth in the Pac-12 in rebounding at 7.4 per game. Lampkin recorded his team-best seventh double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds at Utah.

In all he has nine double-digit rebounding games for the Buffaloes. The Utah double-double was the 13th of his collegiate career, adding his six from TCU.

On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Lampkin is also third in offensive rebounds (2.6 orpg), 10th in defensive boards (4.8 drpg) and 11th in field goal percentage (.543).

Junior Julian Hammond III is averaging 7.7 points and is fifth on the team in assists with 43. He's beginning to emerge from a rough patch that saw him score just six points in a four-game span after missing a pair of games with an injury. In the last three, he's averaging 8.6 points, including a 9-point effort against Arizona State.

Hammond is 12th in the Pac-12 in 3-point percentage (.407).

Senior Luke O'Brien is averaging 6.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. He is second on the team in blocked shots with nine and is fourth in steals (17) and fifth in rebounding.

ABOUT THE WILDCATS: No. 8 ranked Arizona is 18-5 overall and is in first place in the Pac-12 at 9-3. The Wildcats have won four in a row and six of their last seven, including a 105-99 triple overtime thriller at Utah on Feb. 8. Arizona leads the Pac-12 at 89.7 points per game, shooting 48.7 percent from the field. Defensively, the Wildcats have allowed opponents 73.2 points and 42.5 percent from the field.

Guard Caleb Love leads Arizona at 18.9 points per game and has a team-best 57 3-point field goals. Center Oumar Ballo tops the Wildcats in rebounding (9.7 rpg) and field goal percentage (.607) while averaging 13.2 points per contest. Pelle Larsson averages 13.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.

SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 42nd meeting between Colorado and Arizona with the Wildcats holding a 25-16 series lead. The Wildcats have won the last three in the series including a 97-50 decision in Tucson on Jan. 4. Colorado has a 12-3 advantage in Boulder and has won the last five at the CU Events Center.

In the Pac-12 era, the teams have met 28 times with the Wildcats holding a 20-8 edge. In a scheduling quirk, only nine of those games have been in Boulder, where CU has a 7-2 advantage. The teams have met 12 times in Tucson during that span (Arizona 12-0) and seven times in a neutral setting at the Pac-12 Tournament (Arizona 6-1).

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Players Mentioned

Tristan da Silva

J'Vonne Hadley

Julian Hammond III

Luke O'Brien

KJ Simpson

Cody Williams