Sunday, January 12
Boulder, Colo.
1 p.m.
Colorado
vs
West Virginia
Buffs Set For First-Time Meeting With West Virginia Sunday
January 10, 2025 | Men's Basketball
Game 15 - West Virginia, Sunday, January 12, 2025
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 1:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Ted Emrich, Tim Welsh)Â https://buffs.me/3WaavE0
Radio: KHOW 630 AM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 389, SXM App 979
Live Statistics:Â http://statb.us/b/546198
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 9-5 overall and 0-3 to open Big 12 Conference play after falling at UCF 75-74 on Jan. 8 in its second true road game of the season. The Buffaloes are 0-3 in conference play for the first time since 2016-17, when Colorado dropped its first seven Pac-12 games before rebounding to win eight of its last 11. Overall, it's Colorado's first three-game skid since the same time frame last year, Jan. 4-10, 2024, all road losses at Arizona, Arizona State and California.
Colorado is averaging 74.9 points per game, shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from 3-point range. Defensively, Colorado is allowing 70.5 points per game while opponents are shooting 41.9 percent.
The Buffaloes rank third in the Big 12 in free throw percentage (.769), Â fifth in 3-point shooting (.355), sixth in defensive rebounding (26.8 drpg) and seventh in steals (7.9 spg).
Colorado had its second-best shooting numbers of the season at UCF hitting 52.2 percent overall (24-46) and 53.8 percent from 3-point range (7-13). The 3-point numbers eradicated a slump that saw the Buffaloes hit just 23 of 94 (.245) over the previous four contests.Â
Colorado fell for the first time this year (5-1) and just the third time in the last 25 games when shooting at least 50 percent (5-1). The Buffaloes' shooting percentage at UCF was their highest in a loss since compiling the exact numbers from the field (24-46, .522) in a 64-60 setback at UCLA on Feb. 15, 2024.
HAMMOND TIME: Julian Hammond III, the most experienced player in terms of games for the Buffaloes (played in his 102nd career game at UCF), leads Colorado at 13.6 points and 3.6 assists per game. Hammond also tops the Buffaloes in 3-point field goals (26) and is shooting 92.1 percent from the free throw line.
Hammond shook off a scoreless outing at Arizona State, erupting for a career-high 26 points at UCF, hitting 8 of 14 from the field and 8 of 9 from the line. It was the fifth 20-point game of his career and third in four contests. He had a game-high 21 points in the home outing with Iowa State and 23 during the nonconference schedule against South Dakota State.
Hammond leads the Big 12 and ranks 11th in the nation in free throw percentage. He saw a string of 21-consecutive free throws made at UCF, but the 8 for 9 performance upped his average made per game to 2.5 exactly, the minimum for conference and national rankings.Â
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.
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 11.4 points ranking second on the team in rebounding (4.7 rpg), steals (16) and 3-point field goals (19). He  had 16 points at UCF, hitting 6 of 9 from the field and 4 of 5 from 3-point range. That performance pushed him over 1,000 points for his collegiate career (1,003).
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 61.6 percent (61-99) while averaging 10.9 points an outing. Malone is third on the team in blocks (11) and fourth in rebounding at 3.7 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.
Against Harvard, he went over the 2,000-point milestone for his collegiate career.Â
Trevor Baskin, an NCAA Division II All-American at Colorado Mesa, leads Colorado and ranks 15th in the Big 12 in rebounding (6.2 rpg). He also leads the Buffaloes in steals (17) and is tied for the lead in blocks (16).Â
Baskin led Colorado at Arizona State with a personal CU-high 23 points on 9 of 14 from the field. He added a game-high 10 rebounds for his second CU double-double and 24th overall in his collegiate career. It was also his 24th collegiate 20-point scoring game.
Baskin flirted with a triple-double against Pacific, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. 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).Â
SMITH'S HOT START: Sophomore guard RJ Smith is averaging 7.4 points while shooting 49 percent from the field in his return to action after missing the final 30 games of 2023-24 with a leg injury.Â
Smith had a career-high 14 against Iowa State, on 5 of 10 from the field and 3 of 6 from 3-point range. Against Bellarmine, Smith scored 11 points hitting 3 of 4 from 3-point range and led the Buffaloes in rebounding for the first time in his career, finishing with five. Against South Dakota State, he was 4 of 6 from the field including 3 of 5 from 3-point range.Â
Smith, shooting a team-best 51.1 percent overall from long range (23-45), had a career-best eight rebounds at UCF.
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.
DIOP CAREER GAME: Sophomore forward Assane Diop led Colorado in scoring for the first time with a career-best 15 points on 7 of 11 from the field in the win over Bellarmine. It marked his second career double-figure scoring game. Diop ranks third on the team in rebounding at 4.6 per game.
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 6.0 points on the season and is tied for the team in blocks (13) and is fifth in rebounding (3.1 rpg). He led the Buffaloes in rebounding for the first time with a career-high eight against Iowa State. Dak also dished out a career-best five assists against the Cyclones.
ABOUT THE MOUNTAINEERS: No. 23 (AP) / 21 (Coaches) ranked West Virginia is 11-3 overall and 2-1 in the Big 12. The Mountaineers saw a seven-game winning streak snapped with a 75-56 home setback to Arizona in their last outing on Jan. 7. West Virginia averages 74.2 points per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the field. The Mountaineers' defense has been outstanding. WVU allows 63.4 points per game and ranks 15th in the nation in field goal shooting defense at 38.2 percent. The Mountaineers are even better guarding the perimeter, ranking 11th in the country in 3-point defense (.279). West Virginia tops the Big 12 in 3-point defense and in blocked shots (5.6 bpg).
Senior guard Javon Small is the Big 12's leading scorer at 19.4 points per game. He ranks sixth in the Big 12 in assists (4.9 apg) while shooting 88.2 percent from the free throw line (67-76). Sophomore Amani Hansberry tops the Mountaineers in rebounding at 6.1 per game while pitching in 10.1 points per contest. Freshman guard Jonathan Powell averages 9.2 points and ranks second on the team with 33 3-point field goals made.
THE SERIES: This will be the first meeting between Colorado and West Virginia on the hardwood. The Buffaloes have never traveled, nor played a team, from the state of West Virginia. The Mountaineers are the only team from the "new" Big 12 Colorado had never faced prior to this season.
AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: Colorado is 1-2 against ranked opponents in 2024-25 falling to a top 5 Iowa State team for the second time in a little over a month on Dec. 30. The Buffaloes faced No. 2/2 UConn and No. 5/5 Iowa State on back-to-back dates at the Maui Invitational.Â
The win over No. 2/2 UConn marks the highest-ranked win away from Boulder in program history. Colorado has two previous wins over No. 2 teams, both coming in Boulder (Feb. 12, 1992 vs. #2 Oklahoma State, 57-53 & Feb. 26, 2022 vs. #2 Arizona, 79-63). Senior Julian Hammond III and redshirt junior Javon Ruffin were both on that team that defeated Arizona. The previous best neutral site win came against No. 4 Washington on Dec. 30, 1953 in Kansas City (Big 7 Holiday Tournament).
Colorado's last win against a defending national champion came against the 1952 NCAA champion Kansas Jayhawks on Jan. 20, 1953, 72-68 in Boulder.
Colorado's 28 wins over ranked Associated Press ranked opponents in the Tad Boyle era is by far the best in team history. In fact Boyle coached teams, with a record of 28-51, have accounted for 39 percent of wins over ranked opponents (72) since 1949-50.
Colorado faced two ranked nonconference opponents on back-to-back days for the first time in 26 years, Nov. 26-27, 1998, when the Buffaloes played No. 4 Kentucky (L, 52-64) and No. 10 Xavier (L, 61-74) in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Â
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 1:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Ted Emrich, Tim Welsh)Â https://buffs.me/3WaavE0
Radio: KHOW 630 AM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 389, SXM App 979
Live Statistics:Â http://statb.us/b/546198
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 9-5 overall and 0-3 to open Big 12 Conference play after falling at UCF 75-74 on Jan. 8 in its second true road game of the season. The Buffaloes are 0-3 in conference play for the first time since 2016-17, when Colorado dropped its first seven Pac-12 games before rebounding to win eight of its last 11. Overall, it's Colorado's first three-game skid since the same time frame last year, Jan. 4-10, 2024, all road losses at Arizona, Arizona State and California.
Colorado is averaging 74.9 points per game, shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from 3-point range. Defensively, Colorado is allowing 70.5 points per game while opponents are shooting 41.9 percent.
The Buffaloes rank third in the Big 12 in free throw percentage (.769), Â fifth in 3-point shooting (.355), sixth in defensive rebounding (26.8 drpg) and seventh in steals (7.9 spg).
Colorado had its second-best shooting numbers of the season at UCF hitting 52.2 percent overall (24-46) and 53.8 percent from 3-point range (7-13). The 3-point numbers eradicated a slump that saw the Buffaloes hit just 23 of 94 (.245) over the previous four contests.Â
Colorado fell for the first time this year (5-1) and just the third time in the last 25 games when shooting at least 50 percent (5-1). The Buffaloes' shooting percentage at UCF was their highest in a loss since compiling the exact numbers from the field (24-46, .522) in a 64-60 setback at UCLA on Feb. 15, 2024.
HAMMOND TIME: Julian Hammond III, the most experienced player in terms of games for the Buffaloes (played in his 102nd career game at UCF), leads Colorado at 13.6 points and 3.6 assists per game. Hammond also tops the Buffaloes in 3-point field goals (26) and is shooting 92.1 percent from the free throw line.
Hammond shook off a scoreless outing at Arizona State, erupting for a career-high 26 points at UCF, hitting 8 of 14 from the field and 8 of 9 from the line. It was the fifth 20-point game of his career and third in four contests. He had a game-high 21 points in the home outing with Iowa State and 23 during the nonconference schedule against South Dakota State.
Hammond leads the Big 12 and ranks 11th in the nation in free throw percentage. He saw a string of 21-consecutive free throws made at UCF, but the 8 for 9 performance upped his average made per game to 2.5 exactly, the minimum for conference and national rankings.Â
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.
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 11.4 points ranking second on the team in rebounding (4.7 rpg), steals (16) and 3-point field goals (19). He  had 16 points at UCF, hitting 6 of 9 from the field and 4 of 5 from 3-point range. That performance pushed him over 1,000 points for his collegiate career (1,003).
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 61.6 percent (61-99) while averaging 10.9 points an outing. Malone is third on the team in blocks (11) and fourth in rebounding at 3.7 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.
Against Harvard, he went over the 2,000-point milestone for his collegiate career.Â
Trevor Baskin, an NCAA Division II All-American at Colorado Mesa, leads Colorado and ranks 15th in the Big 12 in rebounding (6.2 rpg). He also leads the Buffaloes in steals (17) and is tied for the lead in blocks (16).Â
Baskin led Colorado at Arizona State with a personal CU-high 23 points on 9 of 14 from the field. He added a game-high 10 rebounds for his second CU double-double and 24th overall in his collegiate career. It was also his 24th collegiate 20-point scoring game.
Baskin flirted with a triple-double against Pacific, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. 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).Â
SMITH'S HOT START: Sophomore guard RJ Smith is averaging 7.4 points while shooting 49 percent from the field in his return to action after missing the final 30 games of 2023-24 with a leg injury.Â
Smith had a career-high 14 against Iowa State, on 5 of 10 from the field and 3 of 6 from 3-point range. Against Bellarmine, Smith scored 11 points hitting 3 of 4 from 3-point range and led the Buffaloes in rebounding for the first time in his career, finishing with five. Against South Dakota State, he was 4 of 6 from the field including 3 of 5 from 3-point range.Â
Smith, shooting a team-best 51.1 percent overall from long range (23-45), had a career-best eight rebounds at UCF.
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.
DIOP CAREER GAME: Sophomore forward Assane Diop led Colorado in scoring for the first time with a career-best 15 points on 7 of 11 from the field in the win over Bellarmine. It marked his second career double-figure scoring game. Diop ranks third on the team in rebounding at 4.6 per game.
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 6.0 points on the season and is tied for the team in blocks (13) and is fifth in rebounding (3.1 rpg). He led the Buffaloes in rebounding for the first time with a career-high eight against Iowa State. Dak also dished out a career-best five assists against the Cyclones.
ABOUT THE MOUNTAINEERS: No. 23 (AP) / 21 (Coaches) ranked West Virginia is 11-3 overall and 2-1 in the Big 12. The Mountaineers saw a seven-game winning streak snapped with a 75-56 home setback to Arizona in their last outing on Jan. 7. West Virginia averages 74.2 points per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the field. The Mountaineers' defense has been outstanding. WVU allows 63.4 points per game and ranks 15th in the nation in field goal shooting defense at 38.2 percent. The Mountaineers are even better guarding the perimeter, ranking 11th in the country in 3-point defense (.279). West Virginia tops the Big 12 in 3-point defense and in blocked shots (5.6 bpg).
Senior guard Javon Small is the Big 12's leading scorer at 19.4 points per game. He ranks sixth in the Big 12 in assists (4.9 apg) while shooting 88.2 percent from the free throw line (67-76). Sophomore Amani Hansberry tops the Mountaineers in rebounding at 6.1 per game while pitching in 10.1 points per contest. Freshman guard Jonathan Powell averages 9.2 points and ranks second on the team with 33 3-point field goals made.
THE SERIES: This will be the first meeting between Colorado and West Virginia on the hardwood. The Buffaloes have never traveled, nor played a team, from the state of West Virginia. The Mountaineers are the only team from the "new" Big 12 Colorado had never faced prior to this season.
AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: Colorado is 1-2 against ranked opponents in 2024-25 falling to a top 5 Iowa State team for the second time in a little over a month on Dec. 30. The Buffaloes faced No. 2/2 UConn and No. 5/5 Iowa State on back-to-back dates at the Maui Invitational.Â
The win over No. 2/2 UConn marks the highest-ranked win away from Boulder in program history. Colorado has two previous wins over No. 2 teams, both coming in Boulder (Feb. 12, 1992 vs. #2 Oklahoma State, 57-53 & Feb. 26, 2022 vs. #2 Arizona, 79-63). Senior Julian Hammond III and redshirt junior Javon Ruffin were both on that team that defeated Arizona. The previous best neutral site win came against No. 4 Washington on Dec. 30, 1953 in Kansas City (Big 7 Holiday Tournament).
Colorado's last win against a defending national champion came against the 1952 NCAA champion Kansas Jayhawks on Jan. 20, 1953, 72-68 in Boulder.
Colorado's 28 wins over ranked Associated Press ranked opponents in the Tad Boyle era is by far the best in team history. In fact Boyle coached teams, with a record of 28-51, have accounted for 39 percent of wins over ranked opponents (72) since 1949-50.
Colorado faced two ranked nonconference opponents on back-to-back days for the first time in 26 years, Nov. 26-27, 1998, when the Buffaloes played No. 4 Kentucky (L, 52-64) and No. 10 Xavier (L, 61-74) in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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