Tuesday, January 21
Boulder, Colo.
9 p.m.
Colorado
vs
BYU
Photo by: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Buffs Return Home To Host BYU
January 20, 2025 | Men's Basketball
Game 18 - BYU, Tuesday, January 21, 2025
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 9:05 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPNU (Roxy Bernstein, Tom Crean)
Watch Online:Â Â https://buffs.me/3Wv3sWr
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 390, SXM App 980
Live Statistics:Â http://statb.us/b/546199
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 9-8 overall and 0-6 in Big 12 Conference play after falling at Oklahoma State, 83-73, on Jan. 18. The Buffaloes have dropped six-straight and are 0-6 to begin 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.
Colorado is averaging 73.7 points per game, shooting 46.0 percent from the field and 34.0 percent from 3-point range. Defensively, Colorado is allowing 71.5 points per game while opponents are shooting 42.0 percent.
The Buffaloes will be looking to end a rare three-game home skid, their most since the 2021-22 team lost three-straight during Pac-12 play, Jan. 20-22, & Feb. 3, 2022 (USC-UCLA-Oregon. Prior to the beginning of this streak, Colorado had won 24 of 25 at the CU Events Center dating back to last season.
The Buffaloes rank second in the Big 12 in free throw percentage (.770), sixth in defensive rebounds (26.7 drpg) and steals (7.9 spg) and eighth in shooting, blocks (3.9 bpg) and assists (16.1 apg).
Colorado tops the Big 12 in free throw percentage in league games. Colorado rebounded from a sub-par performance at the line against Cincinnati (13 of 21, .619) to hit 22 of 25 against Oklahoma State (.880).
In other notables against Oklahoma State, Colorado's 23 rebounds was a season low and the fewest since recording the same number at California on Dec. 31, 2022.. The Buffaloes' 12 steals tied for the second-most this season. It's the fifth game of double-digit steals for the Buffaloes on the season and third during Big 12 play. Colorado's eight 3-pointers made over the last two games are its fewest in a two-game stretch this season. The Buffaloes have made just 8 of 35 in that span (.229).
HAMMOND TIME: Julian Hammond III, the most experienced player in terms of games for the Buffaloes (played in his 105th career game at Oklahoma State), leads Colorado at 13.5 points and 3.2 assists per game. Hammond also tops the Buffaloes in 3-point field goals (29), is tied for the lead in steals (21) and is shooting 92.6 percent from the free throw line.
Hammond is second the Big 12 and ranks ninth the in the nation in free throw percentage. He has made 50 of 54 on the season (.926) which includes consecutive made streaks of 21 (between UNC and UCF) and 18 which ended against Cincinnati.
Hammond had 23 points against West Virginia, recording his fifth 20-point game of the season, second-straight and third in a five-game span. Â He 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.
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 10.3 points ranking second on the team in 3-point field goals (24) and is third in steals (19) and rebounding (4.4 rpg). 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.
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 61.2 percent (63-103) while averaging 10.1 points an outing. Malone is third on the team in blocks (11) and fourth in rebounding at 3.4 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.
Trevor Baskin, an NCAA Division II All-American at Colorado Mesa, leads Colorado and ranks 17th in the Big 12 in rebounding (5.9 rpg). He is tied for the team lead in steals (21) while ranking second in blocks (13) and overall shooting at 51.5 percent (51-99).
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).
SMITH'S HOT START: Sophomore guard RJ Smith is averaging 6.8 points while shooting 47 percent from the field in his return to action after missing the final 30 games of 2023-24 with a leg injury.
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.
Smith, shooting a team-best 47.0 percent overall from long range (24-51), 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 A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING: Sophomore forward Assane Diop registered his third career double-figure scoring game pitching in 13 points against West Virginia hitting 3 of 4 from the field and a perfect 6 of 6 from the line. Diop is sixth in the Big 12 in free throw shooting during league-only games at 89.5 percent (17 of 19). He's 15 of 17 from the line in the last four games alone after having only 16 attempts over his first 13 games. Overall on the season he  has made 28 of 33 attempts from the line (.848).
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. He ranks second on the team in rebounding at 4.6 per game.
BD's BIG DAY: Sophomore forward Bangot Dak had a career-night against Cincinnati with 19 points, eight blocks and eight rebounds. He recorded career highs in points, blocks, 3-point field goals (2) and overall field goal attempts (13) while matching personal bests in rebounds and field goals made (7).
His eight blocks are the third-most in a single game since the stat became official in 1977-78.
CU Single Game Blocks
11, David Harrison vs. Nebraska, March 8, 2003
10, David Harrison vs. Stetson, Nov. 24, 2002
8, Bangot Dak vs. Cincinnati, Jan. 15, 2025
7, eight times, last by Wesley Gordon vs. Nicholls, Dec. 18, 2015
Dak is tied for 10th in the Big 12 in overall blocked shots (1.3 bpg) and is tied for second in league only games (2.4 bpg).
Dak had 15 points on 6 of 8 shooting with five rebounds at Oklahoma State. He led Colorado in scoring for the second-straight game. Recorded his fourth career double-figure scoring game, including two-straight and three in the last four contests. He is averaging 12.0 points while hitting 65.4 percent over the last four games (17 of 26)
ABOUT THE COUGARS: BYU is 11-6 overall and 2-4 in the Big 12 following a 73-72 overtime loss at rival Utah on Jan. 18. Overall the Cougars have lost four of their last five and are winless in four true road contests this season. BYU averages 80.2 points per game on 47.2 percent from the field, including a 35.4 percent mark from 3-point range. The Cougars lead the Big 12 in 3-pointers made (10.4 3mpg) and attempted (29.2 3fgapg). Defensively, BYU allows 67.0 points while opponents shoot 41.6 percent from the field. The Cougars lead the Big 12 and rank eighth in the nation in rebound margin (+9.5).
Junior guard Richie Saunders leads BYU at 13.9 points per game while shooting 50.6 from the field and ranks second on the team with 34 3-point field goals. Freshman guard Egor Demin averages 10.9 points and is second in the Big 12 in assists at 5.7 per game. Senior forward Fousseyni Traore averages 10.0 points while shooting a team-best 61.8 percent from the field. Junior center Keba Keita tops the Cougars in rebounding at 8.5 per game while pitching in 6.6 points on 60.5 percent shooting.
Kevin Young is in his first season as the head coach of BYU with a record of 11-6. BYU is his first NCAA I head coaching gig. A v
THE SERIES: This will be the 25th meeting between Colorado and BYU in a series that dates back to 1903 but has only been played twice in the last 69 seasons. Colorado holds a 17-7 series lead and is a perfect 11-0 at home against the Cougars all-time. The teams split a home-and-home during the 2015-16 and '16-17 nonconference seasons. Colorado claimed a 92-83 decision in Boulder on Dec. 12, 2015. BYU won the return to Provo, 79-71, on Dec. 10, 2016.
Tad Boyle is 1-1 against BYU as a head coach. Kevin Young has never faced Colorado as a head coach.
Â
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 9:05 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPNU (Roxy Bernstein, Tom Crean)
Watch Online:Â Â https://buffs.me/3Wv3sWr
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 390, SXM App 980
Live Statistics:Â http://statb.us/b/546199
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 9-8 overall and 0-6 in Big 12 Conference play after falling at Oklahoma State, 83-73, on Jan. 18. The Buffaloes have dropped six-straight and are 0-6 to begin 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.
Colorado is averaging 73.7 points per game, shooting 46.0 percent from the field and 34.0 percent from 3-point range. Defensively, Colorado is allowing 71.5 points per game while opponents are shooting 42.0 percent.
The Buffaloes will be looking to end a rare three-game home skid, their most since the 2021-22 team lost three-straight during Pac-12 play, Jan. 20-22, & Feb. 3, 2022 (USC-UCLA-Oregon. Prior to the beginning of this streak, Colorado had won 24 of 25 at the CU Events Center dating back to last season.
The Buffaloes rank second in the Big 12 in free throw percentage (.770), sixth in defensive rebounds (26.7 drpg) and steals (7.9 spg) and eighth in shooting, blocks (3.9 bpg) and assists (16.1 apg).
Colorado tops the Big 12 in free throw percentage in league games. Colorado rebounded from a sub-par performance at the line against Cincinnati (13 of 21, .619) to hit 22 of 25 against Oklahoma State (.880).
In other notables against Oklahoma State, Colorado's 23 rebounds was a season low and the fewest since recording the same number at California on Dec. 31, 2022.. The Buffaloes' 12 steals tied for the second-most this season. It's the fifth game of double-digit steals for the Buffaloes on the season and third during Big 12 play. Colorado's eight 3-pointers made over the last two games are its fewest in a two-game stretch this season. The Buffaloes have made just 8 of 35 in that span (.229).
HAMMOND TIME: Julian Hammond III, the most experienced player in terms of games for the Buffaloes (played in his 105th career game at Oklahoma State), leads Colorado at 13.5 points and 3.2 assists per game. Hammond also tops the Buffaloes in 3-point field goals (29), is tied for the lead in steals (21) and is shooting 92.6 percent from the free throw line.
Hammond is second the Big 12 and ranks ninth the in the nation in free throw percentage. He has made 50 of 54 on the season (.926) which includes consecutive made streaks of 21 (between UNC and UCF) and 18 which ended against Cincinnati.
Hammond had 23 points against West Virginia, recording his fifth 20-point game of the season, second-straight and third in a five-game span. Â He 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.
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 10.3 points ranking second on the team in 3-point field goals (24) and is third in steals (19) and rebounding (4.4 rpg). 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.
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 61.2 percent (63-103) while averaging 10.1 points an outing. Malone is third on the team in blocks (11) and fourth in rebounding at 3.4 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.
Trevor Baskin, an NCAA Division II All-American at Colorado Mesa, leads Colorado and ranks 17th in the Big 12 in rebounding (5.9 rpg). He is tied for the team lead in steals (21) while ranking second in blocks (13) and overall shooting at 51.5 percent (51-99).
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).
SMITH'S HOT START: Sophomore guard RJ Smith is averaging 6.8 points while shooting 47 percent from the field in his return to action after missing the final 30 games of 2023-24 with a leg injury.
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.
Smith, shooting a team-best 47.0 percent overall from long range (24-51), 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 A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING: Sophomore forward Assane Diop registered his third career double-figure scoring game pitching in 13 points against West Virginia hitting 3 of 4 from the field and a perfect 6 of 6 from the line. Diop is sixth in the Big 12 in free throw shooting during league-only games at 89.5 percent (17 of 19). He's 15 of 17 from the line in the last four games alone after having only 16 attempts over his first 13 games. Overall on the season he  has made 28 of 33 attempts from the line (.848).
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. He ranks second on the team in rebounding at 4.6 per game.
BD's BIG DAY: Sophomore forward Bangot Dak had a career-night against Cincinnati with 19 points, eight blocks and eight rebounds. He recorded career highs in points, blocks, 3-point field goals (2) and overall field goal attempts (13) while matching personal bests in rebounds and field goals made (7).
His eight blocks are the third-most in a single game since the stat became official in 1977-78.
CU Single Game Blocks
11, David Harrison vs. Nebraska, March 8, 2003
10, David Harrison vs. Stetson, Nov. 24, 2002
8, Bangot Dak vs. Cincinnati, Jan. 15, 2025
7, eight times, last by Wesley Gordon vs. Nicholls, Dec. 18, 2015
Dak is tied for 10th in the Big 12 in overall blocked shots (1.3 bpg) and is tied for second in league only games (2.4 bpg).
Dak had 15 points on 6 of 8 shooting with five rebounds at Oklahoma State. He led Colorado in scoring for the second-straight game. Recorded his fourth career double-figure scoring game, including two-straight and three in the last four contests. He is averaging 12.0 points while hitting 65.4 percent over the last four games (17 of 26)
ABOUT THE COUGARS: BYU is 11-6 overall and 2-4 in the Big 12 following a 73-72 overtime loss at rival Utah on Jan. 18. Overall the Cougars have lost four of their last five and are winless in four true road contests this season. BYU averages 80.2 points per game on 47.2 percent from the field, including a 35.4 percent mark from 3-point range. The Cougars lead the Big 12 in 3-pointers made (10.4 3mpg) and attempted (29.2 3fgapg). Defensively, BYU allows 67.0 points while opponents shoot 41.6 percent from the field. The Cougars lead the Big 12 and rank eighth in the nation in rebound margin (+9.5).
Junior guard Richie Saunders leads BYU at 13.9 points per game while shooting 50.6 from the field and ranks second on the team with 34 3-point field goals. Freshman guard Egor Demin averages 10.9 points and is second in the Big 12 in assists at 5.7 per game. Senior forward Fousseyni Traore averages 10.0 points while shooting a team-best 61.8 percent from the field. Junior center Keba Keita tops the Cougars in rebounding at 8.5 per game while pitching in 6.6 points on 60.5 percent shooting.
Kevin Young is in his first season as the head coach of BYU with a record of 11-6. BYU is his first NCAA I head coaching gig. A v
THE SERIES: This will be the 25th meeting between Colorado and BYU in a series that dates back to 1903 but has only been played twice in the last 69 seasons. Colorado holds a 17-7 series lead and is a perfect 11-0 at home against the Cougars all-time. The teams split a home-and-home during the 2015-16 and '16-17 nonconference seasons. Colorado claimed a 92-83 decision in Boulder on Dec. 12, 2015. BYU won the return to Provo, 79-71, on Dec. 10, 2016.
Tad Boyle is 1-1 against BYU as a head coach. Kevin Young has never faced Colorado as a head coach.
Â
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
Sebastian Rancik and Mark Johnson catch up at media day ahead of the 2025-26 season #gobuffs
Monday, October 13
Leonardo Van Elswyk and Mark Johnson catch up at media day ahead of the 2025-26 season #gobuffs
Monday, October 13
Mike Rohn and Mark Johnson catch up at media day ahead of the 2025-26 season #gobuffs
Monday, October 13
Jon Mani and Mark Johnson catch up at media day ahead of the 2025-26 season #gobuffs
Monday, October 13