Buffaloes Host Alabama State Monday

Monday, November 17

Boulder, Colo.

7 p.m.

Colorado

Alabama State

Tickets From $18 - $67

November 16, 2025 | Men's Basketball

Colorado Notes Alabama State Notes Buy Tickets Donate

By: Troy Andre, Associate Director/Athletic Communications

Game 4 - Alabama State, Monday, November 17, 2025
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 7:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke) https://buffs.me/4oLBh1H
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Jerry Schemmel)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 388, SXM App 978
Live Statistics: http://statb.us/b/611112

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 3-0 for the third-straight season and fourth time in the last five years after a 97-88 win over Providence on Nov. 11. The win over the Friars, out of the Big East Conference, came on the heels of a pair of wins over Big Sky Conference schools in Eastern Washington (102-97 OT) and Montana State (84-78) in the season opener.

Colorado's offense has been clicking, averaging 94.3 points over the first three games while shooting 51.4 percent from the field. Both marks rank third among Big 12 Conference teams and also in the top 35 in the nation.

The Buffaloes have also gotten to the free throw line in bunches. Colorado's 25.7 free throws made and 35.0 attempts per game rank third on the early-season NCAA Division I leaderboard. The Buffaloes trail only Richmond (27.0) and South Florida (26.3) in free throws made and North Carolina A&T (36.3) and USC (35.7) in attempts per game.

Colorado rebounded from two sub-par performances at the free throw line with an excellent one against Providence. After shooting 69.2 percent over the first two contests (54 of 78) the Buffaloes made 23 of 27 (.852) against the Friars. Colorado made 17 of 18 in the second half (.944), including 15 of 16 in the final four minutes of the game.

Defensively, the Buffaloes have allowed 87.7 points while opponents are shooting 51.9 percent. Colorado managed to hold Providence to 44.6 percent, and while the Friars scored 88 points, it was 10 points lower than their season average to that point.

Colorado has won all three games despite the opponent scoring at least 78 points. The Buffaloes were 1-12 in 2024-25 when allowing 75 or more points. All but one of those 12 losses were to Big 12 opponents (Villanova the exception).

MICHAELI CONTINUES A BENCH TREND: In just his second career game, freshman forward Alon Michaeli scored 20 points to lead the Buffaloes over Providence. It's the second 20-point game by a Colorado player off the bench this year, and both by freshmen joining Isaiah Johnson's 24-point performance in the opener against Montana State.

Colorado's is averaging 38.7 points from the bench, outscoring the opponent reserves by 18 points per game. The Buffaloes' reserves are shooting 54 percent from the field and 73 percent from the line while also pitching in 10 rebounds an outing.

HARGRESS DISHING: Junior Barrington Hargress dished out a career-high 11 assists in the win over Providence. He had a 10-assist game with UC Riverside against Montana State on Dec. 18, 2024. Hargress pitched in 15 points to record his second career collegiate double-double. He scored 22 points and had 10 assists last year against Montana State.

Hargress is averaging 6.0 assists per game, leading the Buffaloes and ranking fifth in the Big 12. He has just three turnovers on the season, with his 6.0 assist-to-turnover ratio ranking third in the conference. Hargress turned the ball over just once against Providence.

SEBI'S CAREER NIGHT: Sophomore Sebastian Rancik scored a career-high 24 points and dished out a personal-best four assists in the win over Eastern Washington. He hit 11 of 12 from the free throw line, both career highs.

Rancik recorded his first career 20-point game and led the Buffaloes in scoring for the fourth time in his career. He had three 3-pointers, his third career game with multiple 3-point field goals, just one off his personal best of four, which came in last year's game with Eastern Washington, in his collegiate debut. His 11 free throws made are the most by a Buff since KJ Simpson had 13 against Washington State on Dec. 31, 2023.

JOHNSON'S MONSTER DEBUT: Isaiah Johnson's 24 points against Montana State marked the second-most by a Colorado freshman in a debut. Johnson made 6 of 9 from the field, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range, while hitting 10 of 12 free throw attempts.

The record for a CU freshman debut is 31 points by Emmett Lewis, who had 31 against New Mexico on Nov. 29, 1975. Lewis would go on to become the first of seven Buffs to ever lead the team in scoring for a season, averaging 15.0 in 1975-76.

Overall, his 24 points ties for the 13th best single-game total by a Colorado freshman. The last to reach that mark was current Philadelphia 76ers forward Jabari Walker, who scored 24 against Georgetown in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

All 24 of Johnson's points came in the second half, the most in any one half by a Colorado freshman. Overall his 24 points in one half ties for the 12th-best mark by a Buff, regardless of class.

MALONE'S IMPRESSIVE LINE: Graduate center Elijah Malone filled up the stat line nicely against Montana State finishing with 10 points and a trio of CU personal-bests with 13 rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Through the first two weeks of the season, he is the only player in NCAA Division I basketball to have a game with double-figure points and rebounds, five assists and four steals.

The double-double was his second as a Buffalo, and actually is second in a row as he finished off the 2024-25 season with a 17-point, 10-rebound performance against Villanova in the College Basketball Crown Tournament. Overall, it's the 28th double-double of his collegiate career (26 at Grace).

Malone's 13 rebounds are his best at Colorado and fifth overall; he had 17 with Grace against Cornerstone on Dec. 30, 2021. His four steals are a career-high, both CU and Grace. Malone's five assists are one off his Grace best, as he dished out six at Taylor (Ind.) on Feb. 13, 2021.

NONCONFERENCE NUMBERS: Colorado is 139-41 (.772) in nonconference regular season games under head coach Tad Boyle including a 92-24 mark (.793) since the beginning of the 2014-15 season.

Colorado is 107-8 (.930) in nonconference home games under Boyle, a record which includes a 7-2 mark in postseason action.

ABOUT THE HORNETS: Alabama State is 2-1, embarking on its first of 12-straight games away from home. The Hornets have won their last two, after a season-opening loss at Florida State. Alabama State is averaging 88.3 points while shooting 46.3 percent from the field. Defensively the Hornets have allowed 81.0 points per game with opponents shooting 42 percent. Alabama State is averaging 12.3 steals per contest.

Senior guard Asjon Anderson leads Alabama State at 18.3 points, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Backcourt mate Micah Simpson is averaging 15.3 points and 3.3 assists per game. Junior guard Tyler Byrd is averaging 10.0 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 58 percent from the field.

THE SERIES: This will be the first meeting between Colorado and Alabama State.