Colorado University Athletics
MBB Hosts UC Irvine Saturday Night at Events Center
TONIGHT: The Buffaloes (5-1) have been idle for the last 10 days with the end of the semester and final exams. CU brings a perfect 3-0 home record into tonightGÇÖs game and itGÇÖs also the third straight game at the Coors Events Center. There's no television and the game can be heard on AM-760 with Mark Johnson (play-by-play) and Charles Johnson (analyst).
SCOUTING UC IRVINE: CU is 6-0 lifetime against the Anteaters (4-3) with three victories each in Boulder and Irvine. ItGÇÖs the first meeting between the two schools since 1991 (14 years) and a homecoming for UC Irvine senior guard Ross Schraeder (16.7 ppg., 3.3 rpg.), who went to high school at Denver East. Irvine is 4-3, however has dropped two of their three losses by a total of three points. After dropping the first game of the season to George Mason (79-56), the Anteaters won four of their next six games, including an upset win at Stanford (79-63). Their other two setbacks came at Pepperdine (79-76) and at home to CSU-Fullerton (91-90).
10 days of rest or more: Since the 1997-98 season, CU is 5-2 with at least 10 days or more in between games due to fall semseter final exams.
Dec. 07-18, 2004 W, Colorado State, 89-83
Dec. 10-19, 2003 W, Tennessee State, 71-44
Dec. 11-21, 2002 L, at Rice, 80-61
Dec. 13-31, 2001 W, Wis.-Milwaukee, 93087
Dec. 08-18, 2000 W, E. Washington, 79-61
Dec. 09-21, 1999 W, Texas-Arlington, 97-71
Dec. 09-20, 1998 L, UMass, 79-68 (at Vegas)
Buff Notes: Richard Roby collected his third career double-double versus Utah (19 pts., 10 rebs.) ... Roby has led CU in scoring last four games in a row (one tied) averaging 21.8 ppg. ... Roby is 11th nationally in 3-point percentage .531 (17-of-32) ... Marcus Hall has 197 career assists (21st all-time), he need seven to reach 20th place (Michel Morandais) ... Chris Copeland is averaging 16 points and 7.0 rebounds his last three games ... Andy Osborn collected his second career double-double at CU, 17 pts., 10 rebounds against Cal Poly (four at Loyola Marymount) ... Roby is 71st in all-time scoring (591 pts., 36 games, 16.4 ppg.) ... Copeland has 309 career rebounds; only Eddy (336) has more of current players ... Copeland, Roby each have a pair of 20-plus games this year. Over their careers, Roby has 10, Copeland five 20-point games ... TEAM: CU launched a school-record 37 3-point attempts (12 made) in the win over Utah ... CU is 17th nationally in rebounding margin (9.2), 19th in steals (10.8), and 45th in scoring (79.2) ... CU is 3-0 at home this season out-scoring opponents 80.7-60.3 ... In the last four years, the current senior class is 21-3 (.875) at home (losses Utah, Richmond, Georgia) ... CU is 60-7 since 1996-97 in home non-conference games (.909) ... Entering tonight CU will attempt to equal its best start since 2003-04 going 6-1 (the other 6-1 starts in the last 20 years: 1989-90, 1982-83, 1978-79) ... CU has out-rebounded the opponent in all six games ... The Buffs are ahead of last yearGÇÖs 3-point record pace (223 3-pointers), 45 to 34 after six games and are 4-0 when holding the opponent under 70 points.
WHATGÇÖS AHEAD: CU travels to TCU (2-6) on Tuesday, Dec. 4 to round out the non-conference road schedule. After the Horned Frogs, CU returns home for an exciting threesome at the Events Center to round out the non-conference schedule with Mercer (1-4), Dartmouth (1-2, with former CU assistant Terry Dunn who coaches The Big Green), and Savannah State (1-7).
TOP 25 RANKINGS ... almost: Hey, weGÇÖre getting votes, six to be exact in the latest ESPN/USA Today poll (week six). Also, CU is seventh in the CBS Sportsline RPI and 11th in the Sagarin ratings. The last time the Buffs were ranked in either poll came in 1997 at No. 24 (Associated Press). The others were 1969 (#18), 1963 (#10), 1962 (#9) and 1955 (#15).
THIS DAY IN HISTORY: CU is 7-8 on this date in history with a 7-5 record at home despite not playing on this date since 1994.
BIG 12 OPENER: After the Buffaloes roll through their non-conference schedule, nationally-ranked Texas looms on the schedule in Austin on Jan. 7. CU is 1-8 in Big 12 openers and 0-3 on the road.
Jan. 07, 2006 at Texas ??
Jan. 08, 2005 at Oklahoma L, 55-85
Jan. 05, 2004 KANSAS L, 62-77
Jan. 11, 2003 at Oklahoma L, 54-69
Jan. 05, 2002 KANSAS L, 85-97
Jan. 06, 2001 at Baylor L, 56-61
Jan. 08, 2000 KANSAS L, 69-84
Jan. 02, 1999 TEXAS L, 68-73
Jan. 03, 1998 OKLAHOMA L, 68-69
Jan. 04, 1997 NEBRASKA W, 79-73
RECORD-BREAKER PACE: After six games the Buffaloes are on pace to break last yearGÇÖs 3-pointers made for a season. With 34 made and 91 attempts last year, CU has made 45-of-132 this year. Last year the school record for attempted treys was nearly broken (633 in 1998-99) with 632. At this pace look for both made and attempts to be rewritten.
MORE BUFF Tidbits, INDIVIDUAL: With the exception of the Colorado State game, Richard Roby has led CU in one of the six categories every game this season (high scorer, rebounds, assists, blocks, 3-pointers, steals) ...Scott Senger grabbed a career-best five rebounds (four offensive) against Saint MaryGÇÖs ... Against CSU, senior Martane Freeman posted career-highs in points (17), field goals (6), attempts (8), free throws (5), FT attempts (6), steals (3), minutes played (24) ... Marcus Hall tied a career-best in steals (4) and handed out seven assists, the most since having 10 against South Dakota State (Feb. 14) last year; Hall ranks 21st overall at CU in assists ... Richard Roby scored 480 points during his freshman season, the most of any frosh in its history, including Chauncey Billups (465) ... On page 7, a handful of CU players are moving upward on career school lists ... Seniors Chris Copeland, Glean Eddy, Antoine McGee, and Jayson Obazuaye close out their final year in 2005-06. ItGÇÖs also the first senior class under Head Coach Ricardo Patton that four players will have played their freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years at CU.
TEAM NOTES: Holding Utah to 16 first-half points was a non-conference school-record low in for opponents in the first 20 minutes ... The Buffs committed only five turnovers against Cal Poly, the least amount since the home win over Texas (Feb. 8) ... The 22 offensive rebounds against Cal Poly matched last yearGÇÖs 22 at Iowa State (Jan. 22) and Kansas (Jan 15) ... CU has made a 3-pointer in 107-straight games (last time CU didnGÇÖt was Jan. 16, 2002, Iowa State, W, 63-61) ... With 10 seniors, eight senior scholarships, CU has the most nationally ... The CU men resemble what a box of Total cereal looks like, they return 100% of their scoring, 100% rebounding, 100% blocked shots, 100% of everything from a year ago with the exception of the Fall semester with Julius Ashby ineligible, he could return Dec. 31 (Dartmouth) or Jan. 3 (Savannah State).
"LS" INITIALS: If you notice the "LS" initials on each of the CU player uniforms thatGÇÖs in memory of senior walk-on Scott SengerGÇÖs mother, Linda died of cancer this past July. Scott played at nearby Monarch High School where set the school record for 3-pointers made in a season and most points scored.