Colorado University Athletics
MBB Travels to Missouri for Saturday Conference Showdown
TODAY: Colorado heads back on the road for the second consecutive weekend, this time to take on the Missouri Tigers (9-4, 2-0 Big 12). Today is the earliest date on the calendar since Jan. 7, 1997 that CU is traveling to Columbia. On that date the Buffaloes defeated Mizzou, 87-78, itGÇÖs also the last time they won in Columbia. Complete notes attached.
TV: ESPN Plus (Denver: Altitude Sports & Entertainment)Announcers: Bob Carpenter (p-b-p), Reid Gettys (analyst).
0-3 START?: The last time CU began the Big 12 season 0-3 came last year when the Buffs lost their first four conference games.
WIN STREAK: Whether or not you agreed with CUGÇÖs nonconference schedule, 10-1 is impressive. A win is a win. Since then, the Buffs are 10-3 which matches the 2002-03 season after 13 games (their last NCAA Tournament team). Their last 11-3 season came in 1996-97 (another NCAA Tourney team) when they began 15-3.
CU vs. MISSOURI: The Buffaloes have not fared well in either arena whether itGÇÖs the Hearnes Center (12-47) or the second-year old Mizzou Arena (0-1). Under head coach Ricardo Patton, CU has not won in Columbia since his first year, Jan. 7, 1997 (87-78). Since then, the Buffs are 0-8 in the central time zone. Overall, CU is 10-52 since the series began in 1936.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS: Mizzou has the Big 12 Conference leading scorer in junior guard Thomas Gardner (20.2 ppg.). Senior guard Jimmy McKinney and sophomore forward Marshall Brown round out the scoring averages with 11.3 and 10.8 points, respectively. While the Tigers average margin of victory in 13 games is a mere 4.4 points, in two conference games itGÇÖs only five points with wins over Oklahoma State (69-61) and at Oklahoma (71-69). Head Coach Quin Snyder is in his seventh year at Mizzou (125-84).
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: CU scored 64 and 63 points, respectively against Texas and Kansas to start conference play. Surprisingly, the last time the Buffs scored less than 65 points in back-to-back conference games they came out victorious in both?a 54-52 overtime thriller at Iowa State and a 64-62 win against Missouri last season.
0-2 STARTS: Including this season, the Buffs have started 0-2 in conference play in seven of the past nine seasons. Their best conference record after starting 0-2 in the Patton era is 7-9, which happened on three occasions. The 1998-99 season is the only campaign in which the Buffs made the postseason (NIT) after starting 0-2 in conference play.
SIXTH MAN: Senior Martane Freeman has proved himself in his second year with the Buffs scoring a career-best 20 points off the bench in the loss at Texas. ItGÇÖs the fourth time this season he has scored 17 or more points in a reserve role and third time leading CU in scoring. Freeman is shooting .554 (41-of-74) from the field, averaging 3.1 rebounds and shooting .711 (27-of-38) from the charity stripe.
TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK: During non-conference play, the Buffs committed 14.5 turnovers per game compared to 18.6 for their opponents (+4.1). After two conference games, CU is averaging just 12 turnovers a game compared to 15.5 for their counterparts (+3.5).
GET THAT OUTTA HERE: The Buffs have continued to dominate the opposition in blocked shots. In non-conference, the Buffs averaged four swats per game compared to 2.5 for their opponents. In Big 12 play, the Buffs have been good for 7.5 blocks per game compared to 5.5 for the opposition. CU out-blocked Kansas?who was 10th nationally in blocked shots coming into the game?by an 11-5 margin.
TALE OF THEY TREY: Against the Jayhawks, CU connected on 9-of-22 three-pointers; the BuffsGÇÖ accuracy from beyond the arc (.409) was their second-best performance this season. Against Penn, they made 8-of-15 treys (.533). This came after the Buffs finished the first half shooting 2-of-9 from three-point range. The second half against Kansas was easily CUGÇÖs best half in terms of three-point shooting on the season, as they connected on 7-of-13 from downtown.
"PAINTBALL:" Rebounding and presence in the paint was ColoradoGÇÖs strong suit in non-conference play when the black and gold enjoyed an 8.9 rebound-per game margin over their opponents. Since the onset of Big 12 play, CU has been out-rebounded 100-68, including a 36-29 disadvantage on the offensive glass. The disparity in offensive boards has helped lead to 70 points in the paint for the opponent, compared to CUGÇÖs 46.
NOT DOING THE DISHES: Only one player, Marcus Hall (six assists vs. KU), has had more than two assists in either of CUGÇÖs two conference games. Texas and Kansas combined for 38 dimes on 58 field goals (65%), while CU has only assisted on 20 of its 43 buckets (46%). 3-POINT WATCH: After 13 games, the Buffs continue to make strides toward last yearGÇÖs school record of 223 made. After 13 games last year the Buffs were 77-of-219; this year they are an impressive 106-of-286.
BIG 12 10TH ANNIVERSARY VOTING NOW OPEN: The Big 12 is celebrating its 10th anniversary this season and is selecting special teams to honor the top players in the first nine years of the conference.
Followers of the Big 12 can vote for the top five menGÇÖs basketball players in league annals by visiting the conference web site at www.big12sports.com. Click on the "Vote Now" button on the left side of the home page. Users may also go directly to the following link for voting information:
www.big12sports.com/10th-anniversary/
Winners will be announced live on the ESPN Plus Studio 66 halftime show in early February.
TEXAS & SAVANNAH STATE: After beating Savannah State by 64 and losing to Texas by 25, the Buffs completed the largest margin point swing (89 pts.) in back-to-back games in school history. The only other time the Buffs were involved in a similarly large margin in back-to-back games was in the 2000-01 season when they beat Texas-Arlington and St. MaryGÇÖs by a combined 88 points.
A TALE of TWO POLLS: CU comes into the game ranked 31st in the ESPN/USA Today poll, with 27 votes; Kansas is ranked 41st in the same poll with four votes. Kansas is ranked 33rd in the AP poll with 27 votes, while CU is not receiving any votes in the same poll.
#33 RETURNS: Julius Ashby, CUGÇÖs 6GÇÖ9" senior forward from Trinidad & Tobago has officially returned to the lineup after being academically ineligible from the fall semester. In his last five games, Ashby is averaging 5.8 points, 4.6 rebounds. In his first real test against competition (Texas), Ashby played 13 minutes, grabbed three rebounds and fouled out with 16 minutes remaining. Against KU, Ashby played 12 minutes scoring one point with two rebounds.
TOP 25 RANKINGS...almost: Hey, weGÇÖre STILL getting votes, 27 in the latest ESPN/USA Today poll (week 10). That means weGÇÖre the No. 31st ranked team nationally if the poll was 31or more teams. 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).
LIFE BEFORE CUPCAKES: With all due respect to Mercer (Dec. 22), Dartmouth (Dec. 31), and Savannah State (Jan. 3), a trio of teams at the bottom of the competitive RPI barrel, CU sophomore Richard Roby has suffered the most in terms of statistical improvement. Before Mercer, Roby was averaging 18.5 points per game, today heGÇÖs averaging 15.7 (he scored 14 at Texas and 15 vs. KU). In those three games, Roby averaged nine points and four rebounds per game.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY: CU has not fared well on this date in its history bringing an 8-9 mark and 3-6 on the road. In fact, the Buffaloes have lost their last six of seven on the road. The last time was in 2004 when CU took a 68-60 winner at Nebraska.
MORE BUFF INDIVIDUAL Tidbits: Richard Roby collected his third career double-double versus Utah (19 pts., 10 rebs.) ... Andy Osborn collected his second career double-double at CU, 17 pts., 10 rebounds against Cal Poly (four at Loyola Marymount) ... Roby failed to make a 3-pointers against SSU, ending his streak of 30 games going back to last season ... Chris Copeland has cracked the CU all-time rebounding list. Copeland has 336 for 50th; Glean Eddy has 361, 42nd all-time ... Scott Senger grabbed a career-best five rebounds (four offensive) against Saint MaryGÇÖs ... Roby scored 480 points during his freshman season, the most of any frosh in its history, including Chauncey Billups (465) ... On page 9, 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.