Colorado University Athletics
MBB Hosts Last Non-Conference Game Tuesday Night
THE STREAK: ColoradoGÇÖs win streak is up to eight straight games, their longest since 1996-97 campaign when they also won eight straight. The Buffaloes last consecutive win streak of 10 or more was 12 in a row back in 1961-62.
CU vs. SAVANNAH STATE: CU is 1-0 lifetime against Savannah State (1-14) having last played during the 2003-04 season (the Buffs won 89-57). The Tigers resides as an independent where CU is 8-0 overall.
SCOUTING SAVANNAH STATE: The Tigers currently have a 14-game losing streak with losses to a variety of Division I schools including Texas A&M (67-34), Georgetown (78-49), and Oregon (83-23). Their lone win was the first game of the season against NAIA Wilberforce University (Ohio), 63-59. The win, over the oldest private African-American University in the United States halted a NCAA-record 65-game losing streak. Savannah State is coached by Horace Broadnax, who was the point guard for GeorgetownGÇÖs 1985 national championship team.
INDIVIDUAL: Martane Freeman scored a team-high 17 points matching his previous career-high, twice, and grabbed a career-high nine rebounds with two blocked shots (tying a career-high) against Dartmouth on Dec. 31 ... Chris Copeland cracked the CU all-time rebounding list. Against Dartmouth, Copeland grabbed three giving him 327 for 51st. Glean Eddy has 351, 45th all-time ... Eddy (101) moves into first place on CUGÇÖs list for consecutive games without fouling out. Overall, Eddy is second behind Blair WilsonGÇÖs 119 games w/out fouling out in a career ... Jayson Obazuaye is averaging 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds during his last four games ... Richard Roby has made a 3-pointer in every game this season, including the last 20 games in 2005-06 ... Andy Osborn has made at least one 3-pointer in his last seven games ... Julius Ashby is averaging six points, five rebounds in 24 minutes (two games) ... TEAM: The Buffs made only five 3-pointers (79 this year, 214 attempts) staying ahead of last yearGÇÖs 3-point record pace of 223 treys made. After 10 games last year they were 62-of-170 from the arc ... CU is 6-0 at the Events Center this year and improved their home winning streak to 15-straight non-conference wins since Jan. 8, 2004 ... The current senior class is 24-3 (.889) in non-conference games played at the Events Center ... CU is 6-0 when holding the opponent under 70 points ... CU has out-rebounded all their opponents this year by a 9.7 margin.
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
TOP SENIOR CLASSES during non-conference seasons: This yearGÇÖs senior class ranks second all-time when it comes to the non-conference season. Class of 1981 ranks first with an .810 percentage, while this yearGÇÖs class is .804 (37 wins includes the win over Savannah State).
1) Class of 1981 34-8 .810
Jo Jo Hunter (2 yrs.), Joe Cooper
2) Class of 2006 37-9 .804
3) Class of 2003 38-11 .776
Stephane Pelle, James Wright
4) Class of 2004 37-11 .771
Michel Morandais, Blair Wilson
5) Class of 2002 37-12 .755
D.J. Harrison, Nick Mohr
#33 RETURNS: Julius Ashby, CUGÇÖs 6GÇÖ9" senior forward from Trinidad & Tobago officially returned to the lineup after being academically ineligible for the fall semester. Ashby returned to the CU line up 6:27 of the first half scoring six points and five rebounds in 11 minutes. Ashby averaged 7.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in 22 games last season. He also had 33 blocked shots. Ashby was one of the key ingredients at last yearGÇÖs Big 12 Tournament helping CU upset No. 6 Texas (81-69) and a near upset of No. 3 Oklahoma State (87-85). Ashby averaged 16.5 points, seven rebounds, and set a tournament record with a 9-of-10 shooting from the field against the Cowboys. HeGÇÖs the final piece to a CU team that returns 10 seniors, the most of any school nationally.
TOP 25 RANKINGS...almost: Hey, weGÇÖre getting votes, six in the latest Associated Press and 40 in the ESPN/USA Today poll (week nine). 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 brings a 7-11 record into games played on this date. The last time the Buffs played on Jan. 3 was in 1998 falling at home to Oklahoma, 69-68 in their Big 12 Conference opener. Overall, CU is 2-3 at home, 4-7 on the road, and 1-1 on neutral courts.
TEAM NOTES: CUGÇÖs 65 points in the first half against Mercer is the most of any CU team since 1982-83 (previous high was 61 vs. Colorado State (Dec. 23, 2000) ... The 36-point halftime advantage versus Mercer is the most since 1982-83 and the 43-point win ranks fourth ... Other notes vs. Mercer: CU made NINE first half 3-pointers (previous season-high was eight against Utah) ... CUGÇÖs 36-point halftime lead is the most since having a 27-point lead over Sam Houston State (Dec. 3, 1993) ... Every CU player played in the game, all in the first half ... With the return of Julius Ashby after being academically ineligible for the fall semester, the Buffaloes officially 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 ... Against UC Irvine, the Buffs placed six players with 10 or more points, a non-conference first since Nov. 22, 2002 (Cal Poly) ... ItGÇÖs also the third time that five or more scored in double-figures (CSU, Cal Poly, Irvine) ... CU launched a school-record 37 3-point attempts (12 made) in the win over Utah ... UC Irvine attendance (1,416) lowest since Nov. 24, 2002 (Stetson, 1,093) ... 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 110-straight games (last time CU didnGÇÖt was Jan. 16, 2002, Iowa State, W, 63-61) .
MORE BUFF Tidbits, INDIVIDUAL: 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 is 68th in all-time scoring (649 pts. with a 16.2 ppg.) ... 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 18th 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.