Colorado University Athletics
MBB Opens Season At Home Against Pioneers
FOR STARTERS: CU opens the regular season at home this Friday, Nov. 10 with a doubleheader at the Coors Events Center. TonightGÇÖs game is also the earliest start for the menGÇÖs team in their history (earliest date was Nov. 14, 1998, at home versus Denver). The women also open the season at home and play the University of San Francisco Dons (6 p.m.), who are coached by former CU assistant Tanya Haave. The men host in-state rival the University of Denver Pioneers (8:30 p.m.). Both games will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net Rocky Mountain. Complete Notes located at the bottom.
ABOUT CU-DU: Colorado leads the all-time series with the Pioneers, 55-25 and a 27-14 advantage in Boulder. The Buffs have won the last four games in a row against DU and have not played them since 2000 (Jan. 4, 2000). Coach Patton is 3-0 versus DU. Since 1997, CU-DU have only played against each three times since 1997 (twice in Boulder, once at DU).
HOOK SHOTS: Since 1996-97 (Coach PattonGÇÖs first season), CU is 10-0 in season openers (8-0 in Boulder, 1-0 away, 1-0 neutral) ... Eight freshmen are the most-ever on a CU roster ... Marcus Hall is academically ineligible this fall semester; Dominique Coleman is the lone senior ... Coleman had two starts last season in 27 games. The only two starts were the first two games of the season (UNC Wilmington, at Colorado State) ... Richard Roby was a 2005-06 first team Big 12 Conference selection and enters the 2006-07 season 10 points shy of scoring 1,000 points in his career ... Only four CU freshmen have ever been in the opening day starting lineup in the 11 years of Coach Patton (see note listed on next page) ... Coach Patton has been called ?The DeanGÇÖ of the conference coaches having served the longest of any current coach (11 years) ... Last year, Roby had two of CUGÇÖs three double-doubles (Texas Tech, Utah); he has four for his career.
EXHIBITION SEASON: Colorado successfully kept its win streak alive during the exhibition season winning their 18th and 19th in a row defeating Concordia-Montreal (97-85) and Regis (73-37). CU improved to 24-1 (.960) under head coach Ricardo Patton. Their lone setback occurred Nov. 8, 1998 to the California All-Stars, 91-89. In their history, CU is 44-6 (.880) during the exhibition season.
AGAINST REGIS (Nov. 7): Richard Roby scored 15 points leading four players in double figures pacing CU over Regis, 73-37 Tuesday night. CU has won every meeting against the Rangers in the regular season (4-0) and in exhibition play (4-0). Dominique Coleman recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Coleman had seven assists and five steals. Xavier Silas and Marcus King-Stockton added 12 and 10 points, respectively, and sophomore Jermyl Jackson-Wilson grabbed 10 boards.
AGAINST CONCORDIA (Nov. 2): Richard Roby scored a game-high 22 points and chipped-in seven rebounds helping CU defeat Concordia-Montreal. Dominique Coleman added 17 points, in addition to a team-high seven assists and five steals. The Buffs had three freshmen also in double-digits as Xavier Silas, Jeremy Williams and Kal Bay finished with 16, 13, and 11 points, respectively.
ROOKIES IN THE STARTNG LINE UP: Depending which freshman starts against Denver, they will be only the fifth rookie in Coach PattonGÇÖs 11 years to start the first game of the season. The others were guard Alan Barkdale (1996-97), guard/forward Michel Morandais (2000-01), point-guard Antoine McGee (2002-03) and guard Richard Roby (2004-05). Remember, Chauncey Billups started at CU in 1995-96 when Patton was an assistant under Joe Harrington.
TAKING A LOOK AT DU: The Pioneers return six letterwinners from last seasonGÇÖs team that finished 16-15 overall, 7-8 in the Sun Belt Conference. DU has five newcomers, including two freshmen and three junior college transfers. DU went 1-1 during exhibition play defeating Colorado Christian, 72-59 and falling to CSU-Pueblo, 84-46.
LOOKING AHEAD: After playing DU on Friday, CU travels to Albuquerque to take on the New Mexico Lobos, Tuesday night. The Lobos reside in the Mountain West Conference, one of six opponents that CU will play from this conference. In fact, the next four games after Denver, are against the MWC. New Mexico returns six letterwinners from their 17-13 team a year ago, their 20th winning season in the past 23 years. The Lobos were 8-8 in conference play, for a fifth place finish. CU leads the all-time series, 6-4 (4-2 in Boulder; 2-2 at UNM), however have not played head-to-head since Nov. 28, 1990.
LEAVING AT THE END OF THE SEASON: On Oct. 25, coach Patton announced this would be his last basketball season of coaching at CU. Patton announced he would not seek nor accept an extension of his contract, which runs until July 1, 2007. In 10 years as head coach, Patton has 177 victories, four NIT appearances, two NCAA Tournaments, and three 20-win seasons.
HALL INELIGIBLE: Senior guard Marcus Hall was declared academically ineligible for the Fall 2006 semester announced back on Sept. 6. Majoring in sociology, Hall will be re-evaluated at the end of the Fall semester to determine his Spring 2007 status. If heGÇÖs academically eligible and participates during the second semester, he will use his fourth season of eligibility. Hall is one of two seniors on the 2006-07 roster with 88 career games played (44 starts). He averages 8.3 points and 3.4 assists per game; ranks ninth on the schoolGÇÖs all-time assist list (295), 10th in 3-pointers made (99) and 19th in steals (82).
MOST FRESHMEN EVER: This yearGÇÖs 2006-07 menGÇÖs team is comprised of the most freshmen ever on any Colorado roster with eight. HereGÇÖs a look at the season, final record and the head coach how the numerous newcomers could mean. (* last year coaching)
*8, 2006-07 (two seniors, Ricardo Patton)
7, 1993-94 (one senior, 10-17, 2-10 Big 8: Joe Harrington)
*6, 1980-81 (five seniors, 16-12, 5-9 Big 8: Bill Blair)
5, 2002-03 (three seniors, 20-12, 9-7 Big 12: Ricardo Patton)
5, 1997-98 (four seniors, 13-14, 7-9 Big 12: Ricardo Patton)
5, 1987-88 (two seniors, 7-21, 3-11 Big 8: Tom Miller)
*5, 1985-86 ( three seniors, 8-20, 0-14 Big 8, Tom Apke)
5, 1982-83 (three seniors, 13-15, 3-11, Tom Apke)
5, 1977-78 (three seniors, 9-18, 3-11, Bill Blair)
*5, 1975-76 (one senior, 7-19, 4-10 Big 8, Sox Walseth)
5, 1974-75 (six seniors, 7-19, 4-10, Big 8, Sox Walseth)
Roby Named To Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 - Back on October 25, when coach Patton took center stage on CU Basketball Media Day, he took away a preseason honor from Richard Roby. If you have already forgotten, Roby was one of 50 preseason candidates named to the John R. Wooden Award All-American Team. Roby is the first CU player to be named to the Wooden List since David Harrison in 2003-04. The list is composed of 50 student athletes who, based on last yearGÇÖs individual performance and team records, are the early frontrunners for college basketballGÇÖs most coveted trophy. These top 50 candidates will be evaluated and considered for both the Midseason top 30 list and the National Ballot. Roby was one of eight players from the Big 12 selected.
ROBY NAMED PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12 team: Junior guard Richard Roby was named to the preseason All-Big 12 Team. Roby, a 2005-06 first team conference selection last season enters the 2006-07 season only 10 points shy of scoring 1,000 points in his career. The San Bernardino, Calif. native averaged 17 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.1 steals per games last season. Roby joins sophomores Brandon Rush and Julian Wright (Kansas), junior Joseph Jones (Texas A&M) and seniors Acie Law (Texas A&M) and Jarrius Jackson (Texas Tech).
NEXT YEAR SIGNEES - Even though coach Patton will not be on the sidelines for the 2007-08 season, the Buffaloes did ink a pair of future student-athletes to National Letters of Intent:
Levi Knutson, 6GÇÖ4, Guard
Littleton, CO (Arapahoe High School)
Averaged 18.3 points as a junior
5A Class All-State Colorado 2005-06
1st Team All-Conference Player
Caleb Patterson, 6GÇÖ11, Center
Ringwood, Okla. (Ringwood High School)
Averaged 17.3 points, 13.8 rebounds and six blocked shots
Hi MOM: CU will be on the television 16 times this season. Nine of those appearances are on FSN Rocky Mountain, the first is tonight against the University of Denver (8:30 p.m.). The seven other TV appearances will be shown on ESPN Plus (regional).
WHAT THE BIG 12 COACHES THINK: For the first time Big 12 history, the coaches have picked the Buffaloes for 12th place. The following is each season since 1996-97, the predicted finish and the actual placing that CU performed.
Season Predicted Actual
2006-07 12th ??
2005-06 9th 5th
2004-05 10th 11th
2003-04 6th 4th
2002-03 9th t-5th
2001-02 7th 9th
2000-01 7th 9th
1999-2000 8th 7th
1998-99 10th 8th
1997-98 9th 9th
1996-97 no poll issued 2nd
QUICK HITS FROM LAST YEAR:
- CUGÇÖs upset of No. 19 Oklahoma in front of a nationally televised audience on Feb. 15 made it the fourth straight season CU has defeated a nationally ranked opponent a home.
- CU was ranked for two weeks as the No. 25 school in the ESPN/USA Today CoachesGÇÖ Poll at the end of January, beginning of Feb. The back-to-back weekly rankings were a team-first since the 1996-97 season.
- CU won 20 games, the fourth time in the schoolGÇÖs 105-year history this feat was accomplished.
- CU matched their best home record for wins in a season with 14 set back in 2002-03 (14-1).
- broke the school record for made 3-pointers made (240) and attempts (701)
- started the season 10-1 and during that stretch won nine straight. The 10-1 start matched the 1978-79 season, 26 years ago, and the 1968-69 seasons, 36 years ago.
- CU beat Oklahoma State 80-78 back on Jan. 21 for the Buffaloes first win at Gallagher-Iba Arena since Jan. 12, 1980, a stretch of 20 games. CU also hadnGÇÖt won at Missouri since the 1996-97 season and only the second time in Columbia since Jan. 15, 1973, a span of 32 games.
- During conference play from Jan. 14-28, the Buffs won five consecutive conference games for the first time since the 1996-97 season. It was their best start to a conference season since 1996-97. The 5-2 mark is the 14th time CU has started 5-2 or better in league play in 59 years.
FREE THROWS WHEN IT COUNTS: With only four returning players on this yearGÇÖs roster, hereGÇÖs a look of how they did from the charity stripe with five and two minutes remaining:
With 2-5 minutes to play...
Marcus Hall 3-3 1.000
Dominique Coleman 4-6 .667
Richard Roby 9-14 .643
last 2 minutes remaining ...
Marcus Hall 8-13 .769
Dominique Coleman 4-6 .667
Richard Roby 8-16 .500