MBB Hosts In-State Rival Saturday Night At Events Center

FOR STARTERS: Colorado enters the game with a 2-3 home record, the first time since the 1995-96 season they have lost three at home during the nonconference season. The last time CU had a losing record during the nonconference portion of the schedule was 1988-89 (5 wins, 13 losses). The 3-5 start mirrors the 2000-01 season after eight games. Tonight’s game is the third of seven straight home games ending with the conference home opener against Texas on Saturday, Jan. 6.

COMPLETE NOTES ATTACHED.

CU vs. CSU: Although, CU holds a commanding 51-6 advantage in Boulder, the Rams will attempt to win in Boulder for the first time since Dec. 2, 1957 (0-13 since). Colorado State defeated the Buffaloes in Fort Collins last year, 83-82 breaking a five-game losing streak to CU. Overall, coach Patton teams are 7-4 against the Rams and a perfect 5-0 mark in Boulder.

WOODEN PRESEASON LIST: Tonight match up features two of the nation’s top-50 preseason candidates of the 2006-07 John R. Wooden Award list. CSU’s Jason Smith (Jr., 7’0”, Forward) and CU’s Richard Roby (Jr., 6’6”, Guard). It’s the first match up for Roby against a fellow Wooden preseason candidate until the Big 12 Conference season begins. Other conference nominees are Brandon Rush (Kansas), Julian Wright (Kansas), JamesOn Curry (Oklahoma State), Joseph Jones (Texas A&M), Acie Law (Texas A&M) and Jarrius Jackson (Texas Tech).

HOOK SHOTS: In the two games/starts, Jermyl Jackson-Wilson is averaging 7.0 rpg., 5.0 blocks, 3.0 spg., 3.0 apg.; and has led the team in blocks and steals the last two games; Xavier Silas is averaging 34.5 minutes, 18.0 ppg., 12-for-24 FG; and Richard Roby is averaging 26.5 ppg. and 9.0 rpg....Dominique Coleman recorded his first career double-double against Pepperdine 12 points, 10 rebounds...Roby moved into 18th place on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,135 points... Jeremy Williams has started three straight, four of the last five games averaging 6.0 ppg., 5.2 rpg.; he grabbed a season-best 10 rebounds on Dec. 4...Kal Bay and Roby lead the team in 3-pointers, 13 and 12, respectively...Dwight Thorne handed-out a season-best five assists vs. Pepperdine...Roby’s 32 points were the most since he scored 33 vs. Nebraska (back on Jan. 14)...TEAM: Minus CU’s season opener win over Denver, CU is being outscored 79.4 to 65.6 and being outshot .471 to .385; the opponents also hold a 66 to 36 advantage in 3-pointers made this season...CU’s last two victories are an average of 1.5 points...The Buffs have won 17 of their last 21 home games against non-conference opponents, three of those losses are this year, Pepperdine, Wyoming, Air Force...CU has used five different starting combinations in eight games.

DaYS of R&R AHEAD: After CU’s bout with CSU, the Buffaloes will be idle for 14 days of no competitive action until UC Davis visits Boulder on Dec. 23. With the end of the semester and final exams near, CU will endure its longest layoff since spending 17 days without action (Dec. 13-30) back in 2001-02.

what’s up with CSU: CSU is off to a 6-2 start almost matching their 7-1 beginning last year. In fact, the Rams raced out to a 11-2 record before conference play and finished with a 16-15 record. CSU has won five straight defeating Montana State-Northern (74-56), Boise State (67-50), Denver (81-73), Kansas State (84-83) and Northern Colorado (75-66). The Rams are winning the best way they can, defending the home court with a perfect 5-0 record. Their only losses were Baylor (87-82,OT) and to Rice (70-61), both at Spokane, Wash. Head Coach Dale Layer is in his seventh year at CSU (92-94 record). After tonight’s game, the Rams are idle until Dec. 18, a home date with North Dakota State.

CU vs. the Mountain West: Tonight the Buffs entertain their other conference foes from the Mountain West Conference. Since CU is playing six of the nine MWW schools this year (1-3 so far), the Buffs are only 11-10 (.524) since 1996-97. Since the 2002-03 season, the Buffs are 6-5 (.546) against the conference.

RARE Losses at home: Falling to Pepperdine at home was the third time this season CU lost in Boulder. It’s also marks the first time in the 11 years under coach Patton the Buffaloes have lost three home games in nonconference play. That stat usually applies on the road where CU has dropped three losses on the road three times (2004-05, 1999-2000, 1998-99).

LAST TIME OUT: Chase Griffin had 18 points and nine rebounds and Marvin Lea scored all of his 17 points in the second half to lead Pepperdine to a 78-72 victory over Colorado. Lea scored nine of his points from the free throw line as Pepperdine (2-6) ended a four-game losing streak. Tomas Pranchiliauskas scored 15 points on five 3-pointers. Richard Roby had a season-high 32 points for Colorado (3-5), while Xavier Silas had 19 points and Dominique Coleman had his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Complete box score on page 13.

“X” Marks The Spot: Xavier Silas is averaging an impressive 28.4 minutes in a reserve and starting role (third on the team in minutes) and two starts. He is averaging 10.8 points (third in scoring) and 3.1 rebounds. He led CU in scoring at New Mexico with 14 points and netted a career-high 17 points against Northern Colorado. Most recently, Silas netted a career-best 19 points against Pepperdine. He’s also second on the team from the free throw line (.680).

INJURY LIst: Freshman center Marc Van Burck is still nursing a right foot stress fracture. He’s inactive for another two weeks and will not redshirt the 2006-07 season. Van Burck (6-11, 280) from Star City, Saskatchewan, Canada/Luther HS, played one game (Denver) with two points, two rebounds in six minutes.

FREE THROWS WHEN IT COUNTS: After eight games, we’re starting to see who’s cool under pressure from the free throw line. Listed below are totals with five and two minutes remaining in the game.

This year: 2-5 minutes to play

Jermyl Jackson-Wilson 2-2 1.000

Chase Perkowski 2-2 1.000

Jeremy Williams 2-2 1.000

Richard Roby 5-6 .833

Sean Kowal 3-4 .750

Dominique Coleman 2-3 .667

Xavier Silas 1-2 .500

Dwight Thorne II 1-2 .500

King-Stockton 0-1 .000

last 2 minutes remaining

Xavier Silas 2-2 1.000

Jermyl Jackson-Wilson 1-2 .500

Sean Kowal 1-2 .500

THIS DAY in BUFF MBB HISTORY: CU isn’t too good on this day in history, sporting a 4-9 mark and losers three of their last four. Most recently in 2000, the Buffaloes lost 75-63 at California. D.J. Harrison and Justin Harbert each scored 15 points; in 1998, CU lost 67-66 with current Director of Operations Will Smith scoring 15 points and grabbing nine boards.

HALL NOT RETURNING...this season: At the CU-Pepperdine press conference, coach Patton made it clear that Marcus Hall will not be returning this season. “I am not going to bring Marcus Hall back. If I were to bring Marcus back it would be purely for basketball, and at this point in that young man’s life it ought to be about him leaving here with a degree.”

HALL COMING BACK...next season: With Marcus Hall redshirting the 2006-07 season, this means the 6’1" guard from Houston, Texas will be returning next year. Hall will join Richard Roby and Marcus King-Stockton as seniors and it will seem like old times again, but with a new coach. Hall has played 88 career games played (44 starts) and averages 8.3 points and 3.4 assists per game. He ranks ninth on the school’s all-time assist list (295), 10th in 3-pointers made (99) and 19th in steals (82). Hall was also one of the captains on the 2005-06 team.

HOLIDAY STAY: No more frequent flyer miles for the CU MBB team for the next five games and/or four weeks. CU will not leave the state of Colorado until Jan. 9’s travel day to Norman, Okla. (Jan. 10 at Oklahoma, FSN RM). Prior to visiting OU, the Buffaloes open the Big 12 Conference season against Texas on Jan. 6.

SCORING 60 points or less: Over his 11-years on the bench, coach Patton teams are 1-32 when scoring less than 59 points in a game. It’s already happened twice this season (46 vs. Air Force, 55 at UNC Wilmington. Overall, CU is 0-2 in 40-49 scored games and 1-30 when it falls between 50-59. The lone win was an overtime victory at Iowa State, 54-52, the Buffs first win in Ames since Feb. 19, 1991 (14 games).

In case you misseD it: CU’s 88 points scored against Northern Colorado were the most CU has scored since beating up Savannah State, 116-52 on Jan. 3, 2006...CU’s 12 blocked shots vs. UNC were the most since swatting 12 in back-to-back games at the start of the 2004-05 season (College of Charleston and at Michigan)... Jeremy Williams made his first collegiate start, grabbing four rebounds, one steal, no points in 16 minutes at Utah; he also started at UNCW scoring 14 points (4-of-4 FG), four rebounds in 21 minutes...CU’s win at Utah was its first in seven road games (at Okla. State, Jan. 21, 80-78, OT)...CU has made a three-point shot in 144 consecutive games. The last time the Buffs failed to make a trey was Jan. 16, 2002 (at Iowa State)...CU losses to New Mexico (41 points) and Air Force (38 points) were the worst back-to-back losses since losing consecutive 30+ point games Jan. 29, 1994 (Kansas, 87-53) and Feb. 1 (at Iowa State, 99-69)...CU’s 46 point loss versus USAFA is the lowest point total since scoring 48 points at Utah (Dec. 30, 2004)...In the previous 10 years, CU has lost the first two road games in the non-conference season, six times (1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05)...Jermyl Jackson-Wilson grabbed 17 boards versus Denver, the most from any CU player in his college debut since transferring from Ohio State; he passed the previous record of 10 by Shaun Vandiver against UC Santa Barbara, Nov. 25, 1988; JJW’s 11 offensive rebounds, ties him for the most offensive rebounds in history with Stephane Pelle who had 11 against Nebraska in 2001...The Nov. 10 match up with Denver, was the earliest CU has started the season in its 105-year history.

SURPRISE LINEUP ADDITION: Chase Perkowski came off the bench in the early stages of the first half at UNCW. The sophomore from San Juan Capistrano, Calif. took a charge in four minutes running the point. Aside from on-again, off-again scholarship and former student-athlete Scott Senger (May 2006 graduate), Perkowski is the first walk on to play quality minutes in the last six years when the game hasn’t been decided.

20 shots+20 pts.=CU WIN (sometimes): Three times this season when Richard Roby shoots 20 times in a game, he scores 20 points, CU is 2-1. Over his career, CU is 5-2 in this trend. Last season, he did it three times, all wins. In his freshman season, he did it once and lost (at Texas Tech). This season he scored 32 points in the loss against Pepperdine. Here are Roby’s 20 shots=20 points and the result:

2006-07 (2-1)

vs. Denver: 8-for-21, 20 pts., W, 78-64

at Utah: 8-for-22, 22 pts., W, 60-59

vs. Pepperdine, 10-for-24, 32 pts., L, 72-78

2005-06 (3-0)

vs. St. Mary’s, 10-for-20, 29 pts., W, 73-54

at Missouri, 11-for-24, 33 pts., W, 74-71

at Oklahoma St.,12-for-21, 27 pts.,W, 80-78, ot

2004-05 (0-1)

at Texas Tech, 11-for-20, 29 pts., L, 90-97