Colorado University Athletics
MBB Hosts Mizzou Saturday Morning
CU vs. MIZZOU: Back on Jan. 14, CU won a rare game in Columbia for only the second time since Jan. 7, 1996 as Chris Copeland hit the last of CU’s season-best 13 3-pointers with two-tenths of a second to go, giving the Buffaloes a 74-71 victory at Missouri. Richard Roby scored a career-best 33 points. The Buffaloes have won the last three in a row against the Tigers in Boulder. Television: ESPN Plus, Announcers: Dave Armstrong, Reid Gettys; KKZN Radio 760-AM: Mark Johnson, Charles Johnson.
QUICKLY ON THE TIGERS: Since CU/Mizzou last played, the Tigers have lost nine of 11 games with wins over Kansas in overtime and Kansas State, both at the Mizzou Arena by an average of three points. Thomas Gardner is second in overall conference scoring (19.7 ppg.) and 3-pointers made (3.3), with Jason Horton fourth overall in assists (4.4 apg.). Mizzou is 11th overall in the conference standings and 1-7 on the road.
BIG 12 LEADERS: Marcus Hall still leads the conference (all games) in assist-turnover ratio (2.13) and is CU’s lone leader in any category. In all games played, CU ranks first in scoring (79.6), offensive rebounding (15.5), and 3-pointers made (8.8). In conference-only games, the Buffs are first in 3-pointers made (9.3), blocks (6.0), and offensive rebounding (15.6).
BUFF TIDBITS: In six conference home games, Richard Roby averages 21.5 ppg., 7.7 rpg. with 14 3-pointers and 11 steals. Chris Copeland (14.3 ppg., 5.3 rpg.) and Marcus Hall 8.8 ppg., 4.7 apg. are also stellar at home...Roby is fourth in steals (2.2), fourth in 3-pt. FG% (.404), fifth overall in Big 12 scoring (18.0 ppg.), 18th in rebounding (5.6)...Hall leads the team in scoring (11.5 ppg.) and rebounding (7.5 rpg.) in the last two games. He has led CU in rebounding the last two games...Roby ranks 30th on the school’s all-time scoring list with 911 pts. (16.9 in 54 games)...Roby holds the top-five of CU’s scoring games (33, 30, 29, 28, 27) and is the only CU player to have started all games in two years (54-straight)...Hall is six assists from 11th place (269) on CU’s assist list and 14 from 10th (Billups)...In their last 10 games, three players are averaging double-digits: Roby (19.4), Hall (11.8, 4.2 apg.), Copeland (10.8)...Andy Osborn has made at least one 3-ptr in 21-straight games (2.2 a game).TEAM: CU is 12-1 at home season, including five straight wins (5-1) in Big 12 play...CU has lost four of its last six (all on the road)....CU is 12 treys from breaking last year’s school record of 223...CU has played with a different starting lineup nine times (see page 5)...In the last 10 games, CU is outscoring oppts. 74.5-72.1 ppg., with nine 3-ptr per game.
FREE THROWS WHEN IT COUNTS: For most of the season, CU’s not very good from the charity stripe (10 on Big 12-only, 11th in conference all games). In their last three games they?re shooting with the best team nationally, 65-of-80 (.813) including 11-for-11 performance at Kansas State (Feb. 18). Here’s CU at the free throw line with the game on the line with five minutes remaining:
With 2-5 minutes to play...
Chris Copeland 5-5 1.000
Marcus Hall 3-3 1.000
Julius Ashby 1-1 1.000
Martane Freeman 14-18 .778
Dominique Coleman 4-6 .667
Richard Roby 8-13 .615
Calvin Williams 3-6 .500
Antoine McGee 1-2 .500
Scott Senger 1-2 .500
Jayson Obazuaye 1-4 .250
Lamont Arrington 0-1 .000
last 2 minutes remaining ...
Glean Eddy 3-4 .750
Andy Osborn 3-4 .750
Marcus Hall 8-11 .727
Chris Copeland 6-9 .667
Dominique Coleman 4-6 .667
Martane Freeman 4-7 .571
Richard Roby 7-13 .539
Calvin Williams 1-3 .333
Jayson Obazuaye 1-2 .500
Overtime
Richard Roby 0-1 .000
CU vs. Ranked Teams: Colorado is now 1-1 vs. ranked teams in 2005-06; the win over Oklahoma snapped a three-game losing streak against ranked teams; its last win was 88-79 over No. 23 Texas last February 8 in Boulder. CU last beat a ranked OU team on January 19, 2000, when the Buffs beat the No. 17 Sooners 88-80.
STREAKS, RUNS, TRENDS: Marcus Hall has at least five or more assists in 11 games; two or more steals in 10 games; two of more treys in nine games; and 50 percent of FGs made in nine games. Richard Roby has had seven or more rebounds in 10 games; made 50 percent of his shots in 10 games; three treys made in 10 games; four or more assists (six games), three or more steals (nine games) and has at least three rebounds in 23 of 24 games (at KSU);
- Andy Osborn has made a three-pointer in his last 21 games, and in 22 of 24 overall;
- Chris Copeland has blocked a shot in 16 of 24 games;
- Marcus King-Stockton has at least one rebound in 22 of 24 games;
- Julius Ashby has at least one rebound in all 16 games he’s played in.
TOP 25 RANKINGS: Colorado was ranked for two weeks as the No. 25 school in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. The back-to-back weekly ranking were the first since the 1996-97 season. This week the Buffs received 22 votes in the coaches’ poll, while in the AP poll, received 13 votes. Prior to last week, CU last made either poll in 1997 at No. 24 (Associated Press). The others were 1969 (#18), 1963 (#10), 1962 (#9) and 1955 (#15).
4-Point plays: There have been two 4-point plays and one failed attempt at a 4-point play (missed free throw). Here they are:
vs. St. Mary’s (Nov. 26): 8:03 (1st Half), Richard Roby 3-Pointer, Assisted by Copeland. Roby Made Free Throw.
vs. Oklahoma (Feb. 15): 16:15 (2nd Half), Richard Roby 3-Pointer, Assisted by Copeland. Roby Made Free Throw.
Failed attempt at 4-point play: at TCU (Dec. 20): 11:23 (1st Half), Richard Roby 3-Pointer, Assisted by Senger. MISSED Free Throw.
TRIPLE THREAT: Not only are the Buffs on pace to break their record of 223 three-pointers in a season, set last year, but their .372 percentage from behind the arc is easily CU’s best since the introduction of the three-point line in 1986-87. The best three-point percentage for an entire season was in 2003-04 when the Buffs made 188-of-505 treys (.372).
GUARDING THE GLASS: Richard Roby’s 15 rebounds against Texas Tech (Feb. 11) were the most in a game by any CU player since Julius Ashby pulled down 17 boards against California on Dec. 7, 2004. In case you’re wondering the last time a guard had that many rebounds, here you go: Roughly 11 years ago, on March 4, 1995, CU’s Donnie Boyce grabbed 18 rebounds in a 70-51 win over Kansas State.