Colorado University Athletics

MBB Hosts No. 8/9 Texas A&M Saturday

MBB Hosts No. 8/9 Texas A&M Saturday
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notes vs. Texas A&M

FOR STARTERS: Colorado enters today’s game at 0-2 in the Big 12 Conference for the third straight season. Back in 1999-2000 and 1998-99, CU lost its first three conference games and in 2004-05, fell in their first four conference games. Complete Game Notes Attached.

 

CU vs. Texas A&M: Coach Patton teams are 8-4 against the Aggies, however, A&M has won the last three straight games (one each at home, away, neutral court). CU holds a 4-1 advantage in Boulder. This season’s match up is a little different, the Aggies are the No. 8 (AP)/No. 9 (USA Today Coaches Poll) nationally.  Since A&M defeated CU, 61-58, Feb. 8, 2006, the Aggies are 23-4 (.852), while the Buffs 9-15 (.375).

 

BROADCAST: Tonight’s game will be televised on Fox Sports Net Rocky Mountain. All Colorado men’s basketball regular and post season games are broadcast live on KKZN AM 760, Boulder’s Progressive Talk station. Mark Johnson will handle play-by-play duties and is joined by Charles Johnson with the color commentary. Live internet audio can be accessed through Yahoo! Sports. Live video streaming of Saturday’s battle will be available to Stampede Online subscribers at CUBuffs.com.

 

HOOK SHOTS: In two Big 12 games, Richard Roby is averaging 25.0 ppg. and Xavier Silas is runner up with 12.0 ppg ... On the boards in two conference games, Dominique Coleman and Jeremy Williams average 7.0 rpg. ...  Dwight Thorne made his first 3-pointer of the season at OU. He’s now 1-of-19 (.053) and 4-of-27 from the field (.148) ... In three career games vs. A&M, Roby is 18.3 ppg., 4.7 rpg., 16-of-47 FG% (.340), 16-of-22 (.727) ... Jermyl Jackson-Wilson has a concussion and broken nose suffered at OU; he did not practice Thursday and Friday and is probable vs. A&M ... Thorne and A&M star Acie Law IV are cousins ... Marcus Hall returned to practice this week, even though he’s eligible to play, he’s redshirting season. TEAM: First time CU opens Big 12 Conference season with three straight opponents (Texas, OU, A&M) who made NCAA Tournament a year ago ... CU is 0-2 to begin Big 12 play for the third straight season and eighth time in Patton’s 11 years ... CU 10-13  (.435) at home against ranked opponents since 1996 ... CU has used eight different starting combos through 12 games ...Twice this season CU has allowed 100 points (at New Mexico and Texas). The last time the opponent scored 100+three times in a season was 2001-02 (KU twice, Texas) ... CU is 0-7 when trailing at the half and 2-55 when trailing by 10 or more half (0-3 this season).

 

AT HOME vs. RANKED OPPONENTS: Since the 2002-03 season, CU has defeated at least one ranked opponent at the Coors Events Center. This Saturday, No. 8/9 Texas A&M (14-2) visits the Events Center. Last season, it was No. 18/19 Oklahoma, 84-75(Feb. 15). In 2004-05, the Buffs defeated No. 23/22 Texas, 88-79. In 2003-04 it was No. 22/23 Texas Tech and during the last NCAA Tournament team in 2002-03, it was four opponents, including No. 3 Texas and No. 6 Kansas.

 

THE FUTURE?: For the first time this season five freshmen were on the court at the same time in the game. It happened briefly at 12:50 of the first half at Oklahoma.  Kal Bay, James Inge, Dwight Thorne, Jeremy Williams and Xavier Silas. The next substitution came at 11:31 (Roby for Inge).

 

CU vs. Ranked Teams: Entering this season, the Buffaloes and coach Patton are 11-48 (.186) against nationally ranked schools. In the last four years, CU has beaten at least one ranked school at home. However, on the road it’s a much different story having lost their last 22 straight (last at No. 20 Texas Tech, Jan. 11, 80-78).

 

vs. Nationally Ranked Opponents

2005-06    1-3

2004-05    1-4

2003-04    1-4

2002-03    4-4                      

2001-02    0-8

2000-01    0-5

1999-00    2-5

1998-99    0-4 

1997-98    0-3

1996-97    2-4

1995-96    0-4

Total        11-48 (.186)

 

SCOUTING THE AGGIES: Texas A&M retains 85 percent of its scoring from 2005-06 as four starters and eight other lettermen return from a team which fell to No. 18 LSU, 58-57 in the second round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament.  

    Texas A&M travels to CU with a seven-game winning streak and a 14-2 overall record, with it’s only blemishes coming in back-to-back losses at No. 9 LSU and to No. 1 UCLA in the John R. Wooden Classic. In Texas A&M’s 12 non-conference wins, the Aggies were hardly tested, winning by an average of 37.4 points per game. The closest contest was a 74-62 win against Pacific in College Station. The maroon and white have opened their Big 12 slate with two-straight victories, a year after dropping their first four conference games. This is the first time the Aggies have started with a 2-0 Big 12 record.

    Texas A&M won a close battle with Kansas State to start the Big 12 schedule. The game was back-and-forth the entire game until a three-pointer by sophomore Josh Carter with just over four minutes left gave the Aggies the lead for good in a game they would win 69-65. Against Baylor, Texas A&M battled to a tie with the Bears through the middle of the second half before pulling away with a 61-51 victory in Waco, Texas; the win came despite the Aggies shooting a season-low .372 from the field and dishing out a season-low five assists. Nearly half of the team’s points came on converting 26-of-33 free throws. 

    The Aggies are led by Acie Law who is averaging 15.6 points and 5.5 assists per game; the senior has scored in double figures in eight straight games and in 12 of 16 overall. Three other players are also averaging 12 points or more on the season: junior Joseph Jones (13.6 ppg, double figures in 13 of 16 games); Carter (12.3 ppg); and senior Antanas Kavaliauskas (12.0 ppg). Law and Jones are the only players averaging double figures in their two conference games with 19.0 ppg and 15.5 ppg, respectively.

    Texas A&M has been very efficient offensively, as eight players have a FG percentage of .500 or better. The team also shoots for a very good three-point percentage (.402), led by Carter who is second in the Big 12 in three-point FG percentage (42-of-80, .525). Jones currently leads the conference in free throw percentage (68-of-78, .872).  

 

LAST TIME OUT: Nate Carter came off the bench to score 15 points and grab eight rebounds as Oklahoma defeated CU, 78-54 Wednesday. OU (9-5, 1-1 Big 12) have beaten Colorado 22 straight times at the Lloyd Noble Center, a streak that dates to February 1980. Freshman Tony Crocker, who entered the game with a 10.9-point scoring average, had 16 points and eight rebounds. The Sooners controlled the basketball game on the defensive end, holding the Buffaloes to five points in the first 8:18. Colorado’s final point total was about 17 below its previous season average. Oklahoma also harassed the Buffaloes into a season-high 25 turnovers - stepping into passing lanes for 14 steals - and blocked three shots. The loss was Colorado’s fourth in five games. It’s the eighth time in Big 12 history that the Buffaloes have started league play 0-2.

ON THE ROAD IN THE BIG 12: Since the Big 12 formed (1996-97), CU has played 81 regular season games on the road. Heading into 2006-07, the Buffaloes under coach Patton are 21-60 (.260). That means an average of 2.1 wins a season and 5.9 losses in eight road games. The highest win total was 4-4 in 1996-97; their lowest was one win in each of the 2002-03 (Baylor), 2001-02 (Texas A&M) and 1999-2000  Kansas State) seasons.

 

NONCONFERENCE PLAY: CU finished 4-6, their first losing season in nonconference play since 1988-89 when they finished 5-8. It’s also the fewest nonconference games the Buffaloes have played since the 1997-98 campaign when they finished 6-4.

 

CANCELLED GAMES: The CU/UC Davis game (Dec. 23) was cancelled due to the inclement weather in the Denver area that caused severe travel difficulties; and on Saturday, Dec. 30, both the Texas Christian (men) and Houston (women) schools opted not to board their respective flights to Colorado. Officials from both schools cited the weather conditions in Colorado, despite the fact that their flights were not cancelled. The doubleheader had the TCU men playing the CU men at 1 p.m. at the Coors Events Center, with the Houston women playing the CU women at 7 p.m. The games will not be rescheduled this season.

 

THE REST OF THE BIG 12: CU was the only team not to play a game during their extended holiday break due to the inclement weather, the Christmas holiday and final exams. Texas, Iowa State and Nebraska played the most games (5) from Dec. 10-31. The schools playing four games were Baylor, Kansas State, Missouri, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State; Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech have played three.

 

 

INJURY LIst UPDATE: Freshman center Marc Van Burck is currently back as a reserve after suffering a right foot stress fracture. He was active for the Oklahoma, Texas and Central Florida games, but did not play. He has not played in a game since the season opener against Denver (Nov. 10). Freshman walk-on Trent Beckley is still out with a left Achilles tendon strain.

 

GETTING CLOSE: Richard Roby is nearing the school’s top-10 field goals attempts list. Entering tonight’s game, Roby has 997 attempts nearing the 10th spot held by Jay Humphries (1980-84) with 1,058. As for field goals made, Roby is a bit behind Scott Wedman’s 10th place of 516. Roby has 418 field goals made.

 

FREE THROWS WHEN IT COUNTS: After 12 games, we’re starting to see whose cool under pressure from the free throw line. Listed below are totals with five and two minutes remaining in the game.

   2-5 minutes to play

Jermyl Jackson-Wilson           2-2          1.000

Chase Perkowski                    2-2          1.000

Richard Roby                        7-8          .875

Sean Kowal                            3-4          .750

Xavier Silas                           4-6          .667

Jeremy Williams                    3-5          .600

Dominique Coleman               2-4          .500

Dwight Thorne II                    1-2          .500

Marcus King-Stockton             0-1          .000

 

   last 2 minutes remaining

Dominique Coleman               2-2          1.000

Kal Bay                                 2-2          1.000

Xavier Silas                           2-2          1.000

Jermyl Jackson-Wilson           2-3          .667

Sean Kowal                            1-2          .500

Marcus King-Stockton             1-2          .500

Jeremy Williams                    0-1          .000

 

“X” Marks The Spot: Xavier Silas is averaging almost 30 minutes a game (29.3). In his six starts, Silas is averaging 32. 7 minutes, 11.8 ppg., 3.8 rpg. and is 17-for-21 (.810) from the free throw line. He’s also shooting 22-for-58 from the field (.379). Overall, he’s averaging 10.1 ppg and 3.5 rpg. Six of those starts was a career-best 19 points against Pepperdine and seven rebounds against Central Florida. He scored 17 points against Texas on Jan. 6.

 

SCORING 60 points or less: Four of CU’s 12 games have resulted in scoring 60 points or less, a first in the 11 years under coach Patton.

 

HOW ABOUT 59 PTS. or less?: That’s happened three times this season (46 vs. Air Force; 54 at Oklahoma; 55 at UNC Wilmington). When CU flirts with 59 points or lower they are 1-34 in the last 11 plus years under coach Patton [scoring 30-39 (0-1), 40-49 points (0-3), 50-59 points (1-31)]. The lone win came at Iowa State, 54-52 (OT), the Buffs first win in Ames since Feb. 19, 1991 (14 games).

 

“YOUNG GUNS” Eight of the team’s 13 players are freshmen and are know as another name on the 2006-07 roster, the ’Young Guns.” If you haven’t already done so, check out the back cover of the 2006-07 media guide, they’re the future of CU Basketball. After 12 games, Kal Bay and Xavier Silas have made the most of the opportunity in the CU lineup. Bay has started eight of 12 games at the point and ranks first on the team in 3-pointers (23), second in assists (30; 2.5 apg.) and is fifth in scoring (7.3 ppg.). 

 

THIS DAY in BUFF MBB HISTORY:  CU is 11-7 on this date in history. Ironically, back in the 2000-01 season the Buffs defeated Texas A&M, 88-58. Five players were in double figures to lead CU in their most lopsided conference victory in 32 years.

                                                           

BUFF BITS: CU has four double-doubles this season: Jermyl Jackson-Wilson (2), Coleman and Richard Roby each with 1 ... Roby has led the team in scoring eight times, including one shared and has scored double figures in 11 of 12 games ... Kal Bay notched career-bests in vs. Central Florida: 21 pts., five three-pointers, three steals ... Coleman recorded his first career double-double against Pepperdine 12 points, 10 rebounds ... Roby is 16th on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,199 points ... 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: CU is 1-6 at home in Big 12 openers ... CU has made a 3-pointer in 148 straight games (Jan. 16, 2002 vs. Iowa State) ... Shot a season-best .529 from the field (27-of-51), a school-best since shooting .577 against Savannah State in 2005-06 ... Against UCF, both teams combined for 55 free throws made breaking the Coors Events Center record of 53  ... CU’s 36 made free throws against UCF are the most since making 36 back on Feb. 22, 1997 (Missouri) ... Buffs suffered four non-conference home losses this season, a school-first since 1975-76.