MBB Hosts Missouri Wednesday Night

FOR STARTERS: The last time Colorado (5-10, 1-3 Big 12) started the Big 12 Conference season 1-5 was 1998-99. The Buffaloes hold a 33-26 home advantage in the head-to-head series with Missouri.

CU vs. Missouri: Coach Patton teams are 10-11 since the 1995-96 season, however are 8-3 in Boulder. The Buffs have won the last four games at the Events Center by an average of 13.5 points and have won straight over Mizzou.

SCOUTING THE tigers: Missouri (11-6, 0-4 Big 12) enters tonight’s Big 12 game having lost all four conference match ups by an average of seven points. They are the only team in the Big 12 not to win a conference game. The Tigers boast one of the conference’s best players in Marshall Brown. Brown ranks second in the conference-only points average (21.3) and fifth in field goal percentage (.565). Jason Horton and Leo Lyons each have eight steals between them (2.0 spg.), while the Tigers lead the Big 12 in that category (44) with 11 steals a game. Stefhon Hannah is third nationally in steals.

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.

HOOK SHOTS: Xavier Silas has led CU in scoring two straight games. He’s the first CU player since the 2004-05 season to lead the team in scoring in back-to-back games, other than Richard Roby. Andy Osborn was the last player ... Silas is averaging 14.3 ppg., 6.0 rpg. in his last three games; In his last three games, Dominique Coleman is averaging 12.7 ppg., 9.0 rpg. ... Coleman has led or shared the team-high in rebounds five times ... Richard Roby needs eight points to move into 14th place on CU’s all-time scoring list (1,246). If successful today, he’ll pass Scott Wedman (1251) and Blair Wilson (1253) ... In his last four games, Dwight Thorne is averaging 22.2 minutes off the bench and 4.5 ppg., 2.0 rpg. TEAM: CU has scored under 60 points five times; under 55: four times; under-50: twice, both Big 12 road games ... CU has lost its last seven conference road games dating back to last year and averaging 61.7 ppg. during that span ... CU has allowed two first-year head coaches to win their first Big 12 game (OU, NU); Mizzou coach Mike Anderson is 0-4 in the Big 12 ... CU is 1-9 on the season after trailing at the half and 4-0 when leading at the 10, 5, 2 minutes marks of the game ... CU has allowed seven double-doubles by the opponent, 10 players to score 20+points ... CU has used nine different starting combinations through 15 games; lineup for A&M, ISU, at NU stayed the same.

LAST TIME OUT (complete box on page 19): Aleks Maric scored 28 points and Jamel White added 18 points leading Nebraska to a 71-50 victory over Colorado Saturday. The Huskers held CU to just 13 first-half points, the lowest single-half point total by any conference opponent in the history of the Devaney Center. It was CU’s second lowest first half output of the season after scoring 11 points in the first half against Air Force back on Nov. 18. The 50 points scored by CU was the fewest against the Huskers since Jan. 19, 1980 (44).

COLEMAN ON THE RISE: Dominique Coleman sometimes gets lost in Richard Roby’s shadow, but this year has contributed on a regular basis. Ranking second in points scored (11.0) and second in rebounding (6.1), the 6’3” sometimes point-guard is averaging 12.7 ppg., 9.0 rpg., 4.3 apg., 2.3 spg. in his last three games. He has led in rebounding five of 15 games and in scoring three times.

“X” Marks The Spot: Xavier Silas became the first CU player since the 2004-05 season to lead CU in scoring in back-to-back games (ISU, NU), a span of 46 games (Andy Osborn). Silas has started the last nine games averaging 12.7 ppg., and 4.6 rpg. Overall, he’s averaging 29.5 minutes a game (leads all freshmen). Silas’ season bests are 19 points (Iowa State, Jan. 17 and Pepperdine, Dec. 4); seven rebounds (at Nebraska, Jan. 20 and Central Florida, Jan. 3). He also scored 17 points against Texas (Jan. 6) and a team-high 14 at New Mexico (Nov. 14).

ROBY vs. Mizzou: In his last four games against Missouri, Richard Roby has had much success. One of his five career 30-point efforts came last year at the Mizzou Arena scoring a career-best 33 points (Jan. 14). He’s averaging 18 points, four rebounds, two steals, .833 at the FT line (15-of-18, .833), 11-of-27 from the 3-point arc (.407), and .397 from the field (23-of-58).

FTs WHEN IT COUNTS: After 15 games, we’re starting to see whose cool under pressure from the free throw line.

last 2 minutes remaining

Kal Bay 2-2 1.000

Jermyl Jackson-Wilson 2-3 .667

Dominique Coleman 7-11 .636

Xavier Silas 4-7 .571

Sean Kowal 1-2 .500

Marcus King-Stockton 1-2 .500

Jeremy Williams 0-1 .000

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 4-6 .667

Dominique Coleman 2-4 .500

Dwight Thorne II 1-2 .500

Marcus King-Stockton 0-2 .000

TOP-10 SHOOTER: Richard Roby is nearing the school’s top-10 field goals attempts list. Entering tonight’s game, Roby has 1,025 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 428 field goals made.

end is near: On Oct. 25, Coach Patton announced this would be his last season of coaching at CU. Patton said he would not seek nor accept an extension of his contract (expires June 30, 2007. In 11 years, Patton has 182 victories, four NIT appearances, two NCAA Tournaments, and three 20-win seasons.

ON THE ROAD IN THE BIG 12: Since the Big 12 formed (1996-97), CU has played 82 regular season games on the road. Heading into 2006-07, the Buffaloes under Coach Patton are 21-61 (.256). 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.

ON THE ROAD vs. Ranked Opponents: With CU heading to Lawrence this Saturday to take on No. 8/8 Kansas, the Buffaloes are 0-22 when playing a ranked opponent on the road. Their last win came on Jan. 11, 1997 at Texas Tech, 80-78 (ot).

MORE FROM THE ROAD...Part II: Dating back to last season, CU has lost seven straight Big 12 road games ... In those seven games, CU is averaging 61.7 ppg. compared to 78.1 by their opponents; next road games are at Kansas on Saturday and at Baylor next Tuesday. CU hasn’t won in Lawrence since Feb. 10, 1983.

BUFF BITS: CU has five double-doubles this season: Jermyl Jackson-Wilson (2), Dominique Coleman (2), Richard Roby (1) ... Roby has led the team in scoring eight times, including one shared and has scored double figures in 13 of 15 games ... Coleman recorded his second career double-double scoring a team-high 17 points and career-best 13 rebounds against Texas A&M (Jan. 13). The 13 boards are the most in a game since Roby grabbed 15 against Texas Tech last season ... Despite playing the point, Coleman has led CU in rebounding five times ... Kal Bay notched career-bests in vs. Central Florida: 21 pts., five three-pointers, three steals ... Coleman recorded his first of two double-doubles (Pepperdine 12 points, 10 rebounds) ... Dwight Thorne handed-out a season-best five assists vs. Pepperdine ... Thorne has made a 3-pointer in four straight conference games ... Roby’s 32 points against the Waves were the most since he scored 33 vs. Nebraska (back on Jan. 14).

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