Colorado University Athletics

MBB Hosts Kansas State, Saturday At Events Center

MBB Hosts Kansas State, Saturday At Events Center

FOR STARTERS: CU is 2-11 for the first time in Big 12 play...The last time CU was 2-12 in the conference was 1992-93 ...The Buffaloes (6-17, 2-11 Big 12) have lost eight games at home tying the school record for home setbacks (1995-96, 1985-86, 1975-76)...If the season ended today, CU would be the No. 12 seed at the Big 12 Basketball Championship playing No. 5 Missouri...CU’s next opponent is Wednesday, Feb. 28 against the Tigers in Columbia. Radio: KKZN 760: Mark Johnson/Charles Johnson and Sirrus Radio Channel 126

HOOK SHOTS: Richard Roby moved up two spots to eight place on CU’s all-time scoring list (1,377). He stands 52 points from seventh (Michel Morandais, 1428). Roby has made 10 FGs in a game four times this season ... In his last five games, Dominique Coleman is averaging 12.8 ppg., 8.6 rpg., 3.2 apg., 1.6 spg. and shooting 22-for-37 (.595) and logging 33.2 minutes -- all are team-highs ...  Coleman has six or more rebounds in 11 of the last 13 outings ... Xavier Silas has led CU in scoring six of his last nine appearances and leads the team with a 14.4 ppg. and 21 3-pointers in that span ... Of his 16 starts, Jeremy Williams has scored in double-digits five times and grabbed eight or more rebounds, five times ... Jermyl Jackson-Wilson grabbed a career-best 10 defensive rebounds (11 overall) at Iowa State, the most  boards since his 14 against Wyoming (Nov. 26), 19 games ago ... TEAM: CU has used 13 different starting combos in 23 games...In 13 conference games, CU has netted 60 points or less in five games (seven overall) ... Four of five starters played more than 33+ minutes at Iowa State, a CU first since Jan. 19, 2005 at Baylor when all five starting players had 30+... CU has not won consecutive games this year; the last time that happened was 1971-72 (35 years) ... CU led for the first time at half on the road in the Big 12 this season (Iowa State).

HYPHENATED LAST NAMES: Finally did some research and CU has the only two hyphened names (Marcus King-Stockton and Jermyl Jackson-Wilson) in seven college basketball conferences (Big 12, ACC, SEC, Missouri Valley, Big East, Pacific-10, Big 10).

POSITIVE BITS:  Dominique Coleman has made 93 field goals this season compared to 48 last year; his assists total has increased from 78-to-57 ... Marcus King-Stockton has 30 blocked shots, compared to only 30 combined in his freshman and sophomore seasons ... Xavier Silas has 262 points this season for ninth place on CU’s freshman scoring list.

CU VS. K-STATE: Kansas State (19-9, 8-5) took the first game back on Feb. 10 in Manhattan, 78-59, and will attempting to sweep CU in the season series for the first time since the 1991-92 season (15 years) ... CU is 7-3 against Kansas State in Boulder under Coach Patton and have won four of its last five games at home against the Wildcats.
QUICKLY ON THE WILDCATS: Kansas State enters today’s matinee as one of five teams in the Big 12 with a winning road conference record (3-3). Wins include Texas, Missouri and Iowa State. In their last five Big 12 games, K-State is 2-3 with a pair of losses to Kansas and a win over Colorado. Senior Cartier Martin has scored in double-digits in 12 straight games and 22 overall in 2006-07 ... K-State has held 15 opponents below 30 points in the first half this season. For an entire game, 24 of 28 foes are below 80 points ... The Wildcats have won eight games in Big 12 play, the most in conference history, and are in fourth place in the Big 12. KSU’s highest league finish is seventh on four occasions.

X FACTOR: After missing the game at Iowa State with a left ankle impingement, freshman Xavier Silas remains a force in the CU lineup, perhaps better in the starting lineup. In 15 starts, Silas averages 13.4 ppg. and 4.1 rpg., 68-for-161 from the field (.422) and has led the team in scoring five times. Coming off the bench at home against Kansas as well as the first six games of the season, he averaged only 8.7 ppg., 3.6 rpg. and 21-for-68 (.309). He once led in scoring in a reserve role (KU, Feb. 14).

LONG DISTANCE IS BETTER: If you look at his overall stats, freshman Kal Bay leads CU from the 3-point arc with 38. Bay has a higher percentage from the arc (.369) than the rest of the field (.338). In fact, 38 of his 45 made field goals are treys.

SIXTH MAN...no more: With two games coming off the bench for the first time in his career (KU, Feb. 14; at Texas Tech, Feb. 17) Richard Roby returned to the starting up at Iowa State responding with 23 points and seven rebounds. His 21 shots from the field were the most since firing 24 back on Dec. 4 against Pepperdine. His two-game total in a reserve role was 12.0 ppg. 5.5 rpg. and 10-for-21 FG% (.476).

EATING UP MINUTES: Richard Roby’s 37 minutes at Iowa State made it the fourth time this season (three wins, one loss) he has played more than 37 minutes in a game. CU is 6-3 when playing more than 37 minutes (2-0 in 2005-06, 1-2 in 2004-05).

50% FG% (opponents): The Buffs have allowed seven Big 12 opponents to shoot 50% FG or better this season. From Jan. 20-30, the Buffs allowed Nebraska, Mizzou, KU, and Baylor to do that feat. The four straight games over 50% was a school first in 18 years. The last time that happened was the 1989-90 season when CU allowed five opponents to shoot 50% or better, twice. That year the Buffs finished 12-18 and 2-12 in the Big Eight. The other three opponents were Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Texas.

LAST TIME OUT (complete box on page 27): Corey McIntosh gave Iowa State some unexpected scoring with 13 points and Jiri Hubalek hit the go-ahead basket with 1:43 left, helping the Cyclones escape with a 55-53 victory over Colorado. Iowa State rallied from a 15-point deficit in the first half and held Colorado scoreless in the final 2:08 to hand the Buffaloes their fourth straight loss.  Colorado missed three shots after Hubalek’s turnaround on the low block gave Iowa State a 55-53 lead. The Buffaloes then got one more chance when Hubalek missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 10 seconds left. But McIntosh and Rahshon Clark trapped Richard Roby well behind the 3-point arc and Roby lost the ball going up for a shot.  Roby led CU with 23 points and Dominique Coleman scored 11. Wesley Johnson scored 10 to go with nine rebounds and Hubalek finished with nine points.

ROAD FRIENDLY: Dating back to last season, CU has lost 12 straight Big 12 road games, seven straight this season ... Last Big 12 road win, Jan. 21, 2006 at Oklahoma State (80-78, ot) ...  In those 12 road losses, the opponent is outscoring CU, 80.7-to-65.7 with the opponent scoring 75 or more points, eight times ... In his 11 full seasons, Coach Patton teams are averaging eight road losses each season with this season currently at nine. Nine road losses ties three other seasons (2004-05, 2002-03, 2001-02, 1998-99). Most road losses under Coach Patton is 10 back in 1999-2000.

TOP-10 SHOOTER: Richard Roby ranks among the top-10 field goals attempts list. Entering today’s game, Roby has 1,137 attempts good enough for sixth place at CU. As for field goals made, Roby is a bit behind Scott Wedman’s 10th place of 516. Roby has 473 field goals made.