Colorado University Athletics
MBB Travels to Texas Tech
vs. red raiders... Colorado leads the all-time series 16-11 with the series tied at 6-6 in Lubbock. Texas Tech has won the last three in a row, and five of the last six. The Red Raiders (10-7, 0-2) defeated CU in Boulder last year, 87-69. CU last won in Lubbock back on Jan. 20, 2001 (88-71) and are 0-3 since. Complete notes at the bottom of page.
Tuesday, Jan. 20, 6 p.m. (MST.); Arena: United Spirit Arena (15,098)
Television: FSN RM; Announcers: Drew Goodman (p-b-p), Ceal Barry (analyst)
Radio: KKZN 760; Announcers: Mark Johnson, Charles Johnson
SIRIUS XM Radio Channel 127; ESPN360.com
FT RECORD HOLDER... Cory Higgins is CU’s and the Big 12’s record holder with 45-straight free throws. After missing his first attempt at Missouri, Higgins has now rattled off 18-straight. He made his last six at Mizzou and now has countered with 12-of-12 in the home loss against KU. He’s 71-of-74 (.9594) over his last 11 games, and 56-of-57 (982) over his last nine games.
QUICK LOOK AT TTU... The Red Raiders have won nine of their 10 games at home and have started the Big 12 Conference season 0-2 (at Baylor, 73-61; Texas, 71-49).
TTU has four players averaging 10 or more points and have three players who have started all 17 games (Voskuil, Roberson, Roberts).
LAST GAME RECAP... Kansas shot 61 percent from the field, including 69.6 percent in the second half to defeat CU, 73-56. KU placed five players in double figures, while Cory Higgins netted his sixth 20-plus scoring game leading the Buffs with 20 points (12-of-12 from the FT line).
BUFF TIDBITS... CU has lost 22-straight Big 12 regular season games on the road. Last road win occurred Jan. 21, 2006 (at Stillwater over Oklahoma State, 80-78, ot) ? CU is shooting better as a team from the free throw linef rom the five- to three minute mark (30-35, .857) than with two minutes remaining (26-46, .565) ? For the first time in 48 games, sophomore Levi Knutson did not play in CU’s last game (against KU) ? In his two Big 12 games, freshman Ryan Kelley is averaging 13 points per game (8-of-16 FG, .500) in 14.5 minutes ? Correction to what was previously thought, Trey Eckloff is not the youngest scholarship MBB player in the Big 12, it’s CU freshman Ryan Kelley. That means, CU has the two youngest scholarship student-athletes in the Big 12.
FT PERFECTION... Cory Higgins has performed perfection at the free throw with a 12-of-12 performance for the second time this season against Kansas. The other was a 12-of-12 effort against Coppin State (Dec. 28). The first 12-of-12 was second only to a pair of 16-of-16 efforts in CU history, Jo Jo Hunter versus Iowa State in 1980 and Chauncey Billups against Oklahoma in 1996.
Work in progress... Although Coach Bzdelik and his team have had their ups and downs in his second year (8-7) and with the tough conference season ahead, let’s take a look at three of the school’s all-time winningest coaches in football, men’s and women’s basketball in their second season.
Football: Bill McCartney, 13 seasons (1982-1994), 93-55-5 (.624): 4-7 in second year.
Men’s BB: Sox Walseth, 20 seasons (1957-76), 261-245 (.516): 8-15 in second year.
Women’s BB: Ceal Barry, 22 seasons (1983-2005), 427-242 (.638), 6-22 in second year.
30+ MINUTE MEN... Only four CU players have played 30+ minutes of each game. Cory Higgins has played 30+ minutes in 15 of 16 games; Nate Tomlinson 12 of 15 games (missed a game due to injury); Austin Dufault in 11 of 16, and Dwight Thorne II 10 of 16 games.
FALL 2008 SEMESTER... The CU men have nine student-athletes with a 2.9 grade point average or higher. The team also has five student-athletes with a 3.0 or better G.P.A. (Trent Beckley, Austin Dufault, Trey Eckloff, Levi Knutson, Andrew Zehnder).
BROADCAST... The Colorado men’s basketball team can be heard live on KKZN AM 760. Mark Johnson and Charles Johnson call the action including the pre- and postgame. Live internet audio of all CU basketball games is available through Yahoo! Sports. Colorado’s games will also be streamed live on CUBuffs.com through the BuffsTV subscription service.
MORE BUFF BITS... CU is shooting 82.4 percent (89-of-108) from the free throw line over the past six outings. Eight of 11 players who have gone to the stripe during that time are hitting at 72.7 percent or better ? CU has made a 3-pointer in 210-straight games dating back to the 2001-02 season ? CU has used the same starting line up for nine straight games (Tomlinson, Higgins, Dufault, Thorne II, Jackson-Wilson) ? Dufault, Higgins, Thorne II have started all 15 games ? For the third straight game (Western State, SMU, at Missouri), CU failed to record a blocked shot in a game, that’s never happened before. The 1977-78 season was the first season blocks were kept track of.
BB HOMECOMING... On Jan. 23 and 24, the men’s basketball team is sponsoring a Homecoming Weekend for former CU alums. Last season, Coach Bzdelik started this tradition in the hopes of bringing back former alumni and honor those who have played for past Buffalo teams. On Friday, a reception from 6-9 p.m. will be held at the Broker Inn, and on Saturday former players will meet two hours before tip at the Events Center. C-Club director Bill Harris and former Buff Scott Wilke are in the process of notifying alums; for more information, contact Bill at 303-492-5065 or at bill.harris@cufund.org or Scott at wilke@mesanetworks.net. Alums will also have the opportunity to tour the newly refurbished lockerroom and weight room at the Coors Events Center, and will then join the Buff Club for pregame on the second level at 2:30 pm.
FTs 5 MINUTES TO PLAY... Sophomore Cory Higgins is the team’s most experienced from the free throw line with under five minutes to play (including OT) making 43-of-54 (.796). Here are totals for this season.
2008-09 2-5 Pct. *0-2 Pct.
Matt Favaro - - 2-2 1.000
Cory Higgins 13-15 .867 8-9 .889
Ryan Kelley 1-2 .500 3-4 .750
Nate Tomlinson 6-6 1.000 6-11 .667
Andrew Zehnder - - 1-4 .250
Austin Dufault 3-3 1.000
Dwight Thorne II 2-2 1.000 3-6 .250
Levi Knutson 2-2 1.000 1-2 .500
Casey Crawford 1-2 .500 1-2 .500
Toby Veal 1-2 .500 1-2 .500
J. Jackson-Wilson 2-2 1.000 0-2 .000
Javon Coney - - 0-2 .000
Total 30-35 .857 26-46 .565
(*-includes overtime)
BUFF BITS... CU is shooting 82.4 percent (108-of-131) from the free throw line over the past seven outings. Eight of 11 players who have gone to the stripe during that time are hitting at 74.1 percent or better ? CU has made a 3-pointer in 211-straight games dating back to the 2001-02 season ? 10-straight games with the same starting lineup (Tomlinson, Higgins, Dufault, Thorne II, Jackson-Wilson) ? Dufault, Higgins, Thorne II have started all 16 games ? Three straight games (Western State, SMU, at Missouri), CU failed to record a blocked shot in a game. The 1977-78 season is the first season blocks were kept track of.
HAWAII BOUND...AGAIN... The Buffaloes will be making another trip to the Hawaiian Islands playing in the 2009-10 Maui Invitational. The dates are Nov. 23-25 (Mon.-Wed.) of Thanksgiving week. It will be CU’s first-ever appearance in Maui hosted by Division II college Chaminade, and sponsored by EA Sports. The Buffaloes will be one of eight schools participating in the 26th edition of the tournament. Joining CU next year will be Arizona, Cincinnati, Gonzaga, Maryland, Vanderbilt, and Wisconsin.
FG%... During non-conference play, the Buffs shot above 50 percent from the floor eight out of 14 games, going 6-2. That is the most .500 shooting games since the 2000-01 season when the Buffs recorded eight games of .500 or better shooting. The last time CU recorded more than eight games of shooting .500 or better from the floor in non-conference play was the 1985-86 season when they went 8-2 in 10 games. Ironically, the Buffs were also 8-6 after non-conference play in the 1985-86 season, Tom Miller’s first as Colorado’s head coach, unfortunately the Buffs finished the season on a 17-game losing streak, going 0-15 in conference play (0-1 in the Big 8 Tournament).