Colorado University Athletics
MBB Travels to Iowa State
GAME CAPSULE... at Iowa State Cyclones (12-11, 1-7 Big 12 Conference); Wednesday, Feb. 11, 5:30 p.m. (MST.); Arena: Hilton Coliseum (14,356); Television: FSN RM; Announcers: Drew Goodman (p-p-p),Ceal Barry (analyst). Radio: KKZN 760; Announcers: Mark Johnson (p-b-p), Charles Johnson (analyst). SIRIUS Radio Channel 127. Internet: ESPN360.com
Complete Notes with probable starting line up and statistics at the bottom of the page.
CU at ISU... The Cyclones lead the all-time series 74-67 and a 45-18 advantage in Ames. In Big 12 play, CU is 1-11 with the only win coming in overtime back on Jan. 22, 2005 (54-52). Last year, the Buffs dropped a 57-41 decision after holding a 22-15 halftime lead. CU has lost 25-consecutive games in Big 12 regular season road games (last win, Oklahoma State, Jan. 21, 2006 (80-78, ot).
LOOK AT ISU... Iowa State has lost six straight games by an average of 14.8 points. Their lone win was a 65-53 home victory over Nebraska on Jan. 14. Craig Brackins (19.1 ppg., 9.0 rpg., 1.0 bkp.) and Diante Garrett (10.1 ppg., 5.6 apg., 0.9 spg.) are the team leaders in five categories.
LAST MEETING... (complete box on page 36). Both schools last met a little over two weeks ago with CU taking a 55-49 win in Boulder. The game changed leads 15 times and was tied 13 times. Cory Higgins was the lone CU player in double figures with 19 points. The win over the Cyclones was CUGÇÖs fourth straight against ISU at home, making for the teamGÇÖs longest current home winning streak against any Big 12 team. The Buffaloes have now defeated the Cyclones 11 times in the past 13 meetings in Boulder.
KELLEY UPDATE... Freshman guard Ryan Kelley has been cleared to practice (as of Feb. 5) and traveled to Oklahoma. Although he did not play, Kelley is fast approaching a return to the lineup. He injured his left knee in a Jan. 22 practice. The MRI report on Wed., Jan. 28 determined Kelley had a minor ligament sprain and no surgery is required.
CU NATIONALLY (as of Feb. 8)... Cory Higgins ranks among the nationGÇÖs elite players in four categories, while the CU team is ranked in two.
Individual
37th 85.6 Free Throw %
39th 2.2 steals per game
87th 17.5 points per game
93rd 49.8 Field Goal %
Team
37th - field goal percentage (.470)
38th - free throw percentage (.734)
CLOSE BUT... CU dropped its seventh single-digit loss of the season, and fifth straight in Big 12 play. Five of CUGÇÖs seven Big 12 losses are by an average of 4.4 points. Last year, the Buffaloes dropped 10 games by singles digits (seven vversus Big 12 schools).
half way through... Through eight Big 12 games: Cory Higgins and Dwight Thorne II lead CU in scoring at 16.8 ppg., and 15.9 ppg. ...
- Jermyl Jackson-Wilson is shooting .571 from the field (20-of-35);
- Thorne is .488 from the field (42-of-86);
- Higgins leads the team in rebounding (4.5 rpg.), steals (3.1 spg.), assists (2.9 apg.);
- Thorne II has 18 3-pointers
- Higgins is 41-of-46 from the FT line (.891)
CONFERENCE LEADERS...
Scoring 7th Higgins 16.8 ppg.
FG % 6th Thorne II .488
9th Higgins .448
Assists 13th Higgins 2.9
FT % 5th Higgins .891
t-6th Thorne II .862
Steals 1st Higgins 3.1
t-15th JJW 1.3
3-pt FG% Thorne II .474
3-pt. FGM t-6th Thorne II 2.3
Def. Reb. 1th Higgins 3.6
BUFF TIDBITS (team)... CUGÇÖs last five losses are by an average of 4.4 points ... CU is number two in Big 12-only FT percentage (.750), second in steals (8.5 per game) and rebounding defense (32.0) ... CU has made a 3-pointer in 217-straight games dating back to the 2001-02 season ... Five games CU failed to record a blocked shot in a game (Western State, SMU, at Missouri, Iowa State, Kansas) ... The 1-7 start in the conference matches last yearGÇÖs record after eight games.
BUFF TIDBITS (individual)... Cory Higgins and Dwight Thorne II have recorded double-digits in the same game 15 times this season ... Trey Eckloff is not the youngest scholarship MBB player in the Big 12 as stated earlier in the notes. CU freshman Ryan Kelley is. That means, CU has the two youngest scholarship student-athletes in the Big 12 ... Cory Higgins was the lone CU player in double figures against Iowa State, thatGÇÖs the third time this season (Western State, TCU) with only one players 10 or more points ... Of the six game categories (points, rebounds, 3-pters., assists, steals, blocks), Cory Higgins has been shutout once (Stanford). He has led CU in at least one category in each game. At TTU, he led the Buffs in points, rebounds and assists just once ... 16-straight games with the same starting lineup (Tomlinson, Higgins, Dufault, Thorne II, Jackson-Wilson) ... Dufault, Higgins, Thorne II have started all 22 games.
FT RECORD HOLDER... Cory Higgins reigns as the CU and the Big 12 free throw record holder with 45-straight made free throws over eight games. Since then, he rattled off another 23-straight over three games ending at Texas Tech. On the season, heGÇÖs .856 (125-of-146, 37th nationally as of Feb. 8).
30+ MINUTEMEN... Only five CU players have played 30+ minutes of each game. Cory Higgins has played 30+ minutes in 21 of 22 games; Nate Tomlinson 17 of 21 games (missed a game due to injury); Dwight Thorne II 16 of 22; and Austin Dufault 15 of 22. Jermyl Jackson-Wilson played his first game of the season over 30 minutes against Kansas State (Jan. 24) with 32 (three mins. in OT).
35+MINUTE MEN... More impressively the same four players have recorded 35-plus minutes a number of times. Cory Higgins in 18 games; Dwight Thorne 11 games; Nate Tomlinson 10 times, and Austin Dufault four games.
40+MINUTES... Cory Higgins and Dwight Thorne are the only ones to have played 40-plus minutes this season. Higgins played 44 of 45 minutes in the overtime loss to Montana State and all 40 minutes against Louisiana-Monroe and Kansas. He also played the entire game (45 mins) in the overtime loss to K-State. Last season Higgins played over 40 once, 46 minutes in the double-overtime win over Baylor at the Big 12 Basketball Championships. Thorne played 40 of 45 minutes in the overtime loss to K-State Jan. 24.
FTs 5 MINUTES TO PLAY... Sophomore Cory Higgins is the teamGÇÖs most experienced from the free throw line with under five minutes to play (including OT) making 47-of-58 (.810). Here are totals for this season.
2008-09 2-5 Pct. *0-2 Pct.
Matt Favaro - - 2-2 1.000
Cory Higgins 15-17 .882 10-11 .909
Ryan Kelley 1-2 .500 3-4 .750
Dwight Thorne II 2-2 1.000 7-11 .636
Nate Tomlinson 6-6 1.000 8-15 .533
Levi Knutson 4-4 1.000 1-2 .500
Casey Crawford 1-2 .500 1-2 .500
Toby Veal 1-2 .500 1-2 .500
J. Jackson-Wilson 2-3 .000 2-5 .400
Austin Dufault 4-5 .800 0-2 .000
Javon Coney - - 0-2 .000
Total 35-42 .833 35-58 .603
(*-includes overtime)
Work in progress... Although Coach Bzdelik and his team have had their ups and downs in his second year and with the tough conference season ahead, letGÇÖs take a look at three of the schoolGÇÖs all-time winningest coaches in football, menGÇÖs and womenGÇÖs basketball in their second season.
Football: Bill McCartney, 13 seasons (1982-1994), 93-55-5 (.624): 4-7 in second year.
MenGÇÖs BB: Sox Walseth, 20 seasons (1957-76), 261-245 (.516): 8-15 in second year.
WomenGÇÖs BB: Ceal Barry, 22 seasons (1983-2005), 427-242 (.638), 6-22 in second year.
FALL 2008 SEMESTER... The team G.P.A. for the spring semester was 2.713 ranking as the second highest GPA for the menGÇÖs basketball team since the Spring of 1999 (Spring 2001 was the highest at 2.74). The CU men had nine student-athletes with a 2.9 grade point average or higher. The team also has four student-athletes with a 3.0 or better G.P.A. (Trent Beckley, Austin Dufault, Trey Eckloff, Levi Knutson).
BROADCAST... The Colorado menGÇÖs 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. ColoradoGÇÖs games will also be streamed live on CUBuffs.com through the BuffsTV subscription service.
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 MillerGÇÖs first as ColoradoGÇÖs 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).
CU IN THE PRO WORLD... There is a number of CU basketball members with ties to the professional ranks. From head coach Jeff Bzdelik to the four student-athletes.
Coach Bzdelik: Head Coach of the Denver Nuggets (2002-05);
Casey Crawford: father, Steve played with the Boston Red Sox;
Austin Dufault: cousin-in-law, Fred Hoiberg played with the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, and Minnesota Timberwolves. Currently the Assistant General Manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Cory Higgins: father, Rod played in the NBA from 1982-95, currently the general manager of the Charlotte Bobcats;
Dwight Thorne II: cousin, Acie Law IV played for the Texas A&M Aggies and currently plays with the Atlanta Hawks, and great uncle, Ernie Banks played with the Cubs.