Colorado University Athletics
MBB Hosts Aggies in Home Finale
SENIOR DAY... Tonight is the last home game for senior forward Jermyl Jackson-Wilson. Jackson-Wilson transferred to CU in 2005-06 from Ohio State and after sitting out, has played the last three years for the Buffs. At the start of the 2006 season to this day, Jackson-Wilson has been a permanent fixture in the CU lineup for former head coach Ricardo Patton and current coach Jeff Bzdelik. JJW has played 87 games with 62 starts and an average of 6.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. His 417 rebounds ranks 35th at CU in rebounding, 16th in blocks (73) and his 62 starts ranks 21st.
vs. Texas A&M Aggies (21-8, 7-7 Big 12 Conference)
Wednesday, March 4, 7:05 p.m. (MST.); Arena: Coors Events Center (11,064)
Television: ESPNU, Announcers: Dave Armstrong (p-b-p), Reid Gettys (analyst).
Radio: KKZN 760-AM, Announcers: Mark Johnson (p-b-p), Charles Johnson (analyst).
Sirius Radio: Channel 91; Internet: ESPN360.com
(Complete Notes located at the bottom
CU vs. Texas A&M... Colorado leads the series 9-6, however Texas A&M has won the last five in a row since 2005; two of those games in Boulder, two in College Station, the another at the Big 12 Championships). Four of those five wins, A&M scored over 80 or more points.
LAST YEAR vs. A&M... The Aggies shot 62.7 percent from the field scoring over 40 points in each half for the 86-69 win in College Station back on Jan. 12, 2008. Six players scored in double-digits for A&M. Colorado shot 61.7 percent from the field for the game, including 77.3 percent in the second half (17-of-22) in the Big 12 opener a year ago. Cory Higgins scored a team-high 15 points with five rebounds.
IF SEASON ENDED TODAY... CU would be the No. 12 seed and play either No. 5 Kansas State or Oklahoma State at 1 p.m. (MST) at the Big 12 Basketball Championships in Oklahoma City.
LOOK AT thE aggies... Texas A&M has won four straight games and six of their last nine. Three of those losses were by an average of five points. Just like in their overall stats, four players lead the team in conference scoring with four players averaging 10 or more points per game.
narrow margin... CU has dropped 10 single-digit losses this season, seven in the Big12 (an average of 5.1 points), including a pair in overtime. Last year, the Buffaloes dropped 10 games by single-digits (seven against Big 12 schools).
TEAM LEADER IN FOUR CATEGORIES... Cory Higgins is among a select group nationally. As of Monday, March 2, Higgins is one of nine players to lead his team in four categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals).
Cory Higgins: Colorado
Nate Rohnert: University of Denver
Jeremy Chappell: Robert Morris
Bobby Davis: South Carolina Upstate
Dominique Jones: South Florida
Twain McKee: Coppin State
Ryan Thompson: Rider
Evan Turner: Ohio State
Greivis Vasquez: Maryland
BUFF TIDBITS (team)... CU is second in Big 12-only FT percentage (.731) and third in rebounding defense (32.3) ... Through 28 games, CU’s 729 FT percentage ranks third all-time in school history ... CU has lost nine-straight games, a first since 1986-87 ... The last time they lost 10-straight was the 1985-86 season when they lost their last 17 games of the season ... The Buffs also owns the Big 12 record for consecutive road losses (28). Previous mark was Baylor, 25, set from 2004-07 ... The Buffs have played three OT games this season, the most since playing three in the 2000-01 season (1-2) ... In the 108-year history of CU basketball, the Buffs are on the verge of three consecutive 20 loss seasons, a school-first ... CU has made a three-pointer in 223-consecutive games (7th in the Big 12).
BUFF TIDBITS (individual)... Cory Higgins has 10 games this season over 20 or more points (a pair over 30 pts.) ... In Big 12 play, Cory Higgins has led the team in scoring seven times and Dwight Thorne, four times. Austin Dufault, Ryan Kelley, and Levi Knutson have led the team once ... Levi Knutson scored a career-best 19 points off the bench on 8-of-13 shooting against Oklahoma State (Feb. 25) ... Casey Crawford tied a career-best four treys and racked up 14 points against OSU ... The CU bench scored 38 points compared to only 17 points by CU starters versus the Cowboys ... Against OSU, CU committed only eight turnovers, the sixth time committing single-digit turnovers this season ... Dufault, Higgins, Thorne II have started all 28 games; Tomlinson has started every game he has played in (25) and has missed three games due to injury (TCU, OSU, BU).
MOre INDIVIDUAL/TEAM NOTES... CU’s 46-41 loss at Nebraska was the lowest point total (87 pts.) since March 5, 1960 (CU 41, Oklahoma State 39 in Stillwater) ... CU made five 3-pointers in the first half at Nebraska, that’s a team-high in 12 conference games for three-pointers in the first half, second most behind six treys made against Arkansas-Pine Bluff ... The Buffs out-rebounded the Cornhuskers 35-25 (Feb. 18) and for the first time all conference season out-rebounded a Big 12 opponent and by double-digits ... CU has made a 3-pointer in 223-straight games dating back to the 2001-02 season (seventh overall in the Big 12) ... CU’s 76 points scored against Texas (Feb. 14) was the most points scored by a CU team since netting 80 against Coppin State at the Rainbow Classic ... The Buffs were 14-of-14 from the free throw line in the second half against the Longhorns and finished 25-of-29 (.862). It was the ninth time in 12 league outings that CU has hit at 70 percent or better.
HIGGINS CAREER WATCH... Cory Higgins has 750 career points and 48th all-time at CU. Also, his 89 steals are 20th, 60 game starts is t-21st, and his 2075 career minutes is 24th.
CU NATIONALLY (as of Mar. 2)... Cory Higgins ranks among the nation’s elite players in three categories, while the CU team is ranked in two.
Individual (out of 100 players)
73rd 83.3 Free Throw %
74th 1.9 steals per game
99th 17.3 points per game
Team (out of 330 schools)
48th - FT Percentage (.729)
89th - FG Percentage (.445)
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CONFERENCE LEADERS... After 14 games, CU players are ranked among the elite in the conference.
Scoring 8th Higgins 16.7 ppg.
FG % 8th Higgins .447
FT % 3rd Thorne II .841
9th Higgins .826
Steals 1st Higgins 2.1
3-pt FG% 3rd Thorne II .439
3-pt. FGs M t14th Thorne II 1.8
Def. Reb. 10th Higgins 4.1
Minutes 3rd Higgins 37.5
5th Thorne II 35.6
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, he’s .836 (153-of-183, 42nd nationally as of Feb. 16).
40+MINUTES... Cory Higgins, Dwight Thorne, Nate Tomlinson and Austin Dufault are the only players to have played 40-plus minutes in a game this season. Higgins has done it five times this season, followed by once by Thorne II, Tomlinson and Dufault, all in overtime games.
35+MINUTE MEN... More impressively the same four players have recorded 35-plus minutes a number of times. Cory Higgins in 22 games; Dwight Thorne 15 games; Nate Tomlinson 11 times, and Austin Dufault six games.
BROADCAST... The Colorado men’s basketball team can be heard live today on KKZN 760 AM. 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.
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 three 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.
Dwight Thorne II: cousin, Acie Law IV played for the Texas A&M Aggies and great uncle, Ernie Banks played with the Cubs.
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, 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.
FALL 2008 SEMESTER... The team G.P.A. for the spring semester was 2.713 ranking as the second highest GPA for the men’s 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).
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).
YOUTH movement... A combination of 10 underclassmen (five freshmen and five sophomores) highlight the roster matching one of the youngest CU teams in history. Back in 2006-07, CU had 10 underclassmen (eight freshmen), in addition to the 1992-93 season (four freshmen, six sophomores).
CU SINCE 1996-97... In the 13-year history of the Big 12 Conference, CU is shooting a team-best from the free throw line so far this season.
Years PPG FG % 3-Pt.% FT% To W’s
2008-09 63.0 .455 .352 .729 13.9 9
2007-08 62.4 .451 .343 .684 13.4 12
2006-07 69.1 .417 .313 .655 17.5 7
2005-06 76.8 .434 .342 .646 14.0 20
2004-05 71.6 .435 .353 .629 14.4 14
2003-04 74.2 .464 .372 .621 14.6 18
2002-03 75.2 .443 .326 .669 14.0 20
2001-02 79.7 .453 .357 .677 17.0 15
2000-01 80.6 .460 .359 .715 16.5 15
1999-00 75.2 .426 .339 .686 14.3 18
1998-99 73.1 .414 .344 .702 14.7 18
1997-98 71.4 .404 .346 .688 14.3 13
1996-97 73.1 .420 .362 .681 13.9 22
RAINBOW CLASSIC RECAP... CU went 1-2 over the three days with its lone win coming on the opening day against Coppin State. CU sophomore Cory Higgins was named to the All-Tournament team leading the Buffaloes in scoring in every game and averaging 18 points a game. He also recorded his first career double-double (21 pts., 10 rebs.) against Coppin State. CU averaged 66.3 ppg., shot .489 from the field (69-of-141) with an impressive .852 from the free throw line (46-of-54). All-Tourney Team: Cory Higgins, Colorado; Calvin Betts, Buffalo; Roderick Flemings, Hawai?i; Mike Trimboli, Vermont; Marcus Walker, Colorado State; Andy Robinson, Buffalo (MVP).
CECC RECORD...maybe a school record? Sophomore guard Cory Higgins was the first CU student-athlete to lead the team in rebounds AND assists the first two games of any season since 1973-74. It’s a Coors Events Conference Center mark (building opened in 1979). The research was stopped at the 1972-73 season because assists were not kept. So, in the last 35 years, no CU player has led his team in rebounding AND assists in the first two games of the season.
TV APPEARANCES... CU will play on television 20 times this season, six of those nationally (FSN, ESPN, ESPNU 4 times). Here are the rest ... ABC Regional: 1; FSN: 1; ESPN: 1; ESPNU: 4; Big 12 Network (previously ESPN Regional): 5; FSN RM: 8.
VOLUNTEERS... One Saturday, Dec. 6, the CU men’s basketball team and more than 150 community volunteers teamed up to deliver gift baskets to nearly 1,000 low-income families. The CU men’s team visited the Golden West senior residence in Boulder. The program was associated with RSVP of Boulder County.
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.