Colorado University Athletics
MBB Hosts In-State Rival Wednesday
Television: FSN Rocky Mountain: Drew Goodman (p-b-p), Ceal Barry (analyst), Alanna Rizzo (sideline).
Radio: KKZN 760-AM: Mark Johnson (p-b-p), Chris Lewis (analyst). SIRIUS Channel: 91
Series vs. CSU: CU leads 86-35 with a 51-8 advantage in Boulder. Since 2000, CU is 4-1 at the Events Center in the series; 14-1 at the Coors Events Center. Lone loss was 72-69 on Dec. 9, 2006.
Last Year: The Rams won at Moby Arena, 77-62, Dec. 10, 2009 and shooting 48.3 percent in the first half, building a 10-point halftime lead. CU shot 37 percent for the game. Alec Burks and Cory Higgins scored 22 and 12 points, respectively.
COMPLETE NOTES ATTACHED
TEAM NOTES: Colorado has won seven-straight home games dating back to last season (four this season) GÇó CU has shot 58.6 (Oregon State) and 54.2 (Texas-Pan American) percent from the field in their last two games generating 83 points in each GÇó CU has won four games when four players score 10 or more points GÇó CU has forced more turnovers than committed in all seven games GÇó CU is 24th nationally in scoring offense (80.9 ppg.) and ranks in the nation's top-50 in six other categories (see last page) GÇó CU is 3-0 when out-rebounding and having more bench points than the opponent GÇó Coach Boyle is 2-2 all-time against Colorado State.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES: Alec Burks is 46th nationally in scoring (19.9 ppg.) and Cory Higgins is 56th in free throw percentage (88.4) GÇó Andre Roberson is second in the nation among true freshman in rebounds per game (6.9 rpg). Only Devonte Newbill (Southern Miss) has more rebounds per game than the CU freshman guard (8.0 rpg). Roberson is also second among all Big 12 guards in rebounds per game as Darion "Jake" Anderson of Iowa State is averaging 8.4 rebounds per game for Iowa State GÇó Levi Knutson has recorded 40 points in his last two games leading the team in scoring both times. He scored a career-high 22 points, in addition to a career-high six 3-pointers in the home win over Oregon State. It was his first career game scoring over 20 or more points GÇó Marcus Relphorde is 13.8 points and 52.8 percent (19-for-36) in his last four games GÇó Cory Higgins in four home wins (18 assists, 3 turnovers), in three losses (2 assists, 11 turnovers) GÇó Higgins is the only player after seven games to lead the team in one of the five major stat categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks) after a game GÇó Burks is the only CU player to have scored in double digits every game this season.
TOP RETURNING
SCORING TANDEMS NATIONALLY
(as of Dec. 7)
Rk Players (PPG)
School
Combined
PPG
1. Anatoly Bose (27.4), Fred Hunter (15.6), Nicholls
State 43.0
2. Adrian Oliver
(24.9), Justin Graham (15.0), San Jose
State 39.9
3. Vincent Council (17.1), Marshon Brooks
(21.4), Providence 38.5
4. Tu Halloway (24.0), Mark Lyons (14.1),
Xavier 38.1
5. Alec
Burks (19.9), Cory Higgins (17.1),
Colorado
37.0
6. C. J. McCollum (22.3), Michael Ojo (13.5),
Lehigh
35.8
7. Tristan
Thompson (21.6), Josh White (14.1), North
Texas 35.7
8. Logan Aronhalt (18.8), Tim Ambrose
(16.7),
Albany 35.5
9. Austin Freeman
(20.1), Jason Clark (14.9),
Georgetown
35.0
10. Norris
Cole (21.2), Trevon Harmon (13.4), Cleveland State
34.6
Bonus
Coverage:
|3. Adnan
Hodzic (20.2), Josh Slater (18.0),
Lipscomb 37.6
- Hodzic is a 6-8
forward
5.
Kyle Singler (16.0), Nolan Smith (17.8),
Duke 32.9
- Singler is a 6-8
forward
8.
Denzel Bowles (18.4), Julius Wells (9.0), James
Madison 27.4
- Denzel Bowles is a 6-10
forward
SHARING THE BALL: For the first time since the 1996-97 season (and four other times before that), CU had two players with at least six or more assists in the same game in back-to-back contents. Against Texas-Pan American, Cory Higgins and Shannon Sharpe had seven and six assists, respectively. Last Saturday, against Oregon State, Marcus Relphorde recorded eight assists with Higgins adding six dimes. Upon further research, there was no record of two players having six or more assists in a single game in three consecutive games.
WINS/LOSSES: In four victories (all at home), the Buffs are averaging 86.2 points per game; shooting 52.1 percent from the floor, and outrebounding the opponent by almost seven a game. Four players are averaging 10 or more points with a team average of 20 assists per contest. In three road losses, CU averages 73.7 points a game; shoots 41.2 percent from the floor, average only seven assists, and has two players in double digits (both over 20 a game).
MORE LEVI: His six-3-pointers against Oregon State are the most since Richard Roby made six against Nebraska (Jan. 25, 2006). Knutson's eight FGs made ties a career-high GÇó Knutson is the first CU player other than Cory Higgins and Alec Burks to lead the Buffs in back-to-back scoring games since Dwight Thorne II led CU in scoring Jan. 31 (at Kansas) and Feb. 4 (Nebraska) during the 2008-09 season. Burks/Higgins have led CU in scoring outright 33 of the last 38 games.
ROAD GAMES: CU has played on the road more than anyone in Big 12 Conference. With three true-road games and three losses, Oklahoma is the only other school to have played at least twice (lost at Arkansas and at Arizona). Iowa State (won at Creighton); Kansas State (won at Washington State); Missouri (won at Oregon); Oklahoma State (won at La Salle); Texas A&M (won at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi); Texas Tech (lost at North Texas); Texas (lost at USC). Baylor has yet to play on the road or a neutral court game; while Kansas has played two neutral games, and Nebraska three neutral games.
TONIGHT'S FEATURE is freshman center/forward Ben Mills (Hartland, Wis.). Mills has played in six of seven games averaging 1.5 points and a rebound a game. He has scored six points over the last two games (3-of-6 FG) with a season-high nine minutes against Texas-Pan American. At Arrowhead High School, Mills averaged 17.1 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.4 blocks per game. During his senior year, he led his team to a 25-3 record and the WIAA Division 1 state championship. He's an Open Option major in Colorado's College of Arts and Sciences.
MOVING UP THE CHARTS: With 1,511 career points, Cory Higgins is 55 points from seventh place on the school's all-time scoring list (Randy Downs: 112 games played, 1,566 pts., 1982-85). Here's a look at the other lists Higgins appears on: fourth in free throws made (434), fifth in career minutes (3,471), sixth in steals (167), FT attempts (533), and game starts (100), eighth on CU's scoring list (1,511), and 15th in assists (244).
FIRST YEAR HELP: Freshman Andre Roberson leads the Buffaloes in rebounding (48) with 6.9 a game, and in blocked shots (9). He also leads on the offensive (17) and defensive glass (31). More impressively he has led the Buffs at the end of the game in a variety of categories: five times in blocks (twice shared), rebounding four times (twice shared), three times in steals (once shared), and assists twice (both shared).
charity stripe: Alec Burks and Cory Higgins have reached the free throw line 98 times combined after seven games. The pair have made 82 of them (83.7%). The rest of the team is 51-of-78 (65.4%). Among Big 12 Conference leaders, Higgins is third in percentage (.884) and Burks is seventh (.800).
TONIGHT'S OPPONENT: Colorado State enters tonight's game with a 4-1 record with three of those wins coming at Moby Arena. The Rams are averaging 81 points per game and shooting 52.9 percent from the field. Andy Ogide (17.6 ppg.) and Travis Franklin (15.6 ppg.) lead CSU in scoring. Ogide leads on the glass (8.2 rpg.). Head coach Tim Miles enters his fourth season in Fort Collins. CSU earned a College Basketball Invitational (CBI) berth last season and went 16-16 (7-9 in the Mountain West Conference).