Colorado University Athletics
MBB Travels to Nebraska, Tuesday
GÇó Date: Tuesday, March 2
GÇó Tipoff: 6:07 p.m. (MST)
GÇó Television: FSN Midwest/FSN Rocky Mountain, ESPN Full Court, ESPN360.com
GÇó Announcers: Greg Sharpe (p-b-p), Eric Piatkowski (analyst)
GÇó Location: Bob Devaney Center (13,595)
GÇó CU Radio: KKZN 760-AM: Mark Johnson (p-b-p), Charles Johnson (analyst); Sirius Channel 121 (NU Broadcast)
GÇó Series vs. Nebraska: Cornhuskers lead 76-79 and 16-12 in Big 12 play. CU trails 2-11 in Big 12 play and have lost five straight at the Devaney Center. Last CU win Jan. 14, 2004 (68-60).
QUICKLY: Cory Higgins' fourth career 30-point effort (33 vs. ISU) moves him into 12th place on CU's all-time points list; he's 42 points from the school's top 10 GÇó In two games against Iowa State, Casey Crawford averaged 10 ppg. (8-of-13 FG), with a trio of treys and six rebounds GÇó Alec Burks needs 36 points to set the CU freshmen record for points in a season. He has 445 points (Chauncey Billups, 1995-96, 465) is next on the list GÇó Higgins is the first CU player this season to lead the team solo in four of six categories in a game (points, rebounds, blocks, 3-pointers made). He's the last CU players to do that, 53 games ago Dec. 10, 2008 against Colorado State (in Boulder) when he scored 33 points, six rebounds, three 3-pointers and three steals in a Buff win.
Big 12-only games: Cory Higgins ranks first in steals (2.0); Higgins is third (.500) and Alec Burks is fourth in FG% (.497); Nate Tomlinson is fourth in turnover-assist ratio (1.9) and sixth in assists (4.2). Higgins (18.7 ppg., third overall) and Burks (16.7 ppg., ninth overall) and are one of two schools ranked with a pair in the scoring top-10 (K-State is the other).
SEASON/CAREER: Cory Higgins has connected on 55-of-63 (.873) free throws over his last 11 contests GÇó Marcus Relphorde is 13.0 ppg., 5.0 rpg. in his last five games GÇó Higgins is sixth all-time at CU with 373 career made free throws (460 attempts) and his career .811 FT%, ranking sixth all-time at CU GÇó Burks and Higgins have led or shared scoring team honors 24 of 28 games. Marcus Relphorde (three times), Dwight Thorne (once) are the others GÇó CU is 8-0 when four of the five starters net double-digits and 10-2 when shooting over 50 percent from the field.
TEAM NOTES (after defeating ISU): CU is shooting a school record best .773 from the free throw line GÇó CU's 13 overall wins and four Big 12 victories are bests under Coach Bzdelik in his three years GÇó CU went a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line against Iowa State. The last time CU was perfect at the charity stripe was Feb. 18, 2006 at Kansas State (11-of-11). Saturday against Iowa State was the ninth time since 1952-53 CU has made all free throws in a game GÇó CU is 10-2 this season when shooting 50 percent or better from the field GÇó CU is 7-1 this season when shooing 50 percent or better in each half GÇó CU committed nine turnovers against ISU, the seventh time they have performed nine and under this season. The team's 366 turnovers after 28 games is the second lowest in school history since 1977-78 when turnovers were kept as a stat.
MORE GOOD STUFF: Cory Higgins has led CU in scoring in four of the last five games (21.2 ppg.) and shooting 54.4 percent from the field and 52.6 from the three-point arc GÇó Higgins has scored in double digits in all but one game this season and has moved into 12th on the Buffaloes' all-time scoring list with 1,324 points after his 33-point effort against Iowa State. He needs 42 points to move into the top 10 of the school list GÇó Colorado is 12-3 at home, its most victories since a 14-2 home mark in 2005-06.
LAST TIME vs. NEBRASKA: Alec Burks led Colorado's with 21 points, while Cory Higgins contributed 11 and Nate Tomlinson 10 in CU's 72-60 win against Nebraska back on Jan. 27 in Boulder. The Buffs led buzzer-to-buzzer and even enjoyed a rare 20-point advantage in a conference game, ramping up the Cornhuskers' desperation with the loss. The Buffs led by 10 points (31-21) at halftime and increased their advantage to as many as 20 (59-39) in the second half. Nebraska, falling to 12-8 overall, entered the game as the league's top-ranked in scoring defense, allowing 60.4 points a game.
HOME vs. ROAD: CU is 12-3 at home and shoots .4996 from the field and averages 77.6 ppg. (allows 68.1). Three players are stellar at home (Cory Higgins: 20.3 ppg., 4.2 rpg., .559 FG%; Alec Burks: 16.6 ppg., 4.4 rpg., .511 FG%; Marcus Relphorde: 12.0 ppg., 4.7 rpg., .478 FG%. On the road, CU is 1-10 and averages 67.4 ppg. (allows (79.2) and shoots .425 FG%. Only two players average double figures (Burks: 16.5ppg., 5.1 rpg., .530 FG%; Higgins: 15.4 ppg., 3.1 rpg., .418 FG%).
NEAR MISSES: CU has lost 27 single-digit games under coach Bzdelik, 18 of those in the Big 12. The 27 losses are an average of 4.6 points.
2009-10: 7 games (three non-conference, four Big 12): 30 points, 4.3 ppg.).
2008-09: 11 games (three non-conference, eight Big 12 games): 50 points (4.5 ppg.).
2007-08: 9 games (three non-conference, six Big 12 games): 43 total points (4.8 ppg.).
BUFF TIDBITS: Cory Higgins and Alec Burks are separated by 75 points, the closest 1-2 scoring punch a CU team has had since 2003-04 [David Harrison (497, 17.1 ppg) and Michel Morandais (467, 16.1 ppg.)] GÇó CU had a season-low four turnovers at Iowa State, the lowest in 28 years. On the season, CU has committed single-digits miscues seven times GÇó Four times CU has placed only two players in double figures - all losses GÇó 14 times CU has started Burks, Higgins, Tomlinson, Relphorde, Dufault. CU is 7-7 in those games.
TEAM NOTES: The Buffs are shooting 77.3 percent (495-of-640) overall from the free throw line, a mark that is first in the league. Colorado has never led the Big 12 in the category. CU's has lost six games by 17+ points this season (at Mizzou, at KU, at K-State, Missouri, at Texas, at Tulsa) GÇó CU has been out-rebounded in the last 18 of 19 games (tied Oklahoma at 33-33) GÇó CU has shot 50 percent or better in the second half 14 times (9-5 in those games). They made 61.5 percent against Baylor (Texas Southern .636 was the highest) GÇó CU is 8-0 when four of the five starters net double-digits GÇó CU has scored over 70 points in 18 of 28 games and are 12-6 in those games GÇó Over the last 14 years, CU is performing a best in field goal percentage (.467), 3pt% (.376), FT% (.773) and a low in turnovers per game (13.1).
AFTER 14 BIG 12 GAMES: CU is 4-10 with wins over Iowa State, Baylor, Nebraska and Oklahoma - all at home, and have placed three players in double-figures, averaging 70.9 points per game and shooting .449 percent from the field. However, on the negative, they are getting outrebounded by an average of 38.5 to 27.5 margin, and are being outscored by a mere seven points.
MOVING ON UP: Alec Burks has started 27 games and netted over 10 or more points in of 26 games (he missed one game due to an injury and only played two minutes of another when getting injured). With 445 points for the season, Burks is third overall in points and seventh in steals of all CU freshmen.
Freshman Bests - Season (Most Points)
1) Richard Roby, 2004-05 480
2) Chauncey Billups, 1995-96 465
3) Alec Burks, 2009-10 445
4) Donnie Boyce, 1991-92 417
5) Emmett Lewis, 1975-76 389
Freshman Bests - Season (Most Steals)
1) Donnie Boyce, 1991-92 68
2) Jose Winston, 1998-99 53
3) Richard Roby, 2004-05 48
4) Chauncey Billups, 1995-96 42
5) Jay Humphries, 1980-81 41
6) Cory Higgins, 2007-08 36
7) Alec Burks, 2009-10 31
Freshman Bests - Season (Most Rebounds)
1) Stephane Pelle, 1999-00 218
2) Richard Fox, 1999-00 191
3) David Harrison, 2001-02 188
4) Matt Bullard, 1985-86 179
5) Chauncey Billups, 1995-96 165
6) Larry Vaculik, 1974-75 158
7) Carlton Carter, 1998-99 146
8) Marcus Hall, 2004-05 143
9) Cory Higgins, 2007-08 136
10) Donnie Boyce, 1991-92 133
11) Alec Burks, 2009-10 128
TOP CU FRESHMEN: If the season ended today, freshman guard Alec Burks would rank second among freshmen scorers in the school's history. Here's the top-five.
1. Chauncey Billups 17.9 1995-96
2. Alec Burks 16.5 2009-10
3. Richard Roby 15.8 2004-05
4. Emmett Lewis 15.0 1975-76
5. Donnie Boyce 14.9 1991-92
THREE-YEAR REVIEW: Coach Bzdelik has 109 career collegiate wins GÇó CU has scored 80 points in eight games this season (previously 80+ five games in his first two years) GÇó CU has scored 70 or more points 18 of 28 games (12-6 this season) GÇó team has shot 50 percent or better in 25 of 56 halves GÇó have made 181 3-pointers, the most in three years after 28 games GÇó team is shooting .467.