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Colorado Basketball – November, 2023
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November 29th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs fall to No. 20 Colorado State, 88-83
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado staged a furious second half rally Wednesday but the Buffaloes came up just short against No. 20 Colorado State, dropping an 88-83 decision at Moby Arena.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs fell to 5-2 while the Rams improved to 7-0.
The Buffs trailed by 15 at the half but cut the deficit to five early in the second half and were still within five in the final minutes, thanks to 21 second-half points from freshman Cody Williams and 20 second-half points from KJ Simpson.
But the Buffs could never completely close the gap as the Rams had an answer on the offensive end at every critical moment and held CU at bay down the stretch.
Colorado ended up shooting 54.5 percent from the floor (30-for-55), including a 20-for-29 second half (69 percent). The Buffs also had a 34-21 edge on the boards. But the Rams were 27-for-53 from the floor, including 9-for-22 from 3-point range, and they converted 15 Colorado turnovers into 17 points.
Simpson finished as the game’s leading scorer with 30 points. Williams tallied 21 and Tristan da Silva scored 11.
Isaiah Stevens led five Rams in double figures with 20 points and he had 11 assists — five more than the entire Colorado team.
Defensively, Colorado failed to string together three stops in a row even once the entire game.
“Disappointing,” Boyle said. “The second half we fought our tails off but we weren’t good enough defensively all night long. We never strung together stops and that puts a lot of pressure on your offense. Our offense was good enough in the second half but not in the first half because they were the aggressors. Colorado State is good but that was really disappointing because that was a winnable game. It was a great college basketball atmosphere and we didn’t do our part.”
… Continue reading story here …
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Big game for Buffs, taking on No. 20 CSU on the road
From CUBuffs.com … Every college basketball rivalry game has a little extra juice, particularly when it’s an in-state matchup.
But Wednesday night’s Colorado-Colorado State tilt in Fort Collins (7 p.m. tip) could have more spark than normal — and a little more at stake — thanks to the recent play of both programs.
Tad Boyle‘s 5-1 Buffaloes spent two weeks in the nation’s top 25 earlier this month before slipping to “also receiving votes” status in the most recent poll on the heels of an overtime loss to Florida State last week.
The 6-0 Rams, meanwhile, made their debut in the national rankings this week, coming in at No. 20 after a victory over No. 8 Creighton — making it the first time in the history of the rivalry that Colorado State will be ranked when playing the Buffaloes.
“We talk about small opportunities that lead to big opportunities, and every time we step on the floor it’s a small opportunity,” Boyle said after Tuesday’s practice. “Colorado State’s a small opportunity, but it’s a little bit bigger than maybe some of the other opportunities. One it’s an in-state rival, number two it’s a quality opponent in a true road game.”
The game is no doubt a solid opportunity for the Buffaloes to burnish their resumé with a quality road win in non-conference play. It’s also a chance for the Buffs to get a taste of a true hostile environment — something they will see regularly in Pac-12 play.
“Hopefully, at the end of the year true road games mean something, winning on the road means something,” Boyle said. “When you’re able to do that in a hostile environment it gives you confidence as you go into league play and that’s really what everybody’s trying to do right now, is position themselves for league play. And these games are important, not only for us, but they’re important for the Pac-12.”
But beyond the opportunity at hand for both squads, the game is also a chance to boost the overall profile of college basketball in the state.
“What a great opportunity for college basketball fans in the state of Colorado,” Boyle said. “It’s good for the game in this state. And it’s good for our guys to understand what it’s going to be like in a hostile environment because it will be hostile.”
BROADCAST: The game will be televised by the CBS Sports Network. KOA radio (850 AM) will carry the broadcast with Voice of the Buffs Mark Johnson and Scott Wilke on the call. The pregame show begins at 6:30 p.m.
THE SERIES: Colorado has a healthy 93-65 overall all-time edge against the Rams, including last year’s 93-65 win in Boulder, which was CU’s third straight win in the series. But the series has been much closer in Fort Collins, with CU holding a 37-28 edge.
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November 28th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
CU women use 30-4 fourth quarter to take down Boston University, 85-55
From CUBuffs.com … No. 7 Colorado took down the Boston Terriers in an 85-55 bounce-back win behind an incredibly strong fourth quarter Tuesday night inside the CU Events Center.
The Buffaloes (7-1) outscored Boston (5-2) by 26 points (30-4) in the final quarter and had scoring runs of 16 and 13 to put the Terriers away. Boston took the lead multiple times in the third, however, Colorado’s aggressive play to close out the game turned the tide and helped the Buffs secure the victory.
“They didn’t guard us any differently in the fourth quarter, we just made a decision that we were going to be more aggressive and got the ball inside more effectively,” head coach JR Payne said after the win. “Also just on the perimeter, penetrating, collapsing and moving the defense a little bit made all the difference in the world.”
Frida Formann had a night to remember as she became the 34 Buff to surpass 1,000 career points while also passing former Buff, Kate Fagan for the sixth most made 3-pointers in Colorado history with 201. Tonight, she led the team with 22 points, cashing in on five 3s and adding six steals on the defensive end.
“It feels really great,” Formann commented on reaching 1,000 points. “I think it’s something that you obviously dream of, scoring a lot of points and contributing to the program. I’m really happy that I got to do that especially here at CU. It means a lot to me to have been here for these three and fourth years and do that.”
Colorado’s veteran core seemed to rally the troops late after finding themselves down by three points approaching the end of the third quarter. Aaronette Vonleh, Jaylyn Sherrod and Quay Miller all scored double-digit points to help put an end to Boston’s comeback bid.
… Continue reading story here …
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No. 7 CU women return to Boulder to face Boston University
From CUBuffs.com … The No. 7 Colorado Buffaloes return to action at the CU Events Center, hosting Boston University on Tuesday (6 p.m. MT). It will be just CU’s third home contest of the young season.
Colorado (6-1) suffered its first loss of the season on Saturday to No. 10 NC State. The Buffs went 2-1 overall last week at the Paradise Jam Classic, playing Cincinnati, Kentucky and NC State in three consecutive days.
The loss to NC State dropped CU four spots in the rankings, going from No. 3 to No. 7. It is the third straight week CU has been in the top 10, marking the most consecutive weeks since spending five weeks inside the top 10 from Nov. 27 – Dec. 18, 1995.
“When you look at the schedule, we’ve played five Power 5 teams, six if you count SMU [going to the ACC next season] in our seven games,” head coach JR Payne explained. “We’ve only had two home games. All of that is a tremendous challenge in three weeks. Perhaps [voters] looked at that and recognized that it’s been a real tough stretch. We’re excited to remain in the top 10. We mostly just want to play great basketball, improve from what we did last time out and play better.”
The Buffs didn’t lose consecutive games last season until the middle of February, going 5-1 after a loss. Colorado’s only back-to-back losses came on the road at No. 18 Arizona and then a double-overtime loss to No. 3 Stanford.
It’s another quick turnaround for CU, who traveled back from St. Thomas all day on Sunday and practiced on Monday.
“In some sense [the quick turnaround] is awful,” Payne continued. “We traveled 13 hours and now everybody is tired and it’s back into another prep mode. On the flip side, it’s great because we have an opportunity to see how quickly we can regroup and get back on the floor and execute again.”
… Continue reading story here …
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November 27th
… CU in the Arena …
CU men fall out of rankings, down to No. 28 (Wednesday opponent, CSU, at No. 20); CU women down to No. 7
From ESPN … Purdue is back atop The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll, right where it spent so much of last season.
The Boilermakers ascended to No. 1 on Monday after an impressive run through a loaded field at the Maui Invitational. They beat Gonzaga, Tennessee and Marquette — three of the top 11 teams in the nation — in consecutive days, and that was enough to earn 60 of 63 first-place votes from the national panel of Top 25 voters.
It took the Boilermakers until Dec. 12 to reach No. 1 last year, where they spent seven weeks over two different stints.
Purdue replaced preseason No. 1 Kansas, which fell to fifth after losing to Marquette in the Maui semifinals and then rebounding to beat Tennessee in the third-place game. Arizona moved up one spot to No. 2 with one first-place vote, Marquette climbed a spot to third and UConn was fourth with two first-place votes.
Villanova, BYU and Colorado State not only entered the poll but jumped right into the top 20. The Wildcats were No. 18 after winning the Battle 4 Atlantis, the Cougars right behind after a Vegas Showdown title and the Rams used their first top-10 win since 1984 against Creighton to enter at No. 20.
Illinois and Oklahoma joined them in the poll at the expense of Colorado, Michigan State, Arkansas, USC and Virginia.
ON THE DOORSTEP
Memphis, San Diego State, Colorado, Ohio State and TCU received the most votes among those outside the poll. Princeton earned 14 votes after its 6-0 start; the Tigers have not been ranked since they were No. 8 in the final poll of the 1997-98 season.
CONFERENCE WATCH
The Big 12 led all conferences with six teams in the Top 25, followed by the SEC with five and the Big East with four. There were 10 different conferences represented this week.
- 1. Purdue (60)6-0
- 2. Arizona (1) 6-0
- 3. Marquette5-1
- 4. UConn (2)6-0
- 5. Kansas5-1
- 6. Houston7-0
- 7. Duke5-1
- 8. Miami5-0
- 9. Baylor6-0
- 10. Tennessee4-2
- 11. Gonzaga4-1
- 12. Kentucky5-1
- 13. Florida Atlantic5-1
- 14. Texas A&M6-1
- 15. Creighton5-1
- 16. Texas5-1
- 17. North Carolina5-1
- 18. Villanova6-1
- 19. BYU6-0
- 20. Colorado State 6-0
- 21. Mississippi State6-0
- 22. James Madison6-0
- 23. Alabama5-1
- 24. Illinois5-1
- 25. Oklahoma6-0
Others receiving votes: Memphis 108, San Diego State 102, Colorado 70, Ohio State 67, TCU 66, Michigan State 57, Auburn 46, UCLA 24, Princeton 14, Arkansas 10, Iowa State 8, Florida State 8, Liberty 7, USC 7, Nevada 6, Virginia 6, Clemson 6, Ole Miss 5, Nebraska 4, South Carolina 2, Cincinnati 2, Kansas State 1, Bradley 1
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From ESPN … Stellar freshman JuJu Watkins has helped USC climb the AP Top 25 to the team’s best ranking in 29 years.
The Trojans moved up to sixth in the Associated Press women’s basketball poll Monday, its highest mark since the 1994 season when they reached No. 4. Watkins has been a huge reason why, already with three 30-point-plus games this season to match the school record for freshmen held by Trojan greats Lisa Leslie and Paula McGee.
UCLA, Stanford and Iowa all had successful runs in holiday tournaments last week. The Bruins beat UConn for the first time in school history, topping the Huskies in the inaugural Cayman Islands Classic.
The Wolfpack knocked off another top-five opponent, routing then-No. 3 Colorado in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Coach Wes Moore’s squad has gone from being unranked in the preseason poll to fifth.
- 1. South Carolina (36)5-0
- 2. UCLA6-0
- 3. Stanford7-0
- 4. Iowa7-1
- 5. NC State7-0
- 6. USC5-0
- 7t. LSU7-1
- 7t. Colorado6-1
- 9. Virginia Tech5-1
- 10t. Texas7-0
- 10t. UConn4-2
- 12. Utah5-1
- 13. Baylor5-0
- 14. Kansas State6-1
- 15. Florida State5-1
- 16. Ohio State5-1
- 17. Indiana5-1
- 18. Notre Dame5-1
- 19. Ole Miss6-1
- 20. Tennessee4-2
- 21. Mississippi State8-0
- 22. Louisville6-1
- 23. Marquette6-0
- 24. North Carolina5-2
- 25. Princeton4-2
Others receiving votes … Washington St 55, Creighton 44, Oklahoma 20, Penn St. 16, Florida Gulf Coast 10, UNLV 9, Green Bay 6, Alabama 6, Maryland 3, Gonzaga 3, Davidson 2, BYU 2, Miami 1.
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November 26th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs improve to 5-1 with 85-68 win over Iona (CSU up next on Wednesday)
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado broke open a tight game early in the second half Sunday and the No. 18 Buffaloes carved out an 85-68 win over Iona at the CU Events Center.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs improved to 5-1 with the win while Iona dropped to 2-4.
Tristan da Silva led the Buffs with 17 points. KJ Simpson added 15, Cody Williams and J’Vonne Hadley each scored 12 and Julian Hammond III tallied 11.
HOW IT HAPPENED: After a first half that featured four lead changes and two ties, Colorado took control in the first four minutes of the second half. Cody Williams had six points, including a monster dunk, to fuel a 14-9 surge and the Buffs turned a five-point halftime edge into a double-digit cushion, 56-46.
Colorado then steadily built on its lead for much of the rest of the half, using an 11-0 run midway through the half to put the game away. Eddie Lampkin Jr. started the burst with a basket inside and Julian Hammond III capped the run with a pair of 3-pointers to give Colorado a 70-51 lead with just under nine minutes to play.
The Buffs then stretched their cushion to 20 with four minutes left when a Tristan da Silva 3-pointer gave Colorado an 83-63 edge and the Buffs cruised down the stretch to the win.
… Continue reading story here …
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No. 18 CU men taking on Iona (Noon, MT, Pac-12 Networks)
From CUBuffs.com …
Game 6 – Iona, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 12:06 p.m. MT
TV: Pac-12 Network (Drew Goodman, Casey Jacobsen)
Watch Online: Pac-12 Now App, Pac-12.com
Radio: KHOW 630 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Satellite: Sirius XM 373 & SXM App (Pac12Radio)
Listen Online: CUBuffs.com
Live Statistics: http://statb.us/b/483967
THE BUFFALOES: No. 18 (Associated Press) / 21 (USA Today Coaches) ranked Colorado is 4-1 on the season after placing second at the 2023 Sunshine Slam in Daytona Beach, Fla., last week. The Buffaloes edged out Richmond 64-59 in the semifinal game on Nov. 20, before dropping their first game of the season, 77-71 in overtime to Florida State.
Colorado is averaging 82.2 points per game, ranking third in the Pac-12 Conference. The Buffaloes are hitting 48.5 percent from the field including a league-best 43.3 percent mark from 3-point range. Colorado also leads the Pac-12 in free throw accuracy at 77.5 percent..
ABOUT THE GAELS: Iona is 2-3 overall, preparing for its fifth game away from home to start the season. The Gaels went 1-2 at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla, last week falling to High Point (82-68) and Long Beach State (80-76) before defeating Buffalo in their final game, 89-64.
Iona is averaging 78.0 points per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the field. The Gaels allow 75.6 points with opponents shooting nearly 46 percent from the field. Iona leads the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in steals at 9.4 per game.
Graduate Idan Tretout leads Iona at 16.8 points per game shooting 45.2 percent from the field. Greg Gordon leads the Gaels in rebounding at 7.0 per game while pitching in 11.4 points per contest. Wheza Panzo averages 13.6 points and leads Iona in 3-pointers with 18.
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November 25th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
No. 3 CU women humbled by No. 10 North Carolina State, 78-60
From CUBuffs.com … No. 3 Colorado couldn’t get the offense clicking against No. 10 NC State in the finale of the Paradise Jam Classic. The Buffaloes, who shot a combined 56.6% in their first two games of the tournament, went just 32.8% on Saturday in the 78-60 loss.
Colorado (6-1) was led by All-Tournament selection Jaylyn Sherrod and her 20 points. She got half of her production from the free-throw line, hitting 10-for-10. Frida Formann hit four second-half threes and scored all 14 of her points in the final 20 minutes.
CU’s offense went cold in its third game in as many days. The Buffs made just 20 field goals on 61 attempts. Colorado also turned the ball over 18 times, leading to 22 NC State points.
NC State (7-0) outscored the Buffs 36-14 in the paint with River Baldwin leading the way with a game-high 24 points.
“It was definitely the things we talked about going into the game,” head coach JR Payne said of the Wolfpack following the loss. “Transition offense for them and overall pace for us on the offensive side of the floor and the half-court. I thought their transition offense was a lot better than our transition defense today. That’s what they do. That’s their superpower. It [the game] opened up really quickly because of that.
The Buffs closed the tournament 2-1 with blowout wins over Cincinnati and Kentucky and will now turn around and return home on Tuesday for a meeting with Boston U.
“I thought there was a lot of good basketball played offensively and defensively,” Payne said of the Buffs’ stay in St. Thomas. “A lot of different people contributed a lot of good things. I didn’t think there were a lot of great things today to learn from or take with us. There were definitely a lot of learning opportunities. How do we respond when things aren’t going our way? How do we individually and collectively stay together and pull ourselves out when things aren’t going the way we want them to? We’ll face a lot of really good teams this year. This is an important lesson to learn early in the season.”
… Continue reading story here …
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November 24th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs destroy Kentucky, 96-53 – No. 10 North Carolina State up next (Saturday, 11:00 a.m., MT, ESPN+)
From CUBuffs.com … No. 3 Colorado continued its success here at the Paradise Jam Classic Friday with a dominant 96-53 victory over Kentucky.
The Buffaloes (6-0) started the game out a bit slow but finished the first quarter on a 14-0 run which helped them to pull away from the Wildcats (2-4) early. Colorado forced 27 Kentucky turnovers, resulting in 42 points off turnovers. The Buffs also out-assisted the Wildcats 22 to eight.
“Our assist numbers per field goal are really really high which we haven’t had in the past,” head coach JR Payne commented after the win. “We’ve had good offense and obviously really good defense over the years but the sharing of the ball and being able to make the extra pass, being able to finish and things like that are growing our assist numbers, which we love to see. I’m really pleased with how we’re playing.”
Five CU players scored double-digit points as Aaronette Vonleh led the group with 19. Jaylyn Sherrod, Tameiya Sadler and Quay Miller joined Vonleh as the other starters to score 10+ points while Kindyll Wetta had 11 off the bench.
The Buffs totaled 16 steals today which helped lead to 23 fast break points. Colorado’s aggressive defense and efficiency on offense allowed the team to go deep into its bench later in the game. Sophie Gerber saw action in the closing minutes and scored her first career points at the free throw line.
Colorado handedly won its first two games at the Paradise Jam Classic, but the Buffs will face a tougher test in No. 10 NC State tomorrow at 11 a.m. MT.
“They just have so many weapons and so many players on the floor that can score in a variety of ways,” Payne said about NC State. “Just really learning to scout, understanding who does what, make sure we’re playing as a team offensively and defensively, things like those will be the most important things tomorrow.”
… Continue reading story here …
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November 23rd – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
No. 3 CU women have no problem taking out Cincinnati, 77-60
From CUBuffs.com … No. 3 Colorado kicked off the Paradise Jam with a 77-60 win over Cincinnati Thursday afternoon at the UVI Sports and Fitness Center.
Three Buffaloes finished in double figures, but the team’s production was largely from outside of the usual suspects. Tameiya Sadler and Kindyll Wetta led the way with season-highs of 15 and 14 points, respectively. Aaronette Vonleh posted 13 points and Quay Miller led the team with eight rebounds.
Jaylyn Sherrod was limited to six points and five assists, while Frida Formann went 4-for-9 from the field for nine points.
Colorado (5-0) shot a season 53.3% (32-60) from the field in the unfamiliar surroundings. Thursday was the third time in five games that the Buffs have shot 50% or better this season. More than half of CU’s production came from close-range, totaling 48 points in the paint and converting 13 offensive rebounds into 20 second-chance points. Colorado handed out 21 assists, marking the fifth consecutive game with at least 20 helpers for the Buffs.
Cincinnati (2-2) was led by Jillian Hayes and her 17 points. The Bearcats hit 10 3-pointers in an effort to stay close on the scoreboard, but shot just 35.8% (19-53) overall.
… Continue reading story here …
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November 21st – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
ESPN Bracketology: CU women a No. 1 seed; CU men a No. 6 seed
From ESPN … The good news for the rest of the country is that Pac-12 teams must eventually begin playing each other. So starting Jan. 5, half the league will lose each night, and the likelihood that where we are today — with the Pac-12 having three No. 1 seeds and five teams on the top three seed lines — won’t remain. But the Pac-12 is clearly the country’s best conference for now, with just four combined losses among the 12 teams. Stanford elevates to a No. 1 seed after Sunday’s exciting win over Duke, and things get even more entertaining when fellow No. 1 seeds UCLA and Colorado tangle with UConn and NC State, respectively, this weekend
From the Pac-12 …
- No. 1 seed … UCLA
- No. 1 seed … Stanford
- No. 1 seed … Colorado
- No. 2 seed … USC
- No. 3 seed … Utah
- No. 6 seed … Washington State
- No. 7 seed … Washington
- No. 7 seed … Arizona
- No. 10 seed … Oregon State
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From ESPN … Bracketology is back on ESPN.com for its 30th season. From now until Selection Sunday on March 17, we’ll keep you up to date on the postseason chances and projection of your favorite teams. Our brackets update Tuesday during the non-conference schedule before shifting to semi-weekly — Tuesday and Friday — once conference play hits in earnest in January. We culminate with daily updates throughout Championship Week in March, all with an eye toward the 2024 NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
From the Pac-12 …
- No. 1 seed … Arizona
- No. 5 seed … USC
- No. 6 seed … Colorado
- No. 8 seed … UCLA
- No. 8 seed … Oregon
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Buffs fall in overtime to Florida State, 77-71, for first loss of the season
From the Daily Camera … On a poor shooting day for Colorado, the other mistakes proved too numerous to overcome.
The 18th-ranked CU men’s basketball team suffered its first defeat of the season on Tuesday, dropping a 77-71 decision in overtime against Florida State in the title game of the Sunshine Slam.
The game was tied 60-60 at the end of regulation but Florida State scored the first nine points of the extra session to take control. It was a frustrating day for the Buffaloes’ top two scorers, Tristan da Silva and KJ Simpson, who combined to shoot just 7-for-31 overall and 1-for-10 from 3-point range.
CU (4-1) finished regulation with 16 turnovers, matching the season high recorded in the opener against Towson, and committed four more in overtime.
The Buffs led 30-27 at halftime but the Seminoles shot .542 in the second half.
Cody Williams led CU with 17 points.
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CU v. FSU in rematch from 2021 NCAA Tournament
… The Buffs will face Florida State (3-1) in the 2 p.m. championship game Tuesday (CBSSN). FSU advanced with an 83-75 win over UNLV on Monday …
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November 20th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
No. 18 Buffs advance to Sunshine Slam finals with 64-59 win over Richmond
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s KJ Simpson scored 23 points and the Buffaloes survived a tough shooting night Monday to take a 64-59 win over scrappy Richmond in the Sunshine Slam semifinals.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs, who jumped up to No. 18 in the nation in the AP poll released Monday, improved to 4-0 while Richmond fell to 2-2.
The Buffs will next face Florida State in Tuesday’s championship game at 2 p.m. (CBSSN).
HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado led 28-25 at the break and pushed the cushion to seven early in the second half on four Simpson free throws.
But the Buffs could never shake the Spiders. Richmond stayed within range and finally took its second lead of the game, 44-42, when Jordan King hit two of three free throws at the 9:07 mark.
Colorado answered with a 6-0 run, getting a Simpson 3-pointer and a Cody Williams layup in transition for a 48-44 lead.
But Richmond stayed within striking range and with just more than four minutes to play, cut Colorado’s lead to one on a long Jordan King 2-pointer.
Colorado, though, had another answer. Simpson and J’Vonne Hadley each hit a pair of free throws to push CU’s lead back to five.
Richmond then narrowed the cushion to three one more time before Colorado forced a turnover, then got a Tristan da Silva bucket off a terrific feed from Eddie Lampkin Jr. for a 58-53 lead with 1:29 to play.
The Buffs then pushed their lead to 60-53 with two more Simpson free throws with a minute to play and they hit their free throws down the stretch to close the Spiders out.
… Continue reading story here …
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CU men up to No. 18 in AP poll; CU women up to No. 3!
From the Daily Camera … The hot start compiled by the Colorado men’s basketball team continues to draw national attention.
Prior to the Buffaloes tilt against Richmond on Monday night at the Sunshine Slam, CU learned it had moved up to No. 18 in this week’s Associated Press top 25. The Buffs made their season debut in the poll last week at No. 25.
The Buffs received 241 points in this week’s poll, a substantial increase from the 78 points CU collected a week ago. The Buffs played just once last week, routing Milwaukee 106-79 at home. The seven-spot jump marked the second largest week-to-week increase for CU in the program’s history in the AP top 25. The 2019-20 squad jumped eight spots, from No. 24 to No. 16, in February of that season.
The top nine spots remained unchanged, with No. 1 Kansas reaping 52 of 61 first-place votes.
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From the Daily Camera … Colorado women’s basketball keeps climbing.
On Monday, CU jumped two spots to No. 3 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll.
This is the best AP ranking for the Buffaloes (4-0) since finishing the 1994-95 regular season at No. 2. Prior to last week, CU had not been inside of the Top 10 since December of 1995.
Ranked No. 20 in the preseason, CU vaulted 15 spots last week, the largest one-week leap in poll history, according to the AP.
CU played just once last week, pulling away from SMU for an 84-69 win on the road on Saturday night. But, the Buffs moved up because two teams ahead of them lost.
Iowa, which was No. 2 last week, fell to No. 5 after a home loss to unranked Kansas State (the Wildcats vaulted to No. 16 on Monday). And Utah, which was No. 4 last week, fell to a tie for No. 10 after a loss at then-No. 21 Baylor, which is now at No. 14.
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Buffs take on Richmond in Sunshine Slam (6:00 p.m., MT, CBSSN)
From CUBuffs.com … No. 25 (AP) ranked Colorado looks to remain undefeated on the young season taking on Richmond in the semifinals of the 2023 Sunshine Slam. The Buffaloes-Spiders game is the night-cap of the four-team Beach Bracket of the Sunshine Slam. UNLV will face Florida State in the other semifinal at 3:30 p.m. MT.
The winners of the semifinal round will play Tuesday, at 2 p.m. MT with the consolation game to follow at 4:30 p.m.
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado has a 3-0 start for the third time in the last five years after its 106-79 win over Milwaukee on Nov. 14. Colorado’s 106 points was its most in a regulation game since scoring 116 vs. Savannah State on Jan. 3, 2006.The Buffaloes had a 112-point double-overtime win over South Dakota State in December 2017.
Colorado ranks second in the Pac-12 Conference and 18th in the nation in scoring at 92.0 points per game.
ABOUT THE SPIDERS: Richmond is 2-1 on the young season and heading to Daytona Beach following a 68-61 setback at Boston College. The Spiders are averaging 81.3 points while shooting 47.8 from the field and 37.8 percent from 3-point range. Guard Jordan King leads Richmond at 18.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 50 percent from the field including 9 of 17 from 3-point range (.529). Center Neal Quinn averages 12.0 points on 58.3 percent shooting and leads the Spiders in assists (16) and rebounding (6.7 rpg).
THE SERIES: This will be the third meeting between Colorado and Richmond. The teams split a home-and-home series in the early 2000s, both teams winning on the other’s home court. Richmond took a 75-62 decision in Boulder on Dec. 31, 2003. Colorado returned the favor a year later, with a 75-69 triumph in Richmond on Jan. 4, 2005.
… Continue reading story here …
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November 15th
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs have no trouble with Milwaukee, roll to 106-79 victory
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado put six players in double figures Tuesday and the Buffaloes celebrated their No. 25 national ranking with a 106-79 win over Milwaukee at the CU Events Center.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs improved to 3-0 while Milwaukee dropped to 1-2.
Colorado was dominant from the outset, building a double-digit lead four minutes in and extending the cushion to 20 by halftime. The Buffs then hit their first 10 shots of the second half to bump the edge to 30 and they led by as much as 38 down the stretch.
Guard KJ Simpson led Colorado with 23 points on 7-for-9 shooting and a game-high six assists while freshman Cody Williams scored 17 points to go with five rebounds and four assists. Eddie Lampkin Jr. had his first double-double as a Buff with 14 points and 12 rebounds, Tristan da Silva tallied 17 points, Julian Hammond III chipped in 14 and RJ Smith scored 11.
Zach Howell led Milwaukee with 15 points, all on 3-pointers.
Colorado surpassed the 20-assist mark for the third straight game, finishing with 25, and the Buffs shot 59 percent from the floor (37-63), including 13-for-20 from long range. Colorado has hit 31 of its 60 3-point tries thus far this season.
CU held Milwaukee to 37 percent shooting (27-for-73), but the Panthers did hit 11 of their 34 3-point tries. The Panthers also had 19 offensive rebounds for 18 second-chance points.
“We obviously shot the ball well — offensively we were as good as we’ve been all year tonight,” Boyle said. “(But) with that being said, we still have a lot of room for improvement. Nineteen offensive rebounds given up is something that’s not acceptable and we gave up 11 threes against a team that we knew was a good shooting team … Those are the two areas I’m dialing in on because what I’ve got to do with these guys is make them understand that we can maybe get away with some things early in the season with our schedule that we’re not going to be able to get away with as we move forward.”
… Continue reading story here …
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November 14th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
CU men v. Milwaukee, 7:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks
From CUBuffs.com …
Game 3 – Milwaukee, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 7:02 p.m. MT
TV: Pac-12 Network (Drew Goodman, Dan Belluomini)
Watch Online: Pac-12 Now App
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Satellite: Sirius XM 383 & SXM App (973)
Listen Online: CUBuffs.com
Live Statistics: http://statb.us/b/483966
SUNSHINE SLAM: Colorado’s game with Milwaukee is part of the Sunshine Slam Tournament. Both teams will head to Daytona Beach next week. The Buffaloes will play Richmond on Nov. 20 and either Florida State or UNLV on Nov. 21. Following a home game on Friday with Luther College, the Panthers will continue the Sunshine Slam with Stetson on Nov. 20 and either Siena or Central Michigan on Nov. 21.
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado has a 2-0 start for the seventh time in the last eight years after a 95-63 win over Grambling State on Nov. 10.
NATIONALLY RANKED: Colorado debuted at No. 25 in the first regular season Associated Press Top 25 Men’s Basketball Poll released on Nov. 13.
Colorado is ranked by the AP for the first time since holding the No. 22 spot in the final poll of the 2020-21 season. That year the Buffaloes finished 23-9 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS: Milwaukee is 1-1 overall, recording a home win over Wisconsin-Stout, 91-73, in its opener on No. 6 and then falling at Providence – coached by former Buffaloes assistant Kim English – 79-69 on Nov. 11. BJ Freeman had a 33-point, 10-rebound double-double in the loss to Providence.
THE SERIES: This will be the sixth meeting between Colorado and Milwaukee. The Buffaloes have won the five previous meetings; four of the five in Boulder. The last contest was just two years ago, a 65-54 decision on Dec. 10, 2021.
… Continue reading story here …
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November 13th
… CU in the Arena …
CU men join the AP poll; in at No. 25
From CUBuffs.com … The University of Colorado debuted at No. 25 in the first regular season Associated Press Top 25 Men’s Basketball Poll released on Monday.
Colorado is ranked by the AP for the first time since holding the No. 22 spot in the final poll of the 2020-21 season. That year the Buffaloes finished 23-9 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Colorado, which received 78 points in this week’s poll, is 2-0 on the young season defeating Towson, 75-57, in the opener on Nov. 6 and Grambling State, 95-63 on Nov. 10.
It’s just the second time since 1970 the Buffaloes have appeared in the first regular season AP Poll. Colorado appeared in the exact same spot, No. 25, on Nov. 11, 2019; a season where the Buffaloes were ranked for a school-record 13 weeks, climbing as high as No. 16.
Overall the recognition marks Colorado’s 56th all-time appearance in the AP Poll. The Buffaloes were second among teams receiving votes in this year’s preseason poll.
Colorado fell just short of breaking into the USA Today Sports Coaches Top 25 Poll by the slimmest of margins. The Buffaloes are listed first in the “others receiving votes” category with 46 points, just one behind UCLA and Virginia who are tied for No. 25 with 47 each.
The Associated Press men’s college basketball top 25 for Week 2 (Nov. 13). First-place votes in parenthesis, followed by points and rankings trend.
- Kansas (51) 1,530 —
- Purdue (7) 1,464 +1
- Arizona (3) 1,356 +9
- Marquette 1,311 +1
- UConn (1) 1,301 +1
- Houston 1,180 +1
- Tennessee 1,146 +2
- Creighton 1,130 —
- Duke 1,088 -7
- Florida Atlantic 1,004 —
- Gonzaga 825 —
- Miami 778 +1
- Texas A&M 728 +2
- Arkansas 719 —
- Baylor 578 +5
- USC 573 +5
- Kentucky 549 -1
- Michigan State 516 -14
- Texas 513 -1
- North Carolina 501 -1
- Villanova 406 +1
- Alabama 264 +2
- Illinois 170 +2
- James Madison 91 NR
- Colorado 78 NR
Others receiving votes: Memphis 53, Virginia 49, St. John’s 47, UCLA 36, TCU 34, San Diego St. 33, BYU 32, Saint Mary’s 20, Mississippi St. 19, Iowa St. 10, Wisconsin 6, Auburn 5, Michigan 2, Weber St. 2, Drake 1, Boise St. 1, Clemson 1.
Dropped out: San Diego State (17), St. Mary’s (23).
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CU women up to No. 5 in latest AP poll!
From the NCAA … The Colorado women’s basketball team moved up 15 slots in AP rankings to No. 5 in the nation with the reveal of the updated rankings on Monday.
The ranking is the highest for the Buffaloes since finishing No. 2 in the final AP poll of the 1994-95 season (Mar. 14) and it’s the 23rd time CU has been inside the AP’s top-5.
CU’s jump from No. 20 to No. 5 is the largest jump in AP poll history.
“We are very honored to be ranked in the top 5 and appreciate the voter’s confidence in us,” head coach JR Payne exclaimed. “I’m most proud that while it’s very exciting, our team will just continue to work in the exact same fashion we always do and that’s trying to be excellent today. Our belief in striving for daily excellence is how we end up in the position that we are. Excited to keep growing and keep getting better.”
South Carolina moved into the No. 1 spot following CU’s 92-78 defeat of previously No.1 LSU to open the season. Iowa, UCLA and Utah round out the rest of the top 5.
| 1 | South Carolina (23) | 2-0 | 884 | 6 |
| 2 | Iowa (13) | 3-0 | 869 | 3 |
| 3 | UCLA | 3-0 | 801 | 4 |
| 4 | Utah | 2-0 | 764 | 5 |
| 5 | Colorado | 3-0 | 681 | 20 |
| 6 | Stanford | 2-0 | 673 | 15 |
| 7 | LSU | 2-1 | 670 | 1 |
| 8 | UConn | 1-1 | 625 | 2 |
| 9 | Virginia Tech | 1-1 | 601 | 8 |
| 10 | Southern California | 2-0 | 550 | 21 |
| 11 | Texas | 2-0 | 483 | 13 |
| 12 | Florida State | 2-0 | 475 | 18 |
| 13 | Ohio State | 1-1 | 454 | 7 |
| 14 | NC State | 2-0 | 445 | NR |
| 15 | Tennessee | 1-1 | 383 | 11 |
| 16 | Notre Dame | 1-1 | 375 | 10 |
| 17 | North Carolina | 2-0 | 346 | 16 |
| 18 | Indiana | 1-1 | 328 | 9 |
| 19 | Louisville | 2-0 | 288 | 17 |
| 20 | Maryland | 1-1 | 241 | 14 |
| 21 | Baylor | 1-0 | 215 | 19 |
| 22 | Creighton | 2-0 | 131 | 22 |
| 23 | Ole Miss | 1-1 | 101 | 12 |
| 24 | Washington State | 3-0 | 97 | 24 |
| 25 | Oklahoma | 3-0 | 94 | NR |
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November 12th
… CU in the Arena …
CU women rally from halftime deficit to take down Oklahoma State, 86-75
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado women’s basketball pulled off a come from behind victory to take down Oklahoma State 86-75 here at the CU Events Center Sunday evening. The Buffs’ 13-3 run in the final minutes of the game served crucial for the win and helped Colorado to stay undefeated on the season.
Despite the Cowgirls (2-1) hitting 15 three-pointers tonight, the Buffaloes’ (3-0) defense down the stretch translated into points on the other end, helping Colorado to overcome its largest deficit so far this season.
The Buffs recorded eight steals in the first quarter, establishing an early lead in the game, however a 16-2 run by Oklahoma State in the second gave the Cowgirls the lead at halftime. Oklahoma State continued to cash in from behind the arc in the third quarter, but the Buffs managed to stay in the game while trailing by just three heading into the fourth.
When it mattered most, CU rallied behind Kindyll Wetta, Jaylyn Sherrod and Frida Formann as they accounted for 21 of Colorado’s 30 fourth quarter points. The Buffs held the Cowgirls to just 16 points in the final quarter to secure the win.
Wetta had a great performance and led the comeback with eight fourth quarter points. She scored 15 off the bench, setting a new career high in points. Wetta also had five rebounds and a steal while committing just one turnover the entire game.
The Buffs were close to having two players pick up a double-double here tonight as Sherrod was just one assist shy of 10 assists. Quay Miller recorded her 14th career double-double at Colorado with 13 points and 10 boards. To add to her nine assists, Sherrod had 16 points and five steals.
CU had a total of 15 steals on the night and outrebounded the Cowgirls 38 to 24. A big difference maker for the Buffs was having 25 chances at the free-throw line while Oklahoma State had only six.
Colorado women’s basketball has almost a full week before its next game against SMU on Saturday, Nov. 18.
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November 10th
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs exact revenge for last year’s upset, dominate Grambling State, 95-63
From CUBuffs.com … From the very beginning Friday night, the Colorado Buffaloes made it clear they wouldn’t set themselves up for another upset at the hands of Grambling State.
Instead, the Buffs avenged last year’s loss at GSU with a dominating 95-63 win over the Tigers at the CU Events Center.
Tad Boyle‘s Buffs improved to 2-0 while Grambling State dropped to 1-1.
A year ago, the Tigers shocked the Buffs with an 83-74 win in Grambling.
Friday, Colorado left no doubt that another upset wasn’t in the cards. The Buffs built a 10-point lead six minutes in, extended it to 20 midway through the first half and had a 30-point cushion at the break, 50-20.
The second half proved to be more of the same. The Buffs extended their edge to as much as 34 early in the second half and GSU never came closer than 25 again.
Colorado put six players in double figures, led by 21 points from senior Tristan da Silva. J’Vonne Hadley added 17 points, Julian Hammond III scored 14, KJ Simpson had 12 points and Luke O’Brien and Eddie Lampkin Jr. each tallied 10. Hadley and Lampkin each had eight rebounds for Colorado and Simpson had a career-high eight assists and just one turnover while Hammond tied his career high with six assists.
Tra’Michael Moton led GSU with 26 points.
The Buffs dominated virtually every statistical category. CU shot 55.6 percent from the floor (35-for-63) while holding GSU to 38.9 percent from the floor (21-for-54). CU also finished with 28 assists and held a 41-24 rebound edge. Colorado is now 86-6 in the Boyle era when holding an opponent to 40 percent shooting or less and having at least a plus-8 rebound edge.
“I was pleased with everything except for the second half defense,” said Boyle, whose Buffs outscored Grambling 45-43 after the break. “I thought we got a little soft.”
… Continue reading story here …
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November 8th
… CU in the Arena …
Tad Boyle inks the No. 12 Signing Class
From CUBuffs.com … The University of Colorado men’s basketball program has put together another nationally acclaimed recruiting class as head coach Tad Boyle announced the signing of four outstanding prospects who signed their National Letters of Intent on Wednesday.
Andrew Crawford (Littleton, Colo.), Felix Kossaras (Montreal, Quebec), Doryan Onwuchekwa (Dallas, Texas) and Sebastian Rancik (Bratislava, Slovakia) comprise Colorado’s Class of 2024, a group that is currently ranked 12th in the country by 247Sports, No. 16 by Rivals and No. 26 by On3.com.
All four members are labeled as four-star prospects and ranked as one of the top 100 players in the nation by at least one recruiting service. Three of the four are consensus four-star picks.
This is the third Colorado class in the last four seasons ranked in the nation’s Top 25 by 247Sports and Rivals, including the 2023 Class slotted in at No. 25 and No. 13 respectively.
“One of the things that our staff has made a conscious decision to do is recruit guys that fit our culture and the value system that our program is based on, and finding young men and families that align with those values,” Boyle said. “We try to do it with as many high school kids as we can. I want to stay out of the transfer portal as much as possible. We’ll certainly use it when we need it, but we want to recruit great high school kids that want to come to Colorado for the right reasons and develop and grow both as students and as basketball players and members of our community.”
… Continue reading story here …
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November 6th – Game Day! (x2)
… CU in the Arena …
No. 20 CU women stun defending national champion (and No. 1 ranked) LSU, 92-78
From CUBuffs.com … The Colorado women’s basketball team pulled off a huge 92-78 upset victory over No. 1 LSU here at T-Mobile Arena Monday night, taking down the reigning national champions.
The Buffaloes embraced the challenge of taking on LSU despite the Tigers adding the top-two transfers in the country to an already stacked roster this offseason. From the tip-off to the final buzzer, Colorado didn’t look fazed by any means.
“For a game like this that a large part of the world said no to and a large part of the world said why would you play that game? It was everything that we wanted,” head coach JR Payne stated after the win. “We wanted a challenge and we wanted to take our team into the national spotlight so that I can show the world how great they are. I’m really proud of how we played, proud of how we competed and it’s a great start to the year.”
The Buffs were led by Frida Formann, Jaylyn Sherrod and Aaronette Vonleh who all returned to the Buffs from last year’s Sweet 16 squad. Formann was lights out from behind the arc tonight, making seven three-pointers to help her set a career-high of 27 points. She added five rebounds, five assists and two steals. Vonleh was Colorado’s second-leading scorer with 25 points on 11-15 shooting from the field.
Sherrod had an amazing performance in all phases of the game. She scored 19 points while recording eight rebounds, six assists and three steals. Sherrod’s leadership and energy didn’t show up on the stat sheet but it was crucial for Colorado’s upset victory.
The Buffs kept it a tight game for the entire first half with the biggest deficit they faced being six points in the second quarter. After Sherrod returned from a hard fall, Colorado saw a spark, started to gain momentum and took the lead.
From that point on, the Buffs didn’t look back and found themselves defeating the No. 1 team in the nation by a respectable margin. Colorado’s defense was all over the place tonight, totaling 11 steals and three blocks while forcing LSU into committing 19 turnovers. The offense shot 53.2% from the field and 43.5% from three-point range which served to be too much for LSU to handle.
… Continue reading story here …
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CU men take care of business against Towson, open with a 75-57 victory
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s defense set the tone in the first half and the Buffaloes’ offense came alive in the second Monday as CU rolled to a 75-57 win over Towson in the season opener at the CU Events Center.
The Buffs led by four at the half but exploded with a 17-1 run to open the second half and Towson never threatened again, as CU pushed its lead to as much as 28 down the stretch.
Colorado improved to 14-0 in home openers in the Tad Boyle era.
KJ Simpson led the Buffs with 22 points and Tristan da Silva added 15, all in the second half. J’Vonne Hadley added 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds and Luke O’Brien had seven points and seven boards.
Dylan Williamson led Towson with 15 points.
Colorado shot 52 percent from the floor, including 8-for-17 from 3-point range. The Buffs missed all seven attempts from beyond the arc in the first half but then hit eight in a row in the second half to build their lead.
CU held the Tigers to 35 percent shooting and had a 38-26 edge on the boards. The Buffs are now 85-6 under Boyle when holding an opponent to 40 percent or less shooting and having at least a plus-8 rebounding edge.
Colorado finished with 21 assists on 26 baskets, with the only downside of the night 16 turnovers.
“That was a good first game,” Boyle said. “A tale of two halves, obviously. I thought we fought adversity in the first half offensively and came out in the second half and figured things out a little bit. I was really proud of our defensive effort that first 20 minutes. We really guarded at a high, high level and we did that pretty much the whole game. I’m really happy with this team’s defense and rebounding.”
… Continue reading story here …
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CU men taking on Towson / CU women taking on No. 1 LSU
From CUBuffs.com …
Tip: 5:36 p.m. MT
TV: Pac-12 Network (Jacob Tobey, Don MacLean)
Watch Online: Pac-12 Now App
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Satellite: SiriusXM 373 & SXM App
Listen Online: CUBuffs.com
Live Statistics: https://statb.us/b/483964
THE SEASON: Colorado officially opens the 121st season of varsity men’s basketball by hosting Towson on Monday, Nov. 6.
OPENERS: Colorado is 85-35 (.708) in all-time season openers and has won its last seven. The Buffaloes are 11-2 under head coach Tad Boyle and 38-5 in overall season openers since 1980-81.
The Buffaloes are 96-24 (.800) all-time in home openers, have won their last 15 and 21 of their last 22. Boyle’s teams are 13-0 in home openers.
RIGHT AT HOME: At the CU Events Center, the Buffaloes have won:
– 13 of 18 in 2022-23 (13-5)
– 30 of their last 41 (30-11)
– 36 of their last 48 (36-12)
– 49 of 64 (49-15)
– 64 of 81 (64-17)
– 76 of 96 (76-20)
– 97 of 121 (97-24)
– 107 of 132 (107-25)
In the Tad Boyle era, Colorado is 177-39 at home (.819). The Buffaloes are 490-190 (.721) all-time at the CUEC. The Buffaloes have won at least 10 games at home each of the last 14 seasons.
NONCONFERENCE NUMBERS: Colorado is 118-37 (.761) in nonconference regular season games under head coach Tad Boyle including a 71-20 mark (.780) since the beginning of the 2014-15 season.
Colorado is 89-8 (.918) in nonconference home games under Boyle, a record which includes a 7-2 mark in postseason action.
Colorado’s 13 nonconference opponents in 2022-23 combined to win 61.6 percent of their games. Add the Buffaloes’ Pac-12 opponents Colorado had an average opponent NET rank of 106 – the 45th best mark in the nation a year ago.
ABOUT THE TIGERS: Towson is coming off a 21-12 season in 2022-23 and a third place finish in the Coastal Athletic Association at 12-6. The Tigers return eight players from last year’s team including graduate forward Charles Thompson who averaged 14.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game earning All-CAA Defensive Team honors. Thompson earned Preseason All-CAA honors. The Tigers were picked to finish fifth in the 2023-24 CAA Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll.
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CU women taking on No. 1 LSU in Las Vegas
From CUBuffs.com … The Game: No. 20 Colorado opens with a tall task, taking on defending national champion and preseason No. 1 LSU as part of the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas.
About the Buffaloes: Colorado advanced to its first Sweet Sixteen since 2003 made back-to-back NCAA Tournaments for the first time since 2001-04. The Buffs ended last season with their best Pac-12 finish and only their second first-round bye to start the conference tournament since joining the conference
in 2011-12. Colorado return 88.0% of its scoring from last season, boasting eight players back from last season’s Sweet 16 appearance. Of those returners four of them slot into the starting lineup with Jaylyn Sherrod, Quay Miller, Frida Formann and Aaronette Vonleh all back and ready to pick up from last season.
Sherrod and Miller were both Preseason All-Conference while Formann and Vonleh picked up honorable mentions.
About the Tigers: LSU boasts two returning starters, Flau’Jae Johnson and Angel Reese, from last year’s title run and has seven players back in all. The Tigers
also made waves in the transfer portal landing Hailey Van Lith (Louisville) and Aneesah Morrow (DePaul).
Scouting the Tigers
• Defending National Champions
• Finished 2nd in the NCAA last season with a 24.4 scoring margin
• Was 5th in the NCAA and led the SEC with 82.3 points per game
• Outrebounded teams by 15.3 board per game last season (2nd NCAA)
• Angels Reese was the Preseason SEC Player of the Year and an Preseason AP All-American
• Hailey Van Lith as the top ranked transfer by ESPN
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