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Colorado Basketball
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February 2nd
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs start well, but finish the same way, falling to TCU on the road, 68-57
From CUBuffs.com … TCU used a late 15-2 run to break open a close game and take a 68-57 decision over Colorado Sunday afternoon at Schollmaier Arena.
Colorado, 9-12 overall, falls for the 10th-straight time and is 0-10 in the Big 12 Conference, the Buffaloes first 0-10 start since 1985-86. TCU snaps a three-game skid to improve to 11-10 overall, 4-6 in the Big 12.
Andrej Jakimovski scored a team-high 13 points, hitting 5 of 9 from the field with four rebounds. Bangot Dak just missed a double-double with nine points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Leading scorer Julian Hammond III was held to six points on 2 of 8 shooting but tied a career-high with seven assists.
David Punch led TCU with a game-high 19 points, hitting 7 of 10 from the floor including a perfect 3 of 3 from 3-point range.
Colorado shot well at 46.7 percent and enjoyed a plus-12 advantage on the boards (34-22) but as has been the case most of the year, turnovers were the Buffaloes’ undoing. Colorado committed 19 turnovers, compared to just eight for the Horned Frogs. TCU took advantage outscoring the Buffaloes by 20 points (28-8) off miscues.
“We did some good things to have 19 assists on the road, that’s hard to do,” Colorado head coach Tad Boyle said. “The unfortunate thing is, we have 19 turnovers. And the bottom line, when you’re playing on the road, the Big 12, you turn it over 19 times, and your opponent only turns it over eight times. It’s really, really hard to overcome that. It’s an 11-point game, we lose the turnover differential by 20. That’s pretty much it. And it’s been that way, pretty much since 2025 started.”
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January 29th
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs falter late, fall to Arizona State, 70-68 – Boyle: “I’m not sure I’ve ever felt as bad for a group of guys as I do for this group”
From the Daily Camera … There have been plenty of near-misses for the Colorado men’s basketball team during a historic losing spell to begin Big 12 Conference play.
Another opportunity slipped through the Buffaloes’ grasp on Tuesday.
Despite a second-half surge and plenty of chances at crunch time that put the Buffs in position to finally pick up their first conference win, the result ultimately was a familiar one for CU, as Arizona State made the key plays down the stretch to hand the Buffs a 70-68 defeat at the CU Events Center.
With the loss, CU fell to 0-9 in the Big 12, the program’s worst start within conference play since starting 0-9 in the Big Eight in 1986-87.
For a team trying to shake the longest losing streak in 15 seasons under head coach Tad Boyle, the Buffs put up a commendable fight in the second half by curtailing their turnovers and winning the battle on the glass. But it wasn’t enough, as the Sun Devils won for the third time in their past four trips to Boulder.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever felt as bad for a group of guys as I do for this group,” Boyle said. “They’re trying. They really are. Now, we’re not playing smart enough, we’re not playing tough enough, we’re not playing consistent enough. And that’s my job. If you can do it once, you can do it twice. If you do it twice, you should be able to do it three times.
“This program has set a standard of defending at a high level, and rebounding at a high level. This team is nowhere near good enough defensively, or rebounding the basketball, to win a game like tonight.”
The Buffs set an ominous tone in the first minute of the game, surrendering two offensive rebounds on ASU’s first possession before the Sun Devils knocked down a 3-pointer. CU threw the ball away on the ensuing inbounds play, giving the Sun Devils the ball back under their own basket.
That was the first of CU’s 10 first-half turnovers, as the Sun Devils scored 20 of their 33 first-half points off turnovers or second-chance opportunities while building a three-point lead at the break.
CU was able to rally in large part by recording only two turnovers in the second half. But, as has often been the case during the nine-game losing streak, the early miscues proved to be too much to overcome.
“In moments like this, it’s natural to just go back and think about every play that you wish you could get back, or a shot or a turnover or a foul,” CU forward Trevor Baskin said. “We’re just digging ourselves a hole. It’s frustrating, but we’re a resilient group and we’ll find a way to battle back.”
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January 28th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Ninth time the charm? 0-8 Buffs taking on Arizona State (7:00 p.m., MT, ESPN+)
… Related … CU Buffs take aim at ending winless Big 12 start in rematch against ASU … From the Daily Camera …
From CUBuffs.com …
Arizona State, Tuesday, January 28, 2025
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 7:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Chuckie Kempf, Bryndon Manzer)
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 381, SXM App 971
Live Statistics: http://statb.us/b/546206
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 9-10 overall and 0-8 in Big 12 Conference play after falling at Arizona on Jan. 25. The Buffaloes have dropped their last eight, their longest losing streak since falling in the final 12 games of the 2008-09 season. It’s Colorado’s first 0-8 start to conference play since 1992-93 (finished 2-12 in the Big Eight).
The Buffaloes will be looking to end a rare four-game home skid, their most since the 2008-09 team lost their last five at the CU Events Center. Prior to the beginning of this streak, Colorado had won 24 of 25 at the CU Events Center dating back to last season.
ABOUT THE SUN DEVILS: Arizona State is 11-8 overall and one of four teams at 2-6 in the Big 12. The Sun Devils have lost five of six since their 81-61 win over Colorado on Jan. 4. Arizona State is 1-4 in true road games this season. ASU averages 73.5 points while shooting 44.5 percent from the field. The Sun Devils shoot 36.1 from 3-point range, ranking fifth in the Big 12. Defensively, Arizona State allows 71.7 points while opponents shoot 41.5 percent. ASU ranks second in the Big 12 in blocked shots at 5.2 per game.
THE SERIES: This will be the 30th meeting between Colorado and Arizona State with the Buffaloes holding a 16-13 edge in the series. Arizona State took the first Big 12 match-up between the two old Pac-12 Conference rivals, 81-61, in Tempe on Jan. 4. The teams split last year’s Pac-12 battles, both winning at home. Colorado has a 10-3 all-time edge in Boulder.
Tad Boyle is 14-12 as a head coach against Arizona State. Bobby Hurley is 7-10 against Colorado as a head coach.
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January 25th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs fall to Arizona, 78-63, for first eight-game losing streak since 2008-09
From CUBuffs.com … An efficient second-half shooting performance from Arizona was too much for Colorado to handle, leading to a Wildcats 78-63 win Saturday afternoon in the McKale Center.
The Buffs dropped their eighth consecutive game, falling to 9-10 on the season and 0-8 in the Big 12. It’s the first time Colorado has dropped eight games in a row since losing its last 12 of the 2008-09 season.
“I’m proud of our guys for not losing their fight, and that’s what it’s going to take to win a game in this league,” head coach Tad Boyle said. “And eventually I think we will, but I thought our game plan was good coming in here.”
After a close first half, Colorado was unable to find a rhythm from the floor in the second period, shooting just 12-for-27 (44.4%) as a unit while Arizona shot 17-for-30 (56.7%) from the field.
Colorado lost the turnover battle 15-10, with the Wildcats capitalizing on it, outscoring the Buffaloes 19-10 off those miscues. Arizona also outscored Colorado 36-24 on points in the paint.
Julian Hammond III led CU with 19 points, including going 4 for 6 from downtown. He also had a team-high four assists.
Javon Ruffin chipped in 12 points and two assists on 5 for 9 shooting overall.
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CU looking to avoid first eight-game losing streak of the Tad Boyle era (at Arizona, 1:00 p.m., MT, ESPN+)
… Related … Buffs take winless Big 12 mark into unfriendly environs at Arizona … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Arizona, Saturday, January 25, 2025
McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz.
Tip: 1:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Pete Sousa, Corey Williams)
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 390, SXM App 980
Live Statistics: https://buffs.me/3PJYbXo
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 9-9 overall and 0-7 in Big 12 Conference play after falling to BYU, 83-67, on Jan. 21. The Buffaloes have dropped seven-straight and are 0-7 to begin conference play for the first time since 2016-17, when Colorado dropped its first seven Pac-12 games before rebounding to win eight of its last 11.
Colorado is averaging 73.3 points per game, shooting 46.0 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from 3-point range. Defensively, Colorado is allowing 72.2 points per game while opponents are shooting 42.8 percent.
The Buffaloes will be playing in their fourth true road game of the season and looking for their first win. Colorado is 1-5 away from Boulder this season, that win coming at the Maui Invitational against defending NCAA champion UConn.
ABOUT THE WILDCATS: Arizona is 12-6 overall and tied for second in the Big 12 at 6-1. The Wildcats have won eight of their last nine overall and have an 8-1 record at home this season. Arizona averages 82.9 points shooting 48.3 percent from the field ranking second and third in the Big 12 respectively. The Wildcats allow 69.2 points while opponents shoot 40 percent from the floor. Arizona is the second-best rebounding team in the conference averaging 40.0 per game.
THE SERIES: This will be the 43rd meeting between Colorado and Arizona with the Wildcats holding a 26-16 series lead. The Wildcats have won the last four in the series including a 99-79 decision in Boulder on Feb. 10, 2024. Arizona holds a 15-3 all-time lead in Tucson. The Buffaloes last win at Arizona came on Dec. 20, 1965.
In the Pac-12 era, the teams met 29 times with the Wildcats holding a 21-8 edge. Only 10 of those games were in Boulder, where CU has a 7-3 advantage. The teams met 12 times in Tucson during that span (Arizona 12-0) and seven times in a neutral setting at the Pac-12 Tournament (Arizona 6-1).
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January 23rd
… CU in the Arena …
Chauncey Billups and Spencer Dinwiddie head “Basketball Wall of Honor” to be unveiled on January 28th
Press release from CUBuffs.com … The University of Colorado men’s basketball program has had its fair share of iconic figures throughout 120-plus years of history. A new display at the CU Events Center will honor a select group who’s on the court achievements have expanded well beyond their days in Boulder.
The Men’s Basketball Wall of Honor will celebrate those former Buffaloes that have achieved at least five years of service in the NBA or competed on the world stage as an Olympic Gold Medalist. The initial 10 legends to be honored are:
- Chauncey Billups (1995-97)
- Alec Burks (2009-11)
- Jim Davis (1961-64)
- Spencer Dinwiddie (2011-14)
- Burdette “Burdie” Haldorson (1951-55)
- Jay Humphries (1980-84)
- Cliff Meely (1968-71)
- Andre Roberson (2010-13)
- Scott Wedman (1971-74)
- Derrick White (2016-17)
The honorees will have their Colorado jersey displayed high above the concourse on the northwest corner of the CU Events Center. Wall of Honor members will be recognized in person with their jerseys officially unveiled at upcoming games.
“The Wall of Honor is long overdue and serves as a testament to the success of men’s basketball players after they leave the University of Colorado,” head coach Tad Boyle said. “The foundation of their success was established here as student-athletes and we’re proud to honor their success in basketball after Colorado.”
On Tuesday, Jan. 28, during Colorado’s game against Arizona State, Haldorson, Meely and Davis will be the first Wall of Honor members to be recognized. Humphries will be celebrated at Colorado’s game with Houston on Saturday, Feb. 8. The schedule for the remaining honorees will be announced at a later date.
… Continue reading story here …
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January 22nd
… CU in the Arena …
CU cements status as worst Big 12 team with 83-67 home loss to BYU
From CUBuffs.com … After a back-and-forth first half, Colorado couldn’t keep up with BYU in the final 20 minutes, leading to a Cougars 83-67 win over the Buffaloes Tuesday night in the CU Events Center.
Colorado drops its seventh game in a row, falling to 9-9 overall and 0-7 in the Big 12. It marks the first time the Buffaloes have lost seven consecutive contests since 2016-17, when they started the Pac-12 Conference schedule 0-7.
“Their energy level, their toughness, their everything, you name it, they were the aggressor,” head coach Tad Boyle said. “They were better. And it wasn’t just one guy. It was the their whole team. This doesn’t fall on one guy for the Buffaloes. I mean, if it did, I’d fix that. It falls on our entire group.”
Colorado trailed by a single bucket to end a competitive first half, 38-36, but it was all BYU in the second half. The Cougars opened the second period with a 23-2 run, leading by as many as 23 at one point.
After starting the game 11-for-15 from the floor, the Buffs shot 0-for-16 as a unit from the 6:23 mark in the first half to 12:39 in the second half.
Julian Hammond III led CU with 17 points on an efficient 3-for-6 from the perimeter. Harrison Carrington had seven points, three rebounds, and two assists.
Richie Saunders led BYU with 25 points on 10-for-15 overall from the field.
Colorado shot 11-for-22 (50%) overall as a team in the first half, but struggled finding the back of the net in the second half, shooting 10-for-24 (41.7%).
… Continue reading story here …
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January 21st – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs hoping late start will help end losing streak (CU v. BYU, 9:00 p.m., MT, ESPNU)
Related … CU Buffs hope to stop the bleeding in matchup against BYU … From the Daily Camera …
From CUBuffs.com …
BYU, Tuesday, January 21, 2025
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 9:05 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPNU (Roxy Bernstein, Tom Crean)
Watch Online: https://buffs.me/3Wv3sWr
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 390, SXM App 980
Live Statistics: http://statb.us/b/546199
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 9-8 overall and 0-6 in Big 12 Conference play after falling at Oklahoma State, 83-73, on Jan. 18. The Buffaloes have dropped six-straight and are 0-6 to begin conference play for the first time since 2016-17, when Colorado dropped its first seven Pac-12 games before rebounding to win eight of its last 11.
Colorado is averaging 73.7 points per game, shooting 46.0 percent from the field and 34.0 percent from 3-point range. Defensively, Colorado is allowing 71.5 points per game while opponents are shooting 42.0 percent.
The Buffaloes will be looking to end a rare three-game home skid, their most since the 2021-22 team lost three-straight during Pac-12 play, Jan. 20-22, & Feb. 3, 2022 (USC-UCLA-Oregon. Prior to the beginning of this streak, Colorado had won 24 of 25 at the CU Events Center dating back to last season.
ABOUT THE COUGARS: BYU is 11-6 overall and 2-4 in the Big 12 following a 73-72 overtime loss at rival Utah on Jan. 18. Overall the Cougars have lost four of their last five and are winless in four true road contests this season. BYU averages 80.2 points per game on 47.2 percent from the field, including a 35.4 percent mark from 3-point range. The Cougars lead the Big 12 in 3-pointers made (10.4 3mpg) and attempted (29.2 3fgapg). Defensively, BYU allows 67.0 points while opponents shoot 41.6 percent from the field. The Cougars lead the Big 12 and rank eighth in the nation in rebound margin (+9.5).
THE SERIES: This will be the 25th meeting between Colorado and BYU in a series that dates back to 1903 but has only been played twice in the last 69 seasons. Colorado holds a 17-7 series lead and is a perfect 11-0 at home against the Cougars all-time. The teams split a home-and-home during the 2015-16 and ’16-17 nonconference seasons. Colorado claimed a 92-83 decision in Boulder on Dec. 12, 2015. BYU won the return to Provo, 79-71, on Dec. 10, 2016.
… Continue reading story here …
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January 18th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs fall to 0-6 in Big 12 play after 83-73 loss to Oklahoma State
… Related … CU Buffs fall flat at Oklahoma State, remain winless in Big 12 … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Turnovers and foul trouble plagued Colorado against Oklahoma State on Saturday, as the Buffaloes dropped their sixth straight game 83-73 at the Gallagher-Iba Arena Eddie Sutton Court.
Colorado (9-7, 0-6) battled Oklahoma State (10-7, 2-4), but a common theme of turnovers and three-point shooting woes, along with a season-high 29 fouls committed, did them in.
In both the first half and second half the Buffs made a three-point shot to cut the into the lead with Andrej Jakimovski in the first half to cut the lead to 24-21 and Javon Ruffin in the second half to cut the lead to 45-41. Each time the Cowboys would answer by pushing the lead back to double-digits.
Oklahoma State didn’t shoot lights out from the field as a team but shot a season-high 31-42 from the free-throw line. Five different players made at least four free throws.
Sophomore Bangot Dak led the team in scoring for the second straight game with 15 points shooting 6-8 from the field and 3-3 from the free throw line to go with five rebounds and a block.
“When we get good shots, we’re pretty darn good,” Boyle said on the turnovers. “The problem is we turn it over before we get good shots. Dead last in the league in that category [turnovers], and Oklahoma State knew it. That’s why they pressed us, why they doubled our ball screens, and we’ve got to be able to handle it better.”
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Buffs (0-5) seeking first Big 12 v. Oklahoma State (1-4) (1:00 p.m., MT, ESPN+)
… Related … Struggling CU Buffs look to end slide at Oklahoma State … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Oklahoma State, Saturday, January 18, 2025
Gallagher-Iba Arena, Stillwater, Okla.
Tip: 1:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (James Westling, Bryndon Manzer)
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 381, SXM App 971
Live Statistics: https://buffs.me/3CfciAJ
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 9-7 overall and 0-5 in Big 12 Conference play after falling to Cincinnati on January 15th. The Buffaloes are 0-5 in conference play for the first time since 2016-17, when Colorado dropped its first seven Pac-12 games before rebounding to win eight of its last 11. Overall, it’s Colorado’s first five-game skid since dropping the final five games of the 2019-20 season ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of conference and national postseason tournaments.
The Buffaloes will be playing in their third true road game of the season and looking for their first win. Colorado is 1-4 away from Boulder this season, that win coming at the Maui Invitational against defending NCAA champion UConn. Colorado will play four of its next six on the road.
ABOUT THE COWBOYS: Oklahoma State is 9-7 overall and 1-4 in the Big 12, coming off an 0-2 road trip at Utah and BYU over the last week. The Cowboys have won six of seven at home this season. OSU averages 73.4 points per game and ranks last in the Big 12 in shooting at 41.9 percent. The Cowboys are a top 30 team nationally in getting to the line (24.4 FTApg) and shoot 72.3 percent from the charity stripe. OSU allows 74.0 points per game and ranks last in field goal defense at 47 percent. The Cowboys are second in the Big 12 in steals (9.0 spg) and turnovers forced (15.3 topg).
THE SERIES: This will be the 110th meeting between Colorado and Oklahoma State in a series that dates back to 1948, 11 seasons before the Cowboys would join the Big Eight Conference. Oklahoma State holds a 61-48 all-time series lead. This will be the first meeting in 11 years, since a nonconference neutral site game in Las Vegas on Dec. 21, 2013, won by the Cowboys, 78-73. Oklahoma State has won 27 of 37 all-time meetings in Stillwater. Colorado last won in Gallagher-Iba Arena on Jan. 21, 2006, in overtime.
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January 16th
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs fall to last place in the Big 12 after 68-62 home loss to Cincinnati – Boyle: “I feel like this is the poorest coached team in America”
From CUBuffs.com … A sluggish start offensively for Colorado was too much to handle against Cincinnati, leading to a 68-62 Bearcats win Wednesday night in the CU Events Center.
The Buffs have now dropped their fifth straight contest, falling to 9-7 overall and 0-5 in the Big 12. It’s the first time Colorado has lost five consecutive games since the final five games of the 2019-20 season.
“I sound like a broken record here the last five games, but really, really disappointing, and we drop our third game at home,” head coach Tad Boyle said. “We lost one in this building the entire season last year, and now we’ve lost three and all winnable games that we weren’t good enough to win. And I told the team I feel like this is the poorest coached team in America. That’s how I feel, because the stuff that we talk about in practice, the stuff we talk about in huddles, it doesn’t translate to the games, for whatever reason which is really frustrating.”
Bangot Dak had an impressive night for the Buffs, posting a career-highs with 19 points and eight blocked shots. It’s the third most blocks ever by a CU player in a single game. Only David Harrison has swatted more balls in Colorado’s single-game history, holding the record with 11 set back in 2003.
Dak also matched personal bests in field goals made, hitting 7 of 11, and eight rebounds, as the sophomore led the charge for the Buffaloes on both ends of the court.
Trevor Baskin notched eight points, six rebounds, and two steals on the night. Freshman Sebastian Rancik added nine points on 3-for-6 shooting.
“All I want are great shots for our team, and I can’t make the shots for them, but we got to get great shots and and in order to win games down the stretch, you have to have players that make plays, or I got to do a better job of crafting some stuff offensively for them, and have more sound defensively,” Boyle stated. “And when you break down in this league, you’re going to pay for it, and that’s what our guys were doing.”
… Continue reading story here …
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January 15th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Battle for the basement: CU (0-4) taking on Cincinnati (0-4) for 15th place in the Big 12 (7:00 p.m., MT, ESPN+)
… Related … CU Buffs likely to be shorthanded in battle of winless Big 12 squads … From the Daily Camera …
CU men’s basketball coach Tad Boyle offered updates on starters Elijah Malone and RJ Smith, and while their outlooks are encouraging in the big picture, the Buffs still are likely to be without both players when they host Cincinnati on Wednesday night in a battle between the only two teams still winless in Big 12 play.
Neither Smith nor Malone played during the second half of Sunday’s loss against West Virginia. And while Boyle stopped short of ruling out the duo out against Cincinnati, he labeled the status of both players as “questionable” while saying neither practiced on Tuesday.
Malone, CU’s 6-foot-10 center, has started every game, but logged a season-low 9 minutes, 40 seconds before going to the bench with a back issue against West Virginia. Smith’s situation appeared more ambiguous following the WVU loss, as Boyle said Smith would be subjected to further testing after looking out of sorts on the CU bench.
… Continue reading story here …
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From CUBuffs.com …
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 9-6 overall and 0-4 in the Big 12 Conference play after falling to No. 21/23 (AP/Coaches) West Virginia on Jan. 12. The Buffaloes are 0-4 in conference play for the first time since 2016-17, when Colorado dropped its first seven Pac-12 games before rebounding to win eight of its last 11. Overall, it’s Colorado’s first four-game skid since dropping the final five games of the 2019-20 season ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of conference and national postseason tournaments.
ABOUT THE BEARCATS: Cincinnati is 10-5 overall and 0-4 in the Big 12, joining Colorado as the last two teams without a league win. The Bearcats are averaging 73.1 points on the season, but have been held to 55.5 points an outing over four league contests including back-to-back games of being held under 50 at Baylor and against Kansas. Cincinnati sports the seventh-best scoring defense in the country allowing just 60.5 points per game. The Bearcats guard the perimeter exceptionally well, ranking fifth in the nation in 3-point percentage defense (.271).
THE SERIES: This will be the ninth meeting between Colorado and Cincinnati and first in 42 years. Cincinnati holds a 7-1 advantage, winning the first seven before the Buffaloes picked their lone win in the last meeting between the teams, 79-65, on Dec. 18, 1982, at the CU Events Center.
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January 12th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs comeback falls short against No. 21 West Virginia; CU drops to 0-4 in Big 12 play
From the Daily Camera … Suddenly shorthanded after another turnover-filled half of basketball, Colorado refused to go away without a fight.
Yet it still wasn’t enough to pick up the elusive first win in Big 12 Conference play.
The Buffaloes staged a comeback after a dismal first half to give No. 21 West Virginia a scare, but the CU men’s basketball team never quite got over the hump while suffering a 78-70 defeat on Sunday afternoon at the CU Events Center.
West Virginia led 40-29 at halftime and extended its advantage to 14 points early in the second half before the Buffs rallied, thanks in large part to Mountaineers fouls that put CU in the bonus early and led to 28 free throw attempts in the second half.
The Buffs pulled to within two points on five different occasions but couldn’t get any closer.
CU (9-6, 0-4 Big 12) played the second half without starting center Elijah Malone, who suffered an apparent injury, and starting guard RJ Smith, who didn’t return to the bench after halftime.
Julian Hammond led the Buffs’ offense with 21 points, while Assane Diop went 8-for-8 at the free throw line before finishing with 15 points and five rebounds. A pair of free throws from Diop with 1 minute, 30 seconds remaining kept CU within 68-65, but the Mountaineers scored the next eight points to seal the Buffs’ fate.
CU committed 11 turnovers in the first half and finished with 14.
… Continue reading story here …
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Lack of consistency keeping the Buffs from posting Big 12 victories
From the Daily Camera … Anyone that has watched the Colorado men’s basketball team doesn’t need to be told the Buffaloes have been inconsistent.
Yet fixing those inconsistent points has been a source of frustration for head coach Tad Boyle, as the Buffs have also been inconsistent within their inconsistencies.
One night the defense is lackadaisical. On another, the rebounding might be lagging. During the recent two-game run on the road, the Buffs’ energy and intensity were missing in a loss at Arizona State. CU turned around and put up an excellent effort in those departments at Central Florida, only to be done in by 22 turnovers.
Even the turnovers, one of CU’s most consistent problems from the start of the season through the start of Big 12 play, have occurred from various sources. One night the frontcourt and bad passing might be to blame. The next, the backcourt and too many offensive fouls.
For Boyle and his staff, improvement certainly hasn’t been a matter of ironing out a single shortcoming or two. But the Buffs will have another opportunity to finally get in the win column in Big 12 play when CU hosts what likely will be a shorthanded No. 21-ranked West Virginia on Sunday afternoon.
“We just have no consistency. That’s the thing,” Boyle said. “Our effort was great against Iowa State, terrible against Arizona State, great against Central Florida. Whether it’s effort, whether it’s scoring production, whether it’s taking care of the ball. At Arizona State, most of our turnovers were from our frontcourt. And then our starting backcourt has 11 turnovers between them against Central Florida. Even the turnovers are inconsistent.”
… Continue reading story here …
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West Virginia, Sunday, January 12, 2025
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 1:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Ted Emrich, Tim Welsh) https://buffs.me/3WaavE0
Radio: KHOW 630 AM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 389, SXM App 979
Live Statistics: http://statb.us/b/546198
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 9-5 overall and 0-3 to open Big 12 Conference play after falling at UCF 75-74 on Jan. 8 in its second true road game of the season. The Buffaloes are 0-3 in conference play for the first time since 2016-17, when Colorado dropped its first seven Pac-12 games before rebounding to win eight of its last 11. Overall, it’s Colorado’s first three-game skid since the same time frame last year, January 4-10, 2024, all road losses at Arizona, Arizona State and California.
ABOUT THE MOUNTAINEERS: No. 23 (AP) / 21 (Coaches) ranked West Virginia is 11-3 overall and 2-1 in the Big 12. The Mountaineers saw a seven-game winning streak snapped with a 75-56 home setback to Arizona in their last outing on Jan. 7. West Virginia averages 74.2 points per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the field. The Mountaineers’ defense has been outstanding. WVU allows 63.4 points per game and ranks 15th in the nation in field goal shooting defense at 38.2 percent. The Mountaineers are even better guarding the perimeter, ranking 11th in the country in 3-point defense (.279). West Virginia tops the Big 12 in 3-point defense and in blocked shots (5.6 bpg).
THE SERIES: This will be the first meeting between Colorado and West Virginia on the hardwood. The Buffaloes have never traveled, nor played a team, from the state of West Virginia. The Mountaineers are the only team from the “new” Big 12 Colorado had never faced prior to this season.
AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: Colorado is 1-2 against ranked opponents in 2024-25 falling to a top 5 Iowa State team for the second time in a little over a month on Dec. 30. The Buffaloes faced No. 2/2 UConn and No. 5/5 Iowa State on back-to-back dates at the Maui Invitational.
… Continue reading story here …
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January 9th
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs blow ten-point lead, fall on the road to UCF
From the Daily Camera … In terms of rebounding from a listless performance, the Colorado men’s basketball team did exactly what it wanted to do in many aspects in an unfamiliar arena.
The Buffaloes posted one of their top shooting percentages of the season, posting by far their best mark in Big 12 Conference play. CU held the opposition under 40% in its own gym. The Buffs outrebounded a Big 12 foe for the first time this season and enjoyed a strong bounce-back performance offensively from their senior point guard.
But then there were the turnovers, a familiar nemesis for the Buffs. And boy, there were a lot of them.
CU kicked away a golden opportunity to pick up a road win thanks to an ugly glut of turnovers, particularly in the second half, as Central Florida rallied to top the Buffs 75-74 on Wednesday night at Addition Financial Arena.
It wasn’t a result that was difficult to dissect. The Buffs otherwise were excellent on offense, and played well enough to win defensively and on the glass. However, a season-high 22 turnovers led to a 24-10 advantage for UCF in points off turnovers. In a one-point result, that was the entire story as CU fell to 0-3 in league play for the first time since an 0-7 start in the Pac-12 in 2016-17.
“I told the team I don’t know how the hell we’re in this game when we turn it over 22 times, and they scored 24 points off our turnovers,” CU head coach Tad Boyle said. “That says something about our fight and our ability to compete. (Turnovers) have been an Achilles heel of Colorado all year long. They reared their head tonight. When we got our defense set and took care of the ball, we guarded them pretty darn well.”
The comedy of errors erased an effort that saw the Buffs shoot .522 overall, their second-best mark of the season, while going 7-for-13 on 3-pointers. Defensively, CU held UCF to a .392 mark and outrebounded the Knights 33-28. UCF posted a 7-2 advantage in the first half on second-chance points off seven offensive rebounds, but UCF had only two offensive boards and two second-chance points after halftime.
Yet on the heels of a listless loss last week at Arizona State, the Buffs suffered another road defeat despite a far superior effort thanks solely to their own miscues.
… Continue reading story here …
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January 8th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs try to regroup against UCF (5:00 p.m., MT, ESPN+) – “Nobody gets a pass for being outhustled”
UCF, Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Addition Financial Arena, Orlando, Fla.
Tip: 5:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Drew Fellios, BJ Taylor) https://buffs.me/4gJstp3
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 384, SXM App 974
Live Statistics: https://buffs.me/4a8NlmU
From the Daily Camera … The CU men’s basketball team went through a tough practice on Monday before flying to Orlando, where they will visit the Central Florida Knights for the first time as Big 12 Conference rivals on Wednesday night.
The Buffs are coming off arguably their most frustrating effort of the season, losing by 20 points at Arizona State against a Sun Devils squad missing its leading scorer. A loss is one thing. But after watching his team get outrebounded and outhustled at ASU, CU head coach Tad Boyle hinted changes might be in store if the Buffs continue trending the wrong direction.
“You have to decide as a coach, what are the non-negotiables?” Boyle said. “Because we can’t lower the standards of our program for one team or one guy. The standards are the standards, and we have to live up to the standards. And we’re not doing that right now. Number one is making that crystal clear to the guys. The standards that we set for this program are not being adhered to with our defensive effort and our rebounding effort.
“The second thing is, the 50-50 balls … that’s unacceptable. That’s a non-negotiable. You don’t give them a pass for that. Nobody gets a pass for getting outhustled, or getting out-toughed. I have to be not emotional about how I react but make them understand. I think we did that at practice (Monday).”
After battling commendably against No. 3 Iowa State in the Big 12 opener, the Buffs fell flat in all facets at ASU. CU shot a season-low .125 (3-for-24) from 3-point range and was outrebounded 38-34. Including a nonconference game against ISU at the Maui Invitational, the Buffs have been outrebounded by all three of their Big 12 opponents.
… Continue reading story here …
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ABOUT THE KNIGHTS: UCF is 10-3 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12. The Knights defeated Texas Tech on the road in their league opener 87-83, but fell at home to Kansas on Jan. 5, 99-48. UCF averages 78.8 points on 42.2 shooting. The Knights lead the Big 12 in free throws at 18.8 made per game and rank second in free throw shooting at 77.5 percent. Defensively, UCF allows 76.6 points while opponents shoot 43.1 percent.
Junior forward Keyshawn Hall leads UCF at 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Senior guard Darius Johnson averages 14.5 points, leading the Knights in 3-point field goals (33), assists (55) and steals (38). Johnson’s 2.9 steals per game average leads the Big 12 and ranks sixth in the nation. Freshman center Moustapha Thiam is 10th in the country in blocked shots at 2.5 per game while pitching in 7.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
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January 5th
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs not competitive in 81-61 road loss to Arizona State – Boyle: “They got whatever they wanted”
From CUBuffs.com … A first half offensive explosion by Arizona State along with some Colorado shooting woes led to an 81-61 decision in favor of the Sun Devils Saturday afternoon at Desert Financial Arena.
Colorado trailed by double digits early in the game and could not mount a comeback to capture its first Big 12 Conference win of the season, falling to 9-4 (0-2) on the year while ASU improves to 10-3 (1-1).
Trailing by as much as 23 in the first half, the Buffaloes went on a 10-0 run in the final 2:35 minutes of the period to cut the deficit to 13 with another 20 minutes to play.
Graduate transfer Trevor Baskin scored a season-high 23 points on 9 of 14 from the floor with 10 rebounds, four steals, two assists, and a block. It marks his second double-double as a Buff and 24th of his collegiate career. It’s also the first time he has logged 20 or more points in his time at CU.
The Buffs got a hefty 40 points from their bench. Javon Ruffin, Sebastian Rancik, and Harrison Carrington combined for 17 of those points, in addition to Baskin’s 23.
Arizona State’s BJ Freeman posted a season-high 19 points in the win.
The difference was a season-low field goal percentage (34.8%) and three-point field goal percentage (12.5%) by the Buffaloes, with the combination of the Sun Devils shooting 51.9% from the field and 46.4% from beyond the arc.
“They just had whatever they wanted,” head coach Tad Boyle stated. “They’d beat us inside, they’d beat us outside. They got whatever they wanted. And we just didn’t. We didn’t dictate at all with our defense. We were on our heels. It felt like the whole night, both offensively and defensively.”
… Continue reading story here …
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January 4th – Game Day!
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs take on Arizona State in first Big 12 road test
From CUBuffs.com …
Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz.
ABOUT THE SUN DEVILS: Arizona State is 9-3 overall, dropping its Big 12 opener at BYU, 76-56 on Dec. 31. The Sun Devils will be playing just their fifth home game of the season and first in over a month, since a 90-53 win over San Diego on Dec. 3. ASU averages 76.7 points while shooting 45.2 percent from the field. The Sun Devils shoot 36.7 from 3-point range, ranking fourth in the Big 12. Defensively, Arizona State allows 71.8 points while opponents shoot 41.5 percent. ASU ranks third in the Big 12 in blocked shots at 5.3 per game.
Joson Sanon leads Arizona State in scoring at 13.5 points per game with a team-best 28 3-point field goals, shooting 48.3 percent from downtown. Basheer Jihad averages 13.3 points on 46.9 percent from the field. Jayden Quaintance leads Arizona State in rebounding at 8.1 per game and tops the Big 12 in blocked shots at 3.2 per game.
THE SERIES: This will be the 29th meeting between Colorado and Arizona State with the Buffaloes holding a 16-12 edge in the series. The teams split last year’s Pac-12 Conference battles, both winning at home. Arizona holds a 9-4 advantage in Tempe although three of those Colorado wins have come in the last four trips.
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31 Replies to “Colorado Basketball”
Tad falls into my “good coach” category, his teams play to the talent level he has (which might include a natty if he had KU talent), as opposed to JR Payne (who falls into the “great coach” category) who coaches teams to play above their talent level. That’s the difference between Sweet 16 appearances vs no Sweet 16 appearances.
I disagree with the “natty” part. 64 teams in the country get selected for dance. With 3 draft picks on his team the Buffs had to play into the tournament and didnt reach the sweet 16. The turnover problem is chronic with Tad’s teams and reflects a lack of discipline on offense.
The individual talent on this team isnt as bad as the record. The points theyare scoring are due to their individual talent. Without working as a team, which this one really needs to do without a star to carry them, if they would work as a synchronized machine on offense they would win some games. W/o that scoring at crunch time becoms harder.
Yea I know it was 3, but Cody was drafted on potential, did he look like a top 10 ready to play NBA BB to you? As far as the individual talent goes….maybe, but this team was thrown together (as many teams are these days) and like I said at the beginning of the season, if they had a winning record and an NIT bid that would be a win and a solid coaching job, but that isn’t going to happen, so not a good job this year.
No Cody did not. He did show some flashes of great ability but he was hamstrung like everyone else with Tad’s lack of attention to the offense end of the floor. I accidentally tuned into an NBA game where Cody was on the floor holding his own but I didnt stay long enough to even remember what team he was with.
Tad’s excuses sound like a self own to me when it comes to vetting a recruit
How do top “50” teams keep playing top “50” basketball 🏀 level recruiting and sustainability.. Learn Tad learn .. To late.. Yikes.. Every bowl game was fun to watch and competitive except Alamo.. Go Buffs learn 👊👊..
Hope they play well against OSU and continue to see development. I’m not a Tad hater, but I do think there is room for him to question his approach. Real leaders as Coaches (see Prime, Saban, etc.) just demand through expectations that things happen, they don’t have to talk about it in the press, make players run laps etc. A player doesn’t doesn’t want to let their Coach down with turnovers, etc., and that has proved to not be Tad’s strength. More importantly, I question his personality and vision, not the man’s effort or commitment to CU. (1) Personality shows in his repeatedly coaching the u18 team, yet those star players don’t sign with him! If Deion coached them, their parents or the kids would be saying, “I want to play for HIM at CU, and THEY DONT!
2) Why is he signing 5 freshman for next year? Where is the vision to save a slot for a strong transfer Center we will need badly in 26? Dak can’t do it alone and the nice incoming Freshman has potential but won’t cut it right away. Again we will lose games we should win. The days of growing the team over 5 years span are dwindling. Why isn’t Tad out digging up NIL money, Deion sure did. Tad lost starters Lumpkin and Hadley strictly over money (not you Luke) and image how much better we’d be if they’d stayed? Tads got to get with the new age. If he can’t do it alone, get a hot young Coach to be more of the CU recruiting FACE and push them forward to raise money and recruit better. Don’t mention 5* Williams, sooner or later we’d sign one. We got Wright and Simpson by default, they didn’t want CU as 1st choice, but why not? CU should be a great BB school, if our Coach pays his cards better. Go Buffs, I only want the best for CU and the team.
Ummmm….Tad is not Deion, not even in the same universe, maybe if we had Lebron come coach here, then you could compare…
Tad very briefly does a self own in a quote I saw in USA Today when he says this is the poorest coached team in the country and then immediately turns around and puts it on the back of the players .
Most of the years Tad has a player or two who has carries the team on offense. Wright and the the intensity of Simpson etc. There doesn’t appear to be one of those guys this year but there is enough talent to win if they learn to play as a team on offense and quit throwing the ball away. Hopefully they will get a little help in that regard.
Are you telling me this rag-tag team of new starters and transfers, two of whom apparently got hurt in the game – played it close to the #21 team in the country? And before that, they took the #3 team in the country to the wire? And actually previously beat the #2 team in the country? Dang, that’s one way to look at it. Still getting pummeled in the Big 16, but that was mostly expected this year. Hopefully some more games air outside of ESPN+, so I can actually watch a bit. I’m curious how their season will go from here.
Go Buffs
Well the Buffs out rebounded WV but still couldn’t pull it off. Still winless in the Conference. NIT? really really doubt it.
Cue earache for the umpteenth time to sarcastically say fire Tad. But he is right. We shouldn’t fire Tad. He has built a respectable program but it has obviously hit a ceiling.
What RG should do is start looking for an improved replacement. Not a big rush. Make sure you land the right guy and let Tad retire with dignity.
And if someone wants to reply that he doesn’t have the players just remember he had 3 draft picks on the last team
*SO….COACH TAD SEZ, “(TURNOVERS ) HAVE BEEN AN ACHILLES HEEL OF COLORADO ALL YEAR LONG.” NO SH – – SHERLOCK….. HOW ABOUT “SINCE TIME IMMORTAL.”
TAD IS SPELLED “T-O”……AS IN T/O FOREVER.
IS IT “PASSING SCHEMES ?” OR…IS IT “NO BALL PROTECTION ?” OR…. ALL OF THE PREVIOUS.
IT’S DEFINITELY BEEN A PERENNIAL PROBLEM.
HAVE THE WHOLE TEAM CARRY A BASKETBALL EVERYWHERE ALL WEEK LONG….EVERYWHERE WHEN THEY T/O MORE THAN 10 A GAME. I DEMAND IT…. DAMN IT.
A structured offense would help. Knowing where your help should be might help things quite a bit. I saw where Tad put it all on the players. D and bounds arent everything, I remember once when Tad was asked about this he actually said the offense will take care of itself.
AGREE E.P…..A STRUCTURED OFFENSE WOULD BE NICE.
DISCIPLINE WOULD HELP……… CARRYING A BB AROUND UNTIL THE NEXT GAME WOULD IMPROVE DISCIPLINE.
LIKE I SAID, THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH TAD’S TEAMS STRETCHING BACK WAAAAY TOO LONG.
SAD HEARING THAT COACH Mac PASSED. HE WAS A GOOD MAN WHO (HAD) TEAM DISCIPLINE. R.I.P. COACH.
Seems like consistency might be the issue for this team, this year. Not too unexpected given it’s basically an entirely new starting group. Beat UConn, played tough against isu, got thumped by asu.
Can they find a rhythm? We’ll see.
Go Buffs
I couldn’t watch the game but the shots werent falling. Were they getting open shots? or was ASU playing the D that Tad dreams of? This was bad and doesnt portend well for the rest of the season.
If the Buffs had cut those turnovers in half and scored on half the possessions they saved this game would have been tied. Still waiting for Tad to coach O.
Nice win but the womens team over a ranked WV team last night.👍
Tad’s comment “I think we kind of mailed it in after halftime”. Note to Tad, don’t schedule teams like Bellarmine it you want to maintain player interest after halftime.
and I hope there is no lingering effects now that the heavy lifting begins
I dont follow the CSU hoops team but I gather they are missing a couple of key players from last year. I just checked their schedule and they lost to at least one of the precon powder puffs they played. The fact that Hammond and Dak weren’t offered just reignited my interest in how these kids are scouted. I’m guessing Baskin developed to his level while on the West slope but it seemed he did have a pretty good senior year in high school. The current Ram coach may not have been here when Hammond and Dak graduated.
I have only hung with scouts twice while they were scouting an event. Once was at the C. Springs AAA league baseball game where there were 2 from different organizations yukking it up together with several beers and didnt appear to be watching the game as intently as a fan. The other was when I was watching my son’s tournament Hockey game in Seattle. The scout was there to watch a kid on my son’s team who had a skating (not hockey)celebrity relative. There 3 or 4 kids on the team clearly better than the scout’s focus. I pointed them out to the scout but he obviously wasnt interested. One of the kids he wasnt interested in spent at least 5 years in the NHL.
Apples and oranges but it also interests me that the Broncos ate almost 40 million dollars to get rid of Wilson who is now leading the Steelers to the playoffs. Finding Nix heals the wound somewhat but I guess systems matter.
I only got to watch part of the second half when the Buffs were en fuego but it looked like they were moving well without the ball and making timely passes instead of the lazy or panicked ones that turn into turnovers. this led to open looks for shots…..THAT WENT IN! Please tell me this game was not a fluke and the MSU one was. Even if UCon is down somewhat on talent they are still a well coached team.
Well, that oughta be good for this young team’s confidence. Uconn’s not the same as the last two years, but that’s still a nice win for Tad and the crew. That should pay dividends in Big 16 play.
Wait a minute. Is CU going to be good at football and basketball at the same time?
Go Buffs
Perhaps Tad will have lunch with Prime.
Go All Buff Teams
I’ll be surprised if CU has a winning record and makes the NIT this year. Toughest basketball conference in the nation, a ton of new faces…..hmmmm, doesn’t look good.🤔
I have some optimism about the new faces. Its the continuing turnover problem that has concerned me every year. Its a glaring sign Tad needs to pay more attention to the offense or at least hire a competent assistant who would. I thought Manning might be that guy but it might be handled better by a retired accomplished point guard. Tad triples down on the Buff’s D but doesn’t seem to appreciate enough the opponent’s D.
At this point I think they can have a winning record and get an NIT invite, that’s a solid job by Boyle this season if he makes it happen.
Tad’s teams always start the season slow… hopefully the players start waking up!
Eastern Washington aint Duke but they are always a respectable team. With almost everyone else savaging powder puff programs early in the season its hard to tell who is going to rise to the top or fall off. One game that brought me a smile was Gonzaga eviscerating Baylor. I’m always up for eviscerating Baylor.
There are encouraging signs with the Buffs. Balanced Scoring AND rebounding. Malone only played a little over a quarter of the game and got 7 rebounds. Its early but is Baskin going to fill DaSilva’s shoes? Is Rancik the dependable 3 that the Buffs never seem to get?
But then there are the turnovers. seems like always the turnovers. The Buffs got past them here but they better tighten up fast. The Maui Invitational is coming up in 3 weeks full of some of the best teams in the country including UConn
“Glaring rebounding void?”
Isn’t a little early for that proclamation?
Maybe rooney is trying to transfer a little of that chip on his shoulder
Fine. I’ll do it. I’ll kick the basketball season off right. It’s inevitable if I don’t, someone else will. But they’ll be serious about it.
Fire Tad.
Go Buffs