MBB Hosts Old Dominion Wednesday in NIT 1st Round
BUFF TIDBITS: CU brings a 16-game consecutive winning streak (since Jan. 8, 2004) against non-conference opponents into tonight's game (two wins in 2003-04; seven each in 2004-05 and 2005-06)...CU is 14-1 at home this season matching a school best 14-1 record in 2002-03, tonight's win will set a school record for most wins at home...Big 12 Tournament wrap: CU finished with a 1-1 record, improved to 6-2 in first round games, dropped to 0-8 in quarterfinal match ups...CU's 18 free throws against Baylor was their sixth game this season with 18 or more made from the charity stripe...After starting the season on fire from the 3-point arc, the Buffs have netted 10 or more treys only once since playing at Nebraska (Feb. 22). Since then CU is averaging only 4.8 in their last five games and only 6.0 in their last nine games...CU has broken the school 3-point record they set last year (223) with 236 made and 682 attempted...CU is shooting below 40% percent from the field in their last four games, and six of their last seven (Missouri, .444)...Double-double watch: Richard Roby has two of CU's three double-doubles (Texas Tech, Utah); Andy Osborn has the other (Cal Poly)...Marcus Hall is five assist from ninth all-time at CU in assists (87 games, 290, 3.3 apg)...Roby is four steals from the top-10 (109)...Glean Eddy has tied Blair Wilson for most games without fouling out (119)...Chris Copeland is three blocks from seventh on the all-time list (88).
CU vs. Old Dominion: Tonight is the first match up between the two schools. ODU represents the Colonial Athletic Association, the same conference of UNC Wilmington, CU's opponent to begin the 2005-06 season. The Monarchs also beat the Seahawks, 64-59 in their lone meeting this season. Overall, the Buffaloes are 3-2 against the CAA (1-1 vs. George Mason; 1-1 vs. Virginia Commonwealth, 1-0 vs. UNC Wilmington).
QUICKLY on the Monarchs: Old Dominion enters tonight's game with 21-9 record after finishing fourth overall in the CAA. ODU was upset in the CAA Tournament quarterfinals by Northeastern, 71-63. Prior to the upset loss, the Monarchs had won four straight and six of their last eight. ODU is coached by fifth-year head coach Blaine Taylor (90-57). A pair of Monarchs earned post-season conference honors: Alex Loughton, Second Team and Isaiah Hunter, Third Team. Loughton was the CAA Player of the Year last season and preseason Player of the Year this year.
CU's NIT History: This will be the fourth NIT appearance for a Ricardo Patton coached team in his 10 years at Colorado. Back in 1999-2000, CU lost to Southern Illinois, 94-92 in Boulder; in 1998-99, CU defeated Pepperdine, 65-61 at home and then lost at Colorado State, 86-76. Most recently, the Buffaloes lost to Oregon, 77-72 in overtime back in 2003-04. Overall, CU is 8-6 in NIT games in their history. The Buffaloes won the NIY in 1940 was a runner up in 1938.
what'S AHEAD IF: The Buffaloes are the No. 4 seed in their bracket, while the Monarchs are No. 5. In the other bracket, the No. 9 and 10 seeds, Fairleigh Dickinson and Manhattan will play against each other with the winner to face No. 1 seed Maryland at College Park, Md. The higher seeded team in the NIT is the host school. If CU/Maryland advance, the Buffaloes and Terrapins will play March 20 at College Park, Md. in the second round.
First Team All-Big 12: Richard Roby earned his highest honor as a Buffalo being named to the 2005-06 All-Big 12 First Team. Roby is just the fourth CU player to garner Big 12 Conference first team honors since David Harrison during the 2003-04 season (Jaquay Walls, 1999-2000; Chauncey Billups, 1996-97).
Roby, a 6-6 sophomore guard from San Bernardino, Calif., leads the Buffaloes in numerous categories including points per game (17.4), rebounds (5.6), assists (2.5), steals (2.1), and 3-pointers made (63). He has scored 504 points this season and 984 in his two seasons (25th on the CU all-time scoring list, 16.7 ppg., 59 games). Roby also holds CU's top-six scoring games (33, 30, 29, 28, 27, 24) this season.
20 win seasons: Coach Patton teams have won three 20-win seasons in his 10 years. In fact, in school history, Coach Patton teams have three of the school's four. This year (20-9, NIT); 2002-03 (20-12) and in 1996-97 (22-10) -- both NCAA Tournament teams.
18+ WINNING SEASONs: In CU's 105-year history of basketball, head coach Ricardo Patton has guided the Buffaloes to six of the school's 11, 18-plus winning seasons.
LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP: It has been evident that the Buffs' affinity to shoot the ball from long range this season has turned against them down the stretch. In the first 20 games of the season, the Buffs made 182-of-469 (.388) three pointers, or an average of 9.1 per game. Since then, they have shot just 54-of-213 (.254) from beyond the arc, for an average of six per game. In the first 20 games, the Buffs hit double-digit totals in three pointers made 10 times; in their last nine games, they have topped the mark only once (11-of-34 at Nebraska). During the same late stretch, CU's opponents have topped 10 three-pointers made four times after only reaching the mark twice in the first 20 games.
FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE: Inversely related to the Buffs' poor three-point shooting over their last nine games is their improvement from the free throw line. In the first 20 games, CU made just 245-of-397 (.617) free throws. In their last nine games, the Buffs have converted on 139-of-188 (.740) free throws, which would have tied them for second place in school history for free throw percentage if they were able to stretch that feat for the entire season.
BOARDS: The Buffs are 19-3 on the season when out-rebounding an opponent. In CU's seven games where they pulled down less rebounds than its opponent, they were 1-7. The lone win was against Oklahoma State in overtime.
STACKING UP THE NUMBERS: To this date, the Buffs have accumulated better totals/averages than their opponents in every statistical category. The two categories where they ranked below their combined opponents is three-point field goal percentage (CU .346; opponents .357) and free throw percentage (CU .656; opponents .662). Categories where the Buffs hold an overwhelming margin over their opponents are steals (CU 247; opponents 155) and blocks (CU 167; opponents 100).
SECOND ROUND RIFT: Against Texas A&M in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championship, the Buffs hit season lows in a couple of categories. Their 53 points?24 below their season average?were the fewest points scored this season. CU has not won a game all season when scoring fewer than 65 points (their total against Baylor in the first round of the Big 12 Championship). The Buffs' field goal percentage of .300 was also easily the worst shooting performance of the season, and their .160 percentage from the three-point line was CU's second-worst display of the season (they shot .136 from behind the arc in a victory over Missouri). Their 10 assists against the Aggies tied for the fewest in the season, sans their meaningless total against Savannah State when they had seven.
Short list of team accolades: CU's upset of No. 19 Oklahoma in front of a nationally televised audience back on Feb. 15 made it the fourth straight season CU has defeated a nationally ranked opponent a home.
CU was ranked for two weeks as the No. 25 school in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll at the end of January, beginning of Feb. The back-to-back weekly rankings were a team-first since the 1996-97 season.
This season, CU won 19 games, the eighth time in the school's 105-year history this feat was accomplished.
CU matched their best home record for wins in a season with 14 set back in 2002-03 (14-1).
CU has broken the school record for made 3-pointers and attempts (682) in a season surpassing last year's mark of 223. Right now they have 236.
CU started the season 10-1 and during that stretch won nine straight. The 10-1 start matches the 1978-79 season, 26 years ago, and the 1968-69 seasons, 36 years ago.
CU beat Oklahoma State 80-78 back on Jan. 21 for the Buffaloes first win at Gallagher-Iba Arena since Jan. 12, 1980, a stretch of 20 games. CU also hadn't won at Missouri since the 1996-97 season and only the second time in Columbia since Jan. 15, 1973, a span of 32 games.
During the conference play from Jan. 14-Jan. 28, the Buffs won five consecutive conference games for the first time since the 1996-97 season. It was their best start to a conference season since 1996-97. The 5-2 mark is the 14th time CU has started 5-2 or better in league play in 59 years.
NIT TIDBIT: Colorado is one of only 14 schools to have played in the NCAA and NIT Tournaments in the same year. In 1940, CU won the NIT, then lost in the NCAA first round. M.V.P. of the NIT was Bob Doll.
ROBY BITS: A career 74 percent free throw shooter, Richard Roby has been clutch from the line as of late. In his past seven conference games (since Texas A&M, Feb. 8), including his two games conference tournament games, he is a combined 47-of-55 (.855) from the charity stripe. His improved scoring output from the line has helped to offset his shooting slump from behind the three-point arc. In the past nine games, Roby has shot just 12-of-60 (.200) from the three-point line.
BIG 12 LEADERS: Marcus Hall is tied for first (he was all alone all season) this week in assist-turnover ratio (2.13) in all games played. In conference-only games played, Hall ranks fourth (2.06). In all games played, CU ranks first in scoring (77.4), rebounding (41.1), blocked shots (5.76), offensive rebounding (15.8), and 3-pointers made (8.14). In conference-only games (which are now FINAL), the Buffs were first in 3-pointers made (8.5), blocks (5.9), offensive rebounding (16.3), and rebounding (40.2)
FREE THROWS WHEN IT COUNTS: For most of the season, CU's not very good from the charity stripe (11th- all games, 10th in conference all games). Here's CU at the free throw line with the game on the line with five and two minutes remaining:
With 2-5 minutes to play...
Chris Copeland 7-7 1.000
Marcus Hall 3-3 1.000
Julius Ashby 1-1 1.000
Martane Freeman 16-20 .800
Dominique Coleman 4-6 .667
Richard Roby 9-14 .643
Calvin Williams 3-6 .500
Antoine McGee 1-2 .500
Scott Senger 1-2 .500
Jayson Obazuaye 1-4 .250
Lamont Arrington 0-1 .000
last 2 minutes remaining ...
Glean Eddy 10-12 .833
Marcus Hall 8-13 .769
Andy Osborn 3-4 .750
Chris Copeland 6-9 .667
Dominique Coleman 4-6 .667
Martane Freeman 4-7 .571
Richard Roby 8-16 .500
Julius Ashby 1-2 .500
Calvin Williams 2-4 .500
Jayson Obazuaye 2-5 .400
Overtime
Richard Roby 0-1 .000
STREAKS, RUNS, TRENDS: Marcus Hall has at least five or more assists in 12 games; two or more steals in 11 games; two of more treys in nine games; and 50 percent of FGs made in nine games. Richard Roby has had seven or more rebounds in 11 games; made 50 percent of his shots in 10 games; three treys made in 10 games; four or more assists (seven games), three or more steals (10 games) and has at least three rebounds in 28 of 29 games (at KSU);
- Andy Osborn has made a three-pointer in his last 22 of 25 games 0-for-5 vs. Mizzou, and 25 of 29 overall;
- Chris Copeland has blocked a shot in 20 of 29 games;
- Marcus King-Stockton has at least one rebound in 27 of 29 games;
- Julius Ashby has at least one rebound in all 21 games he's played in.
4-Point plays: There have been three 4-point plays and one failed attempt at a 4-point play (missed free throw). Here they are:
vs. St. Mary's (Nov. 26): 8:03 (1st Half), Richard Roby 3-Pointer, Assisted by Copeland. Roby Made Free Throw.
vs. Oklahoma (Feb. 15): 16:15 (2nd Half), Richard Roby 3-Pointer, Assisted by Copeland. Roby Made Free Throw.
vs. Texas A&M (March 10): 3:58 (1st Half), Richard Roby 3-Pointers, Assisted by Marcus Hall. Roby Made Free Throw.
Failed attempt at 4-point play: at TCU (Dec. 20): 11:23 (1st Half), Richard Roby 3-Pointer, Assisted by Senger. MISSED Free Throw.
TOP 25 RANKINGS: Colorado was ranked for two weeks as the No. 25 school in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. The back-to-back weekly ranking were the first since the 1996-97 season. This week the Buffs received 22 votes in the coaches' poll, while in the AP poll, received 13 votes. Prior to last week, CU last made either poll in 1997 at No. 24 (Associated Press). The others were 1969 (#18), 1963 (#10), 1962 (#9) and 1955 (#15).