Buffs Host Bulldogs In Nationally Televised Game
GAME #6 vs. Georgia Bulldogs (4-2, 0-0 SEC)
Monday, Nov. 28, 6:36 p.m. (MST); Coors Events Center (11,043)
Television: FSN/ROOT Sports.
Announcers: Steve Physioc (pbp), Marques Johnson (analyst), Rebecca Haarlow (reporter)
760 KKZN: Mark Johnson (pbp), Chris Lewis (analyst)
Series vs. UGA: Georgia leads 6-1 (1-2 at Boulder; 0-4 at Athens)
CU vs. SEC: 2-9; UGA defeated CU in 2010-11, 83-74. UGA has defeated CU by an average of six points in last 3 meetings since 2001.
QUICKLY: Colorado brings a 25-consecutive home game winning streak in non-conference play into tonight's game. The Buffs were 12-0 last season, 8-0 in 2009-10, and won their last four in 2008-09. The 25-game streak ranks second all-time in school history. The Buffs won 35 in a row at home from Dec. 4, 1976 thru Dec. 5, 1981 - Andre Roberson currently is averaging a double-double (10.4 ppg., 11.4 rpg.) and looking to become CU's first double-double guy since Stephane Pelle in 2001-02 (12.8 ppg., 10.8 rpg). He has eight career doubles, three this year (16 games w/ 10 or more rebounds) - Senior Austin Dufault will reach 100 career starts in his four-year career (106 overall). The 100 starts is seventh in school history - Starting Monday, Nov. 28, the Buffs will play their next 10 games in the state of Colorado, nine are at home.
LAST YEAR AT ATHENS: In the second game of the 2010-11 season, Gerald Robinson scored 21 points with six assists as Georgia broke a 33-33 halftime tie with an 83-74 win. Despite shooting only 27-of-43 (.628) from the free throw line, Georgia placed two others with 19 and 17 points. CU shot only 41.5 percent from the field. Of the CU players returning from a year ago, Austin Dufault scored 13 points with five rebounds. Last year's box score is attached at the end of the notes packet.
SERIES with GEORGIA: The Bulldogs lead the all-time series, 6-1 and won the last six in the series dating back to 1991 when CU won the first meeting at the Mile High Classic in Boulder.
SCORING: The last two years Cory Higgins and Alec Burks were leading the team in scoring every game, this season the Buffs have had three different scorers after five games. Carlon Brown has led twice, Austin Dufault, Andre Roberson and Nate Tomlinson, all once.
CU CONSECUTIVE HOME WINNING STREAKS (NON-CONFERENCE PLAY)
35 games: Dec. 4, 1976 - Dec. 5, 1981
25 games: Dec. 10, 2008 - present
17 gms.: Dec. 22, 1997 - Dec. 15, 2000
17 gms.: Dec. 10, 1981 - Dec. 27, 1983
17 gms.: Dec. 5, 1966 - Dec. 11, 1969
17 gms: Dec. 14, 1959 - Dec. 16, 1963
16 gms.: Jan. 8, 2004 - Jan. 3, 2006
REBOUNDING: Andre Roberson has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in four of five games. With 57 rebounds, it's his best five-game total of his career. With 354 rebounds, he ranks 50th all-time on the CU record book. The lone game where he failed to grab 10 or more rebounds was Western Michigan. He was plagued with early foul trouble in both halves, but did have six rebounds in 11 minutes. Currently he leads the Pac-12 in overall rebounding and on the defensive glass (8.4).
ASSIST-TURNOVER RATIO: Point-guard Nate Tomlinson scored 16 of his team-high 19 points at Air Force with a career-tying four, three-pointers, Tomlinson leads the Buffs with 18 assists (8 turnovers). The senior from Sydney, Australia has a career 1.66 assist-to-turnover ratio ranking eighth all-time at CU.
RECORD BOOKS: Nate Tomlinson's four treys at Air Force gives him a total of 123 passing Chauncey Billups (120, 1995-97) for 10th place. Cory Higgins is ninth (125, 2007-11); Mack Tuck (126, 1993-96); Levi Knutson (2007-11) and Donnie Boyce (1991-95) are tied for sixth (129). Andre Roberson is on the outside of the top-26 in career blocked shots. With 49 currently, he's four from tying Larry Vaculik (53, 1975-78).
COUNTDOWN TO 1,000: Senior guard Carlon Brown scored 854 points in three years with Utah. Entering his final collegiate season, Brown has scored 81 points as a Buff (16.2 ppg.) giving him 935 career points. In 103 career games played, he is averaging 9.1 ppg.
SAN JUAN RECAP: The Buffs went 1-2 at the Fifth Annual 5-hour ENERGY-« Puerto Rico Tip-off in San Juan. The same record they achieved back in November 1998. The Buffs lost to Kentucky (64-52) and Xavier (74-61), and defeated American-Puerto Rico (101-56). CU last won a mid-season tourney in 2003 when they won the Pepsi Classic in Charlotte defeating Louisiana-Lafayette (75-56), Charlotte (76-74) and Loyola-Chicago (76-72).
RECEIVING VOTES...Pac-12 Player of the Week: Although not selected by the Pac-12, however selected as CU's Athlete of the Week, senior guard Carlon Brown averaged 17.3 points and four rebounds over three games leading Colorado to a 1-2 record in San Juan. Brown's biggest game was a game-high 23 points with six rebounds and four assists helping the Buffaloes defeat Western Michigan, 81-76 on the final day. The Riverside, Calif. native scored 15 of his 23 points in the second half as the Buffs rallied from a four-point half-time deficit. CU trailed by as many as 12 midway through the first half. Over the three games, Brown shot 52.6 percent from the field (20-of-38) and 88.9 percent (8-of-9) from the free throw line. Brown also scored a team-high 15 points in the loss against Wichita State and 14 points in the loss to Maryland.
LAST TIME UGA IN BOULDER: You remember, don't you? I do. It's the only home loss (14-1) during the 2002-03 season (last NCAA Tourney team). In a half that featured 10 tied scores and six lead changes, UGA's Jonas Hayes three-pointer with .00.2 seconds left captured a 71-70 victory. Hayes took the inbounds pass from half court, pick the ball up and heaved it to the basket, banking it off the backboard. The Buffs held a four-point lead with 11 seconds remaining. A three-pointer from Jarvis Hayes narrowed the gap to one. CU connected on one of two free throws with five seconds remaining, setting up the Bulldogs last-ditch effort. Colorado was 12-of-22 from the free throw line including a pair of crucial misses in the game's final minute as the Buffs dropped their second consecutive contest to fall to 2-2 on the year.
CRASHING THE BOARDS: Andre Roberson made a name for himself in Boulder last year shattering the freshman record with 297 rebounds. By the way, he also set the freshman record for steals (51) and blocks (42) in his initial season becoming just the fourth Big 12 Conference player to lead all three categories for his team (others were: Michael Beasley, Kansas State; Antoine Wright, Texas A&M; Kevin Durant, Texas).
BLOCKS & BOARDS: Andre Roberson became the sixth CU freshman to lead the team in blocked shots (the others: Shane Harris-Tunks, David Harrison, Stephane Pelle, Carlton Carter, Matt Bullard). In addition, Roberson was 100th nationally in rebounding per game (7.8 rpg.) and tied for fifth nationally in freshman rebounding (only player with zero starts). Of the top six freshman rebounders, Roberson ranked second of the six per 40 minutes on the glass.
ROOT SPORTS: The CU men's basketball team will be featured live eight times on ROOT SPORTSTM during the 2011-12 season. The network's schedule also includes five Pac-12 matchups. All eight telecasts are at the Coors Events Center where CU set four attendance records a year ago during its 24-win campaign, the most victories in school history. Eighteen of the 24 wins under head coach Tad Boyle occurred at home, including five sellouts. Drew Goodman will handle play-by-play duties for all CU men's basketball broadcasts, along with former CU women's basketball coach Ceal Barry (analyst) and Alanna Rizzo (sideline reporter). All CU men's basketball events air throughout the Rocky Mountain territory and will be available nationally on DIRECTV and DISH Network.
NEXT YEAR: The University of Colorado men's basketball team will be one of eight schools invited to participate at the 2012 DIRECTV Charleston Classic presented by Foster Grant, Nov. 15, 16 and 18 at TD Arena in Charleston, S.C. The tournament to be held Thursday, Friday and Sunday, features the Buffaloes, Baylor, Boston College, Charleston, Dayton, St. John's and Southern Illinois. This marks the fifth straight year CU will be participating in a mid-season tournament. Presently the Buffs are participating at the 2011 5-hour ENERGY-« Puerto Rico Tip-Off in San Juan. Last year they participated at the iBN Las Vegas Classic; in 2009-10 at the EA Sports Maui Invitational; and in 2008-09 at the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu. The 2012 Charleston Classic will feature 12 games over the three days. Each team will compete in one game per day, advancing through a bracket-tournament format. The two teams that remain undefeated throughout will face off in a championship match Sunday, Nov. 18.