Booker Named Pac-12 Player of the Week

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – For the second time this season, junior guard Askia Booker was named Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for play from Dec. 30-Jan. 5, the conference office announced Monday. 

The Los Angeles, Calif. native averaged 20.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game as the Buffs opened conference play on their home court with victories against Oregon State and then-No. 10/9 Oregon. Booker recorded a career-high 27 points in the 100-91 upset win over Oregon, posting a season-best seven rebounds with four assists and a steal.

The junior shot 8-of-16 from the field (.500 FG percentage) and 10-of-12 from the charity stripe (.833 FT percentage). In the 64-58 win over Oregon State, Booker went 3-of-10 in field goals and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. He also tallied four rebounds, four steals, and two assists to go with his team-high 13 points. 

It marks the third career weekly honor for Booker, who earned his second earlier this year on Dec. 9 and his first as a sophomore on Nov. 19, 2012.  It is CU’s fifth player of the week honor all-time since joining the Pac-12.

Booker joins Oregon State’s Roberto Nelson as the only multiple conference winners this season. 

Also announced Monday, the CU men’s basketball team (13-2, 2-0 Pac-12) moved up in both Top-25 national polls as the No. 15 team in Associated Press, and No. 17 in the USA Today/Coaches’ Poll, respectively. Last week, they were No. 20 and No. 24 in the respective polls.

The No. 15 AP ranking is the highest since being No. 10 team in the 1969-70 preseason poll. In addition, the No. 15 ranking matches CU’s No. 15 nod during the 1996-97 campaign where they held that slot for two consecutive weeks from Feb. 4 and Feb. 11, 1997.

It’s the fifth consecutive week the Buffs have been ranked in the AP poll.

In the USA Today/Coaches’ Poll, the Buffs moved up significantly from last week’s No. 24 ranking, where they held that spot for three straight weeks, moved up to No. 17. It’s the highest CU ranking in the Coaches Poll since being No. 19 in 2012-13 (Nov. 26-Dec. 2). 

The Buffs head to the Pacific Northwest this week traveling to face Washington State and Washington. Colorado faces the Cougars in Spokane on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. (MT) in a game that will be broadcast on Pac-12 Networks. On Sunday, Jan. 12, CU will take on the Huskies in Seattle at 1 p.m. (MT), and will be shown on FOX Sports 1. 

2013-14 Pac-12 Players of the Week
Nov. 11: Tyrone Wallace, So., California
Nov. 18: Roberto Nelson, Sr., Oregon State
Nov. 25: Jahii Carson, So., Arizona State
Dec.   2: Nick Johnson, Jr., Arizona
Dec.   9: Askia Booker, Jr., Colorado
Dec. 16: Jordan Loveridge, So., Utah
Dec. 23: Chasson Randle, Jr., Stanford
Dec. 30: Roberto Nelson, Sr., Oregon State
Jan.    6: Askia Booker, Jr., Colorado