Quick Turn Around As Buffs Host Mavs Wednesday
GAME 5: Omaha, Wednesday, December 16, 2020
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
GAMETIME: 3 p.m. MST
Radio: 850 AM & 94.1 FM KOA (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
TV: Pac-12 Network (Drew Goodman, Earl Watson)
Watch Online: Pac-12.com/NOW
Satellite: XM: 380 Internet: 970
Listen Online: CUBuffs.com
Live Statistics: CUBuffs.com
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 3-1 overall, bouncing back from its first loss of the season with an 81-45 decision over Northern Colorado on Monday. The Buffaloes shot a season-best 53 percent from floor with a season-high 32 field goals made.
Colorado's defense has remained solid through its first four games, ranking 10th in the nation in scoring defense at 55 points allowed per game and 16th in field goal defense, limiting opponents to 35.4 percent shooting.
In the win over Northern Colorado, the Buffaloes limited the Bears to 28.8 percent from the field and forced 21 turnovers. Colorado had season-highs in steals (10) and blocked shots (eight).
Colorado opened the 2020-21 season with a pair of wins at the Little Apple Classic in Manhattan, Kan. Colorado cruised to an 84-61 win over South Dakota on Nov. 25 and then downed former Big Eight/Big 12 rival Kansas State, 76-58 on Nov. 27. It marked the first time since 1960-61, that the Buffs started 2-0 with both games being away from Boulder. That season started with three straight wins away from Boulder beginning with back-to-back wins at Arizona and a third at New Mexico.
The Buffaloes have been exceptional from the line, hitting 53 of 63 attempts on the season (.841), the fourth-best early season mark in NCAA Division I.
All-Pac-12 senior guard McKinley Wright IV leads the Buffaloes at 17.8 points and 5.3 assists per game. He led Colorado in scoring for the third time in four games with 19 points against Northern Colorado along with a season-high seven assists. Wright hit 8 of 10 from the field, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range.
Wright has made 63 percent from the field through four games and pulled down 5.0 rebounds per contest.
On the early-season Pac-12 charts, Wright is second in assists, fourth in field goal percentage, fifth in scoring and seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1).
Graduate transfer Jeriah Horne is averaging 11.0 points and leading the Buffaloes in rebounding at 6.5 per game and 3-point field goals with eight. He had 15 points and 11 rebounds at Tennessee, recording his first Colorado double-double and the third overall in his career. His previous two double-doubles came at Tulsa.
Horne is a perfect 8 of 8 from the free throw line, the top current mark in the Pac-12. On other league charts he is tied for second in 3-point percentage (.571), fifth in 3-pointers made (2.0 3mpg) and ninth in rebounding.
Junior Eli Parquet is averaging 8.0 points while hitting 60 percent from the floor. Talk about consistency, Parquet has the same shooting line, 3 for 5 from the field, in each of his first three games.
The starting backcourt tandem of Parquet and Wright has been incredibly efficient offensively, hitting a combined 38 of 61 from the field (.623) and 10 of 20 from 3-point range (.500).
Parquet joins Horne in second place in the Pac-12 in 3-point percentage (.571) and is seventh in overall shooting and tied for 13th in blocks (1.0 bpg).
Freshman guard Keeshawn Barthelemy made his first career start in the loss to Tennessee finishing with seven points and a pair of assists. Barthelemy is tied with Parquet for third on the team in scoring at 8.0 points per game while also averaging 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Barthelemy scored 11 points and co-led the Buffaloes in rebounding with seven in his collegiate debut against South Dakota.
Dallas Walton is averaging 7.8 points and 3.5 rebounds while hitting 68.8 percent from the field. He had 12 points and three blocks against Northern Colorado shooting 4 of 6 from the floor. It was his fifth career double-figure scoring game and first since his career-high 16 points at Washington State on Feb. 15, 2019. His three blocks were his most since his career-best four against Washington on Jan. 20, 2019. He had only five blocks in 28 games in 2019-20.
Junior Evan Battey is averaging 7.5 points and 4.5 rebounds. He had season-highs with 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds against Northern Colorado. Battey was 5 for 7 from the field, after starting the season 6 of 19.
Senior Maddox Daniels is averaging 7.0 points and 3.5 rebounds. He scored a CU personal-best 10 points against Kansas State. Daniels was a perfect 4 of 4 from the line the first two games. He had made just 5 of 12 attempts all of last season.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS: Omaha is 2-5 overall with all seven games played away from home and a pair of Top 10 teams in Creighton and Kansas. The Mavericks are averaging 61.7 points per game shooting 38 percent from the field. Defensively, UNO allows 77.1 points per game while opponents are shooting 46 percent.
Junior wing Marlon Ruffin has the top scoring average for UNO, averaging 13.4 points in five games off the bench. Senior forward Matt Pile averages 9.7 points and a team-best 8.9 rebounds while hitting 52 percent from the field. Senior guard Ayo Akinwole leads the Mavericks at 2.3 per game while averaging 8.6 points per contest. Junior forward Wanjang Tut averages 8.4 points while ranking second on the team in rebounding at 4.6 per game.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the third meeting between Colorado and Omaha. The Buffaloes won the two previous meetings, both in Boulder; 87-82 on Nov. 22, 2015 and 79-75 on Nov. 16, 2018.