Buffaloes Continue Road Trip Saturday At Arizona State

ABOUT THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 11-4 overall and 3-2 in the Pac-12 Conference after seeing its season-best five-game win streak snapped at No. 6 ranked Arizona, 76-55, on Jan. 13. The Buffaloes have still won eight of 11 and 34 of 47 (34-13) dating back to the beginning of the 2020-21 season. During that span, the Buffaloes have suffered back-to-back losses just twice - once last year, and once this season.

The Buffaloes have fared well in tight contests. Nine of Colorado's  games have been within six points - or two possessions - with four minutes or less remaining in the game. The Buffaloes are 8-1 in those contests.

Colorado is averaging 71.2 points per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the field. The Buffaloes were held to a season-low 32.8 percent at Arizona.

Defensively, the Buffaloes have allowed 66.7 points per game while opponents have shot 41.7 percent. Arizona 50.9 percent against Colorado on Jan. 13, the best percentage the Buffaloes have given up this season and just the second time an opponent has been over 50 percent.

Colorado is 5-0 this year in one of the program's "gold standards" of holding opponents to 40 percent of less from the field and least a plus-8 rebound advantage. Colorado improved to 77-5 in those games after holding Washington to 36.2 percent and winning the rebounding battle by a whopping 20 boards (47-27). The Buffaloes' plus-20 rebound margin was its highest against a Pac-12 opponent since outrebounding California 40-19 (+21) on Mar. 13, 2019 .

Sophomore forward Jabari Walker leads the Buffaloes at 12.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He was the only Buffalo to score in double-figures the first 11 games of the season and has reached that mark in 13 of 15 contests.

Walker has a Pac-12-best seven double-doubles after scoring 11 points and pulling down a career-high tying 13 rebounds against Washington.

Walker is averaging a double-double in Pac-12 play at 13.0 points and a league-best 10.0 rebounds an outing while shooting 55.3 percent from the field.

Six of his seven double-doubles have come in the last 11 games. He had a string of four-straight double-doubles earlier in the preseason, highlighted by a season-high 22 points and 11 rebounds at UCLA.  Walker's four-straight double-doubles are the longest such streak by a Buffalo since Tyler Bey had five in a row in the final five games of the 2018-19 Pac-12 schedule.

On the Pac-12 charts, Walker is third in overall rebounds, fourth in defensive boards (6.1 drpg), 11th in offensive rebounds (2.1 orpg) and 17th in scoring.

Senior forward Evan Battey is averaging 12.4 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting a team-best 53.4 percent from the field. He had a game-high 20 points against Washington State, recording his fifth career 20-point game and second this season..

Battey had a career-high 22 points, hitting all four 3-point attempts, in the conference opener against Stanford.

Battey was named to the Paradise Jam All-Tournament Team leading the Buffaloes at 15.3 points per game while shooting 53 percent from the field. 

On the Pac-12 charts, Battey is seventh in overall shooting and 19th in scoring.

Sophomore guard Keeshawn Barthelemy leads Colorado in assists (39) and 3-point field goals made and attempted (17 of 51) while ranking third on the team in scoring at 10.7 points per game.  He had 17 points and dished out four assists against Washington State.

Barthelemy's 39 assists have come with just 21 turnovers (1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio). Over the last 13 games he has dished out 31  assists while turning it over just 12 times (2.6 a-t). He has just seven turnovers with 24 assists over the last nine (3.4 a-t).

On the Pac-12 charts, Barthelemy ranks eighth in free throw percentage (.829). He has made his last 15 from the line and is a perfect 13-of-13 in conference play (8-8 vs Stanford; 5-5 vs. WSU).

Senior guard Elijah Parquet is averaging 7.5 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 48 percent overall. He celebrated his 100th game in a Colorado uniform with six points and a matching a personal-best four assists against Washington State.

A member of the Pac-12 Conference's All-Defensive Team in 2020-21, Parquet had nine points hitting 3 of 5 from the field against Washington. He has made 23 of his last 42 from the field (.548).

Sophomore Tristan da Silva is averaging 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 44 percent. He is third on the team in assists with 26.

Da Silva led Colorado against Washington with a career-high 22 points hitting 9 of 15 from the field and all three shots from the free throw line. His 22 points and nine field goals tie team season highs. It was da Silva's first career 20-point game and overall his seventh career game scoring in double figures.

Nique Clifford is averaging 6.1 points and is second on the team in rebounding 4.9 per game and tied for the team lead in blocks (10). Clifford had a nice stat-line against Washington with 8 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. He is averaging 8.3 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 52 percent (13 of 25) the last four games.

K.J. Simpson is averaging 6.7 points and 2.1 rebounds per game ranking second on the team in assists with 35 off the bench.  Simpson had career-highs with 17 points and three steals at Arizona while matching personal-bests with four assists and five field goals made.

It was Simpson's third double-figure scoring game and second in Pac-12 play; his previous career-high was 12 vs. Stanford. Simpson is CU's fourth leading scorer in Pac-12 play averaging 8.8 an outing.

Julian Hammond III earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors on Jan. 10 after his effort against the Washington schools, averaging 8.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.0 assists while hitting 55 percent.

In the win over Washington, Hammond scored a career-high 14 points in just over 12 minutes of action, hitting 5 of 7 from the field including all four 3-point attempts. Against Washington State, he grabbed five rebounds, had four steals and dished out four assists Ð all career-highs. Prior to the WSU game he totaled all of one assist and one steal in his first eight career games.

ABOUT THE SUN DEVILS: Arizona State is 5-8 overall and 1-2 in the Pac-12. The Sun Devils, who have lost their last two, have played just once since Dec. 19, a 74-50 setback at California on Jan. 2. Arizona State averages 63.1 points per game while shooting 38.9 percent overall and 28.2 percent from the 3-point line, all ranking last in the Pac-12. Defensively, Arizona State gives up 67.3 points per game while opponents shoot 41.2 percent. The Sun Devils rank third in the Pac-12 in blocked shots at 4.5 per game and fourth in steals at 6.4 an outing.

DJ Horne leads Arizona State at 13.7 points per game. He has a team-best 34 3-point field goals, ranking third in the Pac-12 at 2.6 per game, shooting 41 percent from long range. Kimani Lawrence leads the Sun Devils and ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in rebounding at 7.8 per game while averaging 11.1 points an outing. Marreon Jackson leads Arizona State and ranks sixth in the Pac-12 in assists at 4.0 per game. Luther Muhammad averages 6.2 points while leading the Sun Devils in steals (16).

SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 23rd meeting between Colorado and Arizona State with the Buffaloes holding a 13-9 series lead. The Buffaloes have won the last four and six of the last eight meetings. Colorado has won just twice in 10 tries in Tempe, but one was the last visit to Desert Financial Arena, a 68-61 decision, on Jan. 16, 2020.