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CU faces top 15 Xavier on Saturday

MikeSinger

Buff Hall of Famer
Staff
Mar 7, 2013
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THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 7-1 overall, rebounding from its first loss of the season with a 75-57 triumph over New Mexico on Dec. 6. The Buffaloes have enjoyed a 7-1 start in four of the last six seasons (2012-13, 2013-14, 2015-16 -- all NCAA Tournament teams).


Colorado is averaging 76.1 points per game while shooting a solid 48 percent from the field. Overall the Buffaloes have been balanced in scoring with three players averaging double-figures and six averaging between six and 16 points an outing. Defensively, Colorado is allowing 66.4 points per game while holding opponents to 38.5 percent shooting and 32 percent from 3-point range.


Colorado leads the Pac-12 in scoring defense (66.4 ppg), rebounding margin (+8.9) and defensive rebounds (30.9 drpg) while ranking second in field goal percentage defense (.385) and overall rebounds (40.9 rpg) and third in 3-point defense (.320) and rebounding defense (32.0). Colorado had 58 rebounds against New Mexico, its most since grabbing 61 against Stetson on Nov. 24, 2002.


McKinley Wright IV leads Colorado at 15.6 points and 4.1 assists per game. He recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in the win over New Mexico. He’s the first Colorado “non-forward” with a points-rebounds double-double since Josh Fortune had 17 points and 14 rebounds against Portland on Nov. 20, 2015.


Wright had 19 points and eight rebounds at Colorado State leading the Buffaloes in scoring for the third time this season and in rebounds for the first time. Wright hit a personal best four 3-pointers while dishing out four assists.


Wright also leads Colorado in steals (8), blocked shots (7) and 3-point percentage (.417) while ranking second in overall field goal percentage (.527).


On the Pac-12 charts, Wright is 11th in assists, 15th in 3-point percentage and 17th in scoring. He is second in assists and fourth in scoring among freshmen in the Pac-12.


George King leads Colorado in rebounding at 8.9 per game while ranking second in scoring at 14.4 points an outing. Over the last four games King is averaging 17.3 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting 53 percent from the field.


King had his second double-double in three games with 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds against New Mexico. Overall it was his ninth career double-double. He had 25 points and a career-high 15 rebounds against Air Force.


King had back-to-back monster games, scoring 25 points with identical 9 of 13 shooting performances (.692) in wins over Air Force and Mercer. King had a game-high 25 points against Mercer in the championship game of the 2017 Paradise Jam. He scored back-to-back 20-point games for the third time in his career, the other two coming in 2015-16. His 50 points in a two-game span is a personal best.


On the Pac-12 charts King is fourth in overall rebounding and defensive rebounds (6.6 drpg), ninth in offensive rebounds (2.3 orpg) and 21st in scoring.


After beginning the season 2 of 10 (.200) from 3-point range, he has made 10 of his last 19 (.526).


Junior guard Namon Wright is third on the team in scoring at 11.3 points while grabbing 3.1 rebounds per game. He has been Colorado’s top free throw shooter, hitting 77 percent from the foul line (27-35). Wright holds the Buffaloes’ top performances this year at the line in both free throws made and attempted (9 of 11). He has made 18 of his last 22 foul shots.


Wright had back-to-back games with four assists against Air Force and Colorado State. He had a personal-best five rebounds vs. New Mexico. At the Paradise Jam, Wright averaged 16 points while shooting 44 percent. He shot 83 percent from the free throw line, going 19 of 23.


Sophomore guard Deleon Brown is fourth on the team in scoring at 7.1 points per game and is second in steals with seven. Brown made his first start of the season against New Mexico, scoring nine points on 3 of 4 shooting with three assists. He matched a season high with 13 points in the Paradise Jam championship game, reaching double figures for the fifth time in his young career.


Dominique Collier is averaging 6.6 points, coming off a game-high 16 points against New Mexico, his 19th career game in double figures. He is averaging 11.3 points over the last three games after averaging just 3.8 over his first five. Collier matched career highs with six free throws and eight attempted against New Mexico.


Freshman Dallas Walton has started the last two games in place of the injured Tory Miller-Stewart. Walton had a personal-best eight rebounds - in just 15 minutes - with two assists and a blocked shot against New Mexico. Overall he is averaging 2.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game while hitting 58 percent from the floor.


Sophomore forward Lucas Siewert returned to the lineup against Colorado State after missing the previous two games with an ankle injury. He is third on the team in rebounding at 4.0 per game while also pitching in 4.8 points a contest. Siewert also has six blocks on the season with his 1.0 block per game average ranking 13th on the Pac-12 charts.


Freshman guard Lazar Nikolic, made his first collegiate start against New Mexico responding with seven points and eight rebounds - both career highs. He’s made 5 of his last 7 from the field after starting 3 of 9 over his first six games. He had just five rebounds in the previous four games.


Freshman forward Tyler Bey is averaging 3.9 points and 2.9 rebounds. He had a personal-best six rebounds at Colorado State and matched his best with six points. Bey has made 13 of his first 15 free throw attempts (.867).


Freshman forward D’Shawn Schwartz is averaging 3.8 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 48 percent from the field. He matched his season high with seven points against Air Force and had a personal best six rebounds vs. New Mexico.


THE MUSKETEERS: Xavier is 8-1 overall and ranked No. 13 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll and No. 14 in the most recent USA Today Coaches poll. The Musketeers have one of the nation’s top offensive attacks, ranking among the top 20 in NCAA Division I in several categories. Xavier is the second-best shooting team in the nation at 53.9 percent, just behind Virginia Tech (.553). The Musketeers are 13th in the nation in scoring at 89.8 points per game, eighth in free throw percentage (.796) and 17th in assists (18.4 apg). Xavier had been held under 80 points only once, and that was a solid 76-63 win over Baylor on Nov. 28. Defensively, the Musketeers allow just under 70 points per game while holding opponents to 39 percent shooting.


Senior guard Trevon Bluiett, a preseason All-American and National Player of the Year candidate, leads Xavier and ranks third in the Big East Conference at 21.3 points per game. Bluiett is shooting 54 percent overall and 47 percent from 3-point range. Senior guard J.P. Macura is averaging 12.6 points and 3.4 assists per game. Sophomore forward Tyrique Jones leads the Musketeers in rebounding at 6.0 per contest while averaging just under 10 points on 74 percent shooting. Sophomore guard Quentin Goodin tops the Big East in assists with 6.3 an outing.


Chris Mack is in his ninth year as the head coach at Xavier with a record of 194-92. Mack, a 1992 graduate of Xavier, was an assistant with the Musketeers from 1999-01 and again from 2004-09 before taking over as head coach in 2009-10.


SERIES RECORDS: This will be the third meeting between Colorado and Xavier with each team holding one win in the series. Colorado claimed a 68-66 win over the No. 13/14 ranked Musketeers on Dec. 16, 2016, at the Coors Events Center. Xavier’s win was a 74-61 decision on Nov. 27, 1998, in San Juan, P.R. This will be Colorado’s first trip to Xavier and first on the home floor of a current Big East Conference team since playing at Marquette in 1987.


Tad Boyle is 1-0 vs. Xavier as a head coach. Chris Mack is 0-1 against Colorado as a head coach.


START AMONG ALL-TIME BESTS: Colorado started the season with six straight wins for just the 11th time in team history (115th season) and its 6-0 start tied for the seventh best start overall. The Buffaloes started 6-0 for the first time since the 2012-13.


Year Start Finished Year Start Finished

1941-42 14-0 16-2 (NCAA*) 2012-13 6-0 21-12 (NCAA)

1949-50 8-0 14-8 1989-90 6-0 12-18

1920-21 8-0 8-0 (1st-RMC) 1917-18 6-0 9-2

1982-83 7-0 13-15 1956-57 6-0 14-9

1960-61 7-0 15-10 1984-85 5-0 11-17

1912-13 7-0 7-4 (1st-RMC) 1978-79 5-0 14-13

2017-18 6-0 ??? 1962-63 5-0 19-7 (NCAA)

*NCAA Final Four


WRIGHT IN DOUBLE FIGURES: Freshman McKinley Wright IV has scored in double figures in each of his first eight games after his 12-point performance against New Mexico. During that span he has hit the 20-point mark twice, with back-to-back 21-point efforts against Quinnipiac and Drake.


His seven double-figure games to begin his career are the most by a Buffalo since 2011 NBA lottery pick Alec Burks scored at least 10 points in his first 20 games in 2009-10.


PRESEASON TITLIST: Colorado claimed its seventh preseason tournament title with the 2017 Paradise Jam and just the third on a neutral court. It’s the second time the Buffaloes have won a preseason tournament with three games in three days, joining the 2002 Pepsi Classic in Charlotte, N.C. Overall, Colorado last won three games in three days, when it actually went four in four to win the 2012 Pac-12 Tournament.


Preseason Tournament Titles

2017-18 Paradise Jam, Lynchburg, Va. (3-0, 3 in 3 days)

2012-13 Charleston Classic, Charleston, S.C. (3-0; 3 in 4 days)

2002-03 Pepsi Classic, Charlotte, N.C. (3-0; 3 in 3 days)

1994-95 Mile High Classic, Boulder (2-0)

1993-94 Mile High Classic, Boulder (2-0)

1992-93 Mile High Classic, Boulder (2-0)

1991-92 Mile High Classic, Boulder (2-0)


This was Colorado’s first stretch of playing three games in three days since the 2014 Pac-12 Tournament (2-1). The last three-game, three-day stretch during the regular season was Nov. 23-25, 2009, at the Maui Invitational (1-2).


M-IV-P PERFORMANCE: Freshman guard McKinley Wright IV was named the 2017 Paradise Jam Most Valuable Player by averaging 17.7 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 61 percent from the field (20-33). He had the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in the first round vs. Quinnipiac, scoring a career-best 21 points. He matched that scoring effort in the semifinals against Drake while dishing out a team season-best nine assists against only one turnover. Wright had 11 points and dished out six assists in the championship game. He had 16 assists against just two turnovers in the final two games.


Wright is the first freshman to be named MVP in the 18-year history of the Paradise Jam.


HISTORIC COMEBACK: Colorado trailed Quinnipiac by 13 (60-47) with just under four minutes left before ending the game on a 23-9 run. It marked the largest comeback with under five minutes left in team history. The previous best was 10 coming against Wyoming on Dec. 10, 1981.


SENIOR EXPERIENCE vs. FRESH FACES: Colorado has nine players on its roster (eight active) that had never played a regular season minute in a Buffaloes uniform prior to this season. That list includes six true freshmen and three red shirts who spent 2016-17 with the program.


Colorado’s three senior regulars - George King, Tory Miller-Stewart and Dominique Collier - have combined for 301 career games and 146 starts. The other 12 players on the roster (11 active) have a combined 25 starts and 140 career games. Out of those 140 games, 18 of those belong to senior walk-on Josh Repine accounting for a total of 23 career minutes played.


NONCONFERENCE: Colorado has won 28 of its last 34 against nonconference regular season opponents. The Buffaloes have won 20 of their last 21 nonconference regular season games at the Coors Events Center.


KING’S COURT: Senior guard George King needs just five points to become the 34th member of Colorado’s 1,000 point club. He currently ranks 34th in all-time scoring with 995 points. He is 29th in rebounding with 501.


King is seventh in career 3-pointers made with 131. His 40.6 percentage from 3-point range is just a fraction of a percent behind Mack Tuck (1993-96) for the all-time lead.


DOM’S DIMES AND SWIPES: Senior guard Dominque Collier has moved into 25th in career steals with 85 and 29th in assists at 185. He is on pace to become the 16th Colorado player with 200 assists and 100 steals.


RIGHT AT HOME: Colorado has won 25 of its last 29 and 35 of 40 in the friendly confines of the Coors Events Center. In the Tad Boyle era, Colorado is a sparkling 105-19 at the Coors Events Center (.847). The Buffaloes are 418-170 (.711) all-time at the CEC.


AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: Colorado was 3-5 against ranked teams in 2016-17, marking the first time with three wins over ranked teams since 2012-13 (4-3 overall).


Colorado’s 15 wins over ranked opponents in Boyle’s six-plus seasons is by far the best streak in team history. In fact Boyle coached teams, with a record of 15-28, have accounted for 25 percent of wins over ranked opponents (59) since 1949-50.
 
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