THE BUFFALOES: Colorado secured a win in its 10th straight home opener with a 66-51 decision over Northern Colorado on Nov. 10. The Buffaloes look to make it 2-0 for the second straight season when they host Denver on Tuesday.
Six players made their Colorado debuts against UNC. The Buffaloes have nine players on their roster (eight active) that had never played a minute in a Colorado uniform in a regular season game. 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 282 career games and 128 starts. The other 12 players on the roster (11 active) have a combined eight starts and 88 career games. Out of those 88 games, 17 of those belong to senior walk-on Josh Repine accounting for a total of 21 career minutes played.
George King led the Buffaloes on opening night against Northern Colorado scoring 12 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Shrugging off early foul trouble - he picked up two fouls in the first four minutes - King had all 12 of his points and eight of his nine rebounds in the second half.
King is Colorado’s leading returning scorer and rebounder after averaging 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game a year ago. The 2015-16 Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year, King had a team-best six double-doubles as a junior. He led the Buffaloes in rebounding while ranking third in scoring.
On the overall Pac-12 Conference leaderboard, he was 11th in double-doubles, 13th in overall rebounds, 14th in defensive boards (4.8 drpg) and 15th in offensive rebounds (2.0 orpg). King shot 37.6 percent from 3-point range on the season, but that number skyrocketed to 47.8 percent during Pac-12 play, ranking fifth in the conference during that span. Overall, King shot 46 percent from the floor, with that number also jumping up during league games, to 49.1 percent.
Dominique Collier had three assists, two points and two steals against UNC. He was fifth on the team in scoring as a junior at 6.0 points per game while averaging 1.6 assists and just under one steal per contest. He was second on the team in total steals (24) despite missing nine games early in the season with a foot injury. All 24 of his steals came during Pac-12 Conference play, allowing him to be ranked 12th on the league leaderboard during that span.
Senior forward Tory Miller-Stewart had 11 points and five rebounds in the win over Northern Colorado. It was the 15th double-figure scoring game of his career. Miller-Stewart was 5 of 8 from the foul line matching his personal best in free throw attempts. It was also his fourth career game with five or more free throws made.
Miller-Stewart averaged 5.6 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 54 percent as the first front court player off the bench last season. He played in 32 games averaging 15.8 minutes an outing, the most for a Buffalo who came off the bench for at least half the season. He is shooting 56.4 percent from the field (53-94) since the beginning of the 2017 Pac-12 season (last 22 games)
Sophomore forward Lucas Siewert matched a career high with six rebounds against Northern Colorado. His three on the offensive end was a team high. He averaged 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in just under 12 minutes per game as a first-year Buffalo. He started to pick up steam the second half of the season, improving his season numbers to 5.1 points and 3.0 rebounds over the final 11 games of the regular season. Siewert scored 56 of his season’s 86 points during Pac-12 games, shooting 46 percent from 3-point range during that span (11 of 24).
Sophomore guard Deleon Brown had seven points on 3 of 5 shooting against UNC. He averaged 3.2 points in 12 minutes per game as a first-year Buffalo, scoring in 19 of 31 appearances. Brown broke out with a 15-point game against Fort Hays State and totaled three double-digit scoring games last year, including a 10-point effort in the home win over Stanford.
Namon Wright and Dallas Walton made their official Colorado debuts after sitting out the 2016-17 as redshirts.
Wright, a transfer from Missouri, got the starting nod and scored seven points with four rebounds and an assist against UNC. In two seasons at Missouri (2014-16), he averaged 8.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 61 games. Wright sank 79 3-pointers during his two-year career, hitting just under 35 percent from long range.
Walton, a 7-0 freshman forward/center, saw his first action in the closing minutes against UNC, grabbing his first two career rebounds. He is a 2016 graduate of Arvada West High School where he earned All-Jefferson County Conference first team honors as a senior averaging 16.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocked shots for the Wildcats. He helped Arvada West to a 17-9 overall record and a spot in the “Sweet 16” of the 2016 Colorado Class 5A State Tournament.
Four scholarship freshmen made their debuts against Northern Colorado.
McKinley Wright IV, got the starting nod at point guard against the Bears and had a solid all-around line with 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal. Wright became the first true freshman to start for the Buffaloes since Josh Scott in 2012-13 and first point guard since Nate Tomlinson in 2008-09. It should be noted that Spencer Dinwiddie did start his first game in 2011-12, and all 36 games of the season, but played primarily off the ball with Tomlinson running the point.
Wright, a 6-0, 185-pound guard was 2017 Mr. Minnesota Basketball after averaging 23 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.8 assists for Champlin Park High School which finished 31-1 and in second place at the Class 4A state tournament. A three-time Northwest Suburban All-Conference selection, Wright shot 62 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line as a senior.
Tyler Bey, a 6-7, 206-pound guard/forward from Las Vegas, played just seven minutes, but made the most of his time with six points and a pair of rebounds in that span. Bey was rated as the 33rd best small forward in the nation by Scout and fourth in the state of California (he finished his prep career at Middlebrooks Academy in Los Angeles). A four-star prospect according to 247Sports who lists him as the 13th best player in the state of California and 129th overall. He holds the most points and rebounds in a season at Middlebrooks.
Lazar Nikolic, a 6-7, 205-pound guard from Belgrade, Serbia, grabbed six rebounds and drained his first career 3-point attempt against UNC. He spent four years with Rome’s Stella Azzurra Academy in the Series B Italian League. Nikolic led Stella Azzurra in assists (3.7 apg) and rebounds (7.1 rpg) while ranking second in scoring at 12.0 points per game in 2016-17, earning honorable mention to the Eurobasket.com All-Italian Series B team.
D’Shawn Schwartz, a 6-7, 223-pound guard/forward from Colorado Springs, had three points and two assists in his Colorado debut. He was an All-Colorado selection by the Denver Post and All-USA Colorado pick after averaging 25.7 points and 9.8 rebounds as a senior, helping Sand Creek High School to 19-6 record and a spot in the Sweet 16 of the Class 4A Tournament.
BATTEY TO REDSHIRT: Freshman forward Evan Batteywill take an academic redshirt for the 2017-18 season.
A 6-8 forward from View Park, Calif., he will continue to practice and provide scout team duties for the Buffaloes for the duration of this season. He will have four years of eligibility beginning in 2018-19.
The NCAA mandated an academic redshirt for Battey after he did not meet the initial eligibility requirement of graduating from high school within four years – he repeated the ninth grade at the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies. Battey was not able to play basketball in 2016-17 as a senior at Villa Park High School, as the California high school governing body determined he had exhausted his eight semesters of high school eligibility.
Battey was an All-Orange County and All-Crestview League selection as a junior at Vila Park in 2015-16, averaging 24 points a game for the Spartans including a 44-point effort, second-best in a single game in school history.
Battey stayed involved with the Villa Park team for in 2016-17, serving as a player-coach for the team’s big men and junior varsity. He was part of the Spartans’ team that placed second at the CIF Division III state championships. This spring, Battey was recognized by the Orange County Athletic Directors Association with its Athlete of Character Award.
THE PIONEERS: Denver opened its season on Nov. 12 with an 83-69 home loss to UC Irvine. Senior post Daniel Amigo had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Joe Rosga had a team-high 15 points and three assists.
Amigo led Denver last year at 15.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game earning All-Summit League Second Team honors. Rosga was honorable mention All-Summit League averaging 15.3 points and 3.2 assists per game. He led the Pioneers in 3-point shooting a year ago, hitting 44 percent (74-167). Senior guard Jake Pemberton was third in the Summit League in assists in 2016-17 at 4.4 per game, led the Pioneers in steals (1.4 spg) and ranked fourth in scoring at 9.2 an outing.
Denver was picked to finish fifth in the Preseason Summit League poll. Amigo was a Preseason All-Summit First Team selection while Rosga was a second team pick.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 83rd meeting between Colorado and Denver with the Buffaloes holding a 57-25 all-time lead. It’s a series that dates back nearly 115 years to a 57-14 CU win in Denver on Jan. 29, 1903. Colorado and Denver met almost every year from 1913-47, but this will be just the ninth meeting since the 1947-48 season. The Buffaloes have won seven of the last eight and six-straight. The two teams last met in Denver on Nov. 28, 2007, a 54-44 Colorado victory. Denver’s last win in the series was an 84-73 decision on Dec. 4, 1964.
FAMILIAR FACES: Denver’s coaching staff is full of CU ties. DU head coach Rodney Billups spent six seasons on Tad Boyle’s staff (2010-16), including the final four years as an assistant coach. Billups is assisted by former Colorado head coach Ricardo Patton (1995-2007), who coached CU All-American and NBA All-Star Chauncey Billups, Rodney’s older brother. Dwight Thorne II, DU’s director of operations, is a CU grad, playing 117 games for the Buffaloes from 2006-10. Graduate manager Zach Ruebesam is also a CU alum and was a student manager for the Buffaloes for four years before joining Billups in Denver last season.
Among players, Colorado freshman Dallas Walton was high school teammates with Denver’s Neff brothers, Luke and Thomas, at Arvada West. Denver junior guard Joe Rosga’s uncle is Steve Rosga who was an All-Big 12 Conference and second-team All-America safety as a senior for the Colorado football team in 1996.
FOR OPENERS: Colorado improved to 91-24 all-time in home openers and has won its last 10, making Boyle a perfect 8-0 in home openers. The Buffaloes have won 15 of their last 16. Colorado is 80-35 (.696) in all-time season openers. The Buffaloes are 6-2 under Boyle. The Buffaloes are 33-5 in overall season openers since the 1980-81 season.
NONCONFERENCE: Colorado has won 22 of its last 27 against nonconference regular season opponents. The Buffaloes have won 17 of their last 18 nonconference regular season games at the Coors Events Center.
KING’S COURT: Senior guard George King is well on pace to become 34th member of Colorado’s 1,000-point club, currently ranking 40th in all-time scoring with 892 points.
King needs just six 3-pointers to enter the Buffaloes’ career top 10 list and his 40.5 percentage from 3-point range would put him second all-time at Colorado, just behind Mack Tuck’s 40.6 from 1993-96.
King is tied with Matt Bullard (1985-87) for 36th in rebounds with 439.
DOM’S DIMES AND SWIPES: Senior guard Dominque Collier has moved into 25th in career steals with 82 and 32nd in assists at 178.He is on pace to become the 16th Colorado player with 200 assists and 100 steals.
RIGHT AT HOME: Colorado has won 22 of its last 26 and 32 of 37 in the friendly confines of the Coors Events Center. In the Tad Boyle era, Colorado is a sparkling 102-19 at the Coors Events Center (.843). The Buffaloes are 415-170 (.709) all-time at the CEC.
Six players made their Colorado debuts against UNC. The Buffaloes have nine players on their roster (eight active) that had never played a minute in a Colorado uniform in a regular season game. 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 282 career games and 128 starts. The other 12 players on the roster (11 active) have a combined eight starts and 88 career games. Out of those 88 games, 17 of those belong to senior walk-on Josh Repine accounting for a total of 21 career minutes played.
George King led the Buffaloes on opening night against Northern Colorado scoring 12 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Shrugging off early foul trouble - he picked up two fouls in the first four minutes - King had all 12 of his points and eight of his nine rebounds in the second half.
King is Colorado’s leading returning scorer and rebounder after averaging 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game a year ago. The 2015-16 Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year, King had a team-best six double-doubles as a junior. He led the Buffaloes in rebounding while ranking third in scoring.
On the overall Pac-12 Conference leaderboard, he was 11th in double-doubles, 13th in overall rebounds, 14th in defensive boards (4.8 drpg) and 15th in offensive rebounds (2.0 orpg). King shot 37.6 percent from 3-point range on the season, but that number skyrocketed to 47.8 percent during Pac-12 play, ranking fifth in the conference during that span. Overall, King shot 46 percent from the floor, with that number also jumping up during league games, to 49.1 percent.
Dominique Collier had three assists, two points and two steals against UNC. He was fifth on the team in scoring as a junior at 6.0 points per game while averaging 1.6 assists and just under one steal per contest. He was second on the team in total steals (24) despite missing nine games early in the season with a foot injury. All 24 of his steals came during Pac-12 Conference play, allowing him to be ranked 12th on the league leaderboard during that span.
Senior forward Tory Miller-Stewart had 11 points and five rebounds in the win over Northern Colorado. It was the 15th double-figure scoring game of his career. Miller-Stewart was 5 of 8 from the foul line matching his personal best in free throw attempts. It was also his fourth career game with five or more free throws made.
Miller-Stewart averaged 5.6 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 54 percent as the first front court player off the bench last season. He played in 32 games averaging 15.8 minutes an outing, the most for a Buffalo who came off the bench for at least half the season. He is shooting 56.4 percent from the field (53-94) since the beginning of the 2017 Pac-12 season (last 22 games)
Sophomore forward Lucas Siewert matched a career high with six rebounds against Northern Colorado. His three on the offensive end was a team high. He averaged 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in just under 12 minutes per game as a first-year Buffalo. He started to pick up steam the second half of the season, improving his season numbers to 5.1 points and 3.0 rebounds over the final 11 games of the regular season. Siewert scored 56 of his season’s 86 points during Pac-12 games, shooting 46 percent from 3-point range during that span (11 of 24).
Sophomore guard Deleon Brown had seven points on 3 of 5 shooting against UNC. He averaged 3.2 points in 12 minutes per game as a first-year Buffalo, scoring in 19 of 31 appearances. Brown broke out with a 15-point game against Fort Hays State and totaled three double-digit scoring games last year, including a 10-point effort in the home win over Stanford.
Namon Wright and Dallas Walton made their official Colorado debuts after sitting out the 2016-17 as redshirts.
Wright, a transfer from Missouri, got the starting nod and scored seven points with four rebounds and an assist against UNC. In two seasons at Missouri (2014-16), he averaged 8.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 61 games. Wright sank 79 3-pointers during his two-year career, hitting just under 35 percent from long range.
Walton, a 7-0 freshman forward/center, saw his first action in the closing minutes against UNC, grabbing his first two career rebounds. He is a 2016 graduate of Arvada West High School where he earned All-Jefferson County Conference first team honors as a senior averaging 16.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocked shots for the Wildcats. He helped Arvada West to a 17-9 overall record and a spot in the “Sweet 16” of the 2016 Colorado Class 5A State Tournament.
Four scholarship freshmen made their debuts against Northern Colorado.
McKinley Wright IV, got the starting nod at point guard against the Bears and had a solid all-around line with 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal. Wright became the first true freshman to start for the Buffaloes since Josh Scott in 2012-13 and first point guard since Nate Tomlinson in 2008-09. It should be noted that Spencer Dinwiddie did start his first game in 2011-12, and all 36 games of the season, but played primarily off the ball with Tomlinson running the point.
Wright, a 6-0, 185-pound guard was 2017 Mr. Minnesota Basketball after averaging 23 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.8 assists for Champlin Park High School which finished 31-1 and in second place at the Class 4A state tournament. A three-time Northwest Suburban All-Conference selection, Wright shot 62 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line as a senior.
Tyler Bey, a 6-7, 206-pound guard/forward from Las Vegas, played just seven minutes, but made the most of his time with six points and a pair of rebounds in that span. Bey was rated as the 33rd best small forward in the nation by Scout and fourth in the state of California (he finished his prep career at Middlebrooks Academy in Los Angeles). A four-star prospect according to 247Sports who lists him as the 13th best player in the state of California and 129th overall. He holds the most points and rebounds in a season at Middlebrooks.
Lazar Nikolic, a 6-7, 205-pound guard from Belgrade, Serbia, grabbed six rebounds and drained his first career 3-point attempt against UNC. He spent four years with Rome’s Stella Azzurra Academy in the Series B Italian League. Nikolic led Stella Azzurra in assists (3.7 apg) and rebounds (7.1 rpg) while ranking second in scoring at 12.0 points per game in 2016-17, earning honorable mention to the Eurobasket.com All-Italian Series B team.
D’Shawn Schwartz, a 6-7, 223-pound guard/forward from Colorado Springs, had three points and two assists in his Colorado debut. He was an All-Colorado selection by the Denver Post and All-USA Colorado pick after averaging 25.7 points and 9.8 rebounds as a senior, helping Sand Creek High School to 19-6 record and a spot in the Sweet 16 of the Class 4A Tournament.
BATTEY TO REDSHIRT: Freshman forward Evan Batteywill take an academic redshirt for the 2017-18 season.
A 6-8 forward from View Park, Calif., he will continue to practice and provide scout team duties for the Buffaloes for the duration of this season. He will have four years of eligibility beginning in 2018-19.
The NCAA mandated an academic redshirt for Battey after he did not meet the initial eligibility requirement of graduating from high school within four years – he repeated the ninth grade at the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies. Battey was not able to play basketball in 2016-17 as a senior at Villa Park High School, as the California high school governing body determined he had exhausted his eight semesters of high school eligibility.
Battey was an All-Orange County and All-Crestview League selection as a junior at Vila Park in 2015-16, averaging 24 points a game for the Spartans including a 44-point effort, second-best in a single game in school history.
Battey stayed involved with the Villa Park team for in 2016-17, serving as a player-coach for the team’s big men and junior varsity. He was part of the Spartans’ team that placed second at the CIF Division III state championships. This spring, Battey was recognized by the Orange County Athletic Directors Association with its Athlete of Character Award.
THE PIONEERS: Denver opened its season on Nov. 12 with an 83-69 home loss to UC Irvine. Senior post Daniel Amigo had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Joe Rosga had a team-high 15 points and three assists.
Amigo led Denver last year at 15.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game earning All-Summit League Second Team honors. Rosga was honorable mention All-Summit League averaging 15.3 points and 3.2 assists per game. He led the Pioneers in 3-point shooting a year ago, hitting 44 percent (74-167). Senior guard Jake Pemberton was third in the Summit League in assists in 2016-17 at 4.4 per game, led the Pioneers in steals (1.4 spg) and ranked fourth in scoring at 9.2 an outing.
Denver was picked to finish fifth in the Preseason Summit League poll. Amigo was a Preseason All-Summit First Team selection while Rosga was a second team pick.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 83rd meeting between Colorado and Denver with the Buffaloes holding a 57-25 all-time lead. It’s a series that dates back nearly 115 years to a 57-14 CU win in Denver on Jan. 29, 1903. Colorado and Denver met almost every year from 1913-47, but this will be just the ninth meeting since the 1947-48 season. The Buffaloes have won seven of the last eight and six-straight. The two teams last met in Denver on Nov. 28, 2007, a 54-44 Colorado victory. Denver’s last win in the series was an 84-73 decision on Dec. 4, 1964.
FAMILIAR FACES: Denver’s coaching staff is full of CU ties. DU head coach Rodney Billups spent six seasons on Tad Boyle’s staff (2010-16), including the final four years as an assistant coach. Billups is assisted by former Colorado head coach Ricardo Patton (1995-2007), who coached CU All-American and NBA All-Star Chauncey Billups, Rodney’s older brother. Dwight Thorne II, DU’s director of operations, is a CU grad, playing 117 games for the Buffaloes from 2006-10. Graduate manager Zach Ruebesam is also a CU alum and was a student manager for the Buffaloes for four years before joining Billups in Denver last season.
Among players, Colorado freshman Dallas Walton was high school teammates with Denver’s Neff brothers, Luke and Thomas, at Arvada West. Denver junior guard Joe Rosga’s uncle is Steve Rosga who was an All-Big 12 Conference and second-team All-America safety as a senior for the Colorado football team in 1996.
FOR OPENERS: Colorado improved to 91-24 all-time in home openers and has won its last 10, making Boyle a perfect 8-0 in home openers. The Buffaloes have won 15 of their last 16. Colorado is 80-35 (.696) in all-time season openers. The Buffaloes are 6-2 under Boyle. The Buffaloes are 33-5 in overall season openers since the 1980-81 season.
NONCONFERENCE: Colorado has won 22 of its last 27 against nonconference regular season opponents. The Buffaloes have won 17 of their last 18 nonconference regular season games at the Coors Events Center.
KING’S COURT: Senior guard George King is well on pace to become 34th member of Colorado’s 1,000-point club, currently ranking 40th in all-time scoring with 892 points.
King needs just six 3-pointers to enter the Buffaloes’ career top 10 list and his 40.5 percentage from 3-point range would put him second all-time at Colorado, just behind Mack Tuck’s 40.6 from 1993-96.
King is tied with Matt Bullard (1985-87) for 36th in rebounds with 439.
DOM’S DIMES AND SWIPES: Senior guard Dominque Collier has moved into 25th in career steals with 82 and 32nd in assists at 178.He is on pace to become the 16th Colorado player with 200 assists and 100 steals.
RIGHT AT HOME: Colorado has won 22 of its last 26 and 32 of 37 in the friendly confines of the Coors Events Center. In the Tad Boyle era, Colorado is a sparkling 102-19 at the Coors Events Center (.843). The Buffaloes are 415-170 (.709) all-time at the CEC.
