Monday, November 25
Maui, Hawai'i
3 p.m.
Colorado
vs
Michigan State
Photo by: Lexi Hartmann
Buffaloes Open Maui Invitational With Michigan State Monday
November 24, 2024 | Men's Basketball
Game 5 - Michigan State, Monday, November 25, 2024
Lahaina Civic Center, Maui, Hawai'i
Tip: 3 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN2 (Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas)
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 384, SXM App 974
Live Statistics: https//maui.statbroadcast.com
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 4-0 to start a season for the second-straight year and the fifth time in the coach Tad Boyle era (since 2010-11). The Buffaloes are coming off an 88-66 win over Harvard at the CU Events Center on Nov. 17.
Colorado averaged 84.3 points over its season-opening four-game home-stand while shooting exactly 50 percent from the field (113-226)and 40.2 percent from 3-point range. The Buffaloes offense began to gain steam in the last two games, increasing that shooting percentage to 54.1 percent (59-109). Colorado has won eight-straight games, and 19 of its last 21, when shooting at least 50 percent.
The Buffaloes have picked up from 3-point range as well. After starting the season making 14 of 41 from 3-point range in the first two games (.341) the Buffaloes have made 21 of 46 over the last two (.457). Colorado's 12 3-point field goals against Cal State Fullerton was its most since making 13 almost a year to the day, Nov. 15, 2023 vs. Milwaukee.
The Buffaloes dished out a season-high 22 assists against Cal State Fullerton, improving from just nine in the previous game against Northern Colorado. Colorado followed that performance up with 18 assists, along with a season-low 13 turnovers, in the win over Harvard.
Colorado remained solid at the free throw line, shooting 78.4 percent from the charity stripe, a number that led the Big 12 Conference entering the weekend. The Buffaloes made 21 of 25 - a season-high 84 percent - from the line against Harvard
GRAND GRAD DEBUTS: Colorado's three graduate transfers, spanning all levels of collegiate basketball, have had successful debuts
Trevor Baskin, an NCAA Division II All-American at Colorado Mesa, is averaging 10.0 points and shooting 61.9 percent from the field, thanks in part to a 6 for 8 performance against Harvard, pitching in 13 points in his first CU start. He leads the team in rebounding at 7.0 per game and is second on the squad with six blocked shots.
Baskin played a key role in Colorado's comeback win over Eastern Washington with 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks in 22 minutes. He just missed a double-double against Northern Colorado with nine points and nine rebounds
Elijah Malone, the 2024 Bevo Francis Award winner as the best small-school player in the nation (Grace College [Ind.] - NAIA) is averaging 14.0 points while leading the Buffaloes in shooting at 65.5 percent (19-29) and blocked shots with seven. Malone is also shooting 85 percent from the free throw line (17-20) and is third on the team in rebounding at 5.3 per game.
Malone had 16 points, seven rebounds and a team season-high four blocked shots against Harvard. He went over the 2,000-point milestone for his collegiate career during the win over the Crimson and now has 2,009 in 143 career games (14.0 ppg).
Malone led all scorers against Northern Colorado with 27 points on 8 of 12 from the field and 10 of 12 from the free throw line. He made the 100th 3-point field goal of his collegiate career in the first half against the Bears. Including Grace, it was his 28th career game of 20-plus points.
Andrej Jakimovski, a four-year standout at old Pac-12 rival Washington State, leads Colorado in scoring at 14.3 points per game and in steals with eight. Jakimovski, who has led the Buffaloes in scoring the last two contests, had 20 points on 7 of 14 shooting along with five rebounds against Harvard. It was the fifth overall 20-point game of his collegiate career - and just two points off his overall career-high of 22.
Jakimovski scored a team-high 17 points against Cal State Fullerton hitting 5 of 8 from 3-point range. His five 3-pointers made tied his overall collegiate high which he had done three times at Washington State, most recently at Oregon State on Feb. 8, 2024.
SMITH'S RETURN: Sophomore guard RJ Smith is averaging 7.0 points while shooting 55.6 percent from the field in his return to action after missing the final 30 games of 2023-24 with a leg injury. Smith had nine points on a career-best four field goals made against UNC. Â Playing in his first game since Nov. 29, 2023, Smith had seven points and a career-best four assists against Cal State Fullerton.
OUT OF THE RUFF: Junior guard Javon Ruffin is averaging 11.5 points while shooting 57 percent from the field. He is second on the team in assists (12) and steals (5). Ruffin scored a career-high 15 points against Harvard, on a very efficient game hitting 4 of 5 from the field and a perfect 4 of 4 from the line. He added four assists against the Crimson and is averaging 4.5 over the last two contests.
Ruffin had scored in double-figures in three of four outings including back-to-back efforts against Eastern Washington and Northern Colorado. He has 16 field goals made through four games, compared to just 11 in 18 games last season.
DIOP DOUBLE AND TRIPLE: Sophomore forward Assane Diop ranks second on the team in rebounding at 6.8 per game. He didn't score a single point, or take a shot for that matter, against Cal State Fullerton, but had eight rebounds, leading the Buffaloes for the second-straight game. Diop had 10 rebounds against Northern Colorado, three better than his previous best of seven vs. California (2/28/24). He led Led the Buffaloes in rebounding for the first time. In addition, Diop made his first career 3-point field goal. He had missed the first nine attempts of his career (first 33 games).
NONCONFERENCE NUMBERS: Colorado is 131-39 (.771) in nonconference regular season games under head coach Tad Boyle including an 84-22 mark (.792) since the beginning of the 2014-15 season.
Colorado is 100-8 (.925) in nonconference home games under Boyle, a record which includes a 7-2 mark in postseason action.
RIGHT AT HOME: At the CU Events Center, the Buffaloes have won:
- 7-straight
- 20 of their last 21
- 33 of 39 (33-6)
- 56 of 70 (56-14)
 - 69 of 85 (69-16)
- 84 of 102 (84-18)
- 96 of 117 (96-21)
- 117 of 142 (117-25)
In the Tad Boyle era, Colorado is 197-40 at home (.831). The Buffaloes are 510-191 (.728) all-time at the CUEC. The Buffaloes have won at least 10 games at home each of the last 15 seasons.
Colorado was 16-1 at the CU Events Center in 2023-24, tying for the most regular season home wins in a season joining the 2015-16 (16-1) and 2013-14 (16-2) teams at that mark (the 2010-11 team won a school-record 18 home games, which included three postseason NIT victories).
BOYLE MILESTONES: Head coach Tad Boyle, in his 15th season, picked up his 300th win at Colorado during the win over Northern Colorado, the most in program history.
Boyle-led teams own 10 of the 14 20-win seasons in team history, the top five single-season win totals and seven of the top eight. With a record of 302-183 at CU, his is a virtual tie for the best winning percentage in team history at 62.3 percent, trailing Forrest "Frosty" Cox (147-89 from 1936-50) by two-ten thousandths of a percent (Cox is .62288, Boyle is .62268).
During Colorado's 13-year stint in the Pac-12 Conference, Boyle won 131 regular season league games, tying with Ernie Kent (Oregon 1998-2010 & Washington State 2014-19) for 17th in conference history.
Boyle owns the most wins at a state of Colorado NCAA Division I institution. He is 358-249 (.590) in his 19th year between Colorado and Northern Colorado (four seasons, 2006-10).  Boyle  is currently fifth in career wins for a head coach at any Colorado four-year school.
ABOUT THE SPARTANS: Michigan State is 4-1 on the season with its lone loss coming in a competitive 77-69 neutral-floor battle against top-ranked Kansas on Nov. 12. The Spartans average 83.0 points shooting 46.3 percent from the field. Michigan State, receiving votes in both the Associated Press and Coaches Polls, have held opponents to just 68.2 points on 39.7 percent shooting.
Senior guard Jaden Akins leads the Spartans in scoring at 14.6 points per game and is second on the team in rebounding at 6.2 per contest. Senior Frankie Fidler is averaging 11.8 points and is shooting 89.5 percent from the line, getting to the line nearly eight times per game (34-38). Junior Jaxon Kohler leads Michigan State in rebounding at 8.0 per game while averaging 10.2 points on 50 percent shooting.
THE SERIES: This will be the fifth meeting between Colorado and Michigan State with the Spartans holding a 3-1 advantage. This will be the first meeting since a first round match-up in the 2003 NCAA Tournament. No. 7 seed Michigan State defeated No. 10 Colorado 79-64, in a South Region contest played in Tampa, Fla. Colorado's lone win in the series was a 90-87 decision on Dec. 28, 1956, in Kansas City as part of the old Big Seven (later Big Eight) Holiday Tournament.
BUFFS IN MAUI: Colorado makes its second appearance at the Maui Invitational. The Buffaloes finished seventh at the 2009 Maui Invitational. Then coached by Jeff Bzdelik, in his final season at Colorado, the Buffaloes suffered back-to-back narrow losses to Gonzaga (76-72) and Arizona (91-87 in OT) before defeating Chaminade (73-58) on the final day.
PRESEASON TOURNAMENTS: Colorado has won eight preseason tournaments - also called MTE's or multi-team events - most recently the 2019 MGM Resorts Main Event in Las Vegas by defeating Wyoming (56-41) and Clemson (71-67). Four of Colorado's preseason tournament titles have been won on a neutral court.
Preseason Tournament Titles
2019-20 MGM Main Event, Las Vegas, Nev. (2-0)
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)
GOLD STANDARD: Colorado is 93-6 in the Tad Boyle era when meeting the program's "Gold Standard" of holding an opponent to 40 percent or less from the field and having a plus-8 rebounding edge. The Buffaloes have met that mark three times in four games after holding Harvard to 36.9 percent from the field and enjoying a plus-13 advantage on the boards (43-30).
AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: Colorado's 27 wins over ranked Associated Press ranked opponents in the Tad Boyle era is by far the best in team history. In fact Boyle coached teams, with a record of 27-49, have accounted for 38 percent of wins over ranked opponents (71) since 1949-50.
Colorado was 2-4 against AP ranked teams in 2023-24 and 3-4 overall. Florida was ranked No. 23 in the coaches poll and received votes from the AP.
Based off the current polls, Colorado should take a significant jump in the number of ranked opponents it will face this year. Six Big 12 teams are ranked in the AP poll including. Counting home-and-home series, in its current state, the Buffaloes would play eight games against ranked opponents during the conference season (No. 1 Kansas and No. 5 Iowa State twice). The Big 12 had a record five schools in the top 10 in the preseason poll.
In addition, four potential Maui Invitational opponents are in the rankings, led by No. 2 UConn, a potential second day opponent. No. 10/12 North Carolina, No. 4/3 Auburn and No. 5 Iowa State are potential third day opponents.
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Lahaina Civic Center, Maui, Hawai'i
Tip: 3 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN2 (Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas)
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 384, SXM App 974
Live Statistics: https//maui.statbroadcast.com
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 4-0 to start a season for the second-straight year and the fifth time in the coach Tad Boyle era (since 2010-11). The Buffaloes are coming off an 88-66 win over Harvard at the CU Events Center on Nov. 17.
Colorado averaged 84.3 points over its season-opening four-game home-stand while shooting exactly 50 percent from the field (113-226)and 40.2 percent from 3-point range. The Buffaloes offense began to gain steam in the last two games, increasing that shooting percentage to 54.1 percent (59-109). Colorado has won eight-straight games, and 19 of its last 21, when shooting at least 50 percent.
The Buffaloes have picked up from 3-point range as well. After starting the season making 14 of 41 from 3-point range in the first two games (.341) the Buffaloes have made 21 of 46 over the last two (.457). Colorado's 12 3-point field goals against Cal State Fullerton was its most since making 13 almost a year to the day, Nov. 15, 2023 vs. Milwaukee.
The Buffaloes dished out a season-high 22 assists against Cal State Fullerton, improving from just nine in the previous game against Northern Colorado. Colorado followed that performance up with 18 assists, along with a season-low 13 turnovers, in the win over Harvard.
Colorado remained solid at the free throw line, shooting 78.4 percent from the charity stripe, a number that led the Big 12 Conference entering the weekend. The Buffaloes made 21 of 25 - a season-high 84 percent - from the line against Harvard
GRAND GRAD DEBUTS: Colorado's three graduate transfers, spanning all levels of collegiate basketball, have had successful debuts
Trevor Baskin, an NCAA Division II All-American at Colorado Mesa, is averaging 10.0 points and shooting 61.9 percent from the field, thanks in part to a 6 for 8 performance against Harvard, pitching in 13 points in his first CU start. He leads the team in rebounding at 7.0 per game and is second on the squad with six blocked shots.
Baskin played a key role in Colorado's comeback win over Eastern Washington with 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks in 22 minutes. He just missed a double-double against Northern Colorado with nine points and nine rebounds
Elijah Malone, the 2024 Bevo Francis Award winner as the best small-school player in the nation (Grace College [Ind.] - NAIA) is averaging 14.0 points while leading the Buffaloes in shooting at 65.5 percent (19-29) and blocked shots with seven. Malone is also shooting 85 percent from the free throw line (17-20) and is third on the team in rebounding at 5.3 per game.
Malone had 16 points, seven rebounds and a team season-high four blocked shots against Harvard. He went over the 2,000-point milestone for his collegiate career during the win over the Crimson and now has 2,009 in 143 career games (14.0 ppg).
Malone led all scorers against Northern Colorado with 27 points on 8 of 12 from the field and 10 of 12 from the free throw line. He made the 100th 3-point field goal of his collegiate career in the first half against the Bears. Including Grace, it was his 28th career game of 20-plus points.
Andrej Jakimovski, a four-year standout at old Pac-12 rival Washington State, leads Colorado in scoring at 14.3 points per game and in steals with eight. Jakimovski, who has led the Buffaloes in scoring the last two contests, had 20 points on 7 of 14 shooting along with five rebounds against Harvard. It was the fifth overall 20-point game of his collegiate career - and just two points off his overall career-high of 22.
Jakimovski scored a team-high 17 points against Cal State Fullerton hitting 5 of 8 from 3-point range. His five 3-pointers made tied his overall collegiate high which he had done three times at Washington State, most recently at Oregon State on Feb. 8, 2024.
SMITH'S RETURN: Sophomore guard RJ Smith is averaging 7.0 points while shooting 55.6 percent from the field in his return to action after missing the final 30 games of 2023-24 with a leg injury. Smith had nine points on a career-best four field goals made against UNC. Â Playing in his first game since Nov. 29, 2023, Smith had seven points and a career-best four assists against Cal State Fullerton.
OUT OF THE RUFF: Junior guard Javon Ruffin is averaging 11.5 points while shooting 57 percent from the field. He is second on the team in assists (12) and steals (5). Ruffin scored a career-high 15 points against Harvard, on a very efficient game hitting 4 of 5 from the field and a perfect 4 of 4 from the line. He added four assists against the Crimson and is averaging 4.5 over the last two contests.
Ruffin had scored in double-figures in three of four outings including back-to-back efforts against Eastern Washington and Northern Colorado. He has 16 field goals made through four games, compared to just 11 in 18 games last season.
DIOP DOUBLE AND TRIPLE: Sophomore forward Assane Diop ranks second on the team in rebounding at 6.8 per game. He didn't score a single point, or take a shot for that matter, against Cal State Fullerton, but had eight rebounds, leading the Buffaloes for the second-straight game. Diop had 10 rebounds against Northern Colorado, three better than his previous best of seven vs. California (2/28/24). He led Led the Buffaloes in rebounding for the first time. In addition, Diop made his first career 3-point field goal. He had missed the first nine attempts of his career (first 33 games).
NONCONFERENCE NUMBERS: Colorado is 131-39 (.771) in nonconference regular season games under head coach Tad Boyle including an 84-22 mark (.792) since the beginning of the 2014-15 season.
Colorado is 100-8 (.925) in nonconference home games under Boyle, a record which includes a 7-2 mark in postseason action.
RIGHT AT HOME: At the CU Events Center, the Buffaloes have won:
- 7-straight
- 20 of their last 21
- 33 of 39 (33-6)
- 56 of 70 (56-14)
 - 69 of 85 (69-16)
- 84 of 102 (84-18)
- 96 of 117 (96-21)
- 117 of 142 (117-25)
In the Tad Boyle era, Colorado is 197-40 at home (.831). The Buffaloes are 510-191 (.728) all-time at the CUEC. The Buffaloes have won at least 10 games at home each of the last 15 seasons.
Colorado was 16-1 at the CU Events Center in 2023-24, tying for the most regular season home wins in a season joining the 2015-16 (16-1) and 2013-14 (16-2) teams at that mark (the 2010-11 team won a school-record 18 home games, which included three postseason NIT victories).
BOYLE MILESTONES: Head coach Tad Boyle, in his 15th season, picked up his 300th win at Colorado during the win over Northern Colorado, the most in program history.
Boyle-led teams own 10 of the 14 20-win seasons in team history, the top five single-season win totals and seven of the top eight. With a record of 302-183 at CU, his is a virtual tie for the best winning percentage in team history at 62.3 percent, trailing Forrest "Frosty" Cox (147-89 from 1936-50) by two-ten thousandths of a percent (Cox is .62288, Boyle is .62268).
During Colorado's 13-year stint in the Pac-12 Conference, Boyle won 131 regular season league games, tying with Ernie Kent (Oregon 1998-2010 & Washington State 2014-19) for 17th in conference history.
Boyle owns the most wins at a state of Colorado NCAA Division I institution. He is 358-249 (.590) in his 19th year between Colorado and Northern Colorado (four seasons, 2006-10).  Boyle  is currently fifth in career wins for a head coach at any Colorado four-year school.
ABOUT THE SPARTANS: Michigan State is 4-1 on the season with its lone loss coming in a competitive 77-69 neutral-floor battle against top-ranked Kansas on Nov. 12. The Spartans average 83.0 points shooting 46.3 percent from the field. Michigan State, receiving votes in both the Associated Press and Coaches Polls, have held opponents to just 68.2 points on 39.7 percent shooting.
Senior guard Jaden Akins leads the Spartans in scoring at 14.6 points per game and is second on the team in rebounding at 6.2 per contest. Senior Frankie Fidler is averaging 11.8 points and is shooting 89.5 percent from the line, getting to the line nearly eight times per game (34-38). Junior Jaxon Kohler leads Michigan State in rebounding at 8.0 per game while averaging 10.2 points on 50 percent shooting.
THE SERIES: This will be the fifth meeting between Colorado and Michigan State with the Spartans holding a 3-1 advantage. This will be the first meeting since a first round match-up in the 2003 NCAA Tournament. No. 7 seed Michigan State defeated No. 10 Colorado 79-64, in a South Region contest played in Tampa, Fla. Colorado's lone win in the series was a 90-87 decision on Dec. 28, 1956, in Kansas City as part of the old Big Seven (later Big Eight) Holiday Tournament.
BUFFS IN MAUI: Colorado makes its second appearance at the Maui Invitational. The Buffaloes finished seventh at the 2009 Maui Invitational. Then coached by Jeff Bzdelik, in his final season at Colorado, the Buffaloes suffered back-to-back narrow losses to Gonzaga (76-72) and Arizona (91-87 in OT) before defeating Chaminade (73-58) on the final day.
PRESEASON TOURNAMENTS: Colorado has won eight preseason tournaments - also called MTE's or multi-team events - most recently the 2019 MGM Resorts Main Event in Las Vegas by defeating Wyoming (56-41) and Clemson (71-67). Four of Colorado's preseason tournament titles have been won on a neutral court.
Preseason Tournament Titles
2019-20 MGM Main Event, Las Vegas, Nev. (2-0)
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)
GOLD STANDARD: Colorado is 93-6 in the Tad Boyle era when meeting the program's "Gold Standard" of holding an opponent to 40 percent or less from the field and having a plus-8 rebounding edge. The Buffaloes have met that mark three times in four games after holding Harvard to 36.9 percent from the field and enjoying a plus-13 advantage on the boards (43-30).
AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: Colorado's 27 wins over ranked Associated Press ranked opponents in the Tad Boyle era is by far the best in team history. In fact Boyle coached teams, with a record of 27-49, have accounted for 38 percent of wins over ranked opponents (71) since 1949-50.
Colorado was 2-4 against AP ranked teams in 2023-24 and 3-4 overall. Florida was ranked No. 23 in the coaches poll and received votes from the AP.
Based off the current polls, Colorado should take a significant jump in the number of ranked opponents it will face this year. Six Big 12 teams are ranked in the AP poll including. Counting home-and-home series, in its current state, the Buffaloes would play eight games against ranked opponents during the conference season (No. 1 Kansas and No. 5 Iowa State twice). The Big 12 had a record five schools in the top 10 in the preseason poll.
In addition, four potential Maui Invitational opponents are in the rankings, led by No. 2 UConn, a potential second day opponent. No. 10/12 North Carolina, No. 4/3 Auburn and No. 5 Iowa State are potential third day opponents.
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