Monday, December 30
Boulder, Colo.
7 p.m.
Colorado
vs
Iowa State
Julian Hammond III and the Buffaloes look forward to their Maui Invitational rematch with Iowa State
Photo by: Lexi Hartmann
Buffs Open Big 12 Play Monday Against No. 3 Iowa State
December 29, 2024 | Men's Basketball
Game 12 - Iowa State, Monday, December 30, 2024
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip:Â 7:05 p.m. MT
Watch:Â CBS Sports Network (Rich Waltz, Dan Dickau)
Radio:Â KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online:Â Sirius XM 389, SXM App 979
Live Statistics:Â http://statb.us/b/546204
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 9-2 overall and winners of its last four as the Buffaloes closed out their nonconference schedule with a 79-55 triumph over Bellarmine on Dec. 21.
Colorado is set to play its first Big 12 Conference regular season game since March 5, 2011, a 67-57 home win over Nebraska. Led by then first-year head coach Tad Boyle, the Buffaloes tied for fifth place in the league standings that season at 8-8 advancing to the Big 12 Championship semifinals. Colorado won a then-school record 24 games in 2010-11 (24-14), finishing its season in the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden.
The Buffaloes are a perfect 8-0 at the CU Events Center this season, have won their last 11 home games dating back to last year and have won 24 of 25 since the beginning of the 2023-24 season.
Away from the friendly confines, Colorado placed sixth at the 2024 Maui Invitational. A thrilling 73-72 win over then-No. 2/2 ranked UConn on the tournament's second day (Nov. 26) highlighted the trip for the Buffaloes who eventually fell to No. 5/5 Iowa State 99-71 in the consolation final (fifth place game) on Nov. 27 to round out the event with a 1-2 record. The game against Iowa State counted as a nonconference game.
Colorado is averaging 76.7 points per game, shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from 3-point range. Defensively, Colorado is allowing 68.4 points per game while opponents are shooting 41.3 percent.
At home the Buffaloes are averaging 80.5 points per game while shooting 48.8 percent from the floor and 36.7 percent from 3-point range. Colorado is holding its home opponents to 63.6 points on 37.3 percent shooting while enjoying a plus-9.6 advantage on the boards.
The Buffaloes have had a flair for the dramatic this season. Colorado has had to overcome double-figure deficits in three wins including a rally from 11-down in the win over Pacific. The Buffaloes erased a 17-point deficit in the opener over Eastern Washington.
Colorado is 3-2 this season when trailing at the half, compared to the 2024 NCAA Tournament team that won just two of 10 contests in that situation. The Buffaloes are 3-0 in games decided by 10 points or less.
GRAND GRADS: As anticipated, Colorado's three graduate transfers, spanning all levels of collegiate basketball, have made immediate impacts for the Buffaloes.
Andrej Jakimovski, a four-year standout at old Pac-12 rival Washington State, is averaging 11.2 points per game while tying for theteam lead in steals (14) and ranking third in 3-point field goals (18) and rebounding at 4.7 per contest. He is closing in on 1,000 points for his collegiate career, needing 22 for that milestone.
Jakimovski had 17 points against Pacific, leading the Buffaloes in scoring for the third time. He had four 3-point field goals, the third one giving him 200 for his collegiate career.
Jakimovski averaged 11.3 points and a team-best 6.0 rebounds at the Maui Invitational. He had Colorado's first double-double of the season, and the fifth of his collegiate career with 12 points and 10 rebounds against UConn. He also hit the eventual game-winning shot against the No. 2 ranked Huskies with under eight seconds remaining.
It was Jakimovski's eighth career double-figure rebounding game. One of his four previous double-doubles came against Colorado while he was at Washington State on Jan. 30, 2022.
Elijah Malone, the 2024 Bevo Francis Award winner as the best small-school player in the nation (Grace College [Ind.] - NAIA) tops the Buffaloes in shooting at 66.2 percent (51-77) while averaging 12.0 points an outing. Malone is also shooting 77.1 percent from the free throw line (27-35) and is second on the team in blocks (10) and fourth in rebounding at 4.0 per game.
Malone had 15 points and a personal CU-high nine rebounds against South Dakota State. He hit 7 of 8 from the field, matching the team's best this season in terms of percentage (.875) with at least four field goals made. Malone has made 17 of his last 21 from the field (.810), spanning the last four games.
Against Harvard, he went over the 2,000-point milestone for his collegiate career.
Trevor Baskin, an NCAA Division II All-American at Colorado Mesa, leads Colorado and ranks 14th in the Big 12 in rebounding (6.5 rpg) and blocked shots (1.1 bpg) while averaging 8.7 points on 50.9 percent from the field.
Baskin flirted with a triple-double against Pacific, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. It was his 23rd collegiate double-double and first with CU. His seven assists were a team season-high and were an overall collegiate personal best (he had six in a game at New Mexico Highlands on Feb. 23, 2024).
Against Colorado State, Baskin recorded a team season-high 11 rebounds, just missing a second double-double with nine points along with two blocks, two steals and two assists.
HAMMOND TIME: Julian Hammond III, the most experienced player in terms of games for the Buffaloes (playing in his 100th career game on Monday), leads Colorado at 13.1 points and 3.5 assists per game. Hammond also tops the Buffaloes in 3-point field goals (21) and is shooting 93.1 percent from the free throw line.
Hammond had a career-high game against South Dakota State with 23 points, on 8 of 14 from the field along with seven assists. It was the third 20-point game of his career and second this season, surpassing his previous best of 21 points against Washington in the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament.
Hammond has made his last 20 free throw attempts including a 3 for 3 performance against Bellarmine, in a game which he scored 10 points, dished out five assists and tied a team season high with four steals.
Hammond led Colorado at the Maui Invitational averaging 17.0 points while shooting 54.5 percent from the field (18-33), 52.9 percent from 3-point range (9-17) and hitting a perfect 6 of 6 from the free throw line.
SMITH'S RETURN, AND START: Sophomore guard RJ Smith is averaging 8.4 points while shooting 57 percent from the field in his return to action after missing the final 30 games of 2023-24 with a leg injury.
In his last two games, Smith has matched his career bests of 11 points and three 3-point field goals made. Against Bellarmine, Smith was 3 of 4 from 3-point range and led the Buffaloes in rebounding for the first time in his career, finishing with five. Against South Dakota State, he was 4 of 6 from the field including 3 of 5 from 3-point range.
Smith has made 14 of his last 21 from 3-point range over the last six games and is shooting  a team-best 60.6 percent overall from long range (20-33).
Smith made his first career start against Colorado State, pitching in nine points on 3 of 4 from the field and four rebounds. He was a perfect 2 of 2 from the 3-point line.
In Maui, Smith averaged 5.3 points and was second on the team in assists with eight. He had eight points hitting a perfect 3 of 3 from the field against UConn.
DIOP CAREER GAME: Sophomore forward Assane Diop led Colorado in scoring for the first time with a career-best 15 points on 7 of 11 from the field in the win over Bellarmine. It marked his second career double-figure scoring game. Diop ranks second on the team in rebounding at 4.8 per game.
BD's BIG DAY: Sophomore forward Bangot Dak led the Buffaloes against CSU scoring a career-high 16 points on 7 of 8 from the field along with four rebounds. He doubled his previous career-best of eight points, set previously against Iowa State. It was his first time leading Colorado in scoring and the 7 of 8 performance from the field (.875) is the team's best percentage wise this year with at least four field goals made.
Dak is averaging 6.4 points on the season but has jumped that number to 9.3 over the last five games. He is third on the team in blocks (9) and fifth in rebounding (3.0 rpg).
ABOUT THE CYCLONES: No. 3 (AP & Coaches) ranked Iowa State is 10-1 on the season and has won its last seven. The lone loss on the season for the Cyclones was a two-point setback (83-81) against current No. 2 ranked Auburn in the first round of the Maui Invitational. Iowa State leads the Big 12 and ranks fifth in the nation in scoring at 88.5 points per game. The Cyclones also rank in the nation's top 10 in shooting (7th, .513), scoring margin (6th, +22.9), assist-to-turnover ratio (7th, 1.9) and turnover margin (7th, +6.5).
Iowa State features six players averaging in double-digit scoring, led by senior guard Keshon Gilbert at 16.5 points per game. Gilbert also leads the Cyclones in assists (57) and free throws made and attempted (52-68). Senior guard Curtis Jones, who primarily comes off the bench, averages 16.0 points and leads ISU with 31 3-point field goals. Sophomore forward Milan Momcilovic, who scored a game-high 24 points against Colorado at the Maui Invitational, is third in scoring at 11.6 points per game. Junior forward Joshua Jefferson leads Iowa State in rebounding at 8.4 per game while pitching in 11.5 points per game.
THE SERIES: This will be the 150th meeting between Colorado and Iowa State, the third-most played series in program history (trailing Kansas-164 and Missouri-151). Iowa State holds a 79-70 series lead. This will be the first regular season conference game between the two long-time rivals since a 95-90 ISU win in Ames on Feb. 1, 2011. Colorado and Iowa State played a pair of nonconference games since CU's last stint in the Big 12 - both won by the Cyclones - last month at the Maui Invitational and a neutral site game in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Nov. 13, 2015. Colorado holds a 48-16 advantage in Boulder and has won the last six played at the CU Events Center. ISU's last win in Boulder came on March 5, 2005 (78-73).
SERIES CONNECTIONS: Colorado graduate senior Andrej Jakimovski and Iowa State's Dishon Jackson and Brandton Chatfield were teammates at Washington State. All three were on the same roster in 2020-21 while Jakimovski and Jackson were teammates for three seasons (2020-23). Colorado freshman forward Sebastian Rancik is the son of Martin Rancik who played for Iowa State from 1997-2001.
STEALS AND TURNOVERS: Colorado recorded 15 steals in the win over Bellarmine, the program's most since having 15 against USC on Jan. 10, 2013. The Buffaloes have three games of double-digit steals (12 in each of the first two games against UNC & Eastern Washington). Colorado had just one game of double-digit steals all of last season (11 vs. Miami, Fla., in Brooklyn, Dec. 10, 2023).
In that same game, Colorado tied a season low with 10 turnovers, recording that mark for the third time in four games. The Buffaloes rank last in the Big 12 in turnovers at 14.2 per game, but have cut that number down to 11.8 over the last four.
The Bellarmine game marked the first time Colorado had more steals (15) than turnovers (10), since Jan. 13, 2024 when the Buffaloes had nine steals and eight turnovers in a 68-58 home win over USC.
FOULS AND FREE THROWS: Colorado ranks 21st in the nation in fouls per game, committing just 14.3 per contest. The Buffaloes had a season-low eight fouls against Bellarmine, the program's fewest since committing eight against Yale on Nov. 27, 2022.
Colorado has made 14 more free throws (179) than opponents have attempted this season (165). The Buffaloes are 5-0 this season in games with more free throws made than attempts allowed. Colorado ranks fourth in the Big 12 and 43rd nationally in free throw percentage (.765).
AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: Colorado is 1-1 against ranked opponents in 2024-25 after facing No. 2/2 UConn and No. 5/5 Iowa State on back-to-back dates at the Maui Invitational.
The win over No. 2/2 UConn marks the highest-ranked win away from Boulder in program history. Colorado has two previous wins over No. 2 teams, both coming in Boulder (Feb. 12, 1992 vs. #2 Oklahoma State, 57-53 & Feb. 26, 2022 vs. #2 Arizona, 79-63). Senior Julian Hammond III and redshirt junior Javon Ruffin were both on that team that defeated Arizona. The previous best neutral site win came against No. 4 Washington on Dec. 30, 1953 in Kansas City (Big 7 Holiday Tournament).
Colorado's last win against a defending national champion came against the 1952 NCAA champion Kansas Jayhawks on Jan. 20, 1953, 72-68 in Boulder.
Colorado's 28 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 28-50, have accounted for 39 percent of wins over ranked opponents (72) since 1949-50.
Colorado faced two ranked nonconference opponents on back-to-back days for the first time in 26 years, Nov. 26-27, 1998, when the Buffaloes played No. 4 Kentucky (L, 52-64) and No. 10 Xavier (L, 61-74) in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
TOP 5 RARITY: Colorado will play its third game against a top 5 ranked opponent when it meets Iowa State for the second time on Monday. It will mark the fourth time in the last 15 years the Buffaloes will have games against three top 5 opponents (2010-11, 2013-14 & 2021-22). This will be the first time in that span those three games were played within the first 12 games of the season. This will be the first time since 2013-14 where the Buffaloes play three ranked teams before the calendar turns over to January.
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip:Â 7:05 p.m. MT
Watch:Â CBS Sports Network (Rich Waltz, Dan Dickau)
Radio:Â KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online:Â Sirius XM 389, SXM App 979
Live Statistics:Â http://statb.us/b/546204
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 9-2 overall and winners of its last four as the Buffaloes closed out their nonconference schedule with a 79-55 triumph over Bellarmine on Dec. 21.
Colorado is set to play its first Big 12 Conference regular season game since March 5, 2011, a 67-57 home win over Nebraska. Led by then first-year head coach Tad Boyle, the Buffaloes tied for fifth place in the league standings that season at 8-8 advancing to the Big 12 Championship semifinals. Colorado won a then-school record 24 games in 2010-11 (24-14), finishing its season in the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden.
The Buffaloes are a perfect 8-0 at the CU Events Center this season, have won their last 11 home games dating back to last year and have won 24 of 25 since the beginning of the 2023-24 season.
Away from the friendly confines, Colorado placed sixth at the 2024 Maui Invitational. A thrilling 73-72 win over then-No. 2/2 ranked UConn on the tournament's second day (Nov. 26) highlighted the trip for the Buffaloes who eventually fell to No. 5/5 Iowa State 99-71 in the consolation final (fifth place game) on Nov. 27 to round out the event with a 1-2 record. The game against Iowa State counted as a nonconference game.
Colorado is averaging 76.7 points per game, shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from 3-point range. Defensively, Colorado is allowing 68.4 points per game while opponents are shooting 41.3 percent.
At home the Buffaloes are averaging 80.5 points per game while shooting 48.8 percent from the floor and 36.7 percent from 3-point range. Colorado is holding its home opponents to 63.6 points on 37.3 percent shooting while enjoying a plus-9.6 advantage on the boards.
The Buffaloes have had a flair for the dramatic this season. Colorado has had to overcome double-figure deficits in three wins including a rally from 11-down in the win over Pacific. The Buffaloes erased a 17-point deficit in the opener over Eastern Washington.
Colorado is 3-2 this season when trailing at the half, compared to the 2024 NCAA Tournament team that won just two of 10 contests in that situation. The Buffaloes are 3-0 in games decided by 10 points or less.
GRAND GRADS: As anticipated, Colorado's three graduate transfers, spanning all levels of collegiate basketball, have made immediate impacts for the Buffaloes.
Andrej Jakimovski, a four-year standout at old Pac-12 rival Washington State, is averaging 11.2 points per game while tying for theteam lead in steals (14) and ranking third in 3-point field goals (18) and rebounding at 4.7 per contest. He is closing in on 1,000 points for his collegiate career, needing 22 for that milestone.
Jakimovski had 17 points against Pacific, leading the Buffaloes in scoring for the third time. He had four 3-point field goals, the third one giving him 200 for his collegiate career.
Jakimovski averaged 11.3 points and a team-best 6.0 rebounds at the Maui Invitational. He had Colorado's first double-double of the season, and the fifth of his collegiate career with 12 points and 10 rebounds against UConn. He also hit the eventual game-winning shot against the No. 2 ranked Huskies with under eight seconds remaining.
It was Jakimovski's eighth career double-figure rebounding game. One of his four previous double-doubles came against Colorado while he was at Washington State on Jan. 30, 2022.
Elijah Malone, the 2024 Bevo Francis Award winner as the best small-school player in the nation (Grace College [Ind.] - NAIA) tops the Buffaloes in shooting at 66.2 percent (51-77) while averaging 12.0 points an outing. Malone is also shooting 77.1 percent from the free throw line (27-35) and is second on the team in blocks (10) and fourth in rebounding at 4.0 per game.
Malone had 15 points and a personal CU-high nine rebounds against South Dakota State. He hit 7 of 8 from the field, matching the team's best this season in terms of percentage (.875) with at least four field goals made. Malone has made 17 of his last 21 from the field (.810), spanning the last four games.
Against Harvard, he went over the 2,000-point milestone for his collegiate career.
Trevor Baskin, an NCAA Division II All-American at Colorado Mesa, leads Colorado and ranks 14th in the Big 12 in rebounding (6.5 rpg) and blocked shots (1.1 bpg) while averaging 8.7 points on 50.9 percent from the field.
Baskin flirted with a triple-double against Pacific, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. It was his 23rd collegiate double-double and first with CU. His seven assists were a team season-high and were an overall collegiate personal best (he had six in a game at New Mexico Highlands on Feb. 23, 2024).
Against Colorado State, Baskin recorded a team season-high 11 rebounds, just missing a second double-double with nine points along with two blocks, two steals and two assists.
HAMMOND TIME: Julian Hammond III, the most experienced player in terms of games for the Buffaloes (playing in his 100th career game on Monday), leads Colorado at 13.1 points and 3.5 assists per game. Hammond also tops the Buffaloes in 3-point field goals (21) and is shooting 93.1 percent from the free throw line.
Hammond had a career-high game against South Dakota State with 23 points, on 8 of 14 from the field along with seven assists. It was the third 20-point game of his career and second this season, surpassing his previous best of 21 points against Washington in the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament.
Hammond has made his last 20 free throw attempts including a 3 for 3 performance against Bellarmine, in a game which he scored 10 points, dished out five assists and tied a team season high with four steals.
Hammond led Colorado at the Maui Invitational averaging 17.0 points while shooting 54.5 percent from the field (18-33), 52.9 percent from 3-point range (9-17) and hitting a perfect 6 of 6 from the free throw line.
SMITH'S RETURN, AND START: Sophomore guard RJ Smith is averaging 8.4 points while shooting 57 percent from the field in his return to action after missing the final 30 games of 2023-24 with a leg injury.
In his last two games, Smith has matched his career bests of 11 points and three 3-point field goals made. Against Bellarmine, Smith was 3 of 4 from 3-point range and led the Buffaloes in rebounding for the first time in his career, finishing with five. Against South Dakota State, he was 4 of 6 from the field including 3 of 5 from 3-point range.
Smith has made 14 of his last 21 from 3-point range over the last six games and is shooting  a team-best 60.6 percent overall from long range (20-33).
Smith made his first career start against Colorado State, pitching in nine points on 3 of 4 from the field and four rebounds. He was a perfect 2 of 2 from the 3-point line.
In Maui, Smith averaged 5.3 points and was second on the team in assists with eight. He had eight points hitting a perfect 3 of 3 from the field against UConn.
DIOP CAREER GAME: Sophomore forward Assane Diop led Colorado in scoring for the first time with a career-best 15 points on 7 of 11 from the field in the win over Bellarmine. It marked his second career double-figure scoring game. Diop ranks second on the team in rebounding at 4.8 per game.
BD's BIG DAY: Sophomore forward Bangot Dak led the Buffaloes against CSU scoring a career-high 16 points on 7 of 8 from the field along with four rebounds. He doubled his previous career-best of eight points, set previously against Iowa State. It was his first time leading Colorado in scoring and the 7 of 8 performance from the field (.875) is the team's best percentage wise this year with at least four field goals made.
Dak is averaging 6.4 points on the season but has jumped that number to 9.3 over the last five games. He is third on the team in blocks (9) and fifth in rebounding (3.0 rpg).
ABOUT THE CYCLONES: No. 3 (AP & Coaches) ranked Iowa State is 10-1 on the season and has won its last seven. The lone loss on the season for the Cyclones was a two-point setback (83-81) against current No. 2 ranked Auburn in the first round of the Maui Invitational. Iowa State leads the Big 12 and ranks fifth in the nation in scoring at 88.5 points per game. The Cyclones also rank in the nation's top 10 in shooting (7th, .513), scoring margin (6th, +22.9), assist-to-turnover ratio (7th, 1.9) and turnover margin (7th, +6.5).
Iowa State features six players averaging in double-digit scoring, led by senior guard Keshon Gilbert at 16.5 points per game. Gilbert also leads the Cyclones in assists (57) and free throws made and attempted (52-68). Senior guard Curtis Jones, who primarily comes off the bench, averages 16.0 points and leads ISU with 31 3-point field goals. Sophomore forward Milan Momcilovic, who scored a game-high 24 points against Colorado at the Maui Invitational, is third in scoring at 11.6 points per game. Junior forward Joshua Jefferson leads Iowa State in rebounding at 8.4 per game while pitching in 11.5 points per game.
THE SERIES: This will be the 150th meeting between Colorado and Iowa State, the third-most played series in program history (trailing Kansas-164 and Missouri-151). Iowa State holds a 79-70 series lead. This will be the first regular season conference game between the two long-time rivals since a 95-90 ISU win in Ames on Feb. 1, 2011. Colorado and Iowa State played a pair of nonconference games since CU's last stint in the Big 12 - both won by the Cyclones - last month at the Maui Invitational and a neutral site game in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Nov. 13, 2015. Colorado holds a 48-16 advantage in Boulder and has won the last six played at the CU Events Center. ISU's last win in Boulder came on March 5, 2005 (78-73).
SERIES CONNECTIONS: Colorado graduate senior Andrej Jakimovski and Iowa State's Dishon Jackson and Brandton Chatfield were teammates at Washington State. All three were on the same roster in 2020-21 while Jakimovski and Jackson were teammates for three seasons (2020-23). Colorado freshman forward Sebastian Rancik is the son of Martin Rancik who played for Iowa State from 1997-2001.
STEALS AND TURNOVERS: Colorado recorded 15 steals in the win over Bellarmine, the program's most since having 15 against USC on Jan. 10, 2013. The Buffaloes have three games of double-digit steals (12 in each of the first two games against UNC & Eastern Washington). Colorado had just one game of double-digit steals all of last season (11 vs. Miami, Fla., in Brooklyn, Dec. 10, 2023).
In that same game, Colorado tied a season low with 10 turnovers, recording that mark for the third time in four games. The Buffaloes rank last in the Big 12 in turnovers at 14.2 per game, but have cut that number down to 11.8 over the last four.
The Bellarmine game marked the first time Colorado had more steals (15) than turnovers (10), since Jan. 13, 2024 when the Buffaloes had nine steals and eight turnovers in a 68-58 home win over USC.
FOULS AND FREE THROWS: Colorado ranks 21st in the nation in fouls per game, committing just 14.3 per contest. The Buffaloes had a season-low eight fouls against Bellarmine, the program's fewest since committing eight against Yale on Nov. 27, 2022.
Colorado has made 14 more free throws (179) than opponents have attempted this season (165). The Buffaloes are 5-0 this season in games with more free throws made than attempts allowed. Colorado ranks fourth in the Big 12 and 43rd nationally in free throw percentage (.765).
AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: Colorado is 1-1 against ranked opponents in 2024-25 after facing No. 2/2 UConn and No. 5/5 Iowa State on back-to-back dates at the Maui Invitational.
The win over No. 2/2 UConn marks the highest-ranked win away from Boulder in program history. Colorado has two previous wins over No. 2 teams, both coming in Boulder (Feb. 12, 1992 vs. #2 Oklahoma State, 57-53 & Feb. 26, 2022 vs. #2 Arizona, 79-63). Senior Julian Hammond III and redshirt junior Javon Ruffin were both on that team that defeated Arizona. The previous best neutral site win came against No. 4 Washington on Dec. 30, 1953 in Kansas City (Big 7 Holiday Tournament).
Colorado's last win against a defending national champion came against the 1952 NCAA champion Kansas Jayhawks on Jan. 20, 1953, 72-68 in Boulder.
Colorado's 28 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 28-50, have accounted for 39 percent of wins over ranked opponents (72) since 1949-50.
Colorado faced two ranked nonconference opponents on back-to-back days for the first time in 26 years, Nov. 26-27, 1998, when the Buffaloes played No. 4 Kentucky (L, 52-64) and No. 10 Xavier (L, 61-74) in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
TOP 5 RARITY: Colorado will play its third game against a top 5 ranked opponent when it meets Iowa State for the second time on Monday. It will mark the fourth time in the last 15 years the Buffaloes will have games against three top 5 opponents (2010-11, 2013-14 & 2021-22). This will be the first time in that span those three games were played within the first 12 games of the season. This will be the first time since 2013-14 where the Buffaloes play three ranked teams before the calendar turns over to January.
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