Wednesday, January 8
Orlando, Fla.
5 p.m.
Colorado
at
UCF
Photo by: CUBuffs.com
Buffs Visit UCF In First Big 12 Match-Up
January 07, 2025 | Men's Basketball
Game 14 - UCF, Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Addition Financial Arena, Orlando, Fla.
Tip: 5:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Drew Fellios, BJ Taylor)Â https://buffs.me/4gJstp3
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 384, SXM App 974
Live Statistics:Â https://buffs.me/4a8NlmU
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 9-4 overall and 0-2 to open Big 12 Conference play after falling to Arizona State 81-61 on Jan. 4 in its first true road game of the season. The Buffaloes will be looking to avoid their first 0-3 conference start since the 2016-17 Pac-12 schedule. Overall, it's Colorado's first back-to-back losses since Feb. 10 & 15, 2024 (Arizona, at UCLA) which proceeded an eight-game winning streak that led the Buffaloes into the NCAA Tournament.
Colorado returns to the Big 12 where it had been a charter member for the 1995-96 season when the old Big Eight Conference and four teams from the dissolved Southwest Conference merged to form the Big 12. The Buffaloes left for the Pac-12 for the 2011-12 season.
In their last Big 12 season in 2010-11, 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.
Colorado's game at Arizona State, the 13th of 2024-25, was the latest for the Buffaloes' first true road game in any season in program history. It's the latest in a calendar year since the Buffaloes traveled to play at Colorado College on Jan. 5, 1945, but that was only the fourth game of the season. Colorado did play three high-level games at the prestigious Maui Invitational away from home. 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.
Colorado is averaging 74.9 points per game, shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from 3-point range. Defensively, Colorado is allowing 70.2 points per game while opponents are shooting 42.1 percent.
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 3-4 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 11.0 points ranking second on the team in rebounding (4.8 rpg) and steals (15) and third in 3-point field goals (19). He is closing in on 1,000 points for his collegiate career, needing 13 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 63.7 percent (58-91) while averaging 11.2 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 (11) and fourth in rebounding at 3.8 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 24 of his last 35 from the field (.688), spanning the last six 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). He also holds the team lead in blocked shots (13) and steals (16) while averaging 9.8 points on 53.2 percent from the field.
Baskin led Colorado at Arizona State with a personal CU-high 23 points on 9 of 14 from the field. He added a game-high 10 rebounds for his second CU double-double and 24th overall in his collegiate career. It was also his 24th collegiate 20-point scoring game.
Baskin flirted with a triple-double against Pacific, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. 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).
HAMMOND TIME: Julian Hammond III, the most experienced player in terms of games for the Buffaloes (played in his 100th career game against Iowa State), leads Colorado at 12.7 points and 3.5 assists per game. Hammond also tops the Buffaloes in 3-point field goals (24) and is shooting 93.1 percent from the free throw line.
He had a game-high 21 points against Iowa State, marking the fourth 20-point game of his career and second in three contests. Â Hammond had a career-high game against South Dakota State with 23 points, on 8 of 14 from the field along with seven assists.
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 HOT START: Sophomore guard RJ Smith is averaging 7.6 points while shooting 52 percent from the field in his return to action after missing the final 30 games of 2023-24 with a leg injury.
Smith had a career-high 14 against Iowa State, on 5 of 10 from the field and 3 of 6 from 3-point range. Against Bellarmine, Smith scored 11 points hitting 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 17 of his last 30 from 3-point range over the last eight games and is shooting  a team-best 54.8 percent overall from long range (23-42).
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 third on the team in rebounding at 4.5 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 5.7 points on the season and is second on the team in blocks (11) and fifth in rebounding (3.2 rpg). He led the Buffaloes in rebounding for the first time with a career-high eight against Iowa State. Dak also dished out a career-best five assists against the Cyclones.
ABOUT THE KNIGHTS: UCF is 10-3 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12. The Knights defeated Texas Tech on the road in their league opener 87-83, but fell at home to Kansas on Jan. 5, 99-48. UCF averages 78.8 points on 42.2 shooting. The Knights lead the Big 12 in free throws at 18.8 made per game and rank second in free throw shooting at 77.5 percent. Defensively, UCF allows 76.6 points while opponents shoot 43.1 percent.
Junior forward Keyshawn Hall leads UCF at 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Senior guard Darius Johnson averages 14.5 points, leading the Knights in 3-point field goals (33), assists (55) and steals (38). Johnson's 2.9 steals per game average leads the Big 12 and ranks sixth in the nation. Freshman center Moustapha Thiam is 10th in the country in blocked shots at 2.5 per game while pitching in 7.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
THE SERIES: This will be third meeting between Colorado and UCF and first as conference opponents. The series is tied 1-1 with both programs winning a game on their home courts. Colorado defeated UCF 96-87 on Jan. 3, 2007, at the CU Events Center in the first meeting. UCF took a 79-74 decision in an NIT first round game in Orlando on Mar. 15, 2017.
Addition Financial Arena, Orlando, Fla.
Tip: 5:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Drew Fellios, BJ Taylor)Â https://buffs.me/4gJstp3
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 384, SXM App 974
Live Statistics:Â https://buffs.me/4a8NlmU
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 9-4 overall and 0-2 to open Big 12 Conference play after falling to Arizona State 81-61 on Jan. 4 in its first true road game of the season. The Buffaloes will be looking to avoid their first 0-3 conference start since the 2016-17 Pac-12 schedule. Overall, it's Colorado's first back-to-back losses since Feb. 10 & 15, 2024 (Arizona, at UCLA) which proceeded an eight-game winning streak that led the Buffaloes into the NCAA Tournament.
Colorado returns to the Big 12 where it had been a charter member for the 1995-96 season when the old Big Eight Conference and four teams from the dissolved Southwest Conference merged to form the Big 12. The Buffaloes left for the Pac-12 for the 2011-12 season.
In their last Big 12 season in 2010-11, 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.
Colorado's game at Arizona State, the 13th of 2024-25, was the latest for the Buffaloes' first true road game in any season in program history. It's the latest in a calendar year since the Buffaloes traveled to play at Colorado College on Jan. 5, 1945, but that was only the fourth game of the season. Colorado did play three high-level games at the prestigious Maui Invitational away from home. 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.
Colorado is averaging 74.9 points per game, shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from 3-point range. Defensively, Colorado is allowing 70.2 points per game while opponents are shooting 42.1 percent.
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 3-4 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 11.0 points ranking second on the team in rebounding (4.8 rpg) and steals (15) and third in 3-point field goals (19). He is closing in on 1,000 points for his collegiate career, needing 13 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 63.7 percent (58-91) while averaging 11.2 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 (11) and fourth in rebounding at 3.8 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 24 of his last 35 from the field (.688), spanning the last six 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). He also holds the team lead in blocked shots (13) and steals (16) while averaging 9.8 points on 53.2 percent from the field.
Baskin led Colorado at Arizona State with a personal CU-high 23 points on 9 of 14 from the field. He added a game-high 10 rebounds for his second CU double-double and 24th overall in his collegiate career. It was also his 24th collegiate 20-point scoring game.
Baskin flirted with a triple-double against Pacific, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. 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).
HAMMOND TIME: Julian Hammond III, the most experienced player in terms of games for the Buffaloes (played in his 100th career game against Iowa State), leads Colorado at 12.7 points and 3.5 assists per game. Hammond also tops the Buffaloes in 3-point field goals (24) and is shooting 93.1 percent from the free throw line.
He had a game-high 21 points against Iowa State, marking the fourth 20-point game of his career and second in three contests. Â Hammond had a career-high game against South Dakota State with 23 points, on 8 of 14 from the field along with seven assists.
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 HOT START: Sophomore guard RJ Smith is averaging 7.6 points while shooting 52 percent from the field in his return to action after missing the final 30 games of 2023-24 with a leg injury.
Smith had a career-high 14 against Iowa State, on 5 of 10 from the field and 3 of 6 from 3-point range. Against Bellarmine, Smith scored 11 points hitting 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 17 of his last 30 from 3-point range over the last eight games and is shooting  a team-best 54.8 percent overall from long range (23-42).
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 third on the team in rebounding at 4.5 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 5.7 points on the season and is second on the team in blocks (11) and fifth in rebounding (3.2 rpg). He led the Buffaloes in rebounding for the first time with a career-high eight against Iowa State. Dak also dished out a career-best five assists against the Cyclones.
ABOUT THE KNIGHTS: UCF is 10-3 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12. The Knights defeated Texas Tech on the road in their league opener 87-83, but fell at home to Kansas on Jan. 5, 99-48. UCF averages 78.8 points on 42.2 shooting. The Knights lead the Big 12 in free throws at 18.8 made per game and rank second in free throw shooting at 77.5 percent. Defensively, UCF allows 76.6 points while opponents shoot 43.1 percent.
Junior forward Keyshawn Hall leads UCF at 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Senior guard Darius Johnson averages 14.5 points, leading the Knights in 3-point field goals (33), assists (55) and steals (38). Johnson's 2.9 steals per game average leads the Big 12 and ranks sixth in the nation. Freshman center Moustapha Thiam is 10th in the country in blocked shots at 2.5 per game while pitching in 7.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
THE SERIES: This will be third meeting between Colorado and UCF and first as conference opponents. The series is tied 1-1 with both programs winning a game on their home courts. Colorado defeated UCF 96-87 on Jan. 3, 2007, at the CU Events Center in the first meeting. UCF took a 79-74 decision in an NIT first round game in Orlando on Mar. 15, 2017.
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