Buffs Take On TCU In First Time Big 12 Meeting

Game 21 - TCU, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025
Schollmaier Arena, Fort Worth, Texas
Tip: 2:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Ted Emrich, Scott Williams)
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 392, SXM App 982
Live Statistics: https://buffs.me/4hcyFWK

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 9-11 overall and 0-9 in Big 12 Conference play after falling to Arizona State, 70-68, on Jan. 28. The Buffaloes have dropped their last nine, their longest losing streak since falling in the final 12 games of the 2008-09 season. It's Colorado's first 0-9 start to conference play since a similar start to the 1986-87 season (finished 3-11 in the Big Eight).

Colorado is averaging 72.6 points per game, shooting 45.7 percent from the field, but those numbers have dipped to 67.4 points on 43.8 shooting during conference games. Defensively, Colorado is allowing 72.4 points per game overall while opponents are shooting 43.1 percent. During Big 12 games, Colorado is allowing 77.2 points while opponents shoot 45.6 percent.

The Buffaloes will be playing in their fifth true road game of the season and looking for their first win. Colorado is 1-6 away from Boulder this season, that win coming at the Maui Invitational against defending NCAA champion UConn.

The Buffaloes rank third in the Big 12 in free throw percentage (.760) and seventh in steals (7.7 spg), defensive rebounds (25.7 drpg) and rebounding defense (32.8 rpg).

HAMMOND TIME: Julian Hammond III, the most experienced player in terms of games for the Buffaloes (played in his 108th career game against at Arizona State), leads Colorado at 13.9 points and 3.3 assists per game. Hammond also tops the Buffaloes in 3-point field goals made and attempted (36-92) and free throws made (56) and percentage (.903).

Hammond is second the Big 12 and ranks 18th the in the nation in free throw percentage. He has made 56 of 62 on the season (.903) which includes consecutive made streaks of 21 (between UNC and UCF) and 18 which ended against Cincinnati.

Hammond has five 20-point games this season including a career-high 26 at UCF.

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 10.1 points ranking second on the team in 3-point field goals (27) and is third in steals (19) and rebounding (4.3rpg). He had 10 points at Arizona hitting 2 of 4 from 3-point range along with three rebounds and a pair of assists.

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 57.7 percent (64-111) while averaging 8.7 points an outing. Malone is third on the team in blocks (12) and fifth in rebounding at 3.4 per game.

Malone grabbed six rebounds off the bench at Arizona, his most against a Big 12 opponent. He had recorded just five rebounds over his previous four appearances combined.

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.

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 20th in the Big 12 in rebounding (5.7 rpg). He leads the team in steals (26) and is second in blocks (13) and overall shooting at 52.5 percent (63-120).

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).

SMITH FROM DEEP: Sophomore guard RJ Smith is averaging 6.0 points while shooting 47 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, shooting a team-best 45.3 percent overall from long range (24-53), had a career-best eight rebounds at UCF.

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 A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING: Sophomore forward Assane Diop registered his third career double-figure scoring game pitching in 13 points against West Virginia hitting 3 of 4 from the field and a perfect 6 of 6 from the line. Diop has made 33 of 41 attempts from the free throw line (.805).

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. He ranks second on the team in rebounding at 4.5 per game.

BD's BIG DAY: Sophomore forward Bangot Dak had a career-night against Cincinnati with 19 points, eight blocks and eight rebounds. He recorded career highs in points, blocks, 3-point field goals (2) and overall field goal attempts (13) while matching personal bests in rebounds and field goals made (7).

His eight blocks are the third-most in a single game since the stat became official in 1977-78.

CU Single Game Blocks
11, David Harrison vs. Nebraska, March 8, 2003
10, David Harrison vs. Stetson, Nov. 24, 2002
8, Bangot Dak vs. Cincinnati, Jan. 15, 2025
7, eight times, last by Wesley Gordon vs. Nicholls, Dec. 18, 2015

Dak is 10th in the Big 12 in overall blocked shots (1.3 bpg) and is fifth in league only games (1.9 bpg).

Dak had 15 points on 6 of 8 shooting with five rebounds at Oklahoma State. He led Colorado in scoring for the second-straight game. Recorded his fourth career double-figure scoring game, including two-straight and three in the last four contests.

ABOUT THE HORNED FROGS: TCU is 10-10 overall and 3-6 in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs have lost three straight and 4 of 5 games overall. TCU ranks last in the Big 12 in scoring (68.7 ppg) and field goal percentage (.421). Defensively, TCU allows 68.0 points per game while opponents shoot 43.4 percent.
Noah Reynolds leads TCU at 12.4 points and 3.3 assists per game. Vasean Allette averages 11.3 points and 3.5 rebounds and is second on the team in assists (55). Ernest Udeh Jr. tops the Horned Frogs in field goal percentage (.582), rebounds (7.9 rpg) and blocks (1.3 bpg).

Jamie Dixon is in his ninth season at TCU with a record of 170-120 (.586). He is in his 22nd season overall as a collegiate head coach with a 498-243 mark (.672).

THE SERIES: This will be the fifth meeting between Colorado and TCU with the series tied at 2-2. Both teams are 1-1 on their respective home courts. It will be the first meeting since a 62-46 TCU win in Boulder on Dec. 3. 2008. Colorado took a 77-59 decision on its last trip to Fort Worth on Dec. 20, 2005.

Tad Boyle has never faced TCU as a head coach. Jamie Dixon is 1-0 in his career against the Buffaloes, that coming as the head coach at Pittsburgh in the first round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament, a 77-48 decision in Orlando, Fla.

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Players Mentioned

Trevor Baskin

Bangot Dak

Assane Diop

Julian Hammond III

Andrej Jakimovski

Elijah Malone

RJ Smith