Tip: 9:05 p.m. MT
TV: ESPNU (Dave Feldman, Corey Williams)
Watch Online: WatchESPN
Listen Online: CUBuffs.com
Live Statistics:https://statb.us/v/colo/498946THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 14-5 overall and 5-3 in the Pac-12 Conference, just one-half game out of first place in a crowded league race that reaches the mid-point for most teams this week. The top six teams in the Pac-12 are separated by that one-half game, either at 5-2 or 5-3.Colorado has won three-straight after a home sweep of Oregon and Oregon State last week. The Buffaloes knocked off the Ducks, who had been previously unbeaten in league play, 86-70 on Jan. 18. Colorado followed that up with its largest margin of victory on the season with a 90-57 decision over Oregon State on Jan. 20.The Buffaloes improved to a perfect 12-0 at the CU Events Center, their best start to a season at home since the 1968-69 Big Eight Championship team won all 12 of its games in that title season. That team played its games in Balch Fieldhouse, so the current start is the best ever at the CU Events Center. In terms of overall home win streaks, it’s the longest since another 12-game run that spanned two seasons, from Feb. 2 to Dec. 4, 2019. Colorado’s win over USC on Jan. 13 was the 500th at the facility in program history.
The challenge ahead for the Buffaloes is to build on those successes out on the road; embarking on their second three-game road trip during this conference season. Colorado will be looking to end a five-games skid in true road games dating back to last year. Three of those five losses have come against ranked teams. Three of Colorado’s four true road losses this year have been decided by five points or less.
Overall, Colorado is one of the top all-around shooting teams in the country, ranking in the top 13 nationally in all three percentage categories: overall field goal, 3-point and free throws. The Buffaloes are ninth in the nation in field goal percentage (.503), 12th from the line (.775) and 13th from 3-point range (.392).
Colorado is the only program in the nation’s top 13 of all three categories (through games of Jan. 22). Colorado also sports top 50 marks nationally in rebound margin (+8.1, 19th), assists (17.1 apg, 26th), scoring offense (81.1 ppg, 45th), win percentage (.737, 47th) and scoring margin (+10.8, 49th).
Against Oregon State, Colorado shot 32 for 61 from the floor (.525), hitting the 50 percent mark for the 11th time, the most in one season since the 2010-11 team had 11 in 38 games. Colorado is 10-1 this season, and 104-8 in the Tad Boyle era (since 2010-11), when shooting at least 50 percent.
As for rebounding, a program staple, the Buffaloes have outrebounded their opponent in 17 of 19 games this season with a margin of plus-8.1 per game. Colorado had a season-high 49 rebounds in the home win over Washington.
Colorado leads the Pac-12 in overall shooting, free throw percentage and rebounding defense (29.7 rpg), and ranks second in scoring offense, 3-point percentage and scoring margin and fourth in scoring defense (70.3 ppg), assists and rebounds (37.8 rpg).
INDIVIDUALLY SPEAKING: Wooden Award mid-season top 25 watch list member KJ Simpson tops Colorado at 19.1 points, 4.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game while ranking fourth in rebounding (5.0 rpg). He’s Colorado’s second-leading rebounder in Pac-12 games at 5.8 per contest, while still pacing the Buffaloes at 18.0 points and 3.9 assists.
Simpson had 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists against Oregon State. He scored 22 points with five rebounds, five assists and three steals in the win over Oregon, notching his 11th 20-point game of the season.
Simpson is shooting 51.0 percent from the field, 47.2 percent from 3-point range and 88.0 percent from the free throw line. He is one of four players in the country shooting at least 50-45-85 from those three spots (with a minimum five field goals made per game) and is the top scorer among those players at 19.1 per game.
On the Pac-12 charts, Simpson is second in free throw percentage, third in scoring, steals and 3-point shooting, fourth in assists, fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1) and 14th in overall field goal percentage.
Senior Tristan da Silva is second on the team in scoring at 15.9 points per game while ranking second in assists (47) and third in rebounding (5.4 rpg). Da Silva had 19 points against Oregon State to lead the Buffaloes in scoring for the fifth time this season and 22nd time in his career. He grabbed seven rebounds against the Beavers, and is averaging 6.3 per game over his last four outings. Da Silva had 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds against Oregon.
On the Pac-12 charts, da Silva ranks ninth in scoring and free throw percentage (.831), 12th in defensive rebounds (4.6 drpg), 15th in overall shooting (.509) and 19th in rebounding and 3-point percentage (.372).
McDonald’s All-American Cody Williams is third on the team in scoring at 15.1 points per game while shooting 59 percent from the field. Williams earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors on Jan. 22, after averaging 19.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals to lead the Buffaloes in the home sweep of Oregon and Oregon State. He shot 69.6 from the field including 5 of 7 from 3-point range.
Williams scored a career-high 23 points in the win over Oregon on Jan. 18, hitting 10 of 13 from the field, including a personal best three 3-point field goals. He dished out three assists and had a pair of blocked shots. His 23 points were the most by a Colorado freshman since Jabari Walker had 24 against Georgetown in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
In the win over Oregon State on Jan. 20, Williams had 16 points on 6 of 10 from the field and grabbed six rebounds, matching a personal-high.
Williams was also honored as Dick Vitale’s “Diaper Dandy” of the week, recognizing the nation’s best performances in his Dickie V’s Stars of the Week.
Senior J’Vonne Hadley averages 10.6 points per game while ranking second on the team in steals (23) and rebounding (5.7 rpg). He had a team-high 15 points on 7 of 11 from the field against USC along with matching a season-high nine rebounds.
On the Pac-12 charts, Hadley is sixth in field goal percentage (.565), 13th in free throw percentage (.815) and steals (1.3 spg) and 15th in rebounding.
Senior Eddie Lampkin, Jr., leads the Buffaloes and ranks fifth in the Pac-12 in rebounding at 7.4 per game. Lampkin had 17 points and a game-high eight rebounds in the win over Oregon State, leading the Buffaloes in that category for the 12th time this season.
Lampkin tops the Buffaloes in double-doubles with five, his last coming with a career-high 22 points and 11 rebounds at California. In all he has seven double-digit rebounding games for the Buffaloes. The California double-double was the 11th of his collegiate career, adding his six from TCU.
On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Lampkin is also third in offensive rebounds (2.6 orpg), ninth in defensive boards (4.8 drpg) and 12th in field goal percentage (.534).
Senior Luke O’Brien is averaging 7.0 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. He is tied for the team lead in blocked shots with eight and is third in steals (17) and fifth in rebounding.
O’Brien had 10-point efforts in both the Oregon and Oregon State games, shooting 64 percent from the field in those contests (9-14).
Sophomore guard Javon Ruffin has returned to the lineup for the Pac-12 season after missing the nonconference portion of the schedule recovering from offseason knee surgery. He was initially expected to miss the season, but his rehab went better than expected and began basketball activities Dec. 19.
Ruffin had 11 points and four rebounds at Arizona, leading Buffaloes in scoring for the first time in his career. It was his seventh-career double-figure scoring game and he matched a career-high with 10 field goal attempts.
Junior Julian Hammond III is averaging 7.8 points and is fifth on the team in assists with 39 after dishing out a team-best five against Oregon State. He is eighth in the Pac-12 in 3-point percentage (.420).
ABOUT THE HUSKIES: Washington is 11-8 overall and 3-5 in the Pac-12 after a road-split in the Bay Area last week, thanks to a last-second 3-pointer by Moses Wood that gave the Huskies a 77-75 win at California. Washington returns from a three-game road trip of its own to Alaska Airlines Arena where the Huskies are 8-2 this year. Washington averages 80.3 points per game, ranking third in the Pac-12 right behind Colorado. Defensively, the Huskies give up 75.8 points per game. In eight conference games, Washington has allowed 77.6 points while opponents are shooting 47 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range.
Graduate senior Keion Brooks Jr. is the second-leading scorer in the Pac-12 at 20.2 points per game. He also tops the Huskies in rebounding (7.3 rpg) and free throws made and attempted (90-118, .763). Graduate senior guard Sahvir Wheeler is second in the Pac-12 in assists at 5.9 per game. Wheeler is second on the team in scoring (16.1 ppg) and steals (19). Forward Moses Wood averages 11.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while leading the Huskies in 3-pointers made with 42.
THE SERIES: This will be the 38th meeting between Colorado and Washington with the Huskies holding a 21-16 advantage. The Buffaloes have won the last two, including a 73-69 decision at the CU Events Center in the league opener on Dec. 29. Washington has won 14 of 16 all-time meetings in Seattle, including the last seven. Colorado’s last win at Washington was a 64-47 decision on Mar. 5, 2015.
