Tag: Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball

Andrej Jakimovski breaks out in Colorado’s drubbing of Cal State Fullerton

Andrej Jakimovski’s big night led the Buffs past Cal State Fullerton

After two uncharacteristically poor shooting nights to begin his first season in Boulder, forward Andrej Jakimovski dropped 17 points in Colorado men’s basketball’s 83-53 win over Cal State Fullerton on Wednesday.

Jakimovski, a Washington State transfer, made four 3-pointers in the first half and finished 6-for-12 from the CU Events Center floor.

“My main focus is on defense, rebound, take care of the ball and then take good shots,” Jakimovski said. “I think all the shots that I took were great shots. My teammates were great at finding me open. We moved the ball really good this game. We had 22 assists on 30 field goals, which is awesome.”

CU head coach Tad Boyle was also pleased to see Jakimovski find his shooting rhythm.

“It’s nice to see Andrej come out and make a few to get himself going because we’ve been struggling from 3 a little bit,” Boyle said.

Jakimovski and the Buffs improved to 3-0 following their most complete performance of the young season.

On a night in which no Buff played more than 22 minutes, point guard Julian Hammond III and freshman forward Sebastian Rancik followed Jakimovski with 11 points each. Guard Javon Ruffin recorded five of Colorado’s season-high 22 assists and forward Assane Diop tallied eight rebounds.

Defensively, Colorado held Cal State Fullerton to 31% from the field and 12% from deep.

“We knew that coming in they’re more of an ISO (isolation) type of team,” Hammond said. “We had to focus on guarding the ball because we know they run their actions and we knew their actions. Coach (Danny) Manning did a great job with the scout and put us in great positions.”

Up next, Colorado will host Harvard on Sunday at noon MT (ESPN+).

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

CU Buffs men’s basketball requires double-overtime to beat Northern Colorado

Tad Boyle’s 300th win leading the Buffs wasn’t exactly his prettiest

Head coach Tad Boyle’s 300th win leading the Colorado men’s basketball program wasn’t exactly his prettiest.

Going up against a Northern Colorado team that lost by 22 in Boulder last year, the Buffs committed 21 turnovers and produced only nine assists in a sloppy Friday night affair. Colorado watched UNC hit a game-tying 3-pointer late in regulation before finally pulling away late in the second overtime.

The 90-88 home victory sends Colorado to 2-0 on the young season.

Center Elijah Malone was Colorado’s leading scorer by a wide margin. The junior college transfer tallied 27 points, shooting 8-for-12 from the field and 10-for-12 from the stripe. Guards Julian Hammond III and Javon Ruffin followed with 12 points each.

Through two games, Colorado’s bench production has been a bright spot. The Buffs’ non-starters combined for 37 points against Eastern Washington on Monday and followed that up with 26 on Friday, albeit in 10 extra minutes. Bench weapons Trevor Baskin and RJ Smith each scored nine against the Bears.

Assane Diop recorded a team-high 10 rebounds and Baskin finished with nine.

Up next, Colorado will host the Cal State Fullerton Titans on Wednesday at 7 p.m. MT (ESPN+).

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Colorado MBB freshman Andrew Crawford to take redshirt

A talented Colorado freshman is electing redshirt this season

The Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team added a plethora of pieces to its 2024-25 roster, so it’s fair to assume that certain newcomers could get lost in the shuffle.

That assumption became a reality for freshman guard Andrew Crawford, who is now planning to redshirt this season, according to multiple reports. Head coach Tad Boyle noted that Crawford could become available down the line if injuries arise.

A native of Littleton, Colorado, Crawford was a four-star recruit at ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch and the highest-ranked 2024 prospect in the state of Colorado. The 6-foot-6 combo guard was held in high regard throughout his recruiting process and adds in-state flair to a Colorado unit with seven new players.

Crawford saw the floor for seven minutes during CU’s preseason exhibition against Pomona-Pitzer and did not play in Monday’s season opener against Eastern Washington. The freshman will watch from the sidelines and preserve this year of eligibility.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Colorado men’s basketball defeats Eastern Washington in 2024-25 lid-lifter

Colorado took care of Eastern Washington in its season opener

The new-look Colorado men’s basketball team flashed its ceiling and floor during Monday’s season opener against Eastern Washington.

While the Buffs ultimately pulled off a 76-56 home victory, their slow start against a lower-level team proved worrisome. Colorado fell behind 17 points with under seven minutes remaining in the first half before taking charge.

After entering halftime down 31-25, the Buffs’ comeback was led by Colorado Mesa transfer Trevor Baskin and freshman Sebastian Rancik, who scored 21 of their combined 25 total points in the second half. Washington State transfer Andrej Jakimovski and Javon Ruffin also finished with 11 and 12 points, respectively.

“We obviously weren’t ready to play out of the gate tonight for whatever reason, and that’s very unusual for a team like this,” CU head coach Tad Boyle said (h/t CUBuffs.com). “We turned that thing over like it was nobody’s business and then started feeling sorry for ourselves… Eastern Washington was the better-coached team and they played better than us. Thank God they got tired and they were playing at altitude. Otherwise, it would have been a loss for us, but our guys finally woke up defensively. We got some stops, strung some stuff together and got out in transition.”

Colorado outscored the Eagles 51-25 in the second half while shooting 56.3% from the field.

Now 1-0, Colorado will host Northern Colorado on Friday at 7 p.m. MT (ESPN+).

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Previewing Colorado men’s basketball’s season opener against Eastern Washington

A new era of Colorado men’s hoops is upon us. Here’s what you should know about Monday’s season opener:

Head coach Tad Boyle and the Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball program have had a busy offseason, but that period of change ends on Monday.

The Buffs will take their home court that night for a regular season opener against the Eastern Washington Eagles. The game will mark the first chance for Colorado fans to watch the Buffs face a Division I opponent.

Eastern Washington is coming off back-to-back regular season titles in the Big Sky Conference but was 0-7 against power conference programs last season. The Eagles were promptly upset in the second round of the last two Big Sky men’s basketball tournaments, falling to Northern Arizona and Sacramento State, respectively.

Early in the Buffs’ 2021-22 season, they snuck past Eastern Washington, 60-57. Senior point guard Julian Hammond III played in that game as a true freshman and scored three points.

Tip off from the CU Events Center is set for 7 p.m. MT on Monday. ESPN+ will broadcast the game.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Tad Boyle speaks on challenges of navigating talented Big 12 Conference

Tad Boyle gave his thoughts on the Buffs’ new home

Colorado men’s basketball head coach Tad Boyle has set the standard for playing winning basketball in Boulder. Now, he must prove he can do it again in the vaunted Big 12 Conference.

Boyle’s first year leading the Buffs came in the Big 12 during the 2010-11 season. His CU squad went 24-14 and reached the semifinal of the National Invitation Tournament. Twenty-four wins was a program high until last season when Boyle’s Buffs sprinted to a 26-11 record, including two NCAA Tournament wins.

CU will be flying high if it can hit those win totals again this season, as the Big 12 owns five top-10 teams in the preseason USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

Earlier this week, I asked Boyle about the challenges of playing in the Big 12:

“The challenges are obvious: five preseason top-10 teams are in our league. We also have a couple of others that are top-20 caliber teams,” Boyle said. “The players and coaches are really good. That was true in the Pac-12. It’s true in the Big 12. The depth of the Big 12 is deeper, and the venues are much more difficult to play.”

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Colorado guard Andrew Crawford talks approach to freshman season

Colorado’s prized freshman spoke on how he’s approaching his first season in Boulder

Colorado men’s basketball head coach Tad Boyle has developed a reputation for bringing well-rounded athletes to Boulder, especially when it comes to in-state recruiting. Boyle has signed a player from the Centennial State in four of the last five recruiting cycles and holds a commitment from top-ranked class of 2025 Colorado prospect Josiah Sanders.

Andrew Crawford, a four-star prospect from Littleton, is entering his freshman season with an opportunity to play big minutes.

On Monday, I asked Crawford to introduce himself to Buff Nation:

“I’m a big combo guard,” Crawford said. “I’m a 6-(foot)-6 guard who loves to pass the ball. I love getting my teammates open. I love facilitating for them. I love making flashy passes when I can. Rebounding and defense are other huge things. I love getting in the passing lanes, getting out on the break and causing deflections, causing steals, and then getting offensive and defensive rebounds, any way that I can help the team is what you’re looking for.”

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Trevor Baskin looking to be a versatile contributor for CU Buffs

Trevor Baskin can do a bit of everything for the Buffs

Head coach Tad Boyle and the Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team enjoyed a historic season in 2023-24, accounting for 26 wins with two in the NCAA Tournament.

But that success came at the cost of losing CU’s entire starting lineup, including three players to the NBA. Amid the Buffs’ reload this offseason, they picked up a versatile forward in Trevor Baskin.

Baskin, a 6-foot-9, 205-pounder who played at Pomona High School in Arvada, transferred to CU after four seasons at Colorado Mesa.

The former Maverick spoke with Buffaloes Wire on Monday ahead of his first season in Boulder:

“I’m a very passionate player that plays a lot of emotion, but I can do a little bit of everything,” Baskin said. “I like to be a Swiss Army knife. I’m a taller player, but I can handle the ball. I like to push it in transition and find open guys. I think I’m a good passer and can post up little guards. I can bring big guys out to the 3-point line and attack them off the dribble. I can shoot. I like to be a jack-of-all-trades.”

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Tad Boyle optimistic about new-look CU men’s hoops team: ‘They’re gonna lay it all on the line’

Tad Boyle believes his new-look Buffs team will be an “exciting group to watch”

As the Colorado men’s basketball program turns a new leaf heading into its first season back in the Big 12 Conference, expectations are shaky at best. However, head coach Tad Boyle shared his fascination with the possibilities that his 2024-25 team brings during a press conference on Monday.

“The fans should expect an exciting group to watch, really talented guys that can get up and down the floor,” Boyle said. “The great thing about college basketball as a fan, to me, is you get to watch these young men grow into be men, and you get to see the development… As fans, who pay good money who come to our games, they want to see guys that are gonna lay it on the line for them, and we’re going to do that.”

This past offseason was one of change for the Buffs, as three members of its NCAA Tournament team left for the NBA draft. CU also lost three notable players to the transfer portal with J’Vonne Hadley, Eddie Lampkin Jr. and Luke O’Brien finding new homes.

Underclassmen Bangot Dak and Assane Diop stood out in Boyle’s Monday remarks regarding how his younger returning players are developing. But graduate transfers Elijah Malone, Trevor Baskin and Andrej Jakimovski were brought in to keep the Buffaloes chugging into a new era.

That era officially begins on Nov. 4 when Eastern Washington comes to the CU Events Center. Tip off is set for 7:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+).

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

New Colorado center Elijah Malone setting high goals for final college season

Elijah Malone is looking to become “one of the best bigs in the country” this upcoming season

New Colorado men’s basketball center Elijah Malone is expecting big things out of himself as his final college season approaches.

In an interview with Buffaloes Wire, the 6-foot-10, 268-pound transfer from Grace College said he’d like to become “one of the best bigs in the country” this upcoming season. Malone should see big minutes for the new-look Buffs, who lost all five starters from last year.

A two-time NAIA All-American, Malone described himself as an “old-school big guy.” His NBA inspirations include Tim Duncan, Nikola Jokic and Hakeem Olajuwon.

Malone was named the 2024 NAIA National Player of the Year following a stellar senior season at Grace College. While leading the Lancers to a 34-2 record, he averaged 17.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 36 games played,

Colorado will host Eastern Washington in its season opener on Nov. 4.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.