Starting record of 3-6 is one of worst in CU history
With a two-week hiatus from the schedule approaching, the men’s basketball team will need to find a way to turn the season around.
BUFFA-WOES
Here’s how the Buffs measure up against the rest of the Big 12 in some statistical categories so far this season
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> Points Per Game – 11th (67 ppg)
> Points Allowed Per Game – 12th (77 ppg)
> Field Goal Percentage – 12th (39 percent)
> 3-Point Shooting Percentage – 12th (27 percent)
> Free Throw Percentage – 10th (65 percent)
> Rebounding – 5th (38/game)
> Blocked Shots – 3rd (6/game)
> Assists – 11 (14/game)
> Steals – 6 (9/game)
After nine games, the Buffs are 3-6, with a home record of 2-4. It is the first time in 11 years that the Buffs have lost three games or more at home during the non-conference part of the season.
Following a loss to Pepperdine last Monday, the team began two-a-day practices to help bring the team together.
“I think guys are still continuing to grow and get better, but we have a lot of work ahead of us,” said Head Coach Ricardo Patton.
The Buffs have the worst field-goal percentage in the Big 12 Conference at 38.8 percent. The team is at a low 26.9 percent for three-point shooting.
Junior guard standout Richard Roby is one of the top scorers in the Big 12, averaging 18.3 points per game. However, he is shooting only 33.1 percent from the field, which is one of the lowest percentages among the top ten scorers in the Big 12 Conference.
A big surprise this season has been the play of senior guard Dominique Coleman. Last year, Coleman averaged only 4.4 points per game and 2.4 rebounds per game. With 10.3 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game and a 51.3 field goal percentage, Coleman has clearly stepped up his play from last season.
The “Young Guns,” or the eight freshmen on the team, have played well despite some problems with consistent shooting. Guard Xavier Silas is leading the freshmen in points with 10.1 points per game.
Sophomore forward Jermyl Jackson-Wilson leads the team in rebounding, averaging 7.9 boards per game. Rebounding has not necessarily been a problem for the Buffs this season, with the team grabbing 38.2 rebounds per game and allowing 38.4 rebounds by the opposing team per game.
But Patton has been trying to mix up the line-up this season to find a way to put the guys with the most desire on the court.
“We want guys who have the urgency to earn it every day,” Patton said.
Freshman Guard Kal Bay had been starting this season until the game against Northern Colorado. Patton said he wanted some of the players he put on the bench to come out with something to prove.
“It was tough,” Bay said. “I don’t remember the last time I started out on the bench, except for an exhibition game.”
But whatever methods Patton uses, the team needs to find a way to improve its shooting and scoring.
While at CU, Patton’s teams are 1-32 when scoring less than 59 points in a game. The team has already scored less than 59 points in two games this season, which were against Air Force and UNC-Wilmington. Both games ended in a loss for the Buffs.
The team will resume its schedule on Saturday, Dec. 23, against UC-Davis at the Coors Events Center.
