Games #21: Denver (10-10, 3-2 Summit) vs. South Dakota State (10-10, 2-3 Summit)
Thursday, January 30, 2014 • 7 p.m. MT
Magness Arena (7,200) • Denver, Colo.
TV: ROOT SPORTS • Radio: AM 1510 & FM 93.7 • Web: Pioneer Vision (Audio)
About Denver: The Pioneers are 10-10 overall and 3-2 in The Summit League. Denver has won three-straight, including a 67-55 victory at Western Illinois on Jan. 25. DU returns 10 players, including their top two scorers, from last year’s squad that went 22-10, claimed a share of the WAC regular season title and won a game in the NIT for the first national postseason victory in team history. Denver returns Preseason All-Summit League First Team member Chris Udofia and Second Team selection Brett Olson, as well as starting guard Jalen Love. DU was picked to finish second in the Summit League’s Preseason Poll.
About South Dakota State: The Jackrabbits are 10-10 overall, 2-3 in The Summit League and 3-6 on the road. SDSU dropped their last two games, falling to Omaha and North Dakota State, both at home. The Jacks are ranked fourth in The Summit League and 15th in the nation in free throw percentage (.754). SDSU is led by Jordan Dykstra, who ranks second in The Summit in scoring (16.6 points per game) and first in rebounding (8.0 rebounds per game). Brayden Carlson’s 15.1 points per game rank fifth in the league, while Cody Larson ranks in the top 10 in both scoring (13.7) and rebounding (7.1). Chad White also averages double digits with 10.1 points per game. The Jackrabbits were picked to finish third in The Summit League Preseason Poll, and Dykstra was named to the Preseason All-League First Team.
The Matchup: The all-time series is tied 4-4 with both teams going 3-1 at home. However, Denver has taken the past two meetings, including an 83-80 win in Brookings, S.D., in their last matchup on Nov. 29, 2009.
Broadcast Info: Thursday night’s game against South Dakota State will air live on ROOT SPORTS. Marc Stout (play-by-play) and Greg Lackey (color) will call the action. ROOT is available on Comcast (Ch. 26 or 665HD), DirecTV (Ch. 683) or Dish Network (Ch. 414).
Last Time Out: Senior captain Chris Udofia scored a game-high 17 points and had five assists, leading the Pioneers to a 67-55 over Western Illinois at Western Hall on Saturday night. Sophomore guard Jalen Love scored 14 points, including 11 in the second half, and junior point guard Brett Olson added a dozen points for the Pioneers. Denver led by as many as 18 points with 13:05 remaining, and Western Illinois could not cut it any closer than nine points the rest of the way, as the Pioneers iced it with nine free throws in the final 2:17. The Pioneers made 11 steals in the game and outscored WIU 22-7 off turnovers, while limiting themselves to just nine turnovers in the contest.
Food Fight: The Summit League Food Fight is part of an initiative by the league’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for a conference-wide community service project. It is a Food Drive competition, where each host institution will be challenged to hold a food drive during a designated two-week time period. At the end of the Food Fight schedule, the school that raises the most amount of food (measured in pounds) will be deemed the winner and will receive the Summit League “Food Fight” trophy. DU’s SAAC will be collecting donations (cans, cash and credit card via Food Bank of the Rockies donation page) at all DU home contests between Jan. 16-30. SAAC will be located on a table on the concourse near the Hall of Fame wall on the east side of Hamilton Gymnasium. All proceeds will be donated to Food Bank of the Rockies. The Food Bank of the Rockies would like to remind contributors that a $5 donation is equivalent to 13 pounds of food. The benefit of online donations is that they can be provided at any time even by people who are unable to attend a DU sporting event during the “Food Fight”.
Faculty & Staff Appreciation: The University of Denver’s Division of Athletics and Recreation, along with DU’s Human Resources Department, will welcome faculty, staff and retirees to the DU men’s basketball conference game against South Dakota State at Magness Arena on Thursday for the annual Faculty/Staff/Retiree Appreciation Day with the Pioneers. A pregame reception will take place at 5:30 p.m. MT in the Gottesfeld Room on the fourth floor of the west side of the Daniel L. Ritchie Center for Sports and Wellness. Complimentary food and beverages will be served, and those in attendance will have the opportunity to win door prizes.
No. 200: Head coach Joe Scott earned his 200th career win at Omaha on Jan. 23. With a win over Alcorn State on Dec. 28, Scott also passed Floyd Theard as the third all-time winningest coach in DU history.
U-Tube: At six-foot-six, senior Chris Udofia is ranks 33rd in the nation and first in The Summit League with 2.6 blocks per game, and his 238 career blocks are the most in DU history. The team captain, who is playing in his 114th career game, passed Yemi Nicholson (2003-06) on DU’s all-time scoring list and now sits in ninth place with 1,367 career points, just two points shy of Erik Benzel (2001-05) for eighth place, eight from Jack Hauser (1945-49) in seventh, and 15 away from Wahhab Carter (1998-02) for sixth. Udofia played a career-high 49 minutes at UTEP on Dec. 29, and now has a season average of 35.0 per game, third in the Summit League. Udofia also ranks third in The Summit League in assist/turnover ratio (2.0), fourth in both assists (3.9) and steals (1.6), fifth in offensive rebounding (2.0), ninth in rebounding (5.7), 14th in defensive rebounding (3.7) and 15th in scoring (12.4). Udofia has started 87-straight games for DU, the seventh-longest current streak in the nation. A Preseason All-Summit League First Team selection, Udofia was named the Most Underrated Player in the Nation by Bleacher Report, the No. 6 Under-the-Radar Performer by CBSSports.com and a Preseason All-Mid Major Third Team member by College Sports Madness.
U-Tube 2.0: Senior Chris Udofia showed his versatility in DU’s last home game against IUPUI on Jan. 18, recording 16 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three blocks and two steals without committing a turnover in 32 minutes. Udofia pulled down four rebounds against UC Irvine on Dec. 21, reaching 500 for his career and becoming just the 12th player in DU history to join the 1,000-point, 500-rebound club (page 3). Udofia also joined Nate Rohnert (2006-10) as the only players in Denver history to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 250 assists. Both Udofia and Rohnert have at least 100 steals, as well. Udofia stands alone as the only DU player with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists, 100 steals and 100 blocks.
Ruck-n-Roll: Sophomore guard Bryant Rucker had a career day in his first-ever start at Omaha on Jan. 23. Rucker scored a game-high and career-high 19 points off 7-of-9 shooting and 4-of-5 from three-point range. In addition to points, Rucker set or tied career highs in field goals, three-pointers, rebounds (5), assists (3), steals (2) and minutes played (37). In conference play, Rucker is shooting 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from three-point range and making 1.4 steals per game, the sixth best mark in The Summit League in both categories.
Hitting the Mark: Denver shot 62.5 percent (30-of-48) from the field at Omaha on Jan. 23, the team’s best shooting performance since hitting 62.9 percent (22-of-35) of its shots at Colorado State on Jan. 11, 2012 (chart on page 2). It was also the second-highest output by any Summit League team this season. The game at Omaha marked the second time this season that DU shot better than 60 percent, also doing so against Saint Francis (Pa.) with 60.8 percent (31-of-51) on Dec. 31. The Pioneers eclipsed 60 percent once last season, also coming against Omaha on Dec. 15, 2012, when Denver hit 60.4 percent (32-of-53). DU has hit 50 percent or better in seven games this season. In the past two seasons, the Pioneers are a combined 21-2 when hitting at least half of their shots.
Olson Well: Junior guard Brett Olson tallied 15 points, five rebounds and five assists at Omaha on Jan. 23. Olson, who was named The Summit League Athlete of the Month for December, ranks fifth in the NCAA and first in The Summit League in free throw shooting at 92.4 percent (61-of-66). In his career, Olson has hit 92.4 percent (121-of-131) of his free throw attempts, the second-best mark in the NCAA among current players. Olson went 5-for-6 from the line against Fort Wayne on Jan. 16, snapping a streak of 31-straight free throws made, dating back to Dec. 7, 2013, at Mercer. Olson has missed consecutive free throws only twice in his career, both of which were spread over consecutive games, and he has missed two free throws in a game only once (Alaska Anchorage on Nov. 30) in his career. The Summit League Player of the Week on Dec. 16, Olson also ranks 15th among current D-I players with a 43.4 three-point percentage, and his 171 career three-pointers made are eighth on DU’s all-time career list, two shy of Arthur Ireland (1997-00) for seventh. Olson, who was named to the Great Alaska Shootout All-Tournament Team, is first in The Summit League and 22nd in the NCAA in minutes per game (36.7). Olson is also third in The Summit League in three-pointers made (2.1), fourth assist/turnover ratio (1.8), fifth in assists (3.6), seventh in scoring (14.4), eighth in three-point percentage (.402) and ninth in steals (1.2). Olson has started all 83 games in his career, the ninth-longest current streak in the NCAA.
Lights, Cameron, Action: Junior guard Cam Griffin scored 13 points off 6-for-8 from the field at Omaha on Jan. 23. In five conference games, Griffin has a .696 field goal percentage (16-of-23), second-best in The Summit League. At just 6-foot-3, Griffin is fourth in The Summit League in both total rebounds (6.4) and offensive rebounds (2.1), and is sixth in defensive rebounds (4.3). Griffin also has 1.6 steals, which rank fifth in the conference. The San Antonio native recorded his second career double-double at UTEP (Dec. 29), tying his career high with 15 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Griffin moved to the starting lineup this season after being named the WAC 6th Man of the Week five times by StatSheet.com.
Play Three Byrd: Redshirt sophomore Marcus Byrd scored 16 points off 6-of-8 from the field and 4-of-5 from three-point range at Omaha on Jan. 23. After hitting just nine three-pointers all of last season, Byrd is third in The Summit League in three-point percentage (.432) and fourth in three-pointers per game (2.0), as well as 29th in scoring (8.7). Byrd had a career day in DU’s win over Southern on Dec. 3, setting career highs with 20 points and six three-pointers. It was the first time a DU player made six three-pointers in a game since Brian Stafford did so against Louisiana-Monroe on Feb. 18, 2012. At UTEP on Dec. 29, Byrd doubled his previous career high with eight rebounds.
ThisClose: The Pioneers have played seven games this season that have been within one possession in the final minute of regulation, including each of the last four losses. Denver is 2-5 in such games, going 2-1 at home and 0-4 on the road. Three of those games went to overtime.
Talking Turnovers: The Pioneers turned the ball over only nine times at Western Illinois on Jan. 25, the 12th time this season that DU has had 10 turnovers or fewer. On the season, DU has a 1.46 assist/turnover radio, first in The Summit League and the 20th best mark in the NCAA. Senior Chris Udofia is third in the Summit with a 2.0 assist/turnover ratio, and junior Brett Olson is fourth at 1.8. Last season, DU was first in the WAC and fifth in the nation with a 1.45 assist/turnover ratio, and second in the WAC with a +4.56 turnover margin, the eighth best mark in the nation.
The Long Ranger: The Pioneers made only six three-pointers at Western Illinois on Jan. 25, matching a season low. However, Denver still is hitting 7.9 three-pointers per game and has a 36.7 three-point percentage, which are second and third in The Summit League, respectively. Denver is 4-0 this season and is a combined 22-2 over the last three seasons when hitting 10 or more three-pointers. The Pioneers have at least one three-pointer in 244-straight games, dating back to Feb. 2, 2006.
Been Caught Stealing: Denver made at least 10 steals in each of its last three games, leading to an average of 21.7 points off turnovers in that stretch. DU recorded 11 steals at UTEP on Dec. 29, but fell in double overtime. It marked the first time that the Pioneers have lost a game in which they’ve recorded 10 or more steals since registering 12 at Louisiana-Monroe in the Sun Belt Tournament First Round on Feb. 28, 2007. That was DU’s last game before Joe Scott took over the reins. The Pioneers are now 29-1 when making 10 or more steals in a game under Scott. On the season, Denver is averaging 7.5 steals per game, the second-most in The Summit League.
A Little Help from Their Friends: Denver recorded an assist on 15-of-20 field goals at Western Illinois on Jan. 25. The Pioneers are have recorded assists on 68.4 percent (310-of-453) of their shots this season, the second highest mark in the nation according to KenPom.com. Chris Udofia (3.9) and Brett Olson (3.6) are ranked fourth and fifth in The Summit League in assists, respectively. In Joe Scott’s first six seasons at DU, the Pioneers recorded an assist on 66.4 percent of their field goals (2,636 assists on 3,967 field goals made), ranking among the top six highest percentages in the nation every year.
Magness Magic: Denver is looking for its second-straight home win after a loss to Fort Wayne on Jan. 16 snapped a 15-game-home winning streak against conference opponents, dating back to Dec. 31, 2011 (Sun Belt/WAC/Summit). The Pioneers are 80-18 (.816) at Magness Arena under head coach Joe Scott, including a 47-7 (.870) mark in conference games. DU was 14-2 overall and 9-0 in WAC games at home in 2012-13 after going 15-2 at home in 2011-12. In February 2012, ESPN.com’s Ken Pomeroy wrote that Magness Arena was one of the top two home-court advantages in the nation.
Working Overtime: Denver fell to UTEP 60-54 in double overtime on Dec. 29, marking DU’s first multi-overtime game since Jan. 3, 2009, at Louisiana-Lafayette. Earlier this season, the Pioneers played back-to-back overtime games for the first time since 2009. The Pioneers beat Southern on Dec. 3 for the team’s first overtime win of the season and first since beating Utah State in Logan, Utah, on Feb. 14, 2013, and they fell at Mercer on Dec. 7 for the first overtime loss since falling at Louisiana-Lafayette on Dec. 2, 2012. Denver is 5-21 in overtime games since returning to NCAA Division I in 1998-99, and 4-13 in such games since head coach Joe Scott took over the program in 2006-07, including a 76-75 neutral-site win in Norman, Okla., against East Central University in the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic on Nov. 8, 2008, in Scott’s first game with the Pioneers.
Road More Traveled: Senior Chris Udofia has played in 49 arenas, 26 states, and against 67 opposing teams. By the end of this regular season, the Pioneers will have played 68 different opponents in 53 arenas, 28 states, three conferences and three countries during Udofia’s career, including a trip to Spain and Andorra prior to his freshman year.
To a Point: The Pioneers eclipsed the 80-point mark for the third time this season, when they beat Saint Francis 83-61 on Dec. 31. DU’s game against Belmont on Dec. 17 marked the first time a Joe Scott-coached team scored 90 points. In his 14th season, Scott is now 17-0 when his team scores at least 80 points, which also includes an 80-70 win at Colorado State on Dec. 11.
Short Stop: At 5-foot-4, senior Charles Webb is the shortest player in college basketball. The walk-on guard appeared in seven games last season, scoring his first career points against Southern Utah (Dec. 21, 2012).
The Year that Was: The Pioneers won 24 games in the 2013 calendar year, tying the team record. However, when DU won 24 games each year from 1982-84, the team was a member of NAIA. Denver has won 20 games in a calendar year only three times: 2013, 2005 and 1943 (see chart).
Out of the Gate: Nine of Denver’s first 11 games were against teams that played in the postseason last year, including Cal, Harvard, Southern, Colorado State and Belmont, which all played in the NCAA Tournament. The Pioneers are 3-2 this season against 2013 NCAA Tournament teams. Overall, Denver’s schedule includes 16 postseason teams from last year.
From the Stripe: The Pioneers were 12-for-12 from the free throw line against Saint Francis on Dec. 31, the team’s first 100 percent performance of the season. DU did so twice last year with both coming against San Jose State: 11-for-11 at Magness Arena on Jan. 17, 2013, and 8-for-8 in San Jose, Calif., on Feb. 16, 2013.
National Letters of Intent: DU signed Cameron Delaney and Jake Pemberton to a National Letter of Intent to join the Pioneers in 2014-15. A 6-foot-3 guard from Harker Heights High School in Harker Heights, Texas, Delaney was selected as All-District First Team as a junior, averaging 12.4 points per game. Harker Heights named him the team’s most valuable player and defensive player of the year. Pemberton was named to the Colorado State All-Tournament Team last year after leading Mountain Vista High School to the Final Four. The Highlands Ranch, Colo., native was named All-State Second Team as a junior.
Catch-22, Again: Denver had 22 wins each of the past two seasons, tying the most in the team’s 90-year Division I history.
Preseason Honors: Senior forward Chris Udofia was voted to the 2013-14 Preseason All-Summit League First Team and junior Brett Olson made the Second Team in a vote by the league coaches, media and SIDs.
Oh Captain, My Captain: For the second-straight year, Chris Udofia will serve as Denver’s team captain. Brett Olson and Cam Griffin were selected as assistant captains.
