Games #22: Denver (10-11, 3-3 SL) vs. North Dakota State (16-5, 5-1 SL)
Saturday, February 1, 2014 • 4 p.m. MT
Magness Arena (7,200) • Denver, Colo.
TV: None • Radio: AM 1510 & FM 93.7 • Web: Pioneer Vision (Video & Audio)
About Denver: The Pioneers are 10-11 overall and 3-3 in The Summit League. Denver snapped a three-game winning streak with a 74-73 loss to South Dakota State on Thursday. 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 North Dakota State: The Bison are 16-5 overall, 5-1 in The Summit League and 8-4 on the road. NDSU has won nine of its last 10 and 14 of its last 16 games, including a victory at Notre Dame on Dec. 11. The Bison are second in the nation in field goal percentage (.510), ninth in free throw percentage (.760) and 10th in turnovers per game (9.9), and Marshall Bjorklund is second in the NCAA in field goal percentage (.633). NDSU is led by Taylor Braun, who leads The Summit League with 18.6 points per game, and Bjorklund is sixth with 14.6 points per game. TrayVonn Wright and Lawrence Alexander also average double digits in scoring with 11.7 and 10.6 points per game, respectively. Wright and Braun are averaging 5.0 rebounds per game. The Bison were picked to win The Summit League in the conference preseason poll. Braun was named Summit League Preseason Player of the Year and joined Alexander and Bjorklund on the Preseason All-League First Team.
The Matchup: The Bison lead the all-time series 1-3. However, the Pioneers won the only previous meeting in Denver 79-62 in Hamilton Gym on Nov. 21, 2004. NDSU won the last matchup 65-54 in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. 14, 2010.
Last Time Out: Senior Chris Udofia scored a game-high 20 points, one of five Pioneers scoring in double digits, but DU dropped a 74-73 heartbreaker to South Dakota State at Magness Arena on Jan. 30. Junior Brett Olson had 16 points and five assists, sophomore Jalen Love scored 12 points, and both junior Cam Griffin and sophomore Bryant Rucker added 11 points. Love and Rucker also had three steals apiece. With the score tied at 66-66, Olson scored five-straight points to give Denver a 71-66 lead with 36 seconds remaining. However, Jordan Dykstra hit a three-pointer for SDSU, Cody Larson pulled off a steal on DU’s ensuing inbounds play, and Dykstra nailed another three with 12 seconds left to give the Jackrabbits a one-point lead. After a Denver turnover, Dykstra hit a pair of free throws with three seconds remaining, and Rucker’s toe was on the line on a jumper at the buzzer, as DU came up one point shy.
U-Tube: At six-foot-six, senior Chris Udofia, who scored 20 points against South Dakota State on Jan. 30, is ranked 37th in the nation and first in The Summit League with 2.52 blocks per game, and his 239 career blocks are the most in DU history. The team captain, who is playing in his 115th career game, passed Erik Benzel (2001-05), Jack Hauser (1945-49) and Wahhab Carter (1998-02) and now sits in sole possession of sixth on DU’s all-time scoring list with 1,387 points. Udofia is 30 points shy of Peter Faller (1984-88) for fifth place. Udofia played a career-high 49 minutes at UTEP on Dec. 29, and now has a season average of 34.8 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 (3.8) and steals (1.6), sixth in offensive rebounding (2.0), ninth in rebounding (5.6), and 13th in both scoring (12.7) and field goal percentage (.495). Udofia has started 88-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 is one of just 12 players in DU history in the 1,000-point, 500-rebound club (page 3). Udofia and Nate Rohnert (2006-10) are 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.
Back in the 70s: The Pioneers scored at least 70 points for the seventh time this season, but they did so and lost for the first time since losing 72-71 at Florida Atlantic on Feb. 9, 2012. In seven seasons under head coach Joe Scott, Denver is 48-10 when scoring at least 70 points.
Ruck-n-Roll: Sophomore guard Bryant Rucker recorded 11 points, a team-high five rebounds against and a career-best three steals against South Dakota State on Jan. 30. 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 then-career highs in field goals, three-pointers, rebounds (5), assists (3), steals (2) and minutes played (37). In conference play, Rucker is making 1.7 steals per game and shooting 45.0 percent (9-of-20) from three-point range, the fourth and eighth best marks in The Summit League, respectively.
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. DU has hit 50 percent or better in eight games this season, including a 59.1 percent (26-of-44) performance against South Dakota State on Jan. 30, going 6-2 in those games. In the past two seasons, the Pioneers are a combined 21-3 when hitting at least half of their shots.
Feeling Unlucky: According to kenpom.com, the Pioneers rank 339 out of 351 teams in luck, which is “a measure of the deviation between a team’s actual winning percentage and what one would expect from its game-by-game efficiencies. Denver’s 74-73 loss to South Dakota State on Jan. 30 was the eighth game this season that has been within one possession in the final minute of regulation, which has happened in each of the last five losses. Denver is 2-6 in such games, going 2-2 at home and 0-4 on the road. Three of those games went to overtime.
Olson Well: Junior guard Brett Olson went 8-for-8 from the free throw line while recording 16 points and five assists against South Dakota State on Jan. 30. Olson, who was named The Summit League Athlete of the Month for December, ranks fourth in the NCAA and first in The Summit League in free throw shooting at 93.2 percent (69-of-74). In his career, Olson has hit 92.8 percent (129-of-139) of his free throw attempts, the second-best mark in the NCAA among current players behind only Northern Colorado’s Tate Unruh (92.9 percent). Entering Saturday’s game against North Dakota State, Olson has made 18-straight free throws after a 4-for-5 performance against Fort Wayne on Jan. 16 snapped 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 14th among current D-I players with a 43.3 three-point percentage, and his 172 career three-pointers made are eighth on DU’s all-time career list, one 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 17th in the NCAA in minutes per game (36.8). Olson is also third in The Summit League in both three-pointers made (2.0), fifth both in assists (3.6) and assist/turnover ratio (1.9), seventh in scoring (14.5), and ninth in both three-point percentage (.398) and steals (1.2). Olson has started all 84 games in his career, the ninth-longest current streak in the NCAA.
Lights, Cameron, Action: Junior guard Cam Griffin scored 11 points off 4-for-4 from the field against South Dakota State on Jan. 30. In six conference games, Griffin has a .741 field goal percentage (20-of-27), best in The Summit League. At just 6-foot-3, Griffin is fifth in The Summit League in both total rebounds (6.4) and offensive rebounds (2.0), and eighth in defensive rebounds (4.2). Griffin also has 1.5 steals and 8.5 points, which rank fifth and 30th in the conference, respectively. 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 fourth in The Summit League in three-point percentage (.433) and fifth in three-pointers per game (2.0). 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.
Talking Turnovers: The Pioneers turned the ball over only eight times against South Dakota State on Jan. 30, the 13th time this season that DU has had 10 turnovers or fewer. On the season, DU has a 1.47 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 fifth at 1.9. 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 five three-pointers against South Dakota State on Jan. 30, the fewest since making two against Ohio on March 19, 2013. However, Denver still is hitting 7.8 three-pointers per game and has a 35.3 three-point percentage, which are second and fourth 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 245-straight games, dating back to Feb. 2, 2006.
Been Caught Stealing: Denver made at least 10 steals in each of its last three wins, leading to an average of 21.7 points off turnovers in that stretch, before recording eight in a loss to South Dakota State on Jan. 30. The Pioneers are 29-1 when making 10 or more steals in a game under Scott. On the season, Denver is averaging 7.5 steals per game, tied for the most in The Summit League.
A Little Help from Their Friends: Despite recording an assist on just 13-of-26 field goals against South Dakota State on Jan. 30, the Pioneers have recorded assists on 67.4 percent (323-of-479) of their shots this season, the second highest mark in the nation according to KenPom.com. Chris Udofia (3.8) 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 has lost two of its last three home games, snapping a 15-game-home winning streak against conference opponents, dating back to Dec. 31, 2011 (Sun Belt/WAC/Summit). The Pioneers are 80-19 (.808) at Magness Arena under head coach Joe Scott, including a 47-8 (.855) 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 (Air Force, Princeton, Denver) 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.
