DENVER MEN S BASKETBALL

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1 DENVER MEN S BASKETBALL Game (7-10, 1-2 SL)) vs. South Dakota State (15-5, 3-0 SL) Saturday, Jan p.m. MT Frost Arena Brookings, S.D. TV: Jackrabbit All-Access Radio: ESPN 1600 AM Web: Men s Basketball Contact: Chris Smith Office: christopher.smith726@du.edu Denver Basketball Overall: 7-10 Home: 5-3 Away: 1-6 Neutral: 1-1 Date Opponent Time/Result Nov. 12 UC IRVINE L, Nov. 14 at Colorado L, Nov. 16 JOHNSON & WALES W, Nov. 24 at Florida Gulf Coast^ L, Nov. 25 vs. St. Francis (BKN)^ W, Nov. 26 vs. Navy^ L, Nov. 29 WYOMING W, Dec. 2 AIR FORCE L, Dec. 5 SAN JOSE ST W, Dec. 9 USC UPSTATE W, Dec. 13 at Northern Colorado L, Dec. 15 at Stanford L, Dec. 18 at Montana St L, Dec. 28 COLORADO MESA W, Dec. 30 at South Dakota* L, Jan. 6 FORT WAYNE* L, Jan. 11 at North Dakota St* W, Jan. 13 at South Dakota St* 1 p.m. Jan. 18 at Omaha* 6:30 p.m. Jan. 20 at Oral Roberts* 6 p.m. Jan. 25 WESTERN ILLINOIS* 7 p.m. Jan. 27 SOUTH DAKOTA* 4 p.m. Feb. 3 at Fort Wayne* 12 p.m. Feb. 8 SOUTH DAKOTA ST* 7 p.m. Feb. 10 NORTH DAKOTA ST* 1 p.m. Feb. 14 OMAHA* 7 p.m. Feb. 18 ORAL ROBERTS* 1 p.m. Feb. 24 at Western Illinois* 6 p.m. Mar. 3-6 Summit League Tourn! TBA All Times Mountain and subject to change ^ - game played in Fort Meyers, Fla. * - Summit League Game! - Summit League Tour. in Sioux Falls, S.D. Denver Pioneers - Rodney Billups (Denver, 05), Second Season Record at Denver: (.489) Overall Record: Same South Dakota State - T.J. Otzelberger, Second Season Record at North Dakota State: (.600) Overall Record: Same u u 71.2 THE COACHES PIONEER NOTES TEAM COMPARISON POINTS PER GAME 72.1 POINTS ALLOWED 47.0 FIELD GOAL % PER GAME 37.9 REBOUNDS PER GAME 14.6 ASSISTS PER GAME POINT FIELD GOAL % The Matchup t 38.5 t FREE THROW % TURNOVERS 11.3 This is the 19th meeting in the all-time series. South Dakota State holds a 12-6 advantage in the series, with the first game being played on Dec. 6, 1969, an victory for Denver. The Jackrabbits took the season series last year, going 2-1 against the Pioneers. SDSU has won the last two contests against DU. The Pioneers have never won in Brookings since joining the Summit League back in Denver last won in Brookings back on Nov. 28, 2009, an victory. t t t t DENVER PROBABLE STARTERS Pronunciation Guide... Abiola... Ab-e-o-la Akintola...AH-kin-toe-la Pemberton...Pem-burr-ten Rosga...ROZ-gah Ade... UH-day Murkey...Mur-KEY Krafka...KRAF-ka Joe Rosga, Jr. Ade Murkey, So. Jake Pemberton, Sr. Jake Krafka, So. Daniel Amigo, Sr ppg, 4.7 rpg 5.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg 10.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg 4.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg 15.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg Denver Basketball Game Notes page 1

2 Media Information Game Notes: Media members can receive the Pioneer Basketball game notes via by contacting Assistant Director of Media Relations Chris Smith at Credentials: Media interested in obtaining season or game credentials should contact Chris Smith via office phone ( ). The Rodney Billups Show: The Rodney BIllups Show returns for its second season each Monday from 6-6:30 p.m. MT on ESPN Radio 1600 AM. Tyler Maun hosts the show, which is broadcast from The Pioneer restaurant, located just south of the DU campus. DU on ALTITUDE: The Pioneers will make 11 appearances on Altitude TV. Todd Romero (Play-byplay) and Greg Lackey (color) will call all the home action. Interviews During The Week: All interview requests must be arranged through Chris Smith in the Denver Media Relations Office. Please contact Smith to arrange interviews during the week. Smith can be reached via du.edu), office phone ( ). Practice is open, but arrangements must be made in advance if you are planning on shooting B-roll footage. Coach Billups and Denver scholar-athletes are available for interviews on non-game days following practice or through special arrangements with Chris Smith. Post-game Interviews: Postgame interviews will be conducted at a designated site following a 10-minute cooling-off period. Denver head coach Rodney Billups and selected players will be available for interviews. Media requests for both Denver and opposing coaches and players should be made to the DU men s basketball SID. Opponent requests will be forwarded to the visiting SID. The DU men s basketball locker room is closed to the media. Camera Procedures: Photographers must work within the designated areas. Photographers may shoot from the right side of each end line of Magness Arena. Requests to photograph from any other location must be made in advance to the University of Denver Athletic Media Relations Department. The University of Denver reserves the right to accept or reject credential requests. Radio: All radio stations wishing to broadcast from Magness Arena should contact the University of Denver Athletic Media Relations Office at least one week prior to the event. Space will be provided for the official radio station of the visiting team; others will be accommodated as space permits. Phone lines must be arranged for all stations in advance. Directions to DU: Take I-25 to the South University Boulevard exit. Proceed south to the first stop light (Buchtel Boulevard). Go through the Buchtel Boulevard intersection to the next block south (Jewell Avenue). Take a right on Jewell and proceed west approximately one-half block to the east entrance to the Ritchie Center. Media parking is just east of Joy Burns Arena (the easternmost part of the Ritchie Center) in lot 401. Broadcast Information Live Stats: TV: Jackrabbit All-Access Stream: Radio: ESPN 1600 AM Social About Denver The Pioneers are averaging 71.2 points per game in Denver is shooting 47.0 percent from the field. The Pioneers are limiting their foes to 41.8 percent shooting this year, fourth lowest in the Summit League. DU has stopped teams from being effective from deep against them, holding opponents to just 31.5 percent shooting from 3 this year, third in the Summit League. Denver knocks down 6.8 3s a game this season. The Pioneers are connecting from beyond the arc at a 39.8 percent clip, good for second in the Summit League and 29th in the country. DU is outrebounding its opponents by 7.4 a game, first in the Summit League and 26th in the NCAA. Denver is handing out 14.6 assists per game in , fourth in the Summit League. Daniel Amigo leads the team in scoring, putting up 15.9 points a night for DU, that also ranks sixth in the Summit League. Joe Rosga is right behind Amigo in scoring, putting up 15.2 points a game, eighth in the Summit League. Amigo also is averaging a team-high 7.1 rebounds on the season, seventh in the Summit League. Amigo ranks second in the Summit League in field-goal percentage at 56.3 percent. Amigo has been solid so far this year, racking up five double-doubles, tied for third in the Summit League. Rosga ranks ninth in the Summit League in 3s made per game, knocking down 2.1 a contest. Rosga has been automatic from the foul line this year, making 91.5 percent of his free throws, the highest percentage in the Summit League and 10th in all of Division I. Jake Pemberton has been dialed in from deep all year, ranking second in the Summit League in 3-point percentage at a 50 percent clip (32-for-64). About South Dakota State The Jackrabbits are currently 15-5 on the season and 3-0 in Summit League play. South Dakota State is averaging 86.2 points per contest in , first in the Summit League and 15th in the NCAA. SDSU gives up 75.5 points a night, which ranks sixth in the Summit League. The Jackrabbits are knocking down 48.3 percent of their shots this season, second in the Summit League. South Dakota State has been terrific at the foul line, knocking down 76.2 percent of their free throws, tops in the Summit League and 27th in the country. The Jackrabbits are averaging 14.5 assists per game, fifth in the Summit League. SDSU is making s a game in , most in the Summit League and 13th in the NCAA. Mike Daum is the team s leading scorer, averaging 23.0 points per game, first in the Summit League and 10th in the NCAA. Daum has been a load on the glass, ranking second in the Summit League in rebounding with an 8.8 average. Daum also gets to the line, ranking 16th in the NCAA in free throws made (103) and 22nd in attempts (123). First Time for Everything The Pioneers made history on Jan. 11 with a win at North Dakota State. It was the first time that DU has ever won a game in Fargo Denver Basketball Game Notes page 2 NOTES

3 NOTES Denver had balanced scoring in the victory, with four players scoring in double figures in the win. The Long Ranger DU has at least one 3-pointer in 362 straight games, dating back to Feb. 2, We Get Buckets The Crimson and Gold rewrote their scoring record book for Division I in a victory against Colorado Mesa on Dec. 28. Denver scored 106 points in the win in Hamilton Gymnasium. The 106 points were the most by the Pioneers as a Division I team. The 46-point margin of victory was the most by the team since a 35-point win against Omaha back on Dec. 15, Games and Counting Christian Mackey made some personal history back on Dec. 28 against Colorado Mesa. Mackey played in his 100th career game for the Pioneers. The senior had seven points and five rebounds in the historic victory. His Story Rosga made history against Northern Colorado on Dec. 13 at the Bank of Colorado Arena. Rosga became the 35th player in program history to score at least 1,000 points in his career. Preseason Honors Both Rosga and Amigo received preseason recognition from the Summit League this year. Amigo was selected to the first team after averaging a team-high 15.5 points per game last year and 7.1 rebounds. Rosga was a second-team selection after putting up 15.3 points as a sophomore. Welcome to the Family The Pioneers signed three players for the upcoming campaign. Taelyr Gatlin, Jase Townsend and JaVonni Bickham are set to join the team. Hailing from Minneapolis, Minn., Bickham brings some size and athleticism to the front court for Denver in the coming years. The 6-foot-7 forward has starred over the past few seasons at the Minnehaha Academy. Bickham posted averages of 18.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 blocks as a junior. He is already the school s alltime leading scorer. Gatlin brings a unique blend of size, speed and athleticism for a point guard to the Pioneers in The Akota, Tenn. native has been a star at Brighton High School these last few years, leading the team in scoring for three straight seasons. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged team highs in points (17.8), rebounds (4.3), assists (5.5) and steals (3.6) as a junior. Gatlin was also named team MVP, district MVP and district tournament MVP. The athletic guard is also a member of the 1,000-point club at his school, as well as holds the school record for most assists in a game with 13. Townsend, a Dallas native, comes to the Crimson and Gold from Skyline High School. As a junior, the 6-foot-3 guard averaged 18.4 points per game to go with 4.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists. The sweet-shooting Skyline standout posted a 53 percent field-goal percentage, 85 percent free-throw percent and a 44 percentage from beyond the arc. In Our Defense Denver has proven to be a tough out when they dial up the defense under Billups watch. The Pioneers have a 22-3 record under Billups when allowing 78-or-fewer points in a contest. DU allowed 65.4 points per game in its wins last year. The Crimson and Gold s point percentage defense ranked first in the Summit League in We Just Getting Started Here Head coach Rodney Billups enters his second season at the helm of the program. Billups posted a record in his first year as head coach of the Pioneers in The second-year coach brought a style not seen at DU before, having the team average 75.8 points a game, the most it has scored per game for a season since going Division I back in Billups also showed his ability to get his teams to play hard on both ends of the floor with Denver seeing huge improvements in field-goal defense, rebounding margin and rebounding totals Denver Basketball Game Notes page 3

4 I MAKE IT RAIN Made 3s in a game in PERCENT FROM 3 29th in the NCAA TWO OF A KIND Countdown to 1K Career Pionts 1,086 career points 27th on All-Time Scoring List. 852 career points 148 needed to 1k Denver Basketball Game Notes page 4

5 A LITTLE ASSIST GOES A LONG WAY Pemberton assist numbers for career 2.7 ASSISTS PER GAME 16 GAMES WITH 5+ ASSISTS 13 CAREER HIGH ON JAN. 7, 2017 PRESEASON SUMMIT ALL-LEAGUE TEAMS First Team All-Summit League Mike Daum, Jr., South Dakota State Daniel Amigo, Sr., Denver John Konchar, Jr., Fort Wayne Paul Miller, Sr., North Dakota State Matt Mooney, Jr., South Dakota Albert Owens, Sr., Oral Roberts Second Team All-Summit League Joe Rosga, Jr., Denver Bryson Scott, Sr., Fort Wayne Reed Tellinghuisen, Sr., South Dakota State Trey Burch-Manning, Jr., South Dakota Emmanuel Nzekwesi, So., Oral Roberts Preseason Poll Rank Team Points 1. South Dakota State 339 (13) 2. South Dakota 327 (12) 3. North Dakota State Fort Wayne Denver Omaha Oral Roberts Western Illinois 60 SUMMIT LEAGUE STANDINGS League Overall GP Record Pct. PF PA GP Record Pct. PF PA Last 10 Streak South Dakota State Won 6 South Dakota Won 1 Oral Roberts Lost 1 Fort Wayne Lost 1 North Dakota State Lost 1 Denver Won 1 Omaha Won 1 Western Illinois Lost Denver Basketball Game Notes page 5

6 FUN FACTS 22-3 Record when allowing 78 points or less in a game under Billups Points per game average on the road in Summit League games this year. 13 Career double-doubles for Daniel Amigo as a Pioneer, including five this season. 8 Games this year where a Denver player has scored at least 20 points field-goal percentage for the Pioneers in wins this season. 3 Number of games this year holding opponents to under 35 percent shooting point shooting percentage from the Pioneers in games won this year Plus rebounding margin for DU in wins this season. MAKE MINE A DOUBLE-DOUBLE Nov. 12 vs. UC Irvine Dec. 2 vs Air Force 13 PTS, 10 REBS 11 PTS, 10 REBS Daniel Amigo Daniel Amigo Nov. 24 at FGCU 18 PTS, 10 REBS Daniel Amigo Nov. 25 vs. St. Francis Brooklyn 24 PTS, 16 REBS Daniel Amigo Nov. 29 vs Wyoming 18 PTS, 12 REBS Joe Rosga Nov. 29 vs. Wyoming 22 PTS, 10 REBS Daniel Amigo Denver Basketball Game Notes page 6 Pioneers with Double-Doubles

7 SEASON TOTALS/LINEUPS DOUBLE-DIGIT SCORING Season Career Joe Rosga Daniel Amigo Jake Pemberton Thomas Neff 1 19 Ade Murkey 3 7 Jake Holtzmann 2 3 Christian Mackey 2 3 Elvin Rodriguez 2 2 Jake Krafka - 2 Luke Neff 1 1 DOUBLE-DIGIT REBOUNDING Season Career Daniel Amigo 5 13 Jake Krafka 2 2 Joe Rosga 1 1 Christian Mackey - 1 DOUBLE-DOUBLES Season Career Daniel Amigo 5 13 Joe Rosga 1 1 LEADING SCORER* Season Career Joe Rosga 8 34 Daniel Amigo 9 18 Jake Pemberton 1 5 Thomas Neff - 2 Christian Mackey - 1 *Includes sharing lead LEADING REBOUNDER* Season Career Daniel Amigo 8 27 Joe Rosga 2 10 Christian Mackey 1 9 Jake Krafka 4 6 Thomas Neff - 3 Jake Pemberton 2 3 Ade Murkey 1 3 Donoven Carlisle 1 1 Jake Holtzmann - 1 *Includes sharing lead STARTING LINEUPS Opponent Guard Guard Guard/Forward Forward Forward UC Irvine Rosga Pemberton Murkey Akintola Amigo Colorado Rosga Pemberton Murkey Akintola Amigo Johnson & Wales Rosga Pemberton Murkey Akintola Amigo Florida Gulf Coast Rosga Pemberton Murkey Krafka Amigo St. Francis Brooklyn Rosga Pemberton Murkey Krafka Amigo Navy Rosga Pemberton Murkey Krafka Amigo Wyoming Rosga Pemberton Murkey Krafka Amigo Air Force Rosga Pemberton Holtzmann Krafka Amigo San Jose State Rosga Pemberton Murkey Krafka Amigo USC Upstate Rosga Pemberton Murkey Krafka Amigo Northern Colorado Rosga Pemberton Murkey Krafka Amigo Stanford Rosga Pemberton Murkey Krafka Amigo Montana State Rosga Pemberton Murkey Krafka Amigo Colorado Mesa Rosga Pemberton Murkey Krafka Amigo South Dakota Rosga Pemberton Murkey Krafka Amigo Fort Wayne Rosga Pemberton Murkey Krafka Amigo North Dakota State Rosga Pemberton Murkey Krafka Akintola STARTING LINEUPS RECORDS Rosga-Pemberton-Murkey-Krafka-Amigo 5-7 Rosga-Pemberton-Murkey-Akintola-Amigo 1-2 Rosga-Pemberton-Holtzmann-Krafka-Amigo 0-1 Rosga-Pemberton-Murkey-Krafka-Akintola 1-0 SEASON/CAREER STARTS Career Joe Rosga Jake Pemberton Thomas Neff - 61 Daniel Amigo Ade Murkey Jake Krafka Abiola Akintola 4 4 Christian Mackey - 2 Jake Holtzmann 1 1 Speciality Stats Paint Off TO 2nd Ch Bench Result Opponent TM Opp. TM Opp. TM Opp. TM Opp. UC Irvine L, Colorado L, Johnson & Wales W, Florida Gulf Coast L, St. Francis Brooklyn W, Navy L, Wyoming W, Air Force L, San Jose State W, USC Upstate W, Northern Colorado L, Stanford L, Montana State L, Colorado Mesa W, South Dakota L, Fort Wayne L, North Dakota State W, Denver Basketball Game Notes page 7

8 General Information Location... Denver, Colo. Enrollment... 11,500 Founded Nickname... Pioneers Colors... Crimson and Gold National Affiliation... NCAA Division I Conference...The Summit League Chancellor... Rebecca Chopp Alma Mater... Kansas Wesleyan University of Chicago 83 Athletics Director... Ron Grahame Alma Mater...Denver 83...Miami (Ohio) 81 Athletics Department Phone..(303) Ticket Office Phone...(303) Team information Arena...Magness Arena Capacity...7, Record: (8-5 H, 7-8 R, 1-1 N) Summit Record: (5-3 H, 3-5 R) Summit Finish:...5th Letterwinners returning/lost...10/5 Newcomers... 4 Basketball staff Head Coach... Rodney Billups Alma Mater...Denver 05 Assistant Coach...Ricardo Patton Alma Mater... Belmont Trevecca Nazarene 87 Assistant Coach... Steve Snell Alma Mater...Radford 90 Assistant Coach...Dan Ficke Alma Mater... Loyola Univ. Maryland Loyola Univ. Maryland 10 Director of Basketball Ops...Dwight Thorne II Alma Mater... Colorado 10 Assistant Athletic Trainer... Pat Hoxsey Alma Mater...Boise State Michigan State 95 Team Doctor...Dr. Girish Paranjape Alma Mater...Oklahoma Oklahoma State 96 Strength & Cond... Gary Boros Alma Mater...Minnesota (Twin Cities) 11,... St. Cloud State 13 Sport Program Assistant... Jeanie Okane Alma Mater... Iowa Team History First Year of Basketball Overall all-time record... 1,279-1,303 (.495) No. yrs. In NCAA Tournament/Last... 0/NA No. yrs. In NIT/Last...3/2013 Last postseason opponent...maryland Result...L, (NIT, 3/21/13) DU Record When... All Sum. Leading at half: Trailing at half: Tied at half: Playing overtime: Shooting 50% or better: Shooting between %: Shooting less than 40%: Opps. shoots 50% or better: Opp. shoots between %: Opp. shoots less than 40%: Denver outrebounds its opponent: Opp. outrebounds Denver: Teams are tied in rebounds: Denver has 10 or more steals: Denver shoots 70% FT or better: Denver shoots less than 70% FT: Scoring less than 50 points: Scoring points: Scoring points: Scoring points: Scoring points: Scoring points: Scoring 100 points or more: Allowing less than 50 points: Allowing points: Allowing points: Allowing points: Allowing points: Allowing 90 points or more: Playing in Magness Arena: Playing in Hamilton Gymnasium Playing on the road: Playing on a neutral floor: Game decided by 1-4 points: Game decided by 5-10 points: Game decided by 11 points or more: Playing at night: Playing in the afternoon: Playing on Monday: Playing on Tuesday: Playing on Wednesday: Playing on Thursday: Playing on Friday: Playing on Saturday: Playing on Sunday: Playing in November: Playing in December: Playing in January: Playing in February: Playing in March: Playing on television: *Altitude: *Altitude 2: Denver Basketball Game Notes page 8 The Last Time DU... Won In Overtime vs. Fort Wayne (2/4/17) Lost In Overtime vs. Eastern Washington (11/26/16) Played a Multi-Overtime Game L, (2OT) at UTEP (12/29/13) Played Consecutive Overtime Games W, vs. Southern (12/3/13) L, at Mercer (12/7/13) Scored 100 Points 106 vs. Colorado Mesa (12/28/17) Allowed 100 Points 102 at Cal State Fullerton (12/23/04) Team Shot 70% From Field 70.5% (31-44) vs. La-Monroe (12/19/09) Team Shot 65% From Field 67.3% (35-52) vs. USC Upstate (12/9/17) Team Shot 60% From Field 67.3% (35-52) vs. USC Upstate (12/9/17) Team Shot 90% From FT Line (min. 10 FTA) 100% (10-10) at Fort Wayne (1/7/17) Team Made 10 Three-Pointers 11 vs. Air Force (12/2/17) 2+ Players With 20+ Points Joe Rosga (23) & Jake Pemberton (20) vs. San Jose State (12/5/17) Five Players Scored In Double Figures Amigo (24), Murkey (11), L. Neff (11), T. Neff (10) and Pemberton (10) vs. Colorado Mesa (12/28/17) All Five Starters Scored In Double Figures Rosga (25), Amigo (13), Pemberton (12), Bobbitt (11) and Neff (10) vs. WIU (1/11/17) Six Players Scored In Double Figures O Neale (17), C. Hallam (12), Udofia (11), Olson (11), Engesser (11), Griffin (10) vs. Nebraska-Omaha (12/15/12) Individual With 30 Points 33, Joe Rosga vs. Navy (11/26/17) Individual With 15 Rebounds 16, Daniel Amigo vs. St. Francis Brooklyn (11/25/17) Individual With 10 Assists 13, Jake Pemberton at Fort Wayne (1/7/17) Individual With 7 Steals 8, Chase Hallam, vs. Seattle (2/7/13) Individual With 6 Or More Three-Pointers 6, Joe Rosga vs. Navy (11/25/17) Didn t Attempt A Free Throw 0, at Fort Wayne (2/13/16)

9 ROSTER BREAKDOWN ROSTER BY YEAR SENIORS (3): Amigo,, Mackey, Pemberton JUNIORS (6): Akintola, Holtzmann, Joiner, Knighton, T. Neff, Rosga SOPHOMORES (3): Krafka, Murkey, L. Neff FRESHMEN (3): Blake, Carlisle, Rodriguez ROSTER BY POSITION GUARDS (9): Blake, Holtzmann, Joiner, Murkey, L. Neff, T. Neff, Pemberton, Rodriguez, Rosga, FORWARDS (4): Akintola, Carlisle, Knighton, Krafka CENTERS (2): Amigo, Mackey ROSTER BY STATE/COUNTRY AUSTRALIA (1): Akintola COLORADO (7): Blake, Holtzmann, Joiner, Knighton, L. Neff, T. Neff, Pemberton INDIANA (1): Carlisle MINNESOTA (2): Murkey, Rosga NEW MEXICO (1): Mackey NEW YORK (1): Rodriguez TEXAS (2): Amigo, Krafka USA TODAY COACHES POLL TOP 25 RANKINGS (as of Jan ) Rank School Record points 1 Villanova (27) West Virginia (4) Virginia Michigan State Wichita State Duke Purdue Texas Tech Oklahoma Xavier Arizona State Kansas Cincinnati Gonzaga Seton Hall TCU Clemson North Carolina Miami Kentucky Arizona Creighton Tennessee Auburn Notre Dame First-place votes in () ASSOCIATED PRESS POLL TOP 25 RANKINGS (as of Jan. 8, 2018) Rank School Record points 1 Villanova (52) ,611 2 West Virginia (12) ,559 3 Virginia (1) ,438 4 Michigan State ,390 5 Purdue ,225 5 Wichita State ,225 7 Duke ,222 8 Texas Tech ,174 9 Oklahoma , Xavier , Arizona State , Kansas Seton Hall Cincinnati Gonzaga TCU Arizona Miami Clemson North Carolina Kentucky Auburn Florida State Tennessee Creighton First-place votets () Denver Basketball Game Notes page 9

10 LAST TIME OUT Denver Basketball Game Notes page 10

11 LAST TIME VS. SOUTH DAKOTA STATE Denver Basketball Game Notes page 11

12 SEASON STATISTICS TEAM STATISTICS RESULTS Date Opponent Result High Scorer High Reb. 11/12 UC Irvine L, Rosga 15 2 with 10 11/14 Colorado L, Amigo 22 Pemberton 5 11/16 Johnson & Wales W, Rosga 19 Krafka 9 11/24 Florida Gulf Coast L, Amigo 18 Amigo 10 11/25 St. Francis Brooklyn W, Amigo 24 Amigo 16 11/26 Navy L, Rosga 33 Mackey 6 11/29 Wyoming W, Amigo 22 Rosga 12 12/2 Air Force L, with 11 Amigo 10 12/5 San Jose State W, Rosga 23 Krafka 7 12/9 USC Upstate W, Amigo 21 Amigo 8 12/13 Northern Colorado L, Rosga 14 Rosga 7 12/15 Stanford L, Amigo 18 Pemberton 6 12/18 Montana State L, Pemberton 20 Murkey 8 12/28 Colorado Mesa W, Amigo 24 Two with 7 12/30 South Dakota L, Amigo 17 Amigo 8 1/6 Fort Wayne L, Rosga 18 Krafka 9 1/11 North Dakota State W, Rosga 15 Amigo Denver Basketball Game Notes page 12

13 GAME HIGHS/LOWS Denver Basketball Game Notes page 13

14 POINTS-REBOUNDS-ASSISTS Denver Basketball Game Notes page 14

15 DENVER GAME-BY-GAME OPPONENT GAME-BY-GAME Denver Basketball Game Notes page 15

16 TEAM COMPARISONS Denver Basketball Game Notes page 16

17 DENVER PLAYER GAME HIGH Denver Basketball Game Notes page 17

18 GAME-BY-GAME HIGHS Denver Basketball Game Notes page 18

19 IND. GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS , ABIOLA AKINTOLA 220, Junior, Forward Melbourne, Australia (Australian Institute of Sport) CAREER STATS Denver Basketball Game Notes page 19

20 IND. GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS , DANIEL AMIGO 245, Senior, Forward El Paso, Texas (Coronado H.S.) CAREER STATS Denver Basketball Game Notes page 20

21 IND. GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 1 6-2, ELIJAH BLAKE 175, Freshman, Guard Denver, Colo. (Rangeview H.S.) CAREER STATS Denver Basketball Game Notes page 21

22 IND. GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS , DONOVEN CARLISLE 210, Freshman, Forward Indianapolis, Ind. (Arlington H.S.) CAREER STATS Denver Basketball Game Notes page 22

23 IND. GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS , JAKE HOLTZMANN 195, Junior, Guard Parker, Colo. (Chaparral H.S.) CAREER STATS Denver Basketball Game Notes page 23

24 IND. GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS , DREW JOINER 175, Junior, Guard Centennial, Colo. (Carthage College) CAREER STATS Denver Basketball Game Notes page 24

25 IND. GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS , EMIL KNIGHTON 220, Junior, Forward Parker, Colo. (Ponderosa H.S.) CAREER STATS Denver Basketball Game Notes page 25

26 IND. GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS JAKE KRAFKA 116-7, 215, Sophomore, Forward Austin, Texas (Hays H.S.) CAREER STATS Denver Basketball Game Notes page 26

27 IND. GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS , CHRISTIAN MACKEY 275, Senior, Center Kirtland, N.M. (Kirtland H.S.) CAREER STATS Denver Basketball Game Notes page 27

28 IND. GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 0 6-5, ADE MURKEY 200, Sophomore, Guard Minneapolis, Minn. (St. Croix Lutheran H.S.) CAREER STATS Denver Basketball Game Notes page 28

29 IND. GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS , LUKE NEFF 155, Sophomore, Guard Arvada, Colo. (Arvada West H.S.) CAREER STATS Denver Basketball Game Notes page 29

30 IND. GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS , THOMAS NEFF 200, Junior, Guard Arvada, Colo. (Arvada West H.S.) CAREER STATS Denver Basketball Game Notes page 30

31 IND. GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 5 6-4, JAKE PEMBERTON 190, Senior, Guard Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Mountain Vista H.S.) CAREER STATS Denver Basketball Game Notes page 31

32 IND. GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 3 6-1, ELVIN RODRIGUEZ 180, Freshman, Guard Harlem, N.Y. (Forest Trails Academy) CAREER STATS Denver Basketball Game Notes page 32

33 IND. GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS 2 6-3, JOE ROSGA 175, Junior, Guard St. Paul, Minn. (Cretin-Derham Hall H.S.) CAREER STATS Denver Basketball Game Notes page 33

34 SEASON BOX SCORES Denver Basketball Game Notes page 34

35 SEASON BOX SCORES Denver Basketball Game Notes page 35

36 SEASON BOX SCORES Denver Basketball Game Notes page 36

37 SEASON BOX SCORES Denver Basketball Game Notes page 37

38 SEASON BOX SCORES Denver Basketball Game Notes page 38

39 Rodney Billups Head Coach Second Season Denver, Colo. Denver (2005) Rodney Billups will enter his second season with the University of Denver men s basketball team in In his debut season in , the former Pioneer standout led the Pioneers to a record, including a record of 8-8 in the Summit League. The eight league wins tied the most the program has had in league play since joining the league back in Billups brought a new type of style to Denver which resulted in DU aveaging a 75.8 points per contest, the most it has since going Division I back in The Crimson and Gold also continued to show its outside touch under the first-year coach, finishing second in the Summit League in 3-point percentage at 40.2, which also was good for 13th in all of the NCAA. Under Billups, the Pioneers showed huge improvement on the glass, finishing second in the Summit League in rebounding margin at plus-4.2. Both Joe Rosga and Daniel Amigo saw their respective games reach new heights during the campaign under Billups, with both posting career highs in numerous statistical categories. Amigo s breakout year resulted in a second-team All-Summit League selection, while Rosga got honorable mention for a second straight season. Billups comes to Denver after spending six seasons on Tad Boyle s staff at the University of Colorado. During his first two years ( ) in Boulder, Billups was the director of basketball operations where he was an integral part of the behind-of-the-scenes success of back-to-back school-bests 24-win campaigns with travel, scheduling, and the day-to-day operations of the program. When he was promoted to the coaching staff as an assistant coach prior to the season, the Buffaloes didn t skip a beat. Billups continued CU s excellence enjoying their finest seasons with a 21-win campaign in , and another 23 victories in , the third-most victories in school history. During Billups s tenure with the coaching staff, the Buffaloes have accumulated 130 victories, which have included five of CU s nine 20+ winning seasons in school history. The Buffaloes have had six-straight seasons of post-season play ( ) and three-straight NCAA Tournament berths ( ) and a fourth appearance in Over the last six seasons, Billups has coached a number of CU student-athletes to conference excellence. In CU s first year of the Pac-12, Andre Roberson (first team, All-Defensive, All-Tournament team), Carlon Brown (second team, tournament s Most Outstanding Player), and Spencer Dinwiddie (freshman team), all garnered all-conference honors. In year two of the conference, Roberson (first team, Defensive Player of the Year, All-Defensive team); Dinwiddie (first team) and Josh Scott (All-Freshman team) earned post-season accolades. In the third year, Scott continued CU s prominence among the elite Pac-12 Conference players, as he was selected to the first team, while Askia Booker was an honorable mention selection, as to, Wesley Gordon to the honorable mention freshman team. Booker was also named to the Pac-12 All-Tournament team. During his previous six years on the staff, Billups has also helped mentored four former CU student-athlete standouts to the next step professionally in their respective basketball careers. Alec Burks, a sophomore was CU s second-ever lottery pick, was selected No. 12 overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2011 NBA Draft, while Andre Roberson left after his junior year, was the No. 26 overall selection by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2013 (later traded to Oklahoma City). Spencer Dinwiddie, also a junior, was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 2014 NBA Draft (second round, No. 38 overall); and Cory Higgins, the school s all-time co-leader in points, played with the Charlotte Bobcats Denver Basketball Game Notes page 39

40 during the season. Billups is the younger brother of former CU great Chauncey Billups, who played with the Buffaloes from The younger Billups is also a Colorado native, graduating from George Washington High School in He was a three-year standout at the University of Denver from At DU, Billups averaged 10.2 points, 6.4 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game during his senior campaign. In addition to leading the Sun Belt Conference in assists, he also ranked 17th nationally in that category. Billups was named an All-SBC third team selection in , the same season he helped the Pioneers win 20 games and a National Invitation Tournament berth. Billups 199 assists in his senior season, ranked third all-time in school history, while his 58 steals, was seventh. During his three years at DU, Billups was fourth in assists (418) and fifth in steals (154). For his career, he averaged 8.5 points, in addition to 4.6 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. In , Billups was named co-recipient of the Floyd M. Theard Jr. Memorial Award. An award presented each year to the DU men s basketball player who best displays the qualities of leadership, scholarship and sportsmanship. Billups earned his business management degree from DU in After his collegiate days, he played professional basketball for ASK Riga in Latvia ( ), where he led the league in steals and assists. He also played one year in Finland ( ). Billups Record vs. Opponents Air Force Arkansas Pine Bluff Colorado Colorado Mesa Eastern Washington Florida Gulf Coast Fort Wayne IUPUI Jacksonville Johnson & Wales Montana State Navy North Dakota State Northern Colorado Omaha Oral Roberts Sacramento State San Jose State South Alabama South Dakota South Dakota State Stanford St. Francis Brooklyn Texas A&M UC Irvine UC Riverside USC Upstate Utah Valley Weber State Western Illinois Wyoming BILLUPS YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORD YEAR SCHOOL POSITION RECORD NOTES Denver Head Coach Denver Head Coach DENVER TOTALS (2 seasons) (.489) Colorado Assistant Coach NCAA Tournament First Round Colorado Assistant Coach CBI Quarterfinals Colorado Assistant Coach NCAA Tournament First Round Colorado Assistant Coach NCAA Tournament First Round Colorado Director of Ops NCAA Tournament Second Round Colorado Director of Ops NIT Final Four HEAD COACH TOTALS (Two Seasons) (.489) ASSISTANT TOTALS (Six Seasons) (.619) OVERALL TOTALS (.595) Denver Basketball Game Notes page 40

41 TV/RADIO ROSTER 0 Ade Murkey G SO 6-5 Minneapolis, Minn. 11 Jake Krafka F SO 6-7 Austin, Texas 1 2 Elijah Blake G FR 6-2 Denver, Colo. 12 Ricardo Patton Assistant Coach Second Year Jake Pemberton G SR 6-4 Highlands Ranch, Colo. 15 Drew Joiner G JR 6-3 Centennial, Colo Elvin Rodriguez G FR 6-1 Harlem, N.Y. 14 Luke Neff G SO 6-0 Arvada, Colo. Donoven Carlisle F FR 6-8 Indianapolis, Ind. Rodney Billups Head Coach Second Year 3 Joe Rosga G JR 6-3 St. Paul, Minn. 24 Thomas Neff G JR 6-5 Arvada, Colo. 32 Abiola Akintola F JR 6-6 Melbourne, Australia Christian Mackey F SR 6-6 Kirtland, N.M. 10 Jake Holtzmann G JR 6-6 Parker, Colo. 25 Emil Knighton F JR 6-7 Parker, Colo. 44 Daniel Amigo C SR 6-10 El Paso, Texas Steve Snell Assistant Coach Second Year Denver Basketball Game Notes page 41 Dan Ficke Assistant Coach Third Year Dwight Thorne II Director of Basketball Operations Second Year