The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Colorado
No. 2 Men's Basketball remains undefeated with win over Colorado
01.09.2010 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 9, 2010
Box Score 
| Box Score | 
| Notes | Quotes
AUSTIN, Texas -- Others already had a glimpse of what Texas freshman Avery Bradley can do. It's time Big 12 teams see him for themselves.
Bradley scored 29 points on 12-of-14 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds in his Big 12 debut, leading No. 2 Texas to a 103-86 win over Colorado on Saturday.
"What can I say? He was terrific," Texas coach Rick Barnes said. "Avery's explosive. He's quick. He's as fast any anybody we've had in a long time."
One of the top recruits in the country, Bradley has been rounding his game into the complete package over the first 15 games. Before Saturday, his season high was a 20-point effort in a win over North Carolina.
"You see the stats," Texas senior forward Damion James said. "He's unbelievable. He's just got to keep it going."
James had 20 points and 14 rebounds as Texas improved to 15-0 for the first time since the 1932-33 season.
For Colorado, it was just another afternoon of road woes. The Buffaloes (9-6, 0-1) dropped their 22nd consecutive road game overall and their 30th in the Big 12.
Marcus Relphorde scored 24 points for the Buffaloes, but he also was one of four Colorado players to foul out in a four-minute stretch of the second half as Texas put the game away.
Offensively, Colorado looked early like a team determined to end its run of road futility. The Buffaloes made 12 of their first 17 shots, but even with that kind of shooting, couldn't keep Texas from building a big lead.
Both teams shot better than 50 percent for the game. Texas scored 39 points off turnovers and second chance shots.
Bradley was 8 of 9 from the field in the first half. His 3-pointer put Texas up 35-28 and started a 17-4 Texas run helped by three consecutive missed 3-pointers by Colorado.
Bradley found just about any shot he wanted, whether it was from long range, midrange or between two defenders in the lane. Bradley closed the half with a twisting reverse layup at the buzzer to give Texas a 57-42 halftime lead.
"My teammates trusted me. They saw I was making shots and wanted to get me the ball," Bradley said.
Colorado coach Jeff Bzdelik said the problem was trying to guard Bradley while also trying to stop James and Dexter Pittman near the basket.
The Buffaloes stopped Pittman -- he was in foul trouble the entire game and finished with just four points -- but the others will take over the game.
"We didn't disrespect Avery by leaving him open, we just couldn't get to him in time because we were helping out in the paint," Bzdelik said. "They have just so many weapons."
Colorado shaved the lead early in the second and kept it close for a while. Bradley fouled Alec Burks on a dunk and the 3-point play made it 59-50. But Bradley also kept making the baskets that held off the Buffaloes.
Bradley's 3-pointer from the corner and another jumper from the left wing kept Texas rolling until Colorado started running into serious foul trouble. Austin Dufault, Shane Harris-Tunks, Trey Eckloff and Relphorde all fouled out within four minutes.
"It made it tough," Relphorde said. "They were a real physical team. We tried to match it."
Texas led by 11 when the exodus started and kept pushing the lead with every departure. Soon after Relphorde was gone, Texas built the lead to 97-77 with just under four minutes to play.
Bradley's third 3-pointer pushed Texas to the 100-point mark for the fourth time this season.
Texas had its own foul trouble that helped keep Colorado, the best free-throw shooting team in the league, in the game. Colorado went 20 of 26 from the line.
"It's a good thing we were scoring today," Barnes said.
Bradley found just about any shot he wanted, whether it was from long range or between two defenders in the lane. Bradley closed the half with a twisting reverse layup at the buzzer to give Texas a 57-42 halftime lead.
Colorado shaved the lead early in the second and kept it close for a while. Bradley fouled Alec Burks on a dunk and the 3-point play made it 59-50 early in the second. But Bradley also kept making the baskets that held off the Buffaloes.
Bradley's 3-pointer from the corner and another jumper from the left wing kept Texas rolling until Colorado started running into serious foul trouble. Austin Dufault, Shane Harris-Tunks, Trey Eckloff and Relphorde all fouled out within four minutes.
Texas led by 11 when the exodus started and kept pushing the lead with every departure. Soon after Relphorde was gone, Texas built the lead to 97-77 with just under four minutes to play.
Bradley's third 3-pointer pushed Texas to the 100-point mark for the fourth time this season.
Texas had its own foul trouble that helped keep Colorado, the best free-throw shooting team in the league, in the game. Colorado went 20 of 26 from the line. Longhorns forward Dexter Pittman played just 12 minutes and scored four points, 10 below his average.
Head Coach Rick Barnes
On the offense: We knew going in that they were going to be a really hard team to guard because they are so well coached. They are really disciplined and they do all of the really subtle things. They do a great job of driving the ball and getting fouled. We felt we needed to get to the free throw line more than them. We had some guys that grew up a little bit more today. I was pleased with the young guys, for the most part, trying to guard that offense. They weren't perfect, but they did a better job in some areas than we thought they might. Avery (Bradley) was terrific on both offense and defense. He played the most minutes he's played. This time of year it's hard, and I think you look around at conference play when it starts around the country and you've got to be able to try and win your home games. Win you get on the road things can get pretty difficult.
On how he is able to design ways for Avery to get open: We know that people are very concerned about Dexter Pittman. People game plan for him and, when he doesn't become the usual factor that he is, it opens things up for the others. Gary Johnson did a very good job on the inside and so did Damion James. We moved the ball better today than we have in a while because they give you multiple defenses. We tried to simplify it for our young guys, and we just wanted them to really work hard on attacking the lane. A big key for us today was to get offensive rebounds. We felt we had to drive the ball. They are a team that if they get you coming down trying to run multiple offenses they are really good at getting you stymied. Today we just felt like we had to run and flow as quickly as we could and take open shots. We shot the ball pretty well and Avery is getting better playing off of Dexter, Gary, and Damion.
On whether this is how he envisioned Avery playing: Yes. Avery is explosive and he's quick. He gets down the floor as fast as anybody we've had in a long time. He's so explosive with the ball. When you've got Avery and Dogus (Balbay) out there at the same time it's really hard to guard.
Senior Forward Damion James
On Avery Bradley's performance: He was unbelievable. He didn't miss too many shots. We all know what Avery can do, he is one of the best players. So we've just got to keep looking for him. He had nine rebounds. He can take it to another level. He's just got to keep it going.
On Colorado focusing Dexter Pittman and him: I guess that's the game plan. You've got to just keep shooting the ball, keep driving, keep getting to the free throw line and take open shots. That's what you've got to do.
Freshman Guard Avery Bradley
On his shooting: I feel like the opportunities just came, and my teammates trusted me and they saw I was making shots, so they wanted to give me the ball and that is what they did.
On Damion James: Damion is always going to come out and play hard. As a team, us seeing and knowing that makes us play hard. Our coach always challenges us to go out and rebound like Damion. It just showed our team was attacking today, trying to get rebounds because we want to play as hard a Damion.
On Colorado focusing so much on Dexter Pittman and Damion James: That is what we had practiced. We knew they would do that because Damion and Dexter are so good. We went in the game looking for open spots so we could line up the shots.
COLORADO COACH QUOTES
Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik
Opening statement: First of all, let's give a lot of credit to Texas. They are definitely one of the nation's elite teams in the nation. We knew coming in that we would have to take care of the ball and that we would have to do a very good job on the defensive boards. To give one of the nation's elite teams 39 points off of turnovers and second chance points is just way too many. Our players competed, but we just fell short in those two areas.
On the offense: We were just never able to finish possessions, be it by not being able to grab rebounds or giving up easy points off of turnovers. Offensively, if we didn't turn it over we were able to find ways to score. Give Texas a lot of credit. They are very talented and extremely well coached.
On Avery Bradley: We knew all about his talent. We tried different ways to defend him; we never got to him quite in time and he got into a pretty good comfort zone.
On how Bradley was able to get open: They just have so many weapons. You start with Dexter Pittman and Damion James and you have to help in the paint. You really have to pick your poison. We certainly did not disrespect Avery by leaving him open, we just couldn't get to him in time because we were helping out in the paint.
Junior Guard Marcus Relphorde
On today's game: We shot like 55 percent, and we executed our offense pretty well, but we lost in on rebounding and second-chance points. I think they scored 39 points on second chance points. We did what we wanted to do on offense though.
On Colorado's foul trouble: It definitely made it tough. They are a really physical team, especially inside. We knew that going into the game, so we tried to match it, but as the game went on there were more and more fouls called. I think we let up a little bit with our physicality. It was tough, but we will learn from it and take it into the rest of our Big 12 games.
Freshman Guard Alec Burks
On what he took away from today's game: We've got to fight more, especially in defense. We need to play harder defense and execute our offense a little better than we did today, and I think we'll be good playing against anybody.
On Texas: They are a real deep team. When they go to their bench, they don't lose anything. They have a lot of weapons.
POSTGAME NOTES
TEAM
- Texas improved to 15-0 for the first time since the 1932-33 season and just the third time in school history (1923-24, 1932-33, 2009-10)
- Texas won its 15th consecutive game, the sixth-longest win streak in school history
- Texas won a margin of 10 or more points for the 14th time in 15 games
- Texas improved to 158-20 at the Erwin Center under Rick Barnes, including 76-13 record in Big 12 Conference home games
- Texas outrebounded an opponent for the 12th time in 15 games, including their eighth game with a double-digit margin
- Texas improved to 14-8 all-time against Colorado, including 13-3 under Rick Barnes
- Texas improved to 12-0 in Big 12 home openers during the Barnes era
- Texas scored 100 or more points in a game for the fourth time this season and the 106th time in the history of the program
- Texas scored 100 or more points in a Big 12 game for the first time since Jan. 16, 2007 at Oklahoma State (L, 103-105 - 3 OT)
- Texas scored 100 or more points in a non-overtime Big 12 game for the first time since Jan. 6, 2007 at Colorado (W, 102-78)
- Texas scored 100 or more points in a Big 12 home game for the first time since Feb. 11, 2002 vs. Kansas (L, 103-110 - OT)
- Texas scored 100 or more points in a non-overtime Big 12 home game for the first time since Feb. 9, 2002 vs. Colorado (W, 104-95)
- Texas scored a season-high 57 first half points, topping the 55 it scored in the opening half against Gardner-Webb
- Texas owned a 19-8 edge in rebounding in the first half, including 10-1 on the offensive glass leading to a 11-0 edge in second-chance points
Avery Bradley
- Recorded a career-high in scoring (29 points), topping the 20 points he scored against North Carolina
- Scored 20 or more points for the second time in his career
- Reached double-figures in scoring for the ninth time this season
- Recorded a career-high with nine rebounds, topping the four logged against North Carolina
- Recorded a career-high with 12 field goals made (12-of-14), topping the eight logged against UT Pan American
J'Covan Brown
- Set a career high with five assists without a turnover
Jordan Hamilton
- Reached double figures in scoring (12 points) for the ninth time this season
- Played a career-high 29 minutes, topping 26 minutes he played against Long Beach State
Damion James
- Made his 121st career start, tied with Terrence Rencher (1992-95) for second place on the UT all-time list and just five shy of Royal Ivey (126 - 2001-04) for the school career mark
- Played in his 123rd consecutive game, tied with Justin Mason for third on UT's all-time list behind only Brian Boddicker (134 - 2001-04) and James Thomas (134 - 2001-04)
- Recorded a double-double (20 points, 14 rebounds) for the eighth time this season and the 45th time in his career (123 games)
- Moved into sole possession of third place on the list for most career double-doubles in Big 12 Conference history with 45, trailing only former Longhorn Chris Mihm (47 - 1998-2000) and Nebraska's Venson Hamilton (46 - 1997-99)
- Scored 20 or more points for the seventh time this season and the 17th time in his career
- Reached double figures in scoring for the 13th time this season and the 82nd time in his career
- Reached double figures in rebounding for the eighth time this season and the 56th time in his career
- Ended the game with 1,560 career points to pass Raymond Downs (1,558 - 1955-57) for 10th place on the UT career scoring list
- Ended the game with 1,133 career rebounds to move within 10 of Kansas' Nick Collison (1,143 - 2000-03) for the Big 12 Conference career record
- Ended the game with 438 career rebounds in Big 12 games to pass Kansas' Eric Chenowith (437 - 1997-2001) for ninth place the Big 12 Conference career list
Gary Johnson
- Tied his season high in points (16) and set his season high in minutes (28)
- Reached double figures in scoring for the sixth time this year and the 27th time in his career (69 games)
Justin Mason
- Made his 116th career start to move into fifth place on the UT all-time list. He is three shy of Travis Mays (119 - 1987-90) for fourth place
- Played in his 123rd consecutive game, tied with Damion James for third on UT's all-time list behind only Brian Boddicker (134 - 2001-04) and James Thomas (134 - 2001-04)
