Story by Neill Woelk, Contributing Editor, CUBuffs.com
Wright Notches Assist Record As Buff Roll Past Bears
BOULDER — McKinley Wright IV broke Colorado’s all-time assist record and freshman Jabari Walker posted his second straight double-double Thursday as the Buffaloes rolled to an 89-60 win over Cal at the CU Events Center.
The Buffs recorded their third straight win to improve to 10-3 overall and 4-2 in Pac-12 play while Cal fell to 6-8, 1-6.
Wright entered the game needing just one assist to break a tie and move past former Buffs great Jay Humphries’ 37-year old record of 562 assists. He accomplished the feat less than three minutes in when he dished off to Evan Battey for a layup. Wright then added an exclamation point, finishing with a career-high 12 assists to go with 13 points for his second double-double of the season and 13th of his career.
Walker, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds in CU’s win over Utah on Monday, led Colorado with a career-high 23 points and 11 rebounds while D’Shawn Schwartz added 18 points and Maddox Daniels chipped in 12.
Andre Kelly led the Bears with 16 points.
Colorado put the game away in the first half, rallying from an early 18-11 deficit to finish the half with a 23-5 surge for a 34-23 lead at the break. The Buffs then extended their lead for much of the second half, pushing their margin to as much as 31 late in the game.
CU head coach Tad Boyle called the Buffs’ performance a “workmanlike effort,” and made sure to give Wright his due recognition.
“Obviously it’s a great day for McKinley Wright, breaking Jay Humphries’ 37-year–old assist record,” Boyle said. “It’s a long time to hold a record. Jay’s a terrific person, was a terrific player here and the guy that broke his record is deserving and equally a great human being. I’m really happy for McKinley and his teammates … Before it’s all said and done, McKinley Wright is going to go down as one of the all-time greatest players ever to play at this university.”
Wright — who also moved past Randy Downs into 10th place on CU’s all-time scoring list with 1,568 points — called the opportunity to set the career record a “blessing.”
“I want to thank God,” he said. “And a big shoutout to my teammates and coaching staff. When you have teammates like I’ve had over the last four years and the coaching staff, when they believe in you and they trust you, it makes my job so much easier. They’ve been helping me and I’ve been helping them. It’s a blessing.”
HOW IT HAPPENED: After falling behind 18-11 following a 10-0 Cal run midway through the first half, the Buffs seized control over the last nine minutes of the period, using a 23-5 surge to take a 34-23 lead into intermission.
Walker, who had 17 points in the first half, fueled the run with two 3-pointers — both off assists from Wright — to start the surge. He then added a dunk and another 3-pointer while Jeriah Horne and Daniels also had 3-pointers in the decisive run.
“That made my job easy,” Wright said. “Coming off the screen with Evan (Battey), he’s such a threat in the paint that they were worried about me throwing it into him. It was just an easy read. Just throw it back to ‘Bari. We’re confident in his shot. We know he can shoot it. I told him, ‘Keep letting it fly.’ He’s special. No. 12 is special.”
While the Buffs were finding their groove on offense, they also turned up the defensive heat. CU forced Cal turnovers on six straight possessions in the final six minutes and the Bears scored just five points over the last [9:41] of the half.
The Bears never managed to mount much of a threat in the second half. They briefly managed to cut CU’s lead to nine early in the period, but Colorado quickly pushed the margin back to double digits. The Buffs’ lead hit 20 points, 56-36, on a Daniels 3-pointer with [12:31] still to play and CU expanded the edge to 31 in the final minutes.
Colorado finished with a decisive edge in nearly every category. CU held a 31-28 lead on the boards, shot 55% for the game (33-for-60) compared to Cal’s 43% shooting (21-for-49), and forced 16 Bears turnovers while committing only seven miscues.
Walker finished 9-for-13 from the floor, including a perfect 3-for-3 day from long range that improved his season shooting to 11-for-21 from beyond the arc.
“I love playing with Kin,” Walker said of the connection he and Wright developed during the game. “I know if I’m open, he’s going to find me. You can’t ask much more from a point guard who can score and open up the floor for you. With him doing that, you know the game’s going to open up and it’s my job to knock down those shots, which I’m glad I did.”
TURNING POINT: Colorado used a 23-5 run over the final nine minutes of the first half to seize control and the Bears never threatened again.
WHAT IT MEANS: With their third straight win, the Buffs remain in solid position to move into the top four of the conference standings, especially with another home game up next.
KEY STATISTICS: Colorado forced 16 Cal turnovers and converted those miscues into 23 points … The Buffs shot 57 percent from 3-point range (12-for-21), with six different players hitting at least one trey … The Buffs tied their season low with just seven turnovers.
NOTEWORTHY: Walker’s 23 points were the most by a freshman since Wright IV had 30 against South Dakota State in December 2017. Walker has made five straight 3-point attempts … D’Shawn Schwartz hit three 3-point field goals to move into 12th on CU’s all-time list with 128. His next three will move him into a tie for 10th with Levi Knutson (2007-11) and Donnie Boyce (1991-95) … Eli Parquet had a career-high three steals … Freshman Isaac Jessup scored his first collegiate points with a pair of free throws in the final minutes … Colorado’s 33 field goals and 55 percent shooting were both season highs … Colorado improved to 4-0 at home this season
NEXT UP: Colorado plays host to Stanford on Saturday in a 1 p.m. game at the Events Center (Pac-12 Networks).
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
Postgame Quotes
Colorado Head Coach Tad Boyle
Opening Statement
“It was a workmanlike effort and a good win. We didn’t come out of the shoot playing extremely well. We started to string together some stops there at the end of the first half. We expanded our lead and then the same thing in the second half. Overall I am pleased. Obviously it is a great day for McKinley Wright breaking Jay Humphries’ 37 year old career assist record. That is a long time to hold a record. McKinley has gotten a chance to realize, over the last week or two as he has approached this milestone, how good Jay was. He is on our NBA wall upstairs in our office. Jay is a terrific person and was a terrific player here. I can attest that the guy that broke his record is deserving and equally a great human being. I am really happy for McKinley and his teammates. It is a special, special milestone for him and our program.”
On Their Defense
“It was key. We talked with our team. You noticed after free throws we tried to press. Now you know why we are not a great pressing team. We are going to continue to work on that. We felt like Cal was going to come in and try to shorten the game and have longer possessions on offense. We really wanted to press and pressure them when we could to create offense with our defense. We were able to do that during that stretch you were talking about. Jabari was a big part of that, (along with) McKinley and the whole group who was on the floor. That was a big part of the game.”
On Looking Back At McKinley Wright IV As A Freshman
“I had never seen the kid play. Think about that. I had seen him on tape after we started recruiting him but we weren’t recruiting point guards in the early period when he signed to Dayton. Later, we watched some film on him. I never saw the kid play. I didn’t know what we were getting. I knew his reputation and what the people in Minnesota said about him and his coaches and that sort of thing. In terms of knowing what we were getting, I had no idea. You talk about a pleasant surprise. I am not sure you can have a better one. I think it has been such a win-win. It has been a win for Colorado basketball, but I also think it has been a win for McKinley Wright. Every player that has come through this program and stayed for four years and exhausted their eligibility, every single player has graduated from this university. For McKinley Wright to come from where he came from in Minneapolis and to graduate from an institution like the University of Colorado is another accomplishment that is, to me, probably more important than the assist record. He has some work to do this semester and a little this summer to get that done, but we are going to stay on him. Before it’s all said and done, McKinley Wright is going to go down as one of the all-time greatest players ever to play at this university.”
On Jabari Walker
“Josh Scott came in here as a really good low post scorer. Josh was 6’9” and Jabari is 6’8”. Josh had the big broad shoulders. Jabari is a little more slender. His physical development needs to continue. Steve Englehart’s, our strength and conditioning coach who does a great job, plate is full with Jabari and Tristan (da Silva) as the rest of this season unfolds and certainly into the spring, summer, and fall of next year. Jabari is kind of different from Josh. Josh came in as a low-post scorer and expanded his game from there. Jabari came as a face-up guy who can put the ball on the floor. He is very skilled and we want to develop his low post game. I have a whole laundry list of things for Jabari and for Tristian when the season is over with to continue to get better at. It is going to be a big offseason for them, but let’s not wait until the offseason. We are going to start working on those things now. This year for the freshman is so valuable and they are able to not have the weight of the world on their shoulders. There is no pressure on Jabari. There is no pressure on Tristan right now. Evan (Battey) is carrying that loud for them (and so are) McKinley, D’Shawn, and Jeriah. Those freshmen are coming to play. That is what they are doing and they are doing a good job of it. The key is learning so that when those guys leave you are ready to step in, are battle tested and ready to go.
Colorado Players
McKinley Wright IV, G, Sr.
On Breaking The Assist Record
“It is a blessing. I just want to thank God, a big shout out to God. My teammates and my coaching staff for believing in me. I said this from day one and i say it all the time, you are probably tired of me saying this but, when you have teammates like my teammates over the last four years and the coaching staff, when they believe in you, trust you, and put you out there to play it makes my job so much easier. My teammates believe in me every day. They have been helping me and I have been helping them throughout my four years here. It is a blessing. And a huge shout out to Jay Humphries. He set the tone early and had a record that was here for 37 years which was way before I was thought about. It is a bigtime blessing to be in this position today.”
On His Goals Coming In As A Freshman
“I didn’t think about that (assist record) from day one. When I came here my head was everywhere. The assist record was the last thing on my mind. I was just trying to establish myself and figure out a way I could help this team win. It is a different transition coming from high school to a power five conference. I wasn’t thinking about assists. I was trying to find a way to do what I have to do to win games. Freshman year, when I broke Chauncey’s (Billups) assist record, I remember coach Boyle telling me that I had a chance to be the all-time assist leader here. He told me this summer when I came back to school that the award would be named after me once I leave. It is a big-time blessing to be in this position. “
On Jabari Walker
“That kind of made my job easy. Coming off the screen with Ev (Battey), he is such a threat to the point that they were worried about me throwing it into him. They were attacking with two people. It was an easy read to throw it back to Bari. We are confident in his shot. We know he can shoot the ball. I told him, ‘Keep letting it fly, man.’ He is special. Number 12 is special.”
On What They Changed At The End Of The First Half
“Limit them to one shot and close out on their shooters. We let number 10, (Makale) Foreman, get a couple easy looks. We talked about it in the scouting report yesterday and talked about it today in pregame that when he is dribbling with his left hand he is a really good shooter. He made three in a row like that. Coach got on us about it and ever since then we didn’t look back.”
Jabari Walker, F, Fr.
On The Game Slowing Down
“The game is feeling like it is starting to slow down for me a little bit. I’m just taking the advice the coaches are giving me and applying it. Everything else will work itself out. Just consistency and working in practice and applying it to the game.”
On Playing With Confidence
“I am definitely a little more confident now that I see how the game is played. I am figuring out the game a little more. I know what to expect now. The nervousness is out the window in the beginning of games. I am learning how to play without fouling and applying the techniques and everything I have worked on leading up to this. Just confidence in myself knowing I can compete with anybody on the floor is key for me.”
On Playing With McKinley Wright IV
“It is great. I love playing with Kin. I know that if i am open he is going to find me. You can’t ask for much more from a point guard who can score and open up the floor for you. With him doing that, the game is going to open up and you are going to end up open. It is my job to knock down those shots which I am glad I did.”
On Making 3’s
“I know it is coming back to me if I am open. It is just a matter of time. I try to get my feet ready, stay low, and get mentally ready to shoot the ball. It is my job to hit the shot because I know he is going to find me. I just want to repay him for that.”
Postgame Notes
WRIGHT BREAKS ASSIST MARK: McKinley Wright IV broke Colorado’s career assists mark and did it in style with a personal game-high 12 assists. He entered the game tied with Jay Humphries (1980-84) at 562 and now has a all-time best 574.
Colorado Career Assists:
Rk. Player Years Assists
1. McKinley Wright IV 2017-present 574
Jay Humphries 1980-84 562
3. Mike Reid 1982-86 446
4. Jose Winston 1998-01 440
5. Marcus Hall 2003-06, ‘07-08 423
With his 12 assists, he also tied another Jay Humphries all-time school record with his eighth game of double-figure assists. Wright scored 13 points for his eighth career points-assists double-double, extending his own Colorado career record. It was his 13th overall double-double.
Wright’s 12 assists ties for the sixth-most in a single game in CU history and most since Askia Booker had 12 at UCLA on Feb. 13, 2014.
His 13 points also moved him past Randy Downs into 10th on Colorado’s all-time scoring list with 1,568 points. Downs had 1,566 from 1982-86.
Jabari Walker (23 points, 11 rebounds) career-highs in points and rebounds registering his second-straight double-double. Walker’s 23 points were the most by a freshman since McKinley Wright IV had 30 against South Dakota State in Dec. 2017. Walker was 3 of 3 from 3-point range; he has hit his last five attempts spanning two games. Walker’s 9 field goals on 13 attempts and three 3-pointers were all career-highs. Walker has made 16 of his last 26 from the field over the last three games.
D’Shawn Schwartz hit three 3-point field goals to move into 12th on CU’s all-time list with 128. His next 3-pointer will move him into a tie for 10th with Levi Knutson (2007-11) and Donnie Boyce (1991-95). Schwartz finished with a season-high 18 points.
Maddox Daniels tied his career-high with 12 points, hitting double-digits for the fifth time this season.
Eli Parquet had a career-high three steals
Freshman Isaac Jessup scored his first collegiate points with a pair of free throws in the final minutes. Sophomore Will Loughlin made his Colorado debut in the closing minutes.
Colorado’s 33 field goals and 55 percent shooting were both season highs. The 33 field goals are the most since making 38 vs Utah on Jan. 12, 2020. The percentage is the best since CU shot 59.4 percent in that same Utah game.
Colorado tied its season low in turnovers with seven (Grand Canyon & Washington). It was Colorado’s fifth game of the season with fewer than 10 turnovers.
Colorado made 11 of 14 from the free throw line (.786), seeing its nation-leading average dip slightly to 84.1 percent. The Buffaloes, who have made at least 10 free throws in all 13 games, missed three or fewer for the 10th time this season.
Colorado improves its series record over California to 19-16 overall and 13-2 in Boulder.
Colorado improved to 4-0 at home this season and has won 32 of its last 37 and 44 of 52 at the Events Center.
Colorado is 43-18 over its last 61 games regardless of location (dating back to Feb. 2019).
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