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GAME 35: Norfolk State, Monday, March 25, 2019

CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo. - NIT Second Round

GAMETIME: 7 p.m. MST

Radio: 850 AM KOA (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)

TV: ESPN2 (Roxy Bernstein, Caron Butler)

Watch Online: WatchESPN

Listen Online: CUBuffs.com, TuneIn

Live Statistics: CUBuffs.com

On March 19, No. 4 seed Colorado advanced past No. 5 seed Dayton in the first round of the 32-team NIT field to set up a second round matchup with Norfolk State, who upset No. 1 seed Alabama 80-79 in overtime.

The Buffs and Spartans have the final second round matchup of the NIT. On the left side of the bracket, Lipscomb, N.C. State, Indiana, and Wichita State have advanced to the quarterfinals, and on CU's side of the bracket, Texas, TCU, and Creighton have advanced to the quarterfinals. The Buffs would face Texas on Wednesday at 7pm MT if they advance past Norfolk State.

Norfolk State is 22-13 overall and the regular season champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a 14-2 record. The Spartans lost to North Carolina Central, 50-47, in the MEAC Tournament championship game to earn the automatic NIT bid. Seeded eighth, the Spartans knocked off top-seeded Alabama, 80-79 in overtime to advance to the second round. Norfolk State averages 74.1 points while shooting 43.6 percent from the field. Defensively, the Spartans allow 69.3 points per game and had the MEAC’s top field goal defense, holding opponents to 40.6 percent. Norfolk State led the MEAC in blocks at 4.3 per game and ranks 33rd nationally with 151 on the season.

Junior guard Nic Thomas leads Norfolk State at 14.4 points per game. An All-MEAC Second Team pick, Thomas tops the Spartans in free throws made and attempted (125-154) and is second on the team in 3-pointers made (83). Senior guard Derrik Jamerson, Jr., is second on the team in scoring at 10.7 points per game. Jamerson leads the nation in 3-point shooting at a blistering 51.4 percent. Joining Thomas on the All-MEAC Second Team, Jamerson is 92 of 179 from 3-point range. Senior forward Jordan Butler tops the Spartans at 6.5 blocks and 2.0 blocks per game while averaging 8.2 points per contest. Junior guard Steven Whitley leads Norfolk State in assists (132) while averaging 9.7 points per game.

Rob Jones is in his sixth season at Norfolk State with a record of 109-95. He was named the 2018-19 MEAC Coach of the Year.

This will be the second meeting between Colorado and Norfolk State and first in postseason play. Colorado won the previous meeting, a 67-56 decision in Boulder on Nov. 27, 1997.

Colorado is 12-0 all-time against MEAC opponents. Colorado’s last game against a MEAC opponent was a 95-53 win over Hampton, in Boulder, on Dec. 19, 2015.

"I don't think they're maybe as tall and athletic as some of the teams we've played, but certainly as physical and tough as the teams we've played — and that's really what rebounding is. It's physicality, it's toughness, it's boxing out, it's going to get balls with two hands, going to get balls out of your areas, long rebounds. That's going to be a challenge for us." -- CU head coach Tad Boyle on Norfolk State, via cubuffs.com

Colorado has 10 20-win seasons in school history. Tad Boyle has led the Buffaloes to six 20-win seasons. Any talk that CU should move on from Boyle is ludicrous, as he's arguably the best basketball coach in school history.

If Colorado wins tonight, they'll sit at 23 wins this season, tied for third most in school history. Another win would tie the 2010-11 and 2011-12 teams for most wins in a single season.

The Buffaloes have recorded double-digit conference wins for the fifth time in eight seasons of the Pac-12 era and the first since 2015-16. Colorado claimed record of .500 or better in conference play (includes Big 12) for the sixth time in nine seasons.

Check out the full NIT bracket below. A win over Norfolk State would pit Colorado against Texas in Austin on Wednesday night at 7pm MT.