Nique Clifford is heading back to Boulder.
The Colorado State men’s basketball star spent the first three years of his college career playing for Colorado.
He averaged 5.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 19 minutes per game as a Buff. Clifford has become a star at CSU. In 44 games as a Ram so far, Clifford is averaging 13.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3 assists and 31 minutes per game.
There’s no doubt it will be a big night for Clifford on Saturday as the Rams face Colorado, but he says he’s keeping a cool approach to it.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun. I get to go back to my old stomping grounds for the first time I’ve been back to the arena since,” Clifford said. “It’s going to be a really fun experience, but to me it’s just another game. That’s my mindset and I’m just going in to do everything I can to help our team win.”
Here’s a look at everything to know about Saturday’s game against Colorado:
What time does Colorado State vs Colorado basketball start?
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 7
- Start time: 6 p.m. Mountain
Saturday’s game between Colorado State and Colorado will begin at 6 p.m. MT.
What channel is the CSU vs CU men’s basketball game on?
The game is not available on linear TV and can only be streamed online via ESPN+.
Online stream: ESPN+ (subscription required)
How can you listen to the game on the radio?
- The CSU broadcast is available on 99.1 FM or on the Varsity Network app.
- CSU’s radio team will be Brian Roth (play-by-play) and Adam Nigon (analyst).
What are the records?
CSU is 5-3 and coming off a dominant win over LMU. CU is 6-2 and the last game for the Buffs was a 75-66 win over Pacific.
What’s the betting line for CSU vs CU basketball?
No betting line has been set yet.
Who are the coaches?
CSU is led by Niko Medved, who is in his seventh season as head coach of the Rams. He’s 122-78 at CSU and 201-165 overall in his career. CU is led by Tad Boyle, who is in his 15th season leading the Buffs. Boyle is 304-185 at CU and 360-251 overall in his career.
Series history
This is the 132nd all-time meeting, with Colorado leading 92-39 all-time. CSU won 88-83 at Moby Arena last season.
CU is 55-9 all-time at home in the series and CSU hasn’t won in Boulder since 2016.
Stadium information, tickets
The game will be at CU Events Center on Colorado’s campus. CU Events Center has a capacity of 11,064. Tickets are available at CUBuffs.com/tickets beginning at $28.
What do the metrics say?
CSU is No. 95 in KenPom and Colorado is No. 89. KenPom projects a five-point victory (72-67) for CU.
The first NET rankings of the season were released this week and CSU is No. 133 and CU is No. 93.
Who are the top players to watch?
Here are some players for each team who will be key to the game:
COLORADO STATE
- Nique Clifford: The return to Boulder. The 6-foot-6 wing spent his first three seasons of college at CU before transferring to CSU ahead of last season. He helped lead the Rams to the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Clifford had 15 points and six rebounds in a win over the Buffs last season, including a signature dunk late on. Clifford is averaging 19 points and 11 rebounds per game so far this season and coming off a 19-point, 17-rebound, six-assist night against LMU.
- Jalen Lake: The 6-foot-4 guard has been a steady presence. Lake is averaging 15 points per game and shooting 40% from 3-point range. He’s also one of CSU’s most reliable defenders.
- Rashaan Mbemba: The 6-foot-7 post player has been battling a hip injury all season but has been able to join the starting lineup the last three games. His stats aren’t eye-popping (4.6 points, 2.4 rebounds per game) but his physicality down low is a huge boost to CSU defensively and in spacing the floor on offense.
COLORADO
- Andrej Jakimovski: The 6-foot-8 forward leads CU in scoring at 13.5 points per game while averaging 5.4 rebounds per game.
- Julian Hammond III: The 6-foot-2 guard is second on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game and shooting 44% from 3-point range. He hit four 3-pointers and scored 16 points in CU’s big win over UConn in the Maui Invitational.
- Elijah Malone: The 6-foot-10 center is tied for second on the team at 12.3 points per game and shooting 61% from the field.
Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on X and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.
