BOULDER — In Alec Burks (19.9 points) and Cory Higgins (17.1), Colorado claims two of the top-five point producers in Big 12 men’s basketball, so guess which Buffaloes player topped the team in scoring for the past two games?
You’ll probably have to guess again.
Try again.
Once more?
Even some knowledgeable area college hoops fans may have forgotten about Levi Knutson. The senior guard, who never averaged as much as five points per game in previous seasons, has found his shooting stroke.
He scored 18 points Nov. 30 against Texas-Pan American and came back Saturday to produce a career-best 22 points against Oregon State. After years of not having a third or fourth scoring option, the Buffs (4-3) may have finally found it.
Knutson, a former Arapahoe star, is playing like he did in high school when he led the state in scoring (28.6) as a senior. His 42.9 percent success rate on 3-pointers ranks third in the conference, and his scoring average of 11.4 points is third on the team behind you know who.
“It’s impossible for Alec and me to do it by ourselves,” Higgins said Tuesday after practice.
Knutson buried 6-of-8 3-pointers against Oregon State, and another stellar effort from the 6-foot-4 Knutson to complement the star power may be needed tonight against Colorado State at the Coors Events Center (8 p.m., FSN). It can be argued that CSU (4-1) has a deeper bench than the Buffs. The Rams are certainly more potent in the paint.
Colorado State rolled to a 77-62 victory in last year’s meeting at Fort Collins when Burks and Higgins combined for 34 points but nobody else on the Buffs roster managed more than eight.
Knutson played just 11 minutes against CSU last year, scoring only on two free throws. He figures to be a focus of the game plan this time, likely earning his second consecutive start.
“We’re always looking for balance in our offense,” first-year CU coach Tad Boyle said. “Our playmakers are looking for Levi now, and they understand that he can help make them better, take some pressure off them. He’s a guy that you have to guard from beyond the arc.”
With Knutson being a senior, fans must wonder what took him so long. For one, former CU coach Jeff Bzdelik never settled on a defined role for him. And, frankly, Knutson was often banged up. He underwent surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left hip after his freshman season and then had almost identical surgery on his right hip after his sophomore year.
Knutson won’t use the surgeries as an excuse, but it came as no surprise that he was slow to round into form. A dead-eye sharpshooter in high school, he combined for just 30.6 percent from 3-point range during his first three collegiate seasons.
“It was hard when I wasn’t making shots,” Knutson said. “It was the different speed of the game, a lot of things. But what I tried to do was go in there and defend, no matter what was happening on offense. That kept me motivated.”
The school’s women’s teams will open today’s doubleheader, with Colorado (6-2) and Colorado State (5-2) tipping off at 5:30 p.m. (FSN).
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
