Oregon
Men’s basketball notes: Cody Williams returns to form in win against Oregon
It was Cody Williams’ third game back after an extended injury layoff.
Yet in an encouraging sign for a Colorado men’s basketball team hoping to be a factor in the Pac-12 Conference race, it was the first time Williams has flashed his dominant pre-injury form.
Williams’ 10th collegiate game was his best yet, as the dynamic rookie wing scored a season-high 23 points to lead the Buffs in an 86-70 win against Oregon on Thursday night at the CU Events Center.
Although Williams was able to turn a combined 11-for-15 effort at the free throw line into decent scoring totals in his injury return at California (16 points) and again at home last week against USC (13), Thursday’s effort marked a return to dominant play that gave Williams consecutive 21-point games before a left wrist injury in early December sent him to the sideline for seven games.
“I’d say it’s just getting back into the groove and coming back after being out like five, six weeks,” Williams said. “It just takes a little bit to get back into the flow. But it’s really easy when you’ve got a whole bunch of great players surrounding you. It makes it easier for you to kind get back acclimated to the system. I was able to just go out there and hoop.”
Williams had gone a combined 9-for-23, with an 0-for-5 mark from long range, during the first two games of his comeback but put it together against the Ducks, going 10-for-13 with three 3-pointers. Williams also recorded three assists and recorded two blocked shots for a third consecutive game. Prior to that run, Williams hadn’t blocked a shot since the season opener on Nov. 6.
Williams’ 23 points were the most by a CU freshman since Jabari Walker scored 24 against Georgetown in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
“All his shots tonight were great shots,” CU head coach Tad Boyle said. “I think people are starting to play him as a driver a little bit, because he’s a good driver. Obviously we want him to drive the ball and be aggressive. With four, five weeks out of the lineup it’s tough for anybody, especially freshmen. But he’s showing what he’s made of. He’s a special player.”
Bench spark
Reserve wing Luke O’Brien shook off a mini-slump against the Ducks, going 5-for-8 with 10 points and four rebounds. O’Brien scored 11 points in the conference opener against Washington, but he had gone a combined 7-for-19 with a total of 20 points in five games before getting back on track against Oregon.
O’Brien missed all three of his long-range attempts against the Ducks but went 5-for-5 on 2-pointers.
“They’ve just got to be ready when their number’s called,” Boyle said. “I thought Luke’s minutes tonight were great.”
Notable
CU improved to 122-107 all-time in Pac-12 games, clinching a winning record within the league regardless of how the remainder of the season unfolds. … CU hit the 50% mark from the field (.508) for the 10th time this year, marking the first time the Buffs have produced that many 50% shooting games since they had 10 in 34 games during the 2014-15 season. … Reserve guard Julian Hammond III played a season-low 11 minutes, 20 seconds and went without a point for the first time this year. … With 22 points, KJ Simpson improved his career total to 1,046 and jumped from 38th to 35th on CU’s all-time scoring list.
A 73-year-old man was sentenced on Tuesday to 20 years in prison for the 1983 killing of his then-girlfriend. It was a case that went unsolved for more than 40 years.
The sentence was announced by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield.
In July 1983, Teresa Peroni, 27, was reported missing after attending a party in the Selma area of Josephine County southwest of Grants Pass. She was last seen walking in the woods with her boyfriend Marcus Sanfratello.
Authorities deemed Peroni’s disappearance suspicious, but they lacked evidence to bring charges against anyone.
In 1997, a human skull was found on private property near where Peroni disappeared. In 2024, authorities in Josephine County reopened the case. In addition to re-interviewing witnesses, they collected new DNA evidence to build a case against Sanfratello.
With the DNA, experts at the University of North Texas confirmed the skull was Peroni’s.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man arraigned on murder charge in Oregon for death of then-girlfriend in 1980s cold case
A grand jury indicted Sanfratello of second-degree murder, on June 27, 2025.
Police arrested Sanfratello in Chico, California the next day. He was then extradited to Oregon to face the charge of murder.
Under a plea agreement, Sanfratello pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter.
He will serve at least 10 years in prison, Oregon’s attorney general’s office said.
“For Teresa Peroni’s family, this has been a 43-year wait for an answer they never should have had to wait for,” Rayfield said in a news release. “Cases like this remind us of why we don’t give up. It doesn’t matter how many years have passed — if someone took a life, we’re going to keep working until we can hold them accountable.”
Oregon
100+ Women Who Care of Central Oregon Donates Nearly $20,000 to M Perfectly – The Source – Bend, Oregon
The Oregon Ducks are set for one of the biggest timelines of their recruiting cycle, as many top targets are nearing commitments. This time around, the Ducks have a ton of top targets still remaining on their board compared to past seasons, as the Ducks have eight total commitments at this time.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff still need to land a safety commitment, but three-star safety Elijah Butler out of Maryland recently included the Ducks in his final six schools.
Oregon Target Elijah Butler Makes Exciting Recruiting Announcement
Butler announced his top six schools ahead of a crucial part of his recruitment, according to a graphic by Leyton Roberts. The Ducks made the cut alongside the Maryland Terrapins, Virginia Tech Hokies, Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The talented prospect would be a great addition for any of these teams, as they could all use a safety prospect at this point in the recruiting timeline.
Butler is from the state of Maryland, which makes the Terrapins one to watch.
It is also worth noting that he has been labeled as one of the best players in the state of Maryland, as he currently ranks as the state’s No. 9 prospect, according to Rivals. This is important as the Terrapins have always made solid attempts to land their in-state stars, including last season when they landed one of the better players in the state’s history, Zion Elee.
As of now, the prospect hasn’t been predicted to land with any of these schools, which means it is likely still a tight race entering the official visit schedule. He has yet to schedule an official visit with all of the schools he has listed in his top six, as he is still missing three key official visits. Butler has scheduled official visits with Alabama, Auburn, and Florida, according to 247Sports. This means he still needs to set one with Oregon, Virginia Tech, and Maryland if he wants to take one to each school.
If the Ducks are able to get Butler on a visit, then they would likely be in a more favorable position to land his commitment, as it currently. seems they are one of the trailing teams from this list. It seems highly unlikely that the Ducks will gain his commitment unless they get him on an official visit, which is still possible at this point, as plenty of top prospects across the nation are still scheduling their official visits.
As of now, the Ducks have 27 prospects set to take an official visit, according to 247Sports. Among all of the prospects who have scheduled a visit thus far, only one of the players is listed as a safety. That player is a three-star target, Junior Tu’upo. This leads one to believe that the Ducks could try to get Butler on a visit, or at a minimum, pitch their program to the prospect from St Frances Academy.
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