Familiar Foe: Elijah Malone ready to compete against former squad

When the Colorado Buffaloes tip off the season this Sunday, center Elijah Malone faces his old school in Grace College. (Photo by Cristian Blanco/Sko Buffs Sports)

Graduate student Elijah Malone looks to dominate on the hardwood against his previous team, the Grace College Lancers, on Sunday. 

The center is entering his sixth season of collegiate basketball and second with the Colorado Buffaloes. Before he wore black and gold, Malone was terrorizing defenses at the NAIA level. In his four-year tenure, the Indiana native started 117 games for the Lancers, with career averages of 14.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists. 

Malone was honored with the 2024 Bevo Francis Award, given to the best college basketball player outside of Division One, after his senior season. The big man averaged 17.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 1.9 steals per game in his last year at Grace. 

There’s nowhere else Malone would have rather started his collegiate career.

“I wouldn’t trade that in for the world,” Malone said. “Those four years I spent there were honestly the best four years of my life.” 

In 1911, Indiana founded the high school basketball state tournament, garnering mass attention. James Naismith, the sport’s inventor, visited and said, “Basketball really had its origin in Indiana, which remains the center of the sport.”

Because of that and a long history of love for hoops, the Hoosier State is home to some of the most dedicated basketball fans across America. Malone knows the stark contrast between basketball culture in Colorado and Indiana. 

“A night and day difference,” Malone said. “You can’t go to a high school basketball game without it being packed… Indiana is just a hooper state.” 

Malone graduated as one of the best players to ever pass through the program, holding the school record for field goal percentage (65%) and blocks (308). He is also inside the school's top-10 in career points (1,953) and rebounds (1,017). 

Unsurprisingly, Malone’s numbers saw quite a drop with the Buffs, which can be attributed to the switch from NAIA competition to Division one, especially to a competitive Big 12 conference. He started 20 games for Colorado, averaging 7.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 stocks (steals plus blocks) per game.  

Despite his decline in production, Malone believes he has improved significantly since his time at Grace College. 

“I feel like I’ve matured a lot as a player,” Malone said. “Grown in my ability to score, especially in my ability to defend.” 

Gearing up to tip off against his old squad feels different than any other game for the graduate. 

“Whenever I go home, I stop by to see the coaches,” Malone said. “Really close with them, good relationships with the coaches there… It’s going to be weird playing against three coaches that I played for.” 

After four years of devotion and dedication to the Lancers program, Malone will have to set aside his love for the school, at least for this week. 

Colorado hosts Grace in the team’s only exhibition match of the 2025-26 season, this Sunday at noon MT.