Colorado Basketball – February, 2017

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Colorado Basketball – February, 2017

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February 28th

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs still have plenty to play for 

From CUBuffs.com … It has been, without a doubt, one of the more frustrating seasons for Tad Boyle in his six years as the Colorado basketball coach.

A team tabbed by many as having NCAA Tournament talent has, in his words, underachieved — albeit by the smallest of margins.

With a 16-13 overall record and a 6-10 conference mark, the Buffs are literally four possessions away from being 20-9 and 10-6 — literally a team playing to improve its NCAA Tournament seed down the home stretch of the season.

But in a sport where every possession counts, where the slimmest margin for error creates a gulf between the haves and have-nots, the Buffs find themselves on the wrong side of that chasm. Those four possessions in games the Buffs led in the final minute have now left  Colorado in the unenviable position of needing four straight wins in the Pac-12 tournament to simply earn an NCAA berth.

It’s not an impossible task — the Buffs actually accomplished the feat five seasons ago in Boyle’s second year in Boulder — but given that three of the nation’s top 10 teams currently reside in the Pac-12, it’s highly unlikely.

… Continue reading story here …

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February 23rd

… CU in the Arena … 

CU falls to Utah for the seventh straight time

From CUBuffs.com … The script may have been slightly different but the ending was the same for the Colorado Buffaloes.

Despite 31 points from senior Derrick White, the Buffs lost their seventh straight game to Utah, an 86-81 decision Thursday night at the Coors Events Center.

The loss, the Buffs’ second in a row, dropped them to 16-13 overall and 6-10 in Pac-12 play while Utah improved to 18-10, 9-7.

“Our defense wasn’t good enough tonight,” head coach Tad Boyle said. “I mean Utah just came in here and schooled us. For us to beat anybody in this league, especially somebody like Utah who’s as efficient and good as they are offensively, we can’t have as many breakdowns as we had. We didn’t guard the 3-point line, we didn’t guard the basket, we didn’t guard the ball, our ball screen defense was atrocious. We knew going in it was going to be a key, it wasn’t good enough. It cost us the game.”

Despite the defensive lapses, the Buffs had their chances down the stretch.

A White 3-pointer pulled the Buffs to within 81-78  with 1:36 remaining but Utah answered with a David Collette layup as the shot clock was set to expire. Colorado then closed to within two on three Dominique Collier free throws with 37.8 seconds remaining and stayed within three when Utah’s Tyler Rawson hit just one of two free throws.

But Collier missed a 3-pointer on CU’s next trip down the floor and the Utes were able to close the game out at the free throw line, hitting five in the final 30 seconds.

… Continue reading story here …

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February 22nd

… CU in the Arena …

Buffalo Stampede

Interviews with head coaches Tad Boyle and J.R. Payne and seniors Derrick White and Lauren Higgins … from YouTube:

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Getting to Know: Utah

Game … Thursday, February 23rd, 9:00 p.m. (MT), ESPNU, 760 AM radio; Sirius 84; XM 84

Game Notes … From CUBuffs.com

OPENING TIP: A win Thursday would give Colorado head coach Tad Boyle two significant milestones. It would be his 100th win at the Coors Events Center (entering game 99-18 overall in his seventh season) and also his 147th win at Colorado which would tie him for third in all-time wins at the school with Forrest B. “Frosty” Cox, who led the Buffaloes to a 147-89 record from 1936-50.

ABOUT THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 16-12 overall and tied with Arizona State for seventh place in the Pac-12 at 6-9. The Buffaloes have won six of eight since opening the conference season with seven straight losses. Colorado split on its final regular season road trip, defeating Oregon State 60-52 on Feb. 16 before falling to No. 7/8 ranked Oregon 101-73 on Feb. 18.

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Related …

… “Buffs Take Aim At Ending Losing Streak To Utes” … From CUBuffs.com

… “Xavier Johnson looks to shake off recent lull for CU hoops stretch run” … From the Daily Camera

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Quotable Tad Boyle … “We can’t get the final three unless we get the one Thursday against Utah,” Boyle said. “You can’t win all three of them unless you win the next one, so we have to try to figure out how to win the next win. And that’s what our focus is, is on Utah. If we’re fortunate enough to do that, then you turn your attention to Stanford. You eat an elephant one bite at a time and that’s what we’ve got to try to do.”

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Utah 2016-17 Season:  Utah is 17-10 overall and resides in sixth place in the Pac-12 Conference at 8-7. The Utes have lost four of their last six and four straight on the road. Utah averages just under 80 points per game and ranks second in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage at 50.7 percent. Defensively, Utah allows 68.3 points per game while opponents shoot 42 percent. The Utes top the Pac-12 in rebounding margin at +7.9 per game and are second in the league in rebounding defense allowing opponents just 30.9 per contest.

Utah has four players averaging double-digits in scoring, led by junior forward Kyle Kuzma who sports a season double-double at 15.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Junior forward David Collette, a transfer from Utah State, is averaging 14.4 points while hitting 61 percent from the field. Senior guard Lorenzo Bonam averages 12.3 points while pacing the Utes in assists at 2.9 per game. Freshman forward Devon Daniels averages 10.4 points while ranking second on the team in assists at 2.7 an outing.

Series:  This will be the 47th meeting between Colorado and Utah with the Buffaloes holding a 26-20 series lead. Utah has won the last six in the series and seven of the last nine. The Utes defeated Colorado 76-60 in the conference season opener in Salt Lake City on Jan. 1. Utah has a 7-5 edge since the two teams joined the Pac-12 for the 2011-12 season. Colorado holds a 17-5 all-time series lead in Boulder, although the Utes have won the last two.

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February 21st

… CU in the Arena … 

Tad Boyle: “This season, let’s wait for it to play out before we cast judgment”

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado basketball coach Tad Boyle had a simple message Monday afternoon.

“The season’s not over today,” Boyle said after practice. “We’ve still got three games and a Pac-12 tournament ahead of us, we know that. Let’s just play it out and figure out how to beat Utah on Thursday.”

It is, of course, that time of year when the postseason is on the mind of every college hoops fan, and Buffs followers are no different. Boyle also knows what expectations were for his team when the season began, from fans, players and the CU coaching staff.

But at 16-12 overall and 6-9 in Pac-12 play, and with three conference games remaining — plus the conference tournament — Boyle isn’t ready to start concocting scenarios or conceding anything.

“So much emphasis is put on the NCAA Tournament, preseason expectations,” Boyle said. “I can’t control any of that stuff. All you can control is where are we today and where do we need to get to win on Thursday night. At the end of the day —  this season, let’s wait for it to play out before we cast judgment. That’s how I look at it.”

Boyle even hearkened back to his second year in Boulder (2011-12) as an example of what can happen late in the season — even to a team that hasn’t quite lived up to expectations.

… Continue to read story here …

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February 20th

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs turn their attention to Utah (which lost to Oregon State Sunday night)

From CUBuffs.com … With a 16-12 overall record and a 6-9 Pac-12 mark, the Colorado Buffaloes are in no position to ponder their long-term future.

Postseason opportunities, no matter the initials of the tournament involved, will play themselves out based on what the Buffs do from this point on, and worrying about variables beyond their control is an exercise in futility.

The Buffs’ only plan of attack can be to win, win again and again — and keep winning, then let the chips fall where they may. The only way they can guarantee themselves of picking up an NCAA Tournament bid is by running the table four nights in a row at the Pac-12 tournament.

But that’s not something head coach Tad Boyle wants his team thinking about this week. Rather, Boyle and his staff will be making sure the Buffs concentrate solely on Thursday’s 9 p.m. home matchup with Utah.

“We have to turn our attention to Utah and whatever it’s going to take to win that game next Thursday night,” Boyle said after Saturday’s 101-73 loss at Oregon. “That’s what we’re going to focus on as a staff and what I want our players to focus on.”

… Continue reading story here …

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February 19th

… CU in the Arena … 

Freshman Bryce Peters suspended indefinitely

From the Daily Camera … In recent weeks, freshman guard Bryce Peters started to display a taste of the explosive scoring ability Colorado head coach Tad Boyle raved about when Peters signed with the Buffaloes.

Yet the rookie continues to confound Boyle and his teammates with his shortcomings off the floor.

Peters was suspended for Saturday’s date at No. 7 Oregon due to a violation of team rules. It marked the third time this season Peters has been relegated to the bench due to off-court issues.

“He’s going to be out indefinitely until we decide he’s going to come back,” CU head coach Tad Boyle said. “He’s out right now.”

Peters began his collegiate career with a suspension, missing the first two games of the year before scoring nine points in his debut in the season’s third game against Louisiana-Monroe. Boyle also benched Peters for the first half of CU’s game at Portland on Dec. 3 after the freshman missed a study hall session.

Peters had averaged 8.4 points in the previous seven games heading into Saturday’s contest. While Peters certainly wouldn’t have made much of a difference in a lopsided 101-73 loss for the Buffs, his absence nonetheless continued an alarming trend for both himself and the entire CU team.

… Continue reading story here …

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February 18th – at Oregon        No. 7 Oregon 101, Colorado 73

After taking a 25-23 first half lead, Buffs outscored 78-48 the rest of the way

… Related … “No. 7 Oregon runs away from CU Buffs” … from the Daily Camera

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s hopes of collecting a much-needed road win over a ranked foe lasted for roughly 10 minutes Saturday.

With 9:45 to go in the first half, the Buffs had matched No. 7 Oregon punch for punch and held a 25-23 lead over the Ducks on their home floor.

But from that point on, the two teams went in decidedly different directions. Colorado went ice cold, the Ducks stayed hot and by the time the dust had cleared, the Buffs were on the short end of a very long afternoon, 101-73.

The loss dropped Colorado to 16-12 overall and 6-9 in Pac-12 play. Oregon, which collected its 42nd straight home win, improved to 24-4, 13-2.

George King led Colorado with 18 points and Dominique Collier added 13. Oregon’s Dillon Brooks led all scorers with 23.

… Continue reading story here …

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February 17th 

Getting to Know: Oregon

Game … Saturday, February 18th, 1:00 p.m. (MT), Fox, 850 AM radio; Sirius 134; XM 197

Game Notes … From CUBuffs.com

Colorado is 16-11 overall and tied with Arizona State for seventh place in the Pac-12 at 6-8. The Buffaloes have won three straight and six of their last seven games since opening the conference season with seven straight losses. Colorado is coming off its second Pac-12 road win, a 60-52 decision at Oregon State on Feb. 16. The Buffaloes endured a treacherous stretch, playing five of seven on the road to begin conference play. During that span, Colorado faced three straight ranked teams for just the fourth time in team history and began conference play with three road games for the first time in 85 years, when the 1931-32 Buffaloes had their first three Rocky Mountain Conference games away from Boulder. Following this two-game trip to Oregon State and Oregon, Colorado will finish off the regular season with its last three at home.

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Related …

… “Buffs Ready For Hostile Atmosphere As They Face No. 7 Ducks” … From CUBuffs.com

… “Fleeting tourney hopes on the line as CU Buffs visit No. 7 Oregon” … From the Daily Camera

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Quotable Tad Boyle … “I know it’s going to be a heck of a challenge and a heck of an atmosphere,” Boyle said. “That’s why you coach and that’s why you play this game, is for environments and games like on Saturday. We’ll be ready. I hope we play well because we’re going to have to.”

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Oregon 2016-17 Season:  Oregon is 23-4 overall and second in the Pac-12 at 12-2. The Ducks, ranked No. 7 in the latest Associated Press Poll and No. 8 USA Today Coaches Poll, had a 17-game win streak earlier this season that was snapped by Colorado in Boulder on Jan. 28. Oregon is averaging 79 points per game while shooting 48 percent from the field. Defensively, the Ducks allow just 64.3 points per game while holding opponents to 39 percent shooting. Oregon features five players who average double-digits in scoring led by junior forward Dillon Brooks at 15.1 points per game. Senior forward Chris Boucher leads the Ducks in blocked shots (2.7 bpg) while ranking second in rebounding (6.5 rpg) and third in scoring (11.7 ppg). Sophomore guard Tyler Dorsey tops Oregon with 56 3-point fi eld goals while averaging 13.2 points and 3.4 rebounds an outing. Senior guard Dylan Ennis is pitches in 10.8 points while shooting 44 percent. Junior forward Jordan Bell tops the Ducks in shooting at 63 percent while averaging 11.1 points per game. in assists (82) and 3-point field goals (49).

Series:  This will be the 17th meeting between Colorado and Oregon with the Buffaloes holding a 10-6 series lead. Oregon has won three of the last five overall, but the Buffaloes lead the series 7-4 since joining the Pac-12 for the 2011-12 season. The Ducks lead the series 5-2 in Eugene, including the last two.

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February 16th – at Oregon State          Colorado 60, Oregon State 52

Buffs avoid loss to only winless team in the Pac-12

… Related … “White, Johnson lead CU Buffs basketball past Oregon State” … from the Daily Camera

From CUBuffs.com … Earlier this week Colorado coach Tad Boyle said the key to winning on the road was “toughness.”

Boyle’s Buffs were tough enough Thursday night to collect their second Pac-12 road win of the season, scoring the last eight points of the game to snare a 60-52 decision at Oregon State. The win was Colorado’s sixth in its last seven games and improved the Buffs to 16-11 overall and 6-8 in Pac-12 play while setting up a key game at No. 7 Oregon on Saturday.

The Beavers, meanwhile, dropped their 14th straight game, falling to 4-23 and 0-14.

The Buffs were by no means at their best, especially offensively, connecting on just 41.5 percent of their field goal tries (22-for-53). But they were good enough on the defensive end, particularly in the final two minutes, when they forced four straight empty OSU possessions and answered with points on each of them.

“We gutted that one out, there’s no doubt about it. I thought our defense was pretty good most of the night,” Boyle said. “We finished the game with four straight stops and were able to make a couple big plays.”

Derrick White led the Buffs with 20 points, four assists, three steals and two blocks and played a huge role in the final two minutes when the Buffs broke away from a 52-52 tie with the last eight points of the game.

Xavier Johnson added 17 points and four rebounds for the Buffs while George King had seven points and seven rebounds.

… Continue reading story here …

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February 15th 

Getting to Know: Oregon State

Game … Thursday, February 16th, 7:00 p.m. (MT), Pac-12 Networks, 760 AM radio; Sirius 134; XM 198

Game Notes … From CUBuffs.com

Colorado is 15-11 overall and tied with Arizona State for seventh place in the Pac-12 at 5-8. The Buffaloes have won five of their last six games since opening the conference season with seven straight losses. Colorado avenged two of those initial seven losses this past weekend by sweeping the Washington schools at home, 81-66 vs. Washington on Feb. 9 and 81-49 vs. Washington State on Feb. 12. The Buffaloes endured a treacherous stretch, playing five of seven on the road to begin conference play. During that span, Colorado faced three straight ranked teams for just the fourth time in team history and began conference play with three road games for the first time in 85 years, when the 1931-32 Buffaloes had their first three Rocky Mountain Conference games away from Boulder. Following this two-game trip to Oregon State and Oregon, Colorado will finish off the regular season with its last three at home.

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Related …

… “Boyle Says Buffs’ Game At OSU Is ‘Non-Negotiable’ ” … From CUBuffs.com

… “CU Buffs hoops being cautious to not look past Oregon State” … From the Daily Camera

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Quotable Tad Boyle … “Look, Oregon State is better,” Boyle said. “Their record isn’t better but their team is better. Their players have gotten better. I’m sure they’re thinking they can get Colorado with our road record and how they played us here.”

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Oregon State 2016-17 Season:  Oregon State is 4-22 overall and in last place in the Pac-12 at 0-13. The Beavers are looking for their first win since defeating Kent State 69-50 on Dec. 21. Oregon State ranks last in the Pac-12 Conference in scoring at 64.2 points per game. The Beavers shoot 43 percent from the field and 34 percent from 3-point range. Defensively, Oregon State allows just under 73 points per game while opponents shoot 44 percent from the floor.

Sophomore guard Stephen Thompson, Jr. leads Oregon State at 16.7 points and 1.5 steals per game. Sophomore forward Drew Eubanks is leading the Beavers in rebounding at 8.4 per game while averaging 14.8 points and shooting a team-best 60 percent from the field. In conference games, Thompson Jr. and Eubanks are combining for 34.2 points, accounting for 56 percent of Oregon State’s scoring during that span. Freshman guard JaQuori McLaughlin is averaging 11.0 points per game and leads the Beavers in assists (82) and 3-point fi eld goals (49). Sophomore forward Tres Tinkle, who averaged 20.2 points over the first six games of the season, has been out of the lineup since late November with wrist injury.

Series:  This will be the 20th meeting between Colorado and Oregon State with the Buffaloes holding a 13-6 series lead. The Buffaloes won the season’s first meeting, 85-78, on Jan. 26 at the Coors Events Center. Colorado has won 7 of 11 since joining the Pac-12 for the 2011-12 season. Oregon State holds a 5-2 series lead in Corvallis.

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February 12th

… CU in the Arena …

Andre Roberson coming into his own in the NBA 

From basketballinsiders.com … When most people think of the best wing defenders in the game today, a few typical names deservedly pop up. Kawhi Leonard. Tony Allen. Paul George. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, if you’re just the right hint of NBA hipster.

Andre Roberson thinks he belongs on the list.

“Not to be cocky or anything, but I feel like I’m definitely one of the top defenders in the league right now,” Roberson told Basketball Insiders. “I do it a high level.”

Roberson feels the need to put a cockiness disclaimer in there, but he could be easily excused if he didn’t. Defensive numbers are a murky and imprecise science, but the ones we have available have consistently ranked Roberson right among those starrier defensive names.

The relevant figures here aren’t blocks or steals as much as they’re team metrics which reflect Roberson’s impact on the Thunder. Oklahoma City is nearly seven points per-100-possessions worse defensively when Roberson hits the bench compared to when he plays, per NBA.com, the same gap found between one of the league’s five best defenses and one of its five worst. Opponents draw fewer fouls and shoot fewer free throws while he plays, and his length on the perimeter is a big reason the Thunder’s three-point defense suffers when he sits.

These numbers can get noisy, especially with coach Billy Donovan’s substitution patterns, but ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus metric helps us contextualize by factoring for teammate and opponent context. Roberson is in the league’s top 40 by DRPM, one of just a handful of non-bigs with that distinction, and sixth among small forwards. RPM estimates he’s saved the Thunder over two points per-100-possessions, second on the team only to anchor Steven Adams. When factoring in the reality that big men are viewed more favorably by this metric, there’s a real case that Roberson has been the team’s most impactful defender.

… Continue reading story here …

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February 12th – Boulder           Colorado 81, Washington State 49

Buffs maul Cougars behind Derrick White’s 23 points

From CUBuffs.com … History suggested the Colorado-Washington State game Sunday night might be a close one.

The Buffs didn’t let history have a say. Colorado built a 13-point lead at the half, then steadily increased the margin after intermission to claim an 81-49 win over the Cougars as the Buffs dominated from the outset.

The win, the Buffs’ fifth in their last six games, improved Colorado to 15-11 overall and 5-8 in Pac-12 play. The Cougars, meanwhile, dropped their fifth decision in their last six games to fall to 11-14, 4-9.

The two teams had played to overtime in three of their last five meetings, but the Buffs made sure that was never a threat on Sunday. The Buffs had four players in double-figure scoring, led by 23 points from Derrick White, who also had three assists and three steals. George King and Tory Miller both added 11 points and four rebounds while Bryce Peters had 12 points, two assists, two rebounds and two steals.

The Buffs also forced 24 WSU turnovers and reaped 34 points off of those miscues.

WHAT IT MEANS: With five wins in their last six games, the Buffs still hold onto hopes for a postseason bid.

NEXT UP: CU heads to Oregon for its final two road games of the year, playing at Oregon State on Thursday in a 7 p.m. game, then at Oregon on Saturday in a 1 p.m. contest. The Buffs then finishes the regular season with three games at home: Utah (Feb. 23), Stanford (March 2) and Cal (March 4).

… Continue reading story here …

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February 11th 

Getting to Know: Washington State

Game … Sunday, February 12th, 6:30 p.m. (MT), ESPNU, 850 AM radio; Sirius 83; XM 197

Game Notes … From CUBuffs.com

Colorado is 14-11 overall and currently in a four-way tie for seventh place in the Pac-12 at 4-8. The Buffaloes have won four of their last five games since opening the conference season with seven straight losses. Colorado avenged one of its losses during that seven-game slide with an 81-66 decision over Washington on Feb. 9. The Buffaloes have won their last three at home and will play four of their final six at the Coors Events Center.

Colorado is averaging 76.1 points per game while shooting 45 percent from the field. The Buffaloes have allowed 72.6 points on 42 percent shooting. Colorado is second in the Pac-12 in offensive rebounds (12.2 orpg), while ranking fourth in overall boards (38.8 rpg) and fifth in rebounding margin (+3.8), defensive boards (26.5 drpg) and three-point defense (.345).

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Related …

… “Buffs Hope To Keep Momentum Going As WSU Pays Visit” … From CUBuffs.com

… “Woelk: Buffs Quietly Climbing Up Pac-12 Ladder” … From CUBuffs.com

… “Bryce Peters continuing to surge for CU Buffs men’s basketball” … From the Daily Camera

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Quotable Tad Boyle … “Everybody says, ‘Well, Colorado is 4-8.’ Guess what — we should be 8-4, but we’re not because we weren’t able to finish those close games. My point is the gap in the standings is bigger than the gap of reality of how close we are to being where we want to be. I’m not making excuses. We are what our record says we are. But I believe in this team and I think we can really finish strong and make some noise. There’s a lot of basketball to be played.”

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Washington State 2016-17 Season:  Washington State is 11-13 overall and joins Colorado in a four-way logjam at seventh place in the Pac-12 at 4-8. The Cougars have lost three straight and four of their last five. Washington State averages 71.3 points on 46 percent from the field. The Cougars lead the Pac-12 in free throw accuracy at 76.6 percent. Defensively, the Cougars allow 76.6 points per game while opponents shoot 46 percent from the field. Senior forward

Josh Hawkinson leads Washington State at 16.0 points and 10.1 rebounds per game while shooting 52 percent from the field. Freshman guard Malachi Flynn is second on the team in scoring at 11.0 points per game while leading the Cougars in three-pointers with 47. Junior guard Ike Iroegbu averages 11.0 points and a team-best 3.6 assists per game.

Series:  This will be the 13th meeting between Colorado and Washington State with the Buffaloes holding a 9-3 series edge. Washington State won the season’s first meeting, 91-89 in overtime in Pullman. Colorado has won 8 of 10 since joining the Pac-12 for the 2011-12 season. The Buffaloes won all three meetings last year, including an 80-56 decision in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament. Three of the last five meetings have gone to overtime.

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February 9th – Boulder           Colorado 81, Washington 66

… Related … “CU Buffs take control of Markelle Fultz-less Washington” … from the Daily Camera

… Related … “King’s Double-Double Big Boost For Buffs In Win Over Washington” … from CUBuffs.com

… Note … Xavier Johnson and Wesley Gordon will return to the lineup for CU’s next game, against Washington State (Sunday, 6:30 p.m., ESPNU) …

From CUBuffs.com … Both Colorado and Washington were missing some firepower Thursday night in their Pac-12 matchup at the Coors Events Center.

But the Buffs had plenty of other weapons while the Huskies … not so much.

The result was an 81-66 Colorado win, with the Buffs getting six players in double-figure scoring, led by George King‘s 21-point, 12-rebound double-double.

The win, a little payback for an overtime loss in Seattle earlier this season, was CU’s fourth in the last five games and improved the Buffs’ record to 14-11 overall and 4-8 in Pac-12 play. The Huskies lost their sixth in a row to fall to 9-15, 2-10.

Washington played without the Pac-12’s leading scorer, freshman Markelle Fultz, who sat out with a knee injury. The Buffs played without seniors Xavier Johnson and Wesley Gordon, both of whom missed their second straight game because of a violation of team rules.

The Huskies obviously greatly missed Fultz, who scored 37 points against the Buffs in their first game.

The Buffs, however, had plenty of balance to make up for the absence of the two seniors. Along with King’s 21 points, Derrick White added 16, Lucas Siewert had 12, Tory Miller had 11 and Dominique Collier and Bryce Peters each had 10.

… Continue reading story here …

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February 8th

… CU in the Arena … 

Tad Boyle talk with media, courtesy of CUSportsNation:

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Getting to Know: Washington

Game … Thursday, February 9th, 8:00 p.m. (MT), Fox Sports 1, 760 AM radio; Sirius 136; XM 381

Game Notes … From CUBuffs.com

Colorado is 13-11 overall and currently 10th in the Pac-12 at 3-8 after splitting games in the Bay Area last week. The Buffaloes picked up their first conference road win of the season with an 81-74 decision at Stanford on Feb. 2. Colorado saw its three-game win streak come to an end with a 77-66 at California on Feb. 5. The Buffaloes endured a treacherous stretch, playing 5-of-7 on the road to begin conference play. During that span, Colorado faced three straight ranked teams for just the fourth time in team history and began conference play with three road games for the first time in 85 years, when the 1931-32 Buffaloes had their first three Rocky Mountain Conference games away from Boulder. Colorado will finish off the regular season with five of its last seven at home

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Related …

… “Boyle’s Buffs Hit Home Stretch Of Pac-12 Season” … From CUBuffs.com

… “Derrick White, CU Buffs look to contain Washington star Markelle Fultz” … From the Daily Camera

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Quotable Tad Boyle … “I know our record is our record,” Boyle said. “I know we haven’t won as many games as everybody wanted us to up to this point or expected us to up to this point. But with that being said, from this point forward, I like the demeanor of this team, I like the work ethic of this team, I like how they practice. … I believe in this team, I believe in these players, I believe in what we’re about.”

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Washington 2016-17 Season:   Washington is 9-14 overall and in 11th place in the Pac-12 at 2-9. The Huskies have lost their last five since defeating Colorado in overtime on Jan. 18 in Seattle. Offensively, Washington sports the Pac-12’s fourth best scoring attack at 79.3 points per game while shooting 45 percent from the field. The Huskies also give up the second most points in the league at 80.8 points per game. Washington leads the Pac-12 in offensive rebounds (13.1 rpg) and ranks second in blocked shots (6.2 bpg).

Freshman guard Markelle Fultz is the Pac-12’s leading scorer at 23.2 points per game. He also ranks second in assists (6.0 apg) and fifth in steals on the conference leaderboard. Sophomore guard David Crisp is second on the team in scoring at 13.7 points per game and tops the Huskies with 59 3-pointers made. Sophomore forward Noah Dickerson leads Washington and ranks ninth in the Pac-12 in rebounding at 8.0 per game while pitching in 10.8 points an outing. Sophomore guard Matisse Thybulle leads the Pac-12 in steals (2.0 spg) while pitching in just under 10 points a contest.

Series:  This will be the 23rd meeting between Colorado and Washington with the Huskies holding a slight 12-10 edge. The Buffaloes hope a recent trend in the series comes to fruition as the teams have split each of the previous three seasons. Washington holds a 5-4 edge on Colorado since the Buffaloes joined the Pac-12 in 2011-12. Colorado has won 7-of-9 meetings in Seattle.

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November 7th

… CU in the Arena …

Status of Wesley Gordon and Xavier Johnson “day-to-day”

… Related … “Status of Johnson, Gordon still ‘day-to-day’ for CU men’s basketball” … from the Daily Camera

From CUBuffs.com … This week begins the stretch of the Pac-12 schedule that Colorado coach Tad Boyle has been eyeing since the season began.

Seven games remaining and five at home, beginning with Thursday’s 8 p.m. matchup against Washington at the Coors Events Center and followed by a 6:30 p.m. Sunday matchup with Washington State.

… “I know our record is our record,” Boyle said. “I know we haven’t won as many games as everybody wanted us to up to this point or expected us to up to this point. But with that being said, from this point forward, I like the demeanor of this team, I like the work ethic of this team, I like how they practice. … I believe in this team, I believe in these players, I believe in what we’re about.”

… JOHNSON, GORDON UPDATE: Boyle said the status of seniors Xavier Johnson and Wesley Gordon, who were benched for the Cal game for violating team rules, is still “day to day.”

“It’s an unfortunate situation for them, for the rest of the team, the coaches, for our program,” Boyle said. “I said this after the game and I’ll say it again. It’s just a case of two really really good kids making a bad decision. I’m not mad at them. I’m disappointed, they’re disappointed. We’re going to use this as a learning opportunity and we’re going to move on from it.”

… Continue reading story here …

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February 6th

… CU in the Arena …

Still no official word on the suspensions of Wesley Gordon and Xavier Johnson

From the Daily Camera … The Buffs played without two fifth-year seniors, Wesley Gordon and Xavier Johnson, who both were suspended for a violation of team rules.

Head coach Tad Boyle did not disclose the transgression, saying only “it happened between the Stanford game (Thursday) and tipoff today.” Boyle also indicated he still has yet to determine if the duo’s punishment will end at just one game.

“We’re in the education business,” Boyle said. “Obviously it’s our business to win games as well, but these are lessons that go beyond basketball. You just handle the situations as they arise as a coach, whether that’s a basketball-related issue or an off-the-court issue. We do it with all our players.”

… Continue reading story here …

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February 5th – at California           California 77, Colorado 66

Buffs play without seniors Wesley Gordon and Xavier Johnson, out for “violation of team rules”

“They violated a team rule, so we handled it and they didn’t play,” Boyle said. “It’s a situation where two really good kids made a bad decision. We had to address it, so we did.”

When asked if the punishment would end after Sunday’s loss, Boyle added, “We don’t know yet.”

… Here is the less than positive image of Johnson and Gordon sharing a laugh in the final minute of CU’s loss to Cal …

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From CUBuffs.com … Playing without the services of two senior starters, the Colorado Buffaloes put forth a valiant effort Sunday at Cal before eventually falling, 77-66, at Haas Pavilion.

The Buffs, who trailed by as many as 23 in the first half, cut the lead to five with just more than three minutes to play, but that was as close as they could come.

The loss ended a three-game winning streak and dropped Colorado to 13-11 overall and 3-8 in Pac-12 play. Cal improved to 17-6, 8-3.

Derrick White finished with 25 points and Tory Miller had 10 points and nine rebounds for the Buffs.

HOW IT HAPPENED: With senior big men Xavier Johnson and Wesley Gordon on the bench for the entire game, the Buffs were at a decided advantage inside, where the Bears boasted two 7-footers in the starting lineup.

Making it even tougher on the Buffs was Cal’s outside shooting. The Bears broke open a tight game midway through the first half with a 19-0 run that was fueled by five 3-pointers, giving Cal a 32-12 lead with 6:20 still to go in the first half. The Bears finished the first half with nine 3-pointers.

… “We just couldn’t get over the hump,” Boyle said. “Critical times in the game we broke down defensively and let them kind of expand that thing back to 10. We made shots to get ourselves back into it. You really have to play almost a flawless second half to come back from that kind of deficit. I thought we tried, we just weren’t quite good enough in the critical stages.”

… Continue reading story here …

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February 4th

… CU in the Arena … 

Getting to Know: California 

Game … Sunday, February 5th, 2:30 p.m. (MT), ESPNU, 850 AM radio; Sirius 136; XM 197

Game Notes … From CUBuffs.com

Colorado is 13-10 overall and tied for eighth in the Pac-12 at 3-7 after earning its first conference road win of the season with an 81-74 decision at Stanford on Feb. 2. The Buffaloes have won three straight after enduring a seven-game losing streak, the program’s longest since 2008-09. The Buffaloes endured a treacherous stretch, playing 5-of-7 on the road to begin conference play. During that span, Colorado faced three straight ranked teams for just the fourth time in team history and began conference play with three road games for the first time in 85 years, when the 1931-32 Buffaloes had their first three Rocky Mountain Conference games away from Boulder.

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Related …

… “Buffs Conclude Bay Area Swing At California Sunday” … From CUBuffs.com

… “CU Buffs hoops hope late surge at Stanford a sign of things to come” … From the Daily Camera

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Quotable Tad Boyle … “We did it at home against Oregon State when they cut it to two. (Thursday) we did it on the road when they cut it to four and we battled back,” head coach Tad Boyle said. “Guys knew what they had to do, when they had to do it. We’ve got our work cut out for us. Cal is a good team. Our offense is going to have to be good because Cal is very good defensively.”

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California 2016-17 Season:  California is 16-6 overall and tied with UCLA for third in the Pac-12 at 7-3. The Golden Bears have won three straight including a 77-75 double overtime thriller over Utah on Feb. 2. Cal is averaging 70 points on 43 percent shooting. The Golden Bears are the Pac-12’s second-best scoring and field goal percentage defensive teams allowing just 63 points while giving up just 39.5 percent from the field. Cal is the Pac-12’s top rebounding team with 40 per game.

Sophomore forward Ivan Rabb leads California by sporting the season double-double at 15.5 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. Senior Jabari Bird averages 14.8 points and 4.7 rebounds, tying for the team lead with 40 3-point field goals. Freshman guard Charlie Moore leads California in assists (80) and steals (28) while averaging 14 points an outing.

Series:  This will be the 28th meeting between Colorado and California with the Golden Bears holding a 14-13 edge. The teams split their series last year, each winning at home. The series is tied at 5-5 since the Buffaloes joined the Pac-12 in 2011-12. Cal is 11-1 against Colorado in Berkeley. Colorado’s lone win in Berkeley was a 63-60 decision on Dec. 7, 2004.

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February 2nd – at Stanford          Colorado 81, Stanford 74

… Related … “CU Buffs end Pac-12 road woes with win at Stanford” … from the Daily Camera 

From CUBuffs.com … At this point of the season, style points don’t matter.

The Colorado Buffaloes played some solid defense in the second half Thursday and overcame a season-high 23 turnovers to collect an 81-74 win at Stanford, ending a 10-game road losing streak in Pac-12 play in the process.

The win, Colorado’s third in a row, improved the Buffs to 13-10 overall and 3-7 in Pac-12 play while Stanford dropped to 11-11, 3-7.

CU senior Derrick White had an outstanding all-around game, finishing with 19 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, four blocks and a pair of steals.

“He’s so important to us,” Boyle said. “He just makes winning basketball plays. He knows how to play. You can’t teach the things he does.”

Xavier Johnson also had 19 points for CU to go along with five rebounds and three assists. CU’s bench contributed 33 points to the win, including 13 from freshman Bryce Peters and 10 from Tory Miller, who also had seven rebounds.

“We overcame a lot to get this road victory,” head coach Tad Boyle said. “Our guys played with great toughness and great determination and we overcame 23 turnovers on the road. That’s really hard to do.”

… Continue reading story here …

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February 1st

… CU in the Arena … 

Getting to Know: Stanford

Game … Thursday, February 2nd, 9:00 p.m. (MT), Pac-12 Network, 760 AM radio; Sirius 145; XM 197

Game Notes … From CUBuffs.com

Colorado is 12-10 overall and 2-7 in the Pac-12 after earning its first two Pac-12 wins last week, sweeping Oregon State (85-78) and No. 10 ranked Oregon (74-65) at home. The wins snapped a seven-game losing streak, the program’s longest since 2008-09. The Buffaloes endured a treacherous stretch, playing 5-of-7 on the road to begin conference play. During that span, Colorado faced three straight ranked teams for just the fourth time in team history and began conference play with three road games for the first time in 85 years, when the 1931-32 Buffaloes had their first three Rocky Mountain Conference games away from Boulder

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Related …

… “Boyle’s Buffs Head To Bay Area, Face Stanford On Thursday” … From CUBuffs.com

… “Ending Pac-12 road woes a requirement for any CU hoops run” … From the Daily Camera

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Quotable Tad Boyle … “That’s the beauty of this team — we’ve got a lot of capable guys, but we’ve got to bring it every night,” head coach Tad Boyle said. “Not that everybody’s going to play great every night, but mentally and physically and emotionally, they’ve got to be ready to play.”

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Stanford 2016-17 Season:  Stanford is 11-10 overall and just ahead of the Buffaloes in the Pac-12 standings at 3-6. The Cardinal have lost their last two, including a 66-55 decision at California in their only game last week. Stanford has won 7-of-10 at Maples Pavilion this year. The Cardinal average 68.0 points on 43 percent shooting while allowing just slightly more scoring (68.3) to their opponents. Stanford is last in the Pac-12 in 3-point shooting (.313) and has also made and taken the fewest among league schools (95-of-304). Junior forward Reid Travis leads Stanford and ranks fifth in the Pac- 12 in both scoring and rebounding at 16.6 points and 8.7 boards per game. Junior wing Dorian Pickens averages 12.1 points with a team-best 36 3-point field goals. Sophomore guard Robert Cartwright paces the Cardinal in assists (70) while averaging 7.3 points and just over one steal per game.

Series:  This will be the 19th meeting between Colorado and Stanford with the series currently tied at 9-9. The Buffaloes have won the last six and 6-of-8 since joining the Pac-12 for the 2011-12 season. Colorado has won its last three at Maples Pavilion, including a 56-55 meeting on Jan. 3, 2016.

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Tags: Bryce Peters, Derrick White, Dominique Collier, Lucas Siewert, Tad Boyle, Tory Miller, Wesley Gordon, Xavier Johnson
This post, about the Colorado Basketball game, from the 2016 Season, is filed under Article.
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