Colorado Basketball – January, 2020

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Colorado Basketball

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January 31st 

… CU in the Arena … 

Tad Boyle on USC: “I think the tougher team wins on Saturday. We just have to be that team”

From CUBuffs.com … When the Colorado Buffaloes left for Los Angeles earlier this week, they had eyes on a Pac-12 road trip sweep.

But after Thursday night’s disappointing loss at UCLA, the best the 20th-ranked Buffs (16-5, 5-3) can earn is a split, something they will try to salvage Saturday when they square off with rival USC (17-4, 6-2) in an 8:30 p.m. game (MT) at the Galen Center (FS1).

Thursday’s 72-68 defeat dropped the Buffs into third place in the Pac-12 standings, 1.5 games behind league-leading Oregon and a game behind USC. With Saturday’s game marking only the halfway point of the conference season, it means the Buffs are still in the hunt for a conference championship.

But after the loss to the Bruins, CU coach Tad Boyle was in no mood to talk title possibilities.

“We can’t even think about Pac-12 championships right now,” Boyle said. “We have to think about winning the next game.”

The Trojans present plenty to think about. After a confounding 72-40 loss at Washington in early January, USC has won five of its last six, with the only loss a narrow defeat at Oregon. Led by big men Nick Rakocevic and Onyeka Okongwu and guard Jonah Mathews, the Trojans are as talented as any team in the conference.

“USC is a better team than UCLA is,” Boyle said. “UCLA was good (Thursday). They deserved to win this game. The tougher team won this game … and I think the tougher team wins on Saturday. We just have to be that team, and we’d better find more toughness that we played with tonight.”

… Continue reading story here …

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January 30th – Game Day !

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs comeback falls short in 72-68 loss to UCLA

From CUBuffs.com …  The 20th-ranked Colorado Buffaloes dug themselves a big hole early Thursday, then saw a second-half comeback fall short as they dropped a 72-68 loss to UCLA at Pauley Pavilion.

CU fell to 16-5 overall and 5-3 in Pac-12 play while the Bruins improved to 11-10, 4-4.

Colorado trailed by 12 at intermission and by 15 early in the second half before rallying to cut the deficit to two with just more than seven minutes remaining. But the Buffs could never completely close the gap and UCLA held CU at bay down the stretch.

Evan Battey and McKinley Wright IV each scored 14 points for Colorado. Tyler Bey added 12 points and eight rebounds and Lucas Siewert had 11 points for the Buffs.

UCLA’s Chris Smith led all scorers with a career-high 30 points, including 13-for-15 from the free throw line. Smith also had a game-high nine rebounds.

While the Buffs actually shot a better percentage from the floor (42.2) than the Bruins (38.9), Colorado lost the rebound battle, 39-29. That included a 13-7 UCLA edge on the offensive boards, which led to an 18-10 edge in second-chance points. The Buffs also struggled in transition defense all night, giving up 22 fast break points.

The loss dropped CU into third place in the Pac-12 standings, 1.5 games behind league-leading Oregon and one game behind second-place USC.

“It was disheartening because that was a winnable game,” CU coach Tad Boyle said. “We can’t even think about Pac-12 championship right now, we have to think about winning the next game.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Buffs in L.A. – “Defense and rebounding are going to travel with us”

… Related … “‘If you want to get there, you got to go get it’: Tyler Bey’s unusual path to CU and possibly a pro career” … from The Athletic

From the Daily Camera … The 20th-ranked Colorado Buffaloes are heading to Los Angeles on a trip likely to be highlighted by Saturday’s battle at USC, a showdown certain to be ripe with both antagonism and Pac-12 Conference ramifications.

Yet the luster that game will dim if the Buffs fail to take care of business Thursday night at UCLA.

Two weeks ago, the Buffs displayed the proper focus in a trip-opening win at Arizona State without looking too far ahead to a bigger battle two days later at Arizona, though the Buffs ultimately struggled against the Wildcats. Continuing to compete for the program’s first regular season Pac-12 championship will require wins on the road for CU, which has won its past two games at Pauley Pavilion after previously going 0-8 all-time at UCLA.

… “It will be a fun road trip for us. We’ve got to take it one game at a time,” CU point guard McKinley Wright IV said. “We’ve got UCLA and they’re a little up and down. So we can’t go in there looking at them lightly. They’re at home, home court advantage, we’ve got to go in there and execute the game plan. Defense and rebounding is going to travel with us. As long as we’ve got that, that’s all that really matters. We’re looking forward to it.”

While UCLA owns a talented roster, the Bruins have yet to establish a team template under Cronin. Through the first four weekends of league play, the Bruins rank ninth in conference games in defensive field goal percentage (.452) and 10th in defensive 3-point percentage (.361). The Bruins’ offense hasn’t been much better, ranking ninth in league games in 3-point percentage (.314) and 10th in turnovers per game (14.4).

… Continue reading story here …

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GAME PREVIEW

From CUBuffs.com … No. 20 (AP)/21 (Coaches) ranked Colorado is 16-4 overall and 5-2 in the Pac-12 Conference after sweeping the Washington schools at home last  week. The Buffaloes have won their last two, four of five and nine of their last 11.

Colorado is 28-8 over their last 36 games. Colorado’s 16-4 mark ties for the second-best 20-game start in team history, matching the 1996-97 NCAA Tournament squad. The Buffaloes began the 1968-69 season 17-3. Colorado’s 5-2 league mark equals its best in the Pac-12 era (2011-12).

Defense continues to be the bread and butter for Colorado. The Buffaloes are second in the Pac-12, and 24th in the nation, in scoring defense at 61.7 points per game. Colorado has held eight opponents under 60 points and three of those under 50. It’s the first time since 2012-13 Colorado has held three opponents under 50, and that was over a 34-game season.

ABOUT THE BRUINS: UCLA is 10-10 overall and 3-4 in the Pac12. The Bruins are coming off a road split at the Oregon Schools, taking a 62-58 decision over Oregon State before falling 96-75 at Oregon. UCLA averages 69.4 points while shooting 43.6 percent from the field. The Bruins, who rank 11th in the Pac-12 in scoring,
have been held under 70 points in five of the last seven games.

Defensively, UCLA allows 68.3 points while opponents shoot 43.6 percent. UCLA is the Pac-12’s top team in offensive rebounds (12.7 orpg) and rebounding defense 30.5 rpg). Junior guard Chris Smith leads the Bruins at 12.2 points per game while shooting 48 percent from the field. He’s one of the Pac-12’s top free throw shooters, ranking fifth at 85.1 percent from the line.

Sophomore forward Jalen Hill averages 10.0 points per game while leading UCLA in rebounding (7.3 rpg) and shooting (.546). Freshman guard Tyger Campbell paces the Bruins in assists at 4.3 per game while averaging 6.8 points per contest.

SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 18th meeting between Colorado and UCLA with the Bruins holding an 11-6 advantage. The Buffaloes have won the last four, sweeping the home-and-home series each of the last two years. Colorado is 2-8 all-time at UCLA, but both wins have come in the last two trips to Pauley Pavilion.

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January 29th

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs looking for fifth straight win over UCLA – Boyle: “We’re not going to overlook anybody, I can promise you that”

From CUBuffs.com …  It’s separation time in college basketball, that time of the year when contenders move to the front of the pack and pretenders begin to fall by the wayside.

Tad Boyle‘s 20th-ranked Colorado Buffaloes (16-4 overall, 5-2 Pac-12) can take a big step toward cementing themselves as members of that first group this weekend when they head to Los Angeles for a pair of games that will mark the halfway point of the conference season.

CU opens the trip Thursday with a 9 p.m. (MT)  game vs. UCLA at Pauley Pavilion (ESPN2), followed by an 8:30 p.m. (MT) matchup Saturday against USC at the Galen Center (FS1).

The Buffs currently sit just a half-game out of first place in the Pac-12, right behind Oregon (17-4, 6-2) and tied with USC (16-4, 5-2). Overall, there are six conference teams within one game of the Ducks in the loss column.

It means Saturday’s game against the Trojans will be one of the league’s marquee matchups of the weekend — but the Buffs must first address business against the Bruins.

“We’re not going to overlook anybody, I promise you that,” Boyle said earlier this week. “I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that doesn’t happen. I think our players are mature enough to not let that happen, either.”

… Continue reading story here …

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January 28th 

… CU in the Arena … 

ESPN: Making a case for CU winning the national championship

From ESPN … The trend for the top teams in college basketball this season is that there is no trend. A look at the turnover at No. 1 provides plenty of evidence of that fact.

Michigan State garnered 60 of 65 first-place votes in the AP poll this preseason. A month later, Duke, which received exactly zero first-place votes in the preseason, received 53 of those votes. A month after that, Duke and Michigan State combined for one vote while Gonzaga was atop 54 of the AP ballots (the Bulldogs had a total of 15 first-place votes through the first seven weeks of the season).

Who’s really the top team? There’s a case for just about everyone near the top cutting down the nets in Atlanta in April. Here are some stats and historical factors that speak to each member of the current Top 25’s chances:

11. Oregon Ducks

I mentioned the eerie similarities between Payton Pritchard and Dillon Brooks two weeks ago, and the positive parallels between this Quack Attack and that one (the most successful Oregon team since World War II) go even further.

2017: 18th in offensive efficiency, 37.8% on 3s, two losses before Dec. 1 and unbeaten at home.

2020: Sixth in offensive efficiency, 38.5% on 3s, two losses before Dec. 1 and unbeaten at home.

20. Colorado Buffaloes

A junior guard averaging in the neighborhood of 13.5 points, 10 rebounds-plus-assists while playing for a team that ranks in the top 40 in scoring defense? Am I talking about 2019 Ty Jerome (guard for NCAA titlist Virginia) or 2020 McKinley Wright IV?

… Read full list here …

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Bracketology: CU remains No. 5 seed (both ESPN and CBS) 

Bracketology by Jerry Palm at CBS Sports … CU stayed at a No. 5 seed (Despite sweep over Washington schools)

The Pac-12 (five teams in bracket) … Oregon: No. 4 seed (same as last week): Colorado: No. 5 seed (same); USC: No. 6 seed (same); Stanford: No. 8 seed (down from a No. 6 seed last week); Arizona: No. 8 seed (up two spots from last week, despite losing its only game of the week to Arizona State)

CU’s first round opponent … No. 12 seed Yale (game to be played in Sacramento)

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Bracketology by Joe Lunardi at ESPN … CU stayed at a No. 5 seed as well

The Pac-12 (five teams in bracket) … Oregon: No. 3 seed (up from a No. 4 seed last week); Colorado: No. 5 seed (same); USC: No. 8 seed (up from a No.11 seed); Arizona: No. 8 seed (down from a No. 5 seed): Stanford: No. 9 seed (down from a No. 8 seed); Washington: Gone (down from “Next Four out” last week)

CU’s first round opponent … No. 12 seed Tulsa (game to be played in Sacramento)

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CU also joined the CBS Top 25 and 1, coming in as the “and 1”, at No. 26 … McKinley Wright finished with 15 points and eight rebounds in Saturday’s 76-62 victory over Washington. The Buffaloes are 8-3 in Quadrant 1/Quadrant 2 opportunities with just one loss outside of the first two quadrants.

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Team Rankings.com … CU chances of making NCAA tournament: 99.3% (up from 98.2% last week) … Most likely seed: No. 4 (up from a No. 5 seed last week) …

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January 27th

… CU in the Arena … 

Tad Boyle: “The only way you compete for championships is to figure out a way to win on the road”

From Neill Woelk at CUBuffs.com …  After a favorable schedule to begin Pac-12 play, the road now gets a little tougher for the Colorado Buffaloes.

That’s road as in seven of their last 11 regular season games in enemy gyms, beginning with this week’s swing through Los Angeles. The Buffs play at UCLA on Thursday (9 p.m. MT, ESPN2), then head across town to the Galen Center on Saturday for a matchup with USC (8:30 p.m. MT, FS1).

The Buffs (16-4 overall, 5-2 Pac-12) will begin the trip just a half-game behind Oregon (17-4, 6-2) in the conference standings and tied with USC (16-4, 5-2).

“I’m not going to think about 7 of 11 on the road,” CU coach Tad Boyle said after Saturday night’s 76-62 win over Washington in Boulder. “I’m thinking about what we have to do to win the next game.”

Still, Boyle knows that winning on the road is imperative if the Buffs are going to stay on the path of contending for a Pac-12 title, and it continues with this week’s trip through SoCal — one the Buffs swept a year ago.

“The only way you compete for championships is to figure out a way to win on the road,” Boyle said. “We’ve proven that we can do that, but we have to do it consistently. You don’t have to win every game but with that Oregon State home loss, our margin for error slips a little bit. We have to make up for that with a couple of road wins, not just one. We got one against Arizona State. We’re going to have to sweep somebody this season and maybe a couple of them to put ourselves in a position to compete for a championship.”

… Continue reading story here …

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CU moves up three spots in Associated Press poll – up to No. 20

… Note … This poll represents the ninth week in the 2019-20 season in which CU has been ranked. It represents the most ranking in a single season in CU history … 

From CBS Sports … Baylor retained its spot at No. 1 in the latest AP Top 25 poll released Monday. It’s the second consecutive week the Bears sit at No. 1 in the poll after another flawless week in which they went 2-0 to push their winning streak to 16 with a close home win over Oklahoma followed by a road win over Florida on Saturday.

Baylor’s strong week helped it strengthen its grip on the No. 1 spot, garnering 44 of a possible 64 first-place votes after narrowly edging Gonzaga 33 to 31 in first-place votes a week ago. Gonzaga had held the No. 1 spot for four weeks before Baylor jumped the Bulldogs last week.

Others receiving votes: Creighton 59, Arizona 55, Texas Tech 33, Ohio State 16, Indiana 15, East Tennessee State 14, Northern Iowa 13, Memphis 11, USC 9, Rhode Island 6, Purdue 6, Florida 4, Arkansas 3, Saint Mary’s 3, Tulsa 3, SMU 3, Wisconsin 1, Akron 1, Harvard 1

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January 26th

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs turn their attention to Los Angeles schools: “We know what it takes to win”

From the Daily Camera … At the outset of the basketball season, when the schedule was broken down to evaluate the prospects of a run at a Pac-12 Conference championship for the Colorado Buffaloes, it was easy to highlight the first seven games of league play.

For the first time since 2011-12, CU’s first season in the Pac-12, the Buffs began the conference schedule with five of the first seven games at home. That 2012 club went 5-2 in those games, winning every home game and setting the stage for a run to the conference tournament championship two months later.

This year, the Buffs were unable to protect their home floor in the same manner. Nevertheless, CU completed the first seven games of the league slate with an identical 5-2 record after defeating Washington 76-62 on Saturday night to post the Buffs’ first conference sweep of the season.

The late meltdown on Jan. 5 at home against Oregon State likely will remain a setback the Buffs will lament the rest of the season. Yet last week’s win at Arizona State at least put the Buffs back on even ground on the Pac-12 template as the schedule makes a turn with seven of the final 11 regular season games away from home, a run that begins Thursday at UCLA (9 p.m. MT, ESPN2) and continues on Saturday with a key showdown at USC.

… Continue reading story here …

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January 25th – Game Day !

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs dominate Huskies from the start, coasting to a 76-62 win over Washington

Quotable Tad Boyle, on being 16-4 ... “We talked in the locker room, we should feel good about where we are right now. But, in no way shape or form can we feel satisfied with where we are right now. I think that’s the that’s the key. I talked about it after the Arizona Game coming back. Mid January and February, if teams are improving, those are the teams people are gonna be talking about in March. Teams that plateau or start leaking oil, they’re going to be the ones fading into oblivion. We don’t want to be that team.”

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s Tyler Bey scored 16 points and McKinley Wright added 15 points and eight rebounds Saturday to lead the Buffaloes to a 76-62 win over Washington at the CU Events Center.

The 23rd-ranked Buffs, who ended a five-game losing streak to the Huskies, improved to 16-4 overall — the best 20-game start in the Tad Boyle era — and 5-2 in Pac-12 play while UW fell to 12-9, 2-6. Paired with Thursday’s win over Washington State, the victory in front of 9,521 — the second-largest Events Center crowd of the season — gave CU a Pac-12 weekend sweep, the Buffs’ first in three tries this year.

Joining Bey and Wright in double-figures was senior Lucas Siewert, who had 12 points and five rebounds. Shane Gatling added nine points and a team-high five assists and D’Shawn Schwartz had seven points and six rebounds for Colorado.

Isaiah Stewart led Washington with 23 points.

The Buffs led 51-33 at intermission, then relied on defense and rebounding down the stretch to collect the victory. CU forced 20 Washington turnovers that led to 22 points, and also had a 40-31 edge on the boards, including 12 offensive rebounds that led to 13 second-chance points.

Wright’s eight rebounds tied him for game-high honors with UW’s Stewart.

“Great win against a really, really talented Washington team that is obviously young,” Boyle said. “I told our team we get to feel good about where we are right now but certainly in no way can we feel satisfied. We want to compete for a Pac-12 championship and the only way to do that is to go in and win games on the road and we’re going to have that opportunity ahead of us.”

But the Huskies had a comeback in their pocket, as they got hot from 3-point range and cut the margin to 64-53 with 10:30 to play with a 16-7 surge that included three straight treys. Colorado’s lead then shrank to 10 four minutes later before the Buffs got back-to-back buckets from D’Shawn Schwartz and Tyler Bey to push the margin back to 14 with 5:48 remaining, 70-56.

Washington never came closer than 12 again, as the Buffs finished on a strong note. A ferocious Tyler Bey dunk with 2:35 to play gave CU a 76-52 lead and the Buffs got stops on UW’s next three possessions to put the game away. Bey, who missed Thursday’s game with an injury, also had four rebounds, three steals and two assists.

… Continue reading story here …

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Buffs looking to end five-game losing streak to snake-bitten Washington

From CUBuffs.com … Saturday night, the Colorado Buffaloes will try to finish a weekend the way they started, something they have yet to accomplish in Pac-12 play this year.

To do that, they will have to beat a Washington team they haven’t beaten since 2017, a string of five games — including three last season.

Tipoff between the 23rd-ranked Buffs (15-4 overall, 4-2 Pac-12) and the Huskies (12-8, 2-5) is set for 7 p.m. at the CU Events Center.

Tad Boyle‘s Buffs have started three Pac-12 weekend sets this year with victories, including Thursday night’s 78-56 win over Washington State. They also opened weekend series with wins over Oregon and Arizona State. But the Oregon win was followed by a home loss to Oregon State and the ASU victory was followed by a loss at Arizona.

Now, the Buffs have another chance to pick up a weekend sweep — and Boyle made no bones about what’s at stake for his team.

“I told these guys if we want to compete for a Pac-12 championship, we have to win (Saturday),” Boyle said after Friday’s practice. “That’s the bottom line. I don’t say that to put pressure on them. There’s no pressure involved. It’s, ‘Do you want to do that or not?’ If we do, we’ll come out and play with the intensity and the toughness and the aggressiveness that we’re going to need for 40 minutes.”

The Huskies have clearly been a thorn in CU’s side for the last couple of seasons, sweeping the regular season series both years, along with beating Colorado in the 2019 Pac-12 tournament semifinals.

…  The Huskies’ biggest problem has been filling the vacancy created when point guard Quade Green, a transfer from Kentucky, was declared ineligible in early January. Since Green’s departure, the Huskies are just 1-4, including a narrow 67-66 loss Thursday at Utah that saw UW let a seven-point lead slip away in the final minutes.

… Continue reading story here …

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GAME PREVIEW 

From CUBuffs.com … No. 23 (AP) ranked Colorado is 15-4 overall and 4-2 in the Pac-12 Conference after defeating Washington State, 78-56, at the CU Events Center on Jan. 23.

Colorado remains off to its best start since the 2013-14 squad also began the season with identical marks. The Buffaloes have won eight of their last 10 and are 27-8 over their last 35 games.

Colorado’s top three, and five of its top seven scoring outputs of the season have come in the last nine games, averaging 77.0 points during that span. Colorado is shooting 47.0 percent over the last nine games (241-512).

ABOUT THE HUSKIES: Washington is 12-8 overall and 2-5 in the Pac-12 Conference. The Huskies have dropped two straight and four of their last five. Those four losses have come by a combined 13 points and two happened in overtime. Washington averages 70.4 points per game shooting 45.4 percent from the field. Defensively, the Huskies are one of the top teams in the Pac-12, allowing just 62.8 points on a league-best 36.9 percent from the floor. The Huskies lead the conference in blocked shots at 6.6 per game.

Freshman forward Isaiah Stewart leads Washington at 18.9 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game while shooting 58.4 percent from the field. Freshman forward Jaden McDaniels is second on the team at 13.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per contest. Junior Nahziah Carter averages 12.5 points and 5.3 rebounds with a team-high 27 3-point field goals.

SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 29th meeting between Colorado and Washington with the Huskies holding a 17-11 advantage. Washington has won the last five meetings, three of those coming last season, as the Huskies swept the regular season series and then captured a 66-61 decision in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals. Colorado has an 8-4 advantage in Boulder, but the Huskies have
won the last two at the CU Events Center.

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January 24th

… CU in the Arena … 

Tyler Bey expected to be back in the lineup for the Washington game

From the Daily Camera … Following Thursday’s win, CU head coach Tad Boyle reported that Bey, who was in uniform but remained on the bench with a bandage covering a portion of his right hand, suffered an injury during practice this week. After playing in 86 career games with 75 consecutive starts, Bey is expected to be back in the lineup on Saturday against the Huskies at the CU Events Center (7 p.m., FS1) .

“Tyler could have played tonight,” Boyle said. “He had an injury in practice. He didn’t practice on Tuesday. Very, very limited yesterday (Wednesday). I just felt like if we could get through this game, I don’t want him to re-aggravate it. But he’ll be ready to go on Saturday. It’s something we’ll monitor.

“With any injury, if it’s not right up here (points to head), it ain’t right. So we need to get it right up here. And it wasn’t right up here today. So we tried to make it through without him and we did. Hopefully Saturday we’ll have him back. I expect to.”

… Read full story here …

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January 23rd – Game Day ! 

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs use a 12-1 run early in the second half to pull away from Washington State, win 78-56

From CUBuffs.com … No Tyler Bey proved to be no problem for the Colorado Buffaloes on their home floor Thursday night.

With their leading rebounder on the bench with an injury, the Buffs had three players record double-doubles and closed the game with a 24-6 run to collect a 78-56 win over Washington State in front of 7,864 at the CU Events Center.

The 23rd-ranked Buffs improved to 15-4 overall and 4-2 in Pac-12 play while WSU dropped to 12-8, 3-4.

Colorado had four players in double-digit scoring, led by senior Lucas Siewert, who had 16 points and 10 rebounds in his first start of the season. Siewert started in place of Bey, who sat out the game with a hand injury and thus missed the first game of his career, a stretch of 86 games that included 75 straight starts.

Evan Battey had 12 points and 10 rebounds and McKinley Wright IV had 10 points and 10 assists to complete the Buffs’ triple double-double. D’Shawn Schwartz added 13 points for Colorado. It was the first time since a Dec. 1, 2018, win over CSU that the Buffs had three double-doubles, which is also the last time Siewert had a double-double.

CJ Elleby led WSU with 15 points.

CU led by just four midway through the second half before assuming control with a 12-1 run for a 66-51 lead. WSU briefly cut the margin back to 13 but the Buffs quickly built their cushion into the 20s in the final minutes.

Colorado held WSU to just 22-for-59 shooting from the floor, including just 8-for-28 (28.6 percent) in the second half. The Buffs shot 26-for-57 for the game and also had a 45-28 edge on the boards.

“Kind of a workman-like win tonight,” CU head coach Tad Boyle said. “I thought we were much much better in that second half on many fronts than we were in the first half. I was on our guys a little bit that first half because I felt like we had some mental miscues that we can’t have happen if we want to compete at the highest level of college basketball. I thought they responded. To be plus-17 on the boards without your best rebounder was a testament to our guys, so good win. We have to take it and move on.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Buffs can’t look past Cougars: “They’re a confident team and they’re not going to be afraid”

From CUBuffs.com … With the memories of a 21-point loss at Arizona still fresh in their minds, the 23rd-ranked Colorado Buffaloes have a chance to put the defeat behind them Thursday when they play host to Washington State in an 8 p.m. game at the CU Events Center (Pac-12 Networks).

The Buffs (14-4 overall, 3-2 Pac-12) have never lost to the Cougars in Boulder, owning an 8-0 home mark that includes seven in a row in Pac-12 play.

But these aren’t the Cougars of recent years. Under the direction of first-year head coach Kyle Smith, WSU has constructed a 12-7 record — already surpassing last year’s win total — and a 3-3 conference mark that includes last weekend’s sweep of the Oregon schools.

“They’ve been playing with aggressiveness and confidence,” CU coach Tad Boyle said. “They’re not the same Washington State team that we’ve seen. They have a new coaching staff and they’ve got kind of new blood, a couple new players. They’re a confident team and they’re not going to be afraid. We have to be ready to take on a challenge. This is league play.”

Indeed, the Cougars won’t be lacking in confidence after wins over Oregon and Oregon State, two games that helped WSU’s CJ Elleby claim Pac-12 Player of the Week honors. The 6-foot-6 sophomore forward had a 25-point, 14-rebound double-double in the Cougars’ 72-61 win over the Ducks, then scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds in an 89-76 win over Oregon State.

… Continue reading story here …

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GAME PREVIEW 

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado is 14-4 overall and 3-2 in the Pac-12 Conference after splitting its first league road series of the season. The Buffaloes defeated Arizona State 68-61 on January 16th, winning in Tempe for the first time since 2012. Colorado fell at Arizona, 75-54, on January 18th.

Colorado remains off to its best start since the 2013-14 squad also began 14-3. The 3-2 Pac-12 start is the program’s best since its last NCAA Tournament team in 2015-16. The Buffaloes have won seven of their last nine and are 26-8 over their last 34 games. Defense continues to be the bread and butter for Colorado. The Buffaloes are second in the Pac-12, and 36th in the nation, in scoring defense at 62.0 points per game. Colorado has held seven opponents under 60 points and three of those under 50. It’s the first time since 2012-13 Colorado has held three opponents under 50, and that was over a 34-game season.

ABOUT THE COUGARS: Washington State is 12-7 overall and 3-3 in the Pac-12 Conference. The Cougars are coming off a home sweep of Oregon and Oregon State, first holding the ranked Ducks to 61 points in a 72-61 upset on Jan. 16 and then rolling to an 89-76 decision over Oregon State. WSU is just 1-3 in road contests. The Cougars average 74.2 points per game and rank last in the Pac-12 in field goal shooting at 40.6 percent. Defensively, Washington State allows 67.0 points per contest while opponents are shooting 44.9 percent. The Cougars own the best turnover margin in the Pac-12 at plus-4.7 per game.

Sophomore forward CJ Elleby leads Washington State at 18.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. The reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week, Elleby also has a team-best 39 3-point field goals and overall shoots 42 percent from the floor. Junior guard Isaac Bonton tops the Cougars in assists (3.6 apg) while averaging 14.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per contest. Senior forward Jeff Pollard averages 9.6 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 53.4 percent.

SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 19th meeting between Colorado and Washington State with the Buffaloes holding a commanding 13-5 series lead. The teams split last season, both winning at home. In fact the home team has held serve during the regular season the last three years. Colorado is a perfect 8-0 all-time against the Cougars in Boulder.

RANKED BUFFS: Colorado slid three spots to No. 23 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll on Jan. 20. The Buffaloes fell out of the USA Today/Coaches Poll, but are the first team listed among those receiving votes.

Despite the slide, it marked the eighth week that Colorado has been ranked in 2019-20, tying the 1996-97 squad for the most in team history. The Buffaloes have been as high as No. 20, twice this season, on December 2nd and then again on January 13th.

… Continue reading story here …

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January 22nd 

… CU in the Arena … 

Bracketology: CU remains No. 5 seed (both ESPN and CBS) 

Bracketology by Jerry Palm at CBS Sports … CU stayed at a No. 5 seed (After split against Arizona State and Arizona)

The Pac-12 (five teams in bracket) … Oregon: No. 4 seed: Colorado: No. 5 seed; Stanford: No. 6 seed; USC: No. 6 seed; Arizona: No. 10 seed

Bracketology by Joe Lunardi at ESPN … CU stayed at a No. 5 seed as well

The Pac-12 (five teams in bracket) … Oregon: No. 4 seed; Colorado: No. 5 seed; Arizona: No. 5 seed: Stanford: No. 8 seed; USC: No. 11 seed; Washington: Next Four out

Team Rankings.com … CU chances of making NCAA tournament: 98.2% (down from 99.3% last week) … Most likely seed: No. 5 (down from a No. 4 seed last week) …

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January 21st

… CU in the Arena … 

*Video – Tad Boyle post-practice talk with media*

From YouTube, courtesy of CUSportsNation:

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Evan Battey on Arizona game: “I let me team down and let myself down”

From CUBuffs.com … When Colorado’s Evan Battey looked at the box score after Saturday’s 75-54 loss to Arizona, he knew he wouldn’t like what he saw. The CU sophomore finished with just one rebound and no points — only the second time in his career (first this year) that he has been held scoreless and the first time this season he has had just one rebound.

But there was something even bigger missing from Battey’s game, something that has become an integral part of the Buffaloes this season:

Energy and emotion. While junior point guard McKinley Wright no doubt still holds the keys to the Colorado attack, Battey’s seemingly unlimited energy has become an emotional cornerstone for the Buffs.

“Saturday, for whatever reason, I didn’t bring that,” Battey said Tuesday after an extra 20 minutes of individual work following CU’s practice. “That’s on me. That’s my job as a leader on this team and I let my team down and let myself down.”

Battey, of course, had plenty of help in that area against the Wildcats, as just about every Buff endured a sub-par performance.

… Continue reading story here …

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Poll Tracker – Who voted for CU in the poll

From College Poll Tracker …

— Highest ranking: 12th … Ken Weinman (The Fan – Baltimore)

— Notables … Seth Davis (CBS) – 18th (down one spot from last week) … Jon Wilner (San Jose Mercury News) –  (not ranked, down from 20th last week) … John Feinstein (NPR) – (not ranked, down from 21st last week) … Dick Vitale (ESPN) – (not ranked, down from 23rd last week)

— Totals … 36 voters put CU in their rankings (down from 61 last week) … 29 did not place CU in their rankings (up from 4 last week) …

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CU’s ranking ties school record for most weekly rankings in a season

From the Daily Camera … Colorado got back to work on Monday facing twin challenges — preparing for a Washington State club riding a somewhat surprising surge of momentum, while also addressing the rebounding woes that hurt the Buffaloes during their weekend split in Arizona.

Nevertheless, a small piece of program history was made on Monday.

Though the Buffs dropped three spots in the weekly AP Top 25 poll, moving from No. 20 to No. 23 following Saturday’s 21-point loss at Arizona, this week will mark the eighth week this season CU has appeared in the top 25. That matches the Chauncey Billups-led club of 1996-97 for the most in program history.

The ’96-97 squad peaked at No. 15 in the first two weeks of February and was ranked for seven weeks during the regular season before finishing at No. 24 in the final poll of the season, shortly after reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament. This year’s club has been ranked at every spot between 20 and 25 except No. 22.

… But … Tad Boyle is still disappointed after Arizona loss … 

“The disappointing thing about the Arizona loss after watching the tape is that I just didn’t feel like we competed as hard we needed to. That’s disheartening,” Boyle said. “Very surprising, and disappointing. I haven’t lost faith in them by any means. I know this is a competitive group. But for whatever reason, we didn’t want to compete with Arizona on Saturday. We didn’t. We have to live with that.”

… Continue reading story here …

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January 20th 

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs remain ranked, in at No. 23 in this week’s AP poll

From CBS Sports … Baylor is the new No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 college basketball rankings in Monday’s updated poll. The Bears overtook Gonzaga, which had been ranked No. 1 since Week 8. They’re the seventh team to earn a No. 1 ranking this season which ties the record for the number of different No.1 teams in a season with the 1982-1983 season.

As for the remaining top five, a shakeup: Kansas, San Diego State and Florida State, all programs ranked outside the top five last week, round out the remaining spots this week. Louisville, Dayton, Duke, Villanova and Seton Hall round out the top 10.

New to this week’s poll is Iowa, Arizona, Rutgers and Houston after Wichita State, Michigan, Ohio State and Creighton dropped out this week. It’s the first time Rutgers has been ranked since 1979 and first time this season Houston has made an appearance in the AP Top 25.

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Buffs looking to rebound against resurgent Cougars: “Washington State’s no slouch”

From CUBuffs.com … Minutes after Colorado had absorbed a 75-54 loss to Arizona on Saturday, coach Tad Boyle‘s message to his Buffaloes was clear:

The teams that improve down the stretch — the teams that get better each week — will be the teams who are contending for the Pac-12 title in late February and early March.

In order for the Buffs to be one of those teams, they will need to take care of business at home. They will have two chances to do that this week when they play host to Washington State on Thursday (8 p.m.) and Washington on Saturday (7 p.m.)

“My challenge to our guys is we have got to continue to improve,” Boyle said. “We can’t feel like it’s just the next game. We have to go back to practice on Monday and say ‘OK, what do we have to do to get better?’ We have to really concentrate on that. In this league, you’d better be ready every single night.”

Indeed, the Pac-12 has the look of a league that could see a half-dozen teams — at least — vying for a top-four finish heading into the final weeks. After just three weeks of play, every team in the league has at least one conference loss — Stanford and USC are 4-1 — and four others have just two league losses.

The Buffs, at 14-4 overall and 3-2 in Pac-12 play, are in that second group. But after their two home games this week, they play seven of their last 11 on the road, including the final three of the regular season.

It makes this week’s games critical, beginning with Thursday’s night’s matchup with the Cougars. Picked to finish 11th in the preseason Pac-12 media poll, the Cougars (12-7, 3-3) turned heads over the weekend with a home sweep of Oregon and Oregon State.

“The Washington State Cougars are not a slouch,” Boyle said. “They scheduled very well early and gained some confidence. They beat Oregon. Were going to see a good Cougar team and then a good Huskies team. There’s no nights off in league play and our guys understand that.”

… Continue reading story here …

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January 18th – Game Day !

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs dominated in the desert, fall 75-54 to Arizona

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s hopes for a road trip sweep in the desert came crashing down Saturday, as the Buffaloes dropped a 75-54 decision to Arizona at the McKale Center.

The 20th-ranked Buffs, who won at Arizona State on Thursday, dropped to 14-4 overall and 3-2 in Pac-12 play while Arizona improved to 13-5, 3-2. The loss was CU’s eighth in a row at Arizona since joining the Pac-12 in 2011-12.

The Buffs jumped out to a quick 10-5 lead, but Arizona answered with a 24-5 run to take control and Colorado never threatened again. CU trailed 34-23 at intermission and managed to cut the deficit back to nine early in the second half, but UA quickly rebuilt the lead to double digits and extended the margin into the 20s down the stretch.

McKinley Wright IV led CU with 15 points and five assists, D’Shawn Schwartz added 12 points and Lucas Siewert had eight points and seven rebounds. The Wildcats put four players in double figures, led by Dylan Smith and Josh Green with 13 points apiece. Zeke Nnaji added a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double for UA.

The Buffs struggled on both ends of the floor for much of the game, particularly on the boards. CU shot just 36.7 percent (18-for-49) while the Wildcats were 28-for-59 from the floor (47.5 percent). UA also had nine 3-pointers, the most the Buffs have given up in their last nine games.

Colorado was also dominated on the boards, 39-25, with the ‘Cats grabbing 13 offensive rebounds. It was the second game in a row the Buffs were outrebounded — a rarity in the Tad Boyle era — and CU opponents had 30 offensive rebounds in the two games in the desert.

Colorado also committed 12 turnovers to Arizona’s 11, but the Wildcats had a 16-3 edge in points off turnovers.

“We pride ourselves on defense and rebounding, and we didn’t do either one tonight,” Boyle said. “Minus-14 on the boards, that hasn’t happened in a long time. We’ve been beat, but not like that. I thought the better offensive team won tonight. I’ve got to do a better job of helping our guys.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Buffs looking for first-ever win in McKale Center

From the Daily Camera … The Buffs also have an opportunity to achieve a rare feat in the program’s Pac-12 history by posting a two-game sweep on the road in league play. In 32 previous two-game road series in the Pac-12, CU has recorded sweeps just twice. However, the current squad did it just last year when it won at USC and UCLA. Before that, the Buffs had not posted a Pac-12 road sweep since winning at the Oregon schools in 2013.

“We’ve got to take care of our business first,” CU senior Lucas Siewert said. “Not that we’re not worried about the other teams, but we’re worried about us. As long as we keep winning, it shouldn’t matter. Just keeping the same defensive mentality. Rebounding, we gave up 17 offensive rebounds (at ASU) and we can’t do that over there for sure. And just be us, be Colorado basketball and get stops and get buckets.”

While the Buffs’ defense was able to stymie the 3-point shooters from Arizona State, the matchup against the Wildcats presents a much different challenge.

UA features three freshmen — Zeke Nnaji, Nico Mannion, and Josh Green — who might be first-round picks in the NBA draft in June. Like the Buffs this past Sunday, Arizona dismantled Utah at home on Thursday night 93-77.

… Continue reading story here …

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January 17th

… CU in the Arena …

GAME PREVIEW – No. 20 Colorado at Arizona (Saturday, 12:30 p.m., MT, Fox)

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado is 14-3 overall and 3-1 in the Pac-12 Conference after picking up a win in its first league road contest of the season, a 68-61 decision at Arizona State on Jan. 12.

Colorado is off to its best start both overall and in conference since the 2013-14 squad also began 14-3 and 3-1. The Buffaloes have won two straight, seven of their last eight and are 26-7 over their last 33 games. Defense has been the early calling card for Colorado. The Buffaloes are second in the Pac-12, and 26th in the nation, in scoring defense at 61.2 points per game. Colorado has held seven opponents under 60 points and three of those under 50. It’s the first time since 2012-13 Colorado has held three opponents under 50, and that was over a 34-game season.

Momentum is building for Colorado offensively. Through four Pac12 games, the Buffaloes are second in the league in scoring (75.3 ppg), field goal percentage (.487) and third in assists (14.3 apg). Overall, Colorado’s 72.6 points per game ranks sixth in the Pac-12.

ABOUT THE WILDCATS: Arizona is 12-5 overall and 2-2 in the Pac-12 after rolling to a 93-77 win over Utah on Jan. 16. The Wildcats are receiving votes in both the Associated Press and Coaches Polls. Arizona began the season 9-0, but has gone just 3-5 since. The Wildcats lead the Pac-12 in scoring at 82.0 points per game while shooting 48 percent from the field. Arizona is the Pac-12’s top ball sharing team at 17 assists per game. Defensively, the Wildcats hold opponents to 66.4 points per game, allowing only 38.4 percent shooting.

Freshman forward Zeke Nnaji leads Arizona at 16.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while hitting a Pac-12 best 66.9 percent from the field. Freshman guard Nico Mannion paces the Pac-12 in assists at 6.2 per game while scoring 14.1 points. He is tied with Dylan Smith for the team lead in 3-pointers with 28. Smith is averaging 8.5 points while hitting 42 percent from 3-point range. Josh Green is third on the squad in scoring at 12.7 points per game and leads the Wildcats with 28 steals.

SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 34th meeting between Colorado and Arizona with the Wildcats holding a 19-14 series lead. The teams split their meetings last season, both winning at home. Arizona leads the series 14-6 since Colorado joined the Pac-12 in 2011-12. The Buffaloes are 3-10 all-time in Tucson with their last win a 77-73 triple overtime decision on Dec. 20, 1965.

Tad Boyle is 6-14 against Arizona as a head coach. Sean Miller is 15-6 against Colorado as a head coach.

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Buffs looking for just the third-ever road sweep since joining the Pac-12

From CUBuffs.com … If you missed the Colorado Buffaloes’ 68-61 win at Arizona State on Thursday night, you missed one of the grittier efforts of the Tad Boyle era.

The 20th-ranked Buffs didn’t play especially well on offense, shooting barely 40 percent for the game (21-for-52). They didn’t rebound particularly well, as ASU had a 42-40 edge on the boards, including a 17-8 margin on the offensive end.

They weren’t even especially careful with the ball, finishing with 13 turnovers that helped the Sun Devils to a 17-16 edge in points off miscues.

But when push came to shove, the Buffs leaned on one of Boyle’s foundational fundamentals — defense — and that was enough to produce a road win.

The Buffs made every possession a challenge for the Sun Devils. They hounded point guard Remy Martin into a 9-for-23 night, including a 4-for-14 effort in the second half. They held guard Alonzo Verge to a 2-for-13 night, while Rob Edwards had an equally abysmal 3-for-12 evening.

And when it mattered most, Colorado made enough plays on the offensive end to make the difference, including a 17-for-26 night from the free throw line.

Colorado was, quite simply, the tougher team in a hostile environment. The Buffs withstood an early shot from the Sun Devils and responded like the veteran, disciplined team they have become. Junior Tyler Bey was a force in the second half. Junior McKinley Wright IV kept the Buffs at a steady keel, even when his game wasn’t at its peak. Evan Battey rebounded with authority and prevented the Sun Devils from completely taking over the paint. Seniors Lucas Siewert and Shane Gatling added some well-timed and much-needed 3-point shooting.

In short, it was a true team effort — and it’s exactly what the Buffs (14-3 overall, 3-1 Pac 12) will need again Saturday when they square off with Arizona (12-5, 2-2) in a 12:30 p.m. game at McKale Center (Fox).

A win would give CU a Pac-12 road trip sweep, something the Buffs have accomplished only twice in their nine years in the conference: a sweep of the Oregon schools in 2012-13 and a sweep of UCLA and USC last year in Los Angeles.

… Continue reading story here …

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Bracketology: CU up to a No. 5 seed (both ESPN and CBS) 

Bracketology by Jerry Palm at CBS Sports … CU up to a No. 5 seed (After being a No. 7 seed after the loss to Oregon State)

The Pac-12 (five teams in bracket) … Oregon: No. 5 seed: Colorado: No. 5 seed; Stanford: No. 5 seed; USC: No. 8 seed; Arizona: No. 9 seed; Washington: First Four out

Bracketology by Joe Lunardi at ESPN … CU up to a No. 5 seed (After being a No. 8 seed after the loss to Oregon State)

The Pac-12 (four teams in bracket) … Oregon: No. 3 seed; Colorado: No. 5 seed; Arizona: No. 7 seed: Stanford: No. 7 seed; USC : First Four out; Washington: Next Four out

Tea Rankings.com … CU chances of making NCAA tournament: 99.3% (up from 92.0% last week) … Most likely seed: No. 4 (up from a No. 5 seed before the win over Arizona State) …

… CU women a No. 12 seed! … 

Women’s Bracketology by Charlie Creme at ESPN … Seven Pac-12 teams ranked, with Colorado being put into the bracket for the first time as a No. 12 seed (one of the Last Four In)

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January 16th – Game Day !

… CU in the Arena …

Buffs use an 11-0 second half run to pull away from Sun Devils in 68-61 win

Note … “Elleby scores 25, Washington State surprises No. 8 Oregon, 72-61” … from ESPN

Related … “No. 20 Colorado overcomes slow start, beats Arizona St 68-61” … from ESPN

Related … “No. 20 CU Buffs hold on for rare win at Arizona State” … from the Daily Camera

From CUBuffs.com … Coaches love to say defense travels.

Tad Boyle‘s No. 20 Colorado Buffaloes backed that saying up Thursday night by throttling Arizona State in the second half to collect a 68-61 win over the Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena.

Colorado improved to 14-3 overall and 3-1 in Pac-12 play while the Sun Devils fell to 10-7, 1-3. The victory ended a six-game losing streak for the Buffs on ASU’s home floor, as CU held Arizona State to just 34.3 percent shooting for the game (24-for-70), including just 12-for-40 in the decisive second half.

Colorado struggled on the offensive end early and trailed by nine just a few minutes into the game, but came back to tie it up, 28-28, by halftime. CU then took control early in the second half, using an 11-0 run to take a 44-32 lead with 10:35 remaining and the Sun Devils never came closer than five again.

Junior Tyler Bey had an outstanding second half for the Buffs, scoring 16 of his 19 points after intermission to go with eight rebounds and five assists. Lucas Siewert added 14 points on 4-for-6 shooting from 3-point range, McKinley Wright had 11 points and five rebounds and Shane Gatling had 10 points. Evan Battey led the Buffs on the boards with nine rebounds, and also scored five points.

Point guard Remy Martin led ASU with 25 points, but he shot just 9-for-25, including  only 4-for-14 in the second half.

CU did not shoot particularly well, finishing just 21-for-52, but the Buffs were 12-for-25 in the second half (48 percent). While ASU won the rebound battle, 42-40, including a 17-8 edge on the offensive boards, the Buffs didn’t allow the Sun Devils to convert many of those second chances. Colorado actually held a 10-8 edge in second-chance points.

“It was the epitome of winning ugly, which sometimes you have to do on the road,” Boyle said. “I couldn’t be more proud of our guys to not get their heads down when we struggled early offensively, especially in the first half. It was a great, great win.”

… Continue reading story here …

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No. 20 Colorado at Arizona State – 7:00 p.m., MT, ESPN2

Notes … From the Daily Camera … The home side has won the past 10 campus match-ups between the teams. CU has won the two neutral-floor battles in that time, winning at the 2018 Pac-12 tournament and again in the season opener on November 8th in the Pac-12’s annual game in China … Arizona State erased a 17-point second-half lead for the Buffs in that China game to tie the game with 10:15 remaining, but CU outscored ASU 22-12 the rest of the way. McKinley Wright paced the Buffs with 17 points and five assists, while Tyler Bey and D’Shawn Schwartz added 15 points apiece. Martin tallied 23 points with eight assists for ASU…CU was just 5-for-26 on 3-pointers in last year’s loss at ASU…Since allowing Northern Iowa to connect on 14 3-pointers in a home loss on Dec. 10th, the Buffs have held their past seven opponents to a .225 mark on 3-pointers (29-for-129) …

GAME PREVIEW

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado is 13-3 overall and 2-1 in the Pac-12 Conference after winning two of three at home to start the league season. The Buffaloes bounced back from a disappointing loss to Oregon State with a resounding 91-52 win over Utah on Jan. 12.

Defense has been the early calling card for Colorado. The Buffaloes are second in the Pac-12, and 26th in the nation, in scoring defense at 61.3 points per game. Colorado has held seven opponents under 60 points and three of those under 50. It’s the first time since 2012-13 Colorado has held three opponents under 50, and that was over a 34-game season.

Momentum is building for Colorado offensively. Through three Pac12 games, the Buffaloes lead the league in scoring (77.7 ppg), field goal percentage (.511) and second in assists (14.7 apg). Overall, Colorado’s 72.9 points per game ranks sixth in the Pac-12.

On other overall Pac-12 charts, Colorado leads league in rebounding defense (30.7 rpg) and rebounding margin (+8.0) while ranking third in scoring margin (+11.6) and free throw percentage (.734) and fourth in 3-point percentage (.365), 3-point defense (.313), 3-pointers made (7.5 3mpg), offensive rebounds (11.7 orpg) and defensive rebounds (27.6 drpg).

ABOUT THE SUN DEVILS: Arizona State is 10-6 overall and 1-2 in the Pac-12. The Sun Devils had the opposite start in league play from the Buffaloes, starting with their first three on the road. ASU will play its first game at the recently re-branded Desert Financial Arena since Dec. 28. Arizona State averages 73.2 points per game while shooting 42.6 percent from the field. Defensively, the Sun Devils allow 69.2 points per contest, while opponents shoot 42.5 percent. ASU leads the Pac-12 in steals at 8.4 per game while its plus-3.7 turnover margin ranks second.

Junior guard Remmy Martin leads Arizona Sate at 19.1 points, 3.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He is fourth in the Pac-12 in scoring and second in steals. Junior guard Alonzo Verge, Jr., is second on the team at 12.8 points and 2.8 assists per game. Junior forward Romello White leads the Sun Devils and ranks second in the Pac-12 in rebounding at 9.6 per game while pitching in 10.5 points per contest.

SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 21st meeting between Colorado and Arizona State with the Buffaloes holding an 11-9 series lead. Colorado has won seven of the last 11 overall, including the season opener, 81-71, in Shanghai, in the Pac-12 China game on Nov. 8. Colorado has just one win in eight tries in Tempe, a 63-49 decision on Feb. 11, 2012. ASU has reeled off six straight wins over the Buffaloes on its home floor.

Tad Boyle is 9-8 against Arizona State as a head coach. Bobby Hurley is 3-5 against Colorado as a head coach.

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January 15th 

... CU in the Arena … 

Buffs trying to break losing streaks against Arizona schools on the road

From the Daily Camera … Colorado clearly has Oregon’s number at the CU Events Center, where the Ducks have never won.

The opposite is true of the Buffaloes almost every time they visit the state of Arizona. Typically, the desert is where CU momentum goes to die.

No current Buffs player — and, really, no CU player in quite some time — has ever tasted victory at either Arizona State or Arizona. CU, ranked 20th in the latest AP top 25, will try to change that during its first road series of the Pac-12 Conference schedule, beginning Thursday night at Arizona State.

Since joining the Pac-12, the Buffs are 0-7 at Arizona, where they complete the trip on Saturday afternoon, and 1-6 at ASU, where they have suffered six consecutive losses since winning in Tempe in 2012 in their first season in the league.

“We haven’t won in Arizona at all. It’s going to be big,” CU junior forward Tyler Bey said. “None of us have won there. You get tired of losing there. We’re a great team. We’ve got the talent. We’ve got the effort. We just have the team to go out there and win.”

… Continue reading story here …

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CU’s chances in the desert hinges on McKinley Wright defending elite guards

From CUBuffs.com … Every week, it seems, Colorado’s McKinley Wright IV is matched against another elite-level point guard.

Two weeks ago in back-to-back games, he faced Oregon’s Payton Pritchard, a first team preseason All-Pac-12 pick, and Oregon State’s Ethan Thompson, a second-team selection. Last week, it was Utah standouts Rylan Jones and Both Gach.

This week, the storyline stays the same — except for the fact that Wright won’t have the comfort of the home court on his side. Colorado hits the road this week for games at Arizona State on Thursday (7 p.m., ESPN2) and Arizona on Saturday (12:30 p.m., Fox), where Wright will face two more preseason first team all-conference players in ASU’s Remy Martin and Arizona’s Nico Mannion.

It is no doubt a big weekend for the 20th-ranked Buffs (13-3 overall, 2-1 Pac-12) and Wright, of course, is relishing the challenge. He was also a member of the preseason all-conference first team, and there is nothing the CU junior enjoys more than the challenge of squaring off against the best.

Martin is a 6-foot, 170-pounder whose game revolves around his quickness. He leads ASU in scoring at 19.1 points per game (fourth in the Pac-12) and is ninth in the league in assists with 3.94 per game and a 1.34 assist-to-turnover ratio. Wright is averaging 13.6 points and 5.06 assists per game, with a 1.88 assist-to-turnover ratio

In their first meeting this year — a season-opening 81-71 Colorado win in China — Martin finished with 23 points, but he needed a 9-for-20 shooting night to get there. Wright had 17 points on 8-for-16 shooting.

“I have respect for Remy, I know he has respect for me,” Wright said. “It’s going to be a battle. He’s going to try to will his team to a victory as I’m trying to will my team to a road win. It’s a perfect opportunity for us to make up for our home loss against Oregon State and this will be a big one for us.”

But the level of difficulty for Wright will go up a notch Saturday when he faces Mannion. The 6-foot-3 UA freshman — already being tabbed as an NBA Draft lottery pick — is averaging 14.3 points and a league-leading 6.25 assists per game.

… Continue reading story here …

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January 14th

… CU in the Arena … 

*Video – Tad Boyle post-practice talk with media*

From YouTube, courtesy of CUSportsNation:

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Buffs preparing for desert road trip: “The most consistent team is going to win this league”

From CUBuffs.com … Minutes after the Colorado Buffaloes had routed visiting Utah on Sunday afternoon, CU sophomore Evan Battey said it best:

“This is Colorado basketball. It’s hard to beat us when we’re playing like this.”

Indeed, when the Buffs are hitting on all cylinders on both ends of the floor — as they were in their 91-52 win over the Utes — they are as good as anyone in the Pac-12. The Buffs were efficient offensively, outstanding on defense and dominant on the boards.

Now, their challenge will be to take that play on the road this week when they travel to the desert for a 7 p.m. game Thursday at Arizona State (ESPN2) and a 12:30 p.m. game Saturday at Arizona (Fox).

Of course, that is a challenge that all teams in the Pac-12 face.

After just two weekends of conference play, only one team — Stanford at 3-0 — remains unbeaten in league play. Meanwhile, we saw Oregon State throttle No. 24 Arizona (which was swept on its Oregon road trip) and Cal knock off Washington, which was a top-25 team just a couple of weeks ago.

It is why CU coach Tad Boyle‘s mantra on consistency bears repeating.

“The most consistent team is going to win this league,” Boyle said last week. “There’s a lot of talented teams, there’s a lot of teams that have the ability to win this league this year. But the most consistent team is going to do it … You have to be able to win on the road, you have to be able to protect home.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Poll Tracker – Who voted for CU in the poll

From College Poll Tracker …

— Highest ranking: 14th … Edgar Thompson (Orlando Sentinel)

— Notables … Seth Davis (CBS) – 17th (down one spot (?) from last week) … Jon Wilner (San Jose Mercury News) – 20th (up from unranked last week) … John Feinstein (NPR) – 21st (up from unranked last week) … Dick Vitale (ESPN) – 23rd (up from unranked last week)

— Totals … 61 voters put CU in their rankings (up from 20 last week) … 4 did not place CU in their rankings (down from 45 last week) …

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January 13th

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs jump five spots in AP poll; now the No. 20 team in the nation

… A total of seven Pac-12 teams are now receiving votes, with only Oregon and Colorado ranked in the Top 25 … 

From CBS Sports … Duke and Baylor posted strong weeks, but Gonzaga — with two wins over the last week by an average margin of 34 points — retained its spot at No. 1 in Monday’s updated AP Top 25 men’s college basketball rankings. The Bulldogs stayed atop the rankings for the fourth consecutive week, extending the longest streak a team has stayed at No. 1 in the rankings this season.

Baylor is on Gonzaga’s heels after posting its 12th consecutive win over the weekend, which came over a ranked Kansas team on the road. The Bears moved up two spots and jumped Duke and Kansas in the process — their highest ranking in a season since the 2016-17 season. It’s just the second time Baylor has held a top-2 spot in the rankings over the last decade.

Baylor received 31 first-place votes to Gonzaga’s 30; Gonzaga still edged Baylor for the top spot by getting 1,574 points in the poll to Baylor’s 1,567.

Rounding out the new top five is a familiar list and a new entry. Duke, which received the other four first-place votes, fell one spot to No. 3 and Auburn jumped one spot to No. 4, while Butler entered the top five for the first time all season.

Others receiving votes: Iowa 88, Stanford 77, Arkansas 65, Indiana 50, Virginia 41, Penn State 36, LSU 30, Arizona 20, Wisconsin 19, Liberty 11, Northern Iowa 10, Purdue 10, Duquesne 9, Washington 9, TCU 8, Rutgers 8, Virginia Tech 5, Oregon State 4, Houston 4, BYU 3, East Tennessee State 2, Saint Mary’s 1, Harvard 1, Akron 1, USC 1

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Tay Boyle on rout of Utah: “as complete a performance by our team all year”

From the Daily Camera … “I told them in the locker room that this has been the longest week of my coaching life that I can remember,” Boyle said. “My wife told me on Friday, ‘Boy, this week has gone quick.’ I said, ‘Well, maybe it has for you, but it hasn’t for me.’ It was getting that taste out of your mouth. And I think our players felt the same way.”

CU used an early 14-0 run to build a 16-2 lead and never looked back, shooting a season-best .594 from the field while four players scored in double figures. Defensively, the Buffs harassed the Utes from the opening tip and held sophomore Timmy Allen, who entered the game with a Pac-12-leading scoring average of 21.1 points per game, to a season-low seven points on a 2-for-11 effort from the floor.

Additionally, Utah’s Both Gach and Rylan Jones, who boasted a combined scoring average of nearly 24 points entering the game, were held to a combined 5-for-14 with 13 total points. Factor in a dominant 42-24 rebounding advantage, including 14 offensive rebounds by the Buffs that turned into a 14-4 edge on second-chance points, and it’s understandable why Boyle described the effort “as complete a performance by our team all year.”

… Continue reading story here …

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January 12th – Game Day !

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs dominate Utah, 91-52

From CUBuffs.com … That’s how you protect your home floor.

Tad Boyle‘s Colorado Buffaloes were hot from the start Sunday and never cooled off, dominating Utah from beginning to end in a 91-52 win at the CU Events Center.

The Buffs improved to 13-3 overall and 2-1 in Pac-12 play while the Utes fell to 10-5, 1-2.

Evan Battey and Tyler Bey each had double-doubles for the Buffs. Battey finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season while Bey notched his seventh of the season and 26th of his career with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Point guard McKinley Wright IV flirted with a triple-double before finishing with 16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and D’Shawn Schwartz added 14 points and five rebounds.

The Utes did not have a player in double-digit scoring, as Riley Battin led Utah with just eight points. Colorado held the Pac-12’s leading scorer, Timmy Allen, to just seven points on 2-for-11 shooting.

 The Buffs dominated in virtually every statistical category. CU shot 38-for-64 from the field (59.4 percent) while holding the Utes to just 19-for-54 shooting (35.2 percent). Colorado held a commanding 43-23 rebounding lead, including 15 offensive rebounds that led to 14 second-chance points, and the Buffs committed just nine turnovers while forcing 13 Utah miscues.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado led from the outset, using a 14-0 run early to push the lead to double digits and extending the edge to as much as 25 before settling for a 22-point cushion at intermission, 44-22. Battey was dominant on the offensive boards in the first half, collecting six offensive rebounds that led to four Colorado baskets.

CU kept the pressure on in the second half and built its lead to 30 less than seven minutes in when a Wright 3-pointer gave Colorado a 61-31 edge. The Utes never threatened to make a serious run the rest of the way.

The Buffs’ big lead of the game came in the final minute, when a Dallas Walton basket gave Colorado its final points of the night to wrap up the 91-52 win.

All 15 Buffs in uniform played in the game, with 11 scoring at least one point.

… Continue reading story here …

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Buffs facing must-win v. Utah – McKinley Wright: “We’ve got to bounce back. We’ve got to make a statement” 

From the Daily Camera … The idea, of course, is to attack each game with the exact same level of intensity and urgency.

Reality often doesn’t work out that way. And the reality for the Colorado men’s basketball team is that the third Pac-12 Conference game of the season on Sunday against Utah already has the feel of a must-win showdown.

Exactly one week after stumbling at home against Oregon State, which itself was just three days after a resounding league-opening win against then-No. 4 Oregon, the Buffs return to the CU Events Center to host the Utes, which also split its first Pac-12 Conference series at home against the Oregon schools.

On CU’s annual basketball alumni weekend featuring throwback jerseys to the 1968-69 team, which was the last Buffs squad to win a regular season conference crown, the quest to end that championship drought would be significantly hampered out of the gate with a second consecutive home loss.

“It’s a must-win. We’ve got to bounce back,” CU point guard McKinley Wright IV said. “We’ve got to make a statement. We’ve got to win this one and we’ve got to go steal some on the road.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Buffs ready for Kentucky-killer Utah – “Utah doesn’t beat themselves”

From CUBuffs.com … Tad Boyle’s Colorado Buffaloes have had a week now to stew over their last outing, a 76-68 loss to Oregon State.

Sunday afternoon, the 25th-ranked Buffs (12-3 overall, 1-1 Pac-12)  finally have a chance to wash the taste out of their mouths when they play host to Utah (10-4, 1-1) in a 4 p.m. game at the CU Events Center (ESPNU).

It’s no doubt been a long week for the Buffs.

Most weeks in the conference season involve two games. But twice each year, Pac-12 teams face their conference-designated rival and it is their only game of the week. Thus, thanks to a loss that prevented the Buffs from spending the week atop the league standings, it’s been an especially long seven days.

“That’s behind us,” Boyle said after Saturday’s practice. “We can’t do anything about it now other than move forward, and that’s what we’ve got to do with Utah.”

It won’t be an easy assignment. The Utes, picked in the preseason media poll to finish ninth in the Pac-12, look much more like an upper-division conference team. Utah opened its conference season with a win over Oregon State — the same Beavers, Boyle notes, who beat Colorado three days later — and took Oregon down to the wire before losing. Larry Krystkowiak’s team also owns wins over Kentucky, Nevada, Minnesota and BYU.

“They’re a tough-minded team and they play within themselves,” Boyle said. “Utah doesn’t beat themselves. You have to beat Utah. They’re not going to come in here and turn it over 25 times. They’re not going to take a bunch of bad shots. They’re much, much better than I think anybody thought that they would be at this stage of the game before the season started.”

… Continue reading story here …

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GAME PREVIEW

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado is 12-3 overall seeing a five-game win streak snapped in its last game, a 76-68 setback to Oregon State on Jan. 5. The Buffaloes split their opening weekend of Pac-12 play, beginning with a 74-65 win over No. 4 (AP)/No. 6 (Coaches) ranked Oregon on Jan. 2.

The Buffaloes won their league opener for the first time since defeating UCLA 62-56 on Jan. 2, 2015, at the CU Events Center – also the last year CU opened the Pac-12 schedule at home. Colorado is 4-5 all-time in Pac-12 openers.

ABOUT THE UTES: Utah, 10-4 overall, split its games during the Pac-12 Conference’s opening weekend, flipping the results which Colorado had. Utah defeated Oregon State while losing a close battle with No. 4 ranked Oregon. The Utes, who will be playing in just their third true road game of the season, average 78.3 points while shooting 47.6 percent from the field. Defensively, Utah allows 78.3 points per game while opponents shoot 41.3 percent. The Utes entered the week as the Pac-12’s top free throw shooting team at 75.1 percent and the league’s best defensive rebounding team at 29.6 per game.

Sophomore forward Timmy Allen leads the Pac-12 in scoring at 21.1 points per game. Allen also tops the Utes and ranks seventh in the Pac-12 in rebounding at 7.9 an outing. Sophomore guard Both Gach is second on the team in scoring, at 12.9 points per game, as well as assists (42) and 3-pointers made (24). Freshman guard Rylan Jones averages 10.9 points while leading the Utes in 3-point shooting at 47.5 percent and in assists (64). Jones entered the week third in the Pac-12 in 3-pointers made (2.2 3mpg), fourth in 3-point percentage and fifth in assists.

SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 52nd meeting between Colorado and Utah with the Buffaloes holding a 28-23 advantage. The teams have split their last four meetings, with the home team holding serve each time. Prior to that, the Utes had reeled off eight-straight wins, the longest stretch by either team in the series that dates back to 1914. Colorado holds a 19-6 advantage at home and has won the last two.

THROWBACK GAME: Colorado is holding a reunion for the coach Russell “Sox” Walseth era with a throwback game Sunday. The Buffaloes will be wearing retro jerseys from the 1960s, specifically to honor the 1968-69 Big Eight championship team, representing Colorado’s last regular season conference title. The white jerseys feature the word “BUFFS” in gold lettering with gold numbers. An old-school interlocking “CU” is featured on the shorts while the jersey top is trimmed in black and gold.

Walseth is the program’s all-time leader in coaching wins and years of service, guiding the Buffaloes to a 261-245 record in 20 seasons (1956-76). He led Colorado to three Big Eight Conference titles and NCAA Appearances in 1961-62, ’62-63 and ’68-69.

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January 11th

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs trying to move past Oregon State: “You can’t dwell on it. That’s a big thing”

From CUBuffs.com … Learn, get better and move on.

That’s been one of the main messages this week from Colorado head coach Tad Boyle to his Buffaloes.

The 25th-ranked Buffs (12-3 overall, 1-1 Pac-12) played well last week for approximately 73 minutes, only to see a sub-par seven-minute stretch throw a damper on the entire week. Thus, what started as a very promising week with a big win over No. 4 Oregon ended with a thud in the form of a home loss to Oregon State.

Now, the Buffs aim to rebound Sunday when they end a three-game homestand with a 4 p.m. game against Utah (10-4, 1-1) at the CU Events Center.

Granted, it hasn’t been easy for the Buffs to get past those final seven minutes against OSU, when they let an 11-point lead slip turn into an eight-point loss. But as Boyle has told his team, they have to remember what they did to produce that lead — then eliminate the mistakes that let it disappear down the stretch.

“You address your problems and you also talk about the fact that we were playing very, very well for those first 33 minutes,” Boyle said after Friday’s practice. “We have to build on that and gain confidence from that, and learn from that last stretch. (But) you can’t dwell on it. That’s a big thing.”

Actually, the Buffs had played well over the last several weeks prior to the final minutes of the Oregon State game. Colorado had won five in a row, thanks in big part to their improved offensive efficiency behind point guard McKinley Wright IV.

Early in the year, the Buffs had trouble finding the basket consistently. But after shooting better than 43 percent from the field in just three of their first 10 games, they eclipsed that mark in four of their last five. Including the Oregon State game, they have shot just under 50 percent (138-for-280) from the floor in their last five contests.

… Continue reading story here …

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January 10th

… CU in the Arena … 

*Video – Evan Battey interview on BuffStampede*

From BuffsTV:

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13-year old Nicholas Nelson signs National Letter of Intent with CU

From CUBuffs.com … The University of Colorado men’s basketball team signed 13-year old Nicholas Nelson of Louisville, Colo., to a National Letter of Intent during a Draft Day ceremony Friday afternoon at the CU Events Center.

“Nick,” along with his parents Mark and Maureen, and younger brother Xander, joined head coach Tad Boyle and sophomore forward Evan Battey on the podium to sign his official NLI. Boyle presented the recruit with a No. 13 jersey with his name on the back.

“(The Nelson family) has been around our program for a little over a year, have got to know the guys, been to a bit of practices and been in the locker room after some big wins,” Boyle said. “Don’t know if (Nelson) has been in there after any tough losses.”

Just before signing the NLI coach Boyle delivered a message to Nelson. “We’re really pleased to bring Nick officially into our program, and the entire Nelson family.  You’re going to be a great addition and we’re all proud and happy for you. It’s a big day for you and your family.”

Nelson, a seventh grader at Louisville Middle School, joined the Buffaloes through Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing serious and chronic illnesses through the power of team.

“I’m very proud of myself,” Nelson said, adding that he looks forward to “having fun with (the players) and going into the locker room and seeing that everyone is having a good time.”

Nelson was born with a rare genetic condition called Williams Syndrome, which affects about 1 in every 10,000 children worldwide, regardless of gender or background. Williams Syndrome is caused by a spontaneous deletion of about 26 genes on one copy of chromosome 7.

… Continue reading story here …

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Evan Battey: “I don’t care if I play every single minute of a game … I just want to win. I’m just happy to be a part of it”

From The Athletic … Evan Battey skipped onto the basketball court at the CU Events Center after practice on Wednesday afternoon. He hooped and hollered as he showed off the Buffaloes’ new white and gold throwback uniforms they will wear this weekend.

Once he got to center court, he pulled up his knee-high socks, rolled up his shorts so they would resemble the old short-short basketball shorts, and struck several poses.

This light-hearted attitude from Battey is hardly new. It’s how he is every day, as he holds a special appreciation for life that isn’t commonly found in 21-year-olds.

But then again, not many 21-year-olds have almost died after suffering a stroke, as Battey did two years ago.

… Decked out in the Buff’s throwback uniforms, Battey, who is averaging 9.5 points and 6.5 rebounds while starting all 15 games this season for 25th-ranked CU, picked up a ball and started to shoot. Every couple of shots, he would jump up and kick out his legs, a wide smile spread across his face.

“Got to shoot it like they did in the old days,” he laughed.

Battey appreciates every moment he gets to spend on the court — whether it’s at the CU Events Center or at home with his friends.

When he wakes up, he gives thanks for his health, his life, and his ability to be a part of this Buffs team. With expectations high for the team this season, Battey is giving up all his personal goals for the collective team goal of winning.

“I don’t care if I play every single minute of a game, or I play no minutes of a game,” Battey said. “I just want to win. I’m just happy to be a part of it.”

… Read full story here (subscription required) …

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January 9th

… CU in the Arena … 

CU to honor Sox Walseth era this weekend

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado coach Tad Boyle has always placed a special emphasis on embracing the tradition of Buffaloes basketball.

He has welcomed Buffs alums to games and practices, has encouraged current players to learn about the history of the program, and has been an ardent supporter of an alumni team that annually plays in a national tournament.

But perhaps most importantly, Boyle has made it a practice to host a reunion every season, where all Buffs are welcome and one coach and his players from that particular era are honored.

Every one of the reunions has been special. So far, former Buffs coaches Bill Blair, Tom Apke, Joe Harrington and Ricardo Patton have been honored and recognized, along with players from their years in Boulder.

But this weekend’s gathering may be just a little extra special, as CU prepares to honor Russell “Sox” Walseth — still the winningest and longest-tenured men’s coach in Buffs history.

“Every one of the reunions has meant a lot,” Boyle said. “They are all important because they are part of the history and tradition of Colorado basketball, and every coach and player had a role in building that. But yes … there’s only one name on the court at the CU Events Center.”

Indeed, the Events Center floor is emblazoned with “Sox Walseth Court,” honoring the man who coached the Buffs for 20 years (1956-76) and compiled a 261-245 record. Walseth won three Big Eight regular season titles in his career (1961-62, ’62-63 and ’68-69), took his teams to three NCAA Tournaments and was named the Big Eight Coach of the Year five times. Along the way, he coached some of the biggest names in CU history, including Ken Charlton, Jim Davis, Cliff Meely and Scott Wedman.

Walseth also coached the CU women’s team from 1980-83, compiling a 77-21 record that included a perfect 43-0 record at home in his tenure.

Boyle, in his 10th season with the Buffs, is second on Colorado’s all-time win list with a 201-126 record.

“He had great teams and he coached great players,” Boyle said. “Sox’s era was very successful — he’s still the winningest coach in our history. He won three conference championships, which is something we haven’t done yet. We’ve won a conference tournament, but back then they didn’t have a conference tournament and you had to win the conference to even get to the NCAA Tournament. That’s something we aspire to do.”

… Continue reading story here …

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January 8th

… CU in the Arena …

McKinley Wright:”We know what we’re capable of. We had a serious conversation as a team in our film room”

From CUBuffs.com … “I was very disappointed,” junior point guard McKinley Wright IV said after Wednesday’s practice. “Not as much in the team but more in myself. I made a lot of careless reads down the stretch, turned the ball over and they came back, striking at us.”

But now, after a heart-to-heart team discussion and film session, the 25th-ranked Buffs are ready to put that loss behind them and concentrate on the future, beginning with Sunday’s 4 p.m. home matchup with Utah at the CU Events Center (ESPNU).

“We know what we’re capable of,” Wright said. “We had a serious conversation as a team in our film room, just about not having the pain of regret toward the end of the season. I think that sparked everybody a little bit more. We know how big these games are come March. We’re going to do our best to come out with a lot more energy and do a better job of putting two halves together.”

Indeed, while every game technically counts the same, home losses hurt just a little more, simply because it is harder to make up the difference with a road win. With one conference home loss already in the books — and two overall this season — the Buffs (12-3 overall, 1-1 Pac-12) are determined not to let their CU Events Center edge go to waste again.

“We know we have to bounce back,” Wright said. “We have to do a better job protecting home court. We’ve dropped two here this year. Buff Nation comes out and supports us big time and we’re appreciative of that. We have to do a better job of having their back and winning games here.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Tad Boyle: “Every player on our team has two or three things they have to get a little bit better at”

From CUBuffs.com … “I look at the Dayton game, the Northern Iowa game. I look at the Oregon game, Oregon State game,” Boyle said. “Our players, if they can’t learn from both of those situations, it’s going to be an up-and-down year and we’re going to lose games we shouldn’t lose. And, we may win some games that people are like, ‘Oh, that was a great win.'”

But those ups and downs won’t produce a conference title run, which is what the Buffs want to be making in late February-early March — which is why a week with a little extra practice time built in becomes a little more important.

Thus, Boyle is meeting with each player on an individual basis this week to provide a “mid-year assessment.”

“Sixteen games left, here’s what you have to do to make our team a little bit better,” Boyle said. “If every guy will buy into that and do that, we’ll be fine.”

What the Buffs know for sure is that they can’t afford another home loss — not if they want to be in the conference title race when the calendar turns to March.

“We put ourselves in the hole a little bit by losing the game at home,” Boyle said. “We have to make up for that some at some point down the road on the road. We can’t lose home games because that just puts more pressure on the road. I just want our guys to understand what it takes — and they do. Now the challenge is to go do it.”

… Continue reading story here …

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January 7th

… CU in the Arena … 

Poll Tracker – Who voted for CU in the poll

From College Poll Tracker …

— Highest ranking: 9th (9th!) … Doug Doughty (Roanoke Va. Times)

— Notables … Seth Davis (CBS) – 16th … not ranked by: Jon Wilner (San Jose Mercury News); Dick Vitale (ESPN); John Feinstein (NPR)

— Totals … 20 voters put CU in their rankings (down from a high of 53) … 45 did not place CU in their rankings (up from a low of 12) …

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Bracketology: CU a No. 7 seed at CBS; No. 8 seed at ESPN

From CBS Sports … A new bracket projection is out and there is a fair amount of churning going on, which is to be expected this early in the season. Right now, each new game is a greater percentage of a team’s total body of work than it will be as the season goes on, so there is a chance for it to have greater impact.

The bracket is not a poll. A team does not automatically keep its spot just because it hasn’t lost. Every new result is not the only thing affecting a team’s profile. Each result by its opponents has an impact as well.

Bracketology by Jerry Palm at CBS Sports … CU down to a No. 7 seed (After being a No. 5 seed after the win over Oregon)

The Pac-12 (six teams in bracket) … Oregon: No. 4 seed; Stanford: No. 6 seed; Colorado: No. 7 seed; Arizona: No. 9 seed; USC: No. 10 seed; Washington: No. 10 seed; (Utah: first four out)

Bracketology by Joe Lunardi at ESPN … CU down to a No. 8 seed (After being a No. 6 seed after the win over Oregon)

The Pac-12 (five teams in bracket) … Oregon: No. 3 seed; Arizona: No. 5 seed: Colorado: No. 8 seed; Stanford: No. 10 seed; Washington: No. 11 seed (Stanford: Last four byes; Washington: Last four in; USC: Next four out)

Team Rankings.com … CU chances of making NCAA tournament: 92.0% (down from 97.8% last week) … Most likely seed: No. 5 (down from No. 3 last week) …

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Neill Woelk: Boyle’s Buffs will Bounce Back

From CUBuffs.com … Every player on the floor had a role in the eight-minute collapse (against Oregon State). The Buffs didn’t handle the ball well, they didn’t shoot well, they didn’t play defense well and they didn’t rebound well in the last eight minutes. While the coach certainly is responsible for his team’s performance, the players on the floor also shoulder a measure of accountability as well.

Guaranteed, they will accept that burden and work to correct it.

Thanks to a quirk in the schedule, Colorado has  an entire week to get ready for its next game. The Buffs need to ensure they are at their best Sunday when they play host to Utah in a 4 p.m. matchup at the CU Events Center.

They’ll spend the week getting themselves “right.”

“The challenge is to get the guys to understand that nothing is going to be given to you,” Boyle said after Sunday’s game. “I talked to them a lot about earning respect and what we’ve done over the last two or three four games. We’ve played to earn some respect, and how quickly that can go away. We earned some beating Dayton, and playing the way that we did against Iona, and then beating Oregon. We just stubbed our toes again, just like we did against Northern Iowa. You eat what you kill. That’s the challenge is to get them to understand that.”

The guess here is the Buffs will understand. This is a veteran team with seasoned leaders, beginning with junior point guard McKinley Wright IV. Wright is a tough-minded floor general who has led the Buffs through rough patches in the past, and he has plenty of help in that regard on this year’s team.

It’s logical to believe the Buffs will respond once again in solid fashion. It is a long Pac-12 season.

… Continue reading story here …

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January 6th

… CU in the Arena …

McKinley Wright named Pac-12 Player-of-the-Week

From CUBuffs.com … University of Colorado junior guard McKinley Wright IV was named the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week for games played Jan. 2-5, the league office announced on Monday.

Wright averaged 17.5 points, 9.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds as the Buffaloes split the opening weekend of conference play at home against the Oregon schools. Wright shot 54.5 percent (12-22) from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line (10-13), picking up his second career Pac-12 Player of the Week honor and the first this season for Colorado.

Wright scored a game-high 21 points, dished out eight assists and pulled down five rebounds in Colorado’s 74-65 win over then-No. 4 ranked Oregon on Jan. 2. He was 6 of 11 from the field and 8 of 10 from the free throw line.

Ironically, Wright’s first Pac-12 Player of the Week honor came under similar circumstances. Two years ago, almost to the date (Jan. 4, 2018), Wright led the Buffaloes to an upset of No. 4 ranked Arizona State at home with 19 points and five assists.

Wright also put up big numbers in a losing effort to Oregon State on Jan. 5. He had 14 points and 10 assists against the Beavers, recording his eighth career double-double and third in the last four games. The double-double was his sixth of the points-assists variety, tying Jay Humphries (1980-84) school record for that category.

Monday’s Player of the Week award is Colorado’s 11th of the Pac-12 era. Wright joins Josh Scott (2015-16) and Askia Booker (2013-14) as Buffs to win the league’s weekly award twice. Colorado has had at least one conference Player of the Week each of the last five seasons and in eight of nine seasons as members of the Pac-12.

The Buffaloes, at 12-3 and ranked No. 25 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll, return to the CU Events Center on Sunday, Jan. 12, to face Utah at 4 p.m.

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Despite loss to OSU, Buffs rejoin AP poll (at No. 25)

From CBS Sports … For the third consecutive week, Gonzaga comes in at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball rankings. It’s the longest streak a team has retained the top spot all season amidst a season full of upsets, which the Zags managed to avoid this week with close wins over Portland and Pepperdine. Looming road trips to San Diego and Loyola Marymount await the Bulldogs this week.

Gonzaga received 54 first-place votes while Duke received nine and Kansas received two. That’s how the order of this week’s poll looks, too. Behind Gonzaga the top three remained unchanged with Duke and Kansas at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively. Into the top five this week for the first time is Baylor, which jumped from No. 6 to No. 4, and Auburn, which jumped from No. 8 into the No. 5 spot. Auburn is one of only two unbeaten teams in the sport this season.

The other undefeated team, San Diego State, makes its top-10 debut this week at No. 7. Sitting at 15-0, the Aztecs jumped six spots after wins over Fresno State and Utah State the past week. SDSU faces Wyoming on the road Wednesday before returning home to play Boise State on Saturday.

Others receiving votes … Iowa (63) 10-4; Seton Hall (48) 10-4; Arkansas (38) 12-1; Marquette (25) 11-3; Xavier (18) 12-3; Wisconsin (17) 9-5; Houston (8) 11-3; Creighton (6) 12-3; Washington (6) 11-4; VCU (5) 12-3; Saint Mary’s (3) 14-3; Liberty (2) 16-1; Northern Iowa (2) 12-2; Purdue (1) 9-6; Stephen F. Austin (1) 13-2; Brigham Young (1) 12-4

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Tad Boyle: “I take responsibility as a coach. We did not handle that well, and that’s my fault”

From the Daily Camera … It felt like another party was about to break out, one that would end with a likely return to the AP top 25 come Monday morning.

… But then, much like last year, Oregon State spoiled the fun.

The Beavers used a 10-0 run to climb back into the game late and then made all the big plays in the final minutes to hand the Buffaloes a stunning 76-68 defeat on Sunday afternoon. The loss erased all the good vibes CU picked up three days earlier with a win against fourth-ranked Oregon and left coach Tad Boyle and his club lamenting yet another late collapse at home against Oregon State.

Before last year, OSU had only posted one win in 10 trips to Boulder. The Beavers have now recorded consecutive wins at the Events Center.

“Have never had something like this happen to a team. We lost our composure and our confidence and we got on our heels. That can’t happen,” Boyle said. “It’s league play and welcome to the Pac-12, guys. We’re a veteran team. That’s what’s disappointing. If we had a bunch of freshmen and sophomores out there, I’d be OK, we’ll learn from this. But that’s not the case. There’s no excuses to be made for that.

“I take responsibility as a coach. We did not handle that well, and that’s my fault.”

… Continue reading story here …

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January 5th – Game Day !

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs an blow 11-point lead in falling to Oregon State, 76-68

… Related … “Oregon State dominates late to stun CU Buffs at home” … from the Daily Camera

… Related … “Oregon State turns up pressure, rallies past Colorado 76-68” … from ESPN

From CUBuffs.com … For the second year in a row, the Colorado Buffaloes couldn’t protect their home court against Oregon State.

The Buffs led by 11 Sunday with under eight minutes to play, but were outscored 24-5 over the final 7:57 to drop a 76-68 decision.

The loss ended CU’s five-game win streak and sent the Buffs to 12-3 overall and 1-1 in Pac-12 play. OSU improved to 11-3, 1-1.

Tyler Bey led CU with 20 points and eight rebounds while McKinley Wright had a 14-point, 10-assist double-double. Shane Gatling added 11 for CU.

Ethan Thompson led the Beavers with 24 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado led by seven at the half, 39-32, before the Beavers cut the margin to four less than four minutes in on a Kylor Kelley dunk.

But the Buffs then put together an 8-0 run to push their lead to 12. D’Shawn Schwartz started the surge with a 12-footer before Wright drove the lane. Wright then collected his 10th assist of the game, a feed to Bey underneath, before Bey finished the run with a long two from the key with 13:21 remaining to give CU a 53-41 lead.

With 7:57 to play, Colorado still led by 11, 63-52, after a Wright free throw.

But the Beavers managed to stay close, finally pulling back to within six, 63-57, with 6:22 to play on a Zach Reichle 3-pointer and Ethan Thompson basket, spurring a timeout from Boyle.

Colorado, though, turned it over after the timeout, leading to a Kelley dunk, and with under six minutes to play, CU’s 12-point lead had been cut to four. One minute later, Reichle hit three free throws to complete a 10-0 run and pull the Beavers within one, 63-62.

CU momentarily ended the run on an Evan Battey bucket and free throw with 4:39 remaining to put CU back up by four, but Tres Tinkle responded with a 3-pointer to cut Colorado’s lead back to one, 66-65, with 4:07 to play.

Oregon State then finally took the lead for the first time since early in the game, 67-66, on a Tinkle bucket inside with 2:25 remaining following two CU possessions that ended on turnovers.

… Continue reading story here …

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Buffs not looking past Oregon State (4:00 p.m., MT, ESPNU): “We’re ready. That’s all I can say, we’re ready”

From CUBuffs.com … Tad Boyle hasn’t had to remind the Colorado Buffaloes what happened the last time Oregon State paid a visit to Boulder.

They all remember it well.

Just less than a year ago, OSU paid a late-January visit to the CU Events Center and left with a 76-74 win that dropped CU’s Pac-12 record to 2-6. It was a painful loss, but it also proved to be a turning point in the Buffs’ season. The Buffs bounced back to defeat Oregon in their next game, the beginning of a five-game streak that was part of a 12-4 CU finish to the season that also included a 73-58 win over the Beavers in the Pac-12 tournament.

Now, combined with this year’s 12-2 record (1-0 Pac-12), Colorado is 24-6 since that home loss to Oregon State, including a 7-0 mark in conference home games. The Buffs can push that to eight Sunday when they play host to OSU (10-3, 0-1) in a 4 p.m. game at the Events Center.

“We’re ready,” said CU point guard McKinley Wright, who had a crucial turnover late in last year’s game in Boulder. “That’s all I can say, we’re ready. We let that one slip last year at home. I had the chance late to win that game. We didn’t execute. Sunday we will need the house packed and we’re ready to go.”

The Beavers, picked to finish seventh in the Pac-12 preseason media poll, are coming off an 81-69 loss at Utah on Thursday. But they have a formidable lineup that includes  preseason conference player of the year Tres Tinkle, a 6-foot-7 senior forward who is in the league’s top 10 in scoring (20.3 points per game), rebounding (7.2), assists (3.9) and steals (1.6). Combined with guard Ethan Thompson (15.8 ppg) and 7-0 center Kylor Kelley (11.1 ppg, 4.38 blocks), it is a balanced group.

Boyle said stopping Tinkle and Thompson will take a team effort.

“You have to try to make him (Tinkle) play in a crowd,” Boyle said. “It’s team defensive mindset that we have to have against both he and Thompson. They’re both really good one-on-one players. They’re good shooters, they’re good drivers, they’re good in the paint, they can score at all three levels. It’s a team thing. It’s not just an individual thing.”

… Continue reading story here …

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GAME PREVIEW

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado is 12-2 overall and on a five-game winning streak. The Buffaloes opened Pac-12 Conference play with a 74-65 win over No. 4 (AP)/No. 6 (Coaches) ranked Oregon on Jan. 2. Colorado’s 12-2 record to begin the season is its best since the  2013-14 team started 14-2.

The Buffaloes won their league opener for the first time since defeating UCLA 62-56 on Jan. 2, 2015, at the CU Events Center – also the last year CU opened the Pac-12 schedule at home. Colorado is 4-5 all-time in Pac-12 openers.

Defense has been the early calling card for Colorado. The Buffaloesare second in the Pac-12, and 32nd in the nation, in scoring defense at 60.9 points per game. Colorado has held six opponents under 60 points and three of those under 50. It’s the first time since 2012-13 Colorado has held three opponents under 50, and that was over a 34-game season.

ABOUT THE BEAVERS: Oregon State is 10-3 overall and 0-1 in the Pac-12 after dropping its conference opener at Utah on Jan. 2.
The Beavers have lost two of their last three after reeling off seven-straight wins. Oregon State averages 77.7 points per game while shooting 47.9 percent from the field. Defensively, the Beavers allow just 66.5 points per game while allowing opponents to shoot 40.1 percent. Oregon State is the top shot blocking team in the Pac-12 and rank second in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio.

Senior forward Tres Tinkle leads Oregon State at 20.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. The All-Pac-12 performer is shooting 52 percent from the field and 47 percent from 3-point range. Junior guard Ethan Thompson leads the Beavers in assists (59) while ranking second in scoring (15.8 ppg) and steals (18). Senior Kylor Kelley leads the Pac-12 in blocks (57) while ranking third on the team in scoring at 11.1 points per game.

SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 24th meeting between Colorado and Oregon State with the Buffaloes holding a 15-8 series lead. Oregon State won last year’s meeting in Boulder, 76-74, just its second in 11 tries at the CU Events Center. Colorado got revenge on the Beavers in the postseason with a 73-58 win in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament.

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January 4th

… CU in the Arena … 

The Athletic on Buffs: This team can be special

From The Athletic … The student section at the University of Colorado Events Center flooded onto the court as the final buzzer went off, doing their best to hurdle the rows of seats in front of them to get down there quicker. The CU men’s basketball team met them at center-court with open arms — jumping in the center of the mosh pit, high-fiving their fellow students and appearing in Snapchat videos.

Why wouldn’t they? After all, they had just defeated No. 4 Oregon 74-65 at home to open up Pac-12 play and improve to 12-2 overall.

“At media day, they picked us second (in the Pac-12),” point guard McKinley Wright IV said. “We got to work after that. We honestly thought we were the best team in the conference. Tonight, we just wanted to handle business and showcase that we still think we are the best team in the conference, whether it’s at home or on the road.

This team can be special

The phrase “Respect cannot be learned, purchased or acquired. It can only be earned,” is written on the walls of the Buffaloes’ film room. The team sees it every day.

It’s because of this motto the Buffs didn’t beat themselves up when they fell out of the rankings after they followed up a road loss to No. 3 Kansas with a home loss to Northern Iowa. At the same time, it’s the mindset they carried into their game against Oregon. And, well, they’ve earned some respect.

“We have to earn that respect and I think we’re in the process of doing that,” CU coach Tad Boyle said. “We don’t have that respect, but you have to earn it. You can’t beg for it, you can’t buy it. You earn it through these kinds of wins and playing consistent basketball and getting better as the year goes on.”

… Continue reading story here (subscription required) …

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January 3rd 

… CU in the Arena … 

Quotable post-game quotes from Oregon game

From CUBuffs.com …

CU head coach Tad Boyle … 

Opening statement
“Well, that was a high level college basketball game, I think it was as good as advertised. We knew that Oregon was going to come in here and give us their best shot and I feel like, certainly from an effort standpoint, they did. They didn’t, maybe play as well as they’re capable of playing or they’ve played in the past, but I think our defense had something to do with that and you know you beat a good program, a nationally ranked program deservedly, talented program talented players, but they’re young, and they’re there they’re learning, but you know that team went into Michigan and won at Michigan. They represented the conference well at the Bahamas, I’ve got great respect for coach (Dana) Altman, and he’s a heck of a basketball coach, and we beat a good team tonight. I would just say anybody that wasn’t at the game tonight you missed a heck of a game, and this team, this Colorado basketball team is worthy of eight more games like the Event Center was tonight in terms of packed, enthusiastic. Our crowd helped us win this game, and I thank them for that and I just would beg them to come back Sunday at four o’clock because we’re going to need it. We’re playing a very good Oregon State team then. And this counts as one win. If we would have lost it would be one loss but it’s nice to nice to get off to a good start against a really good basketball team.”

On if beating Oregon had extra emphasis
I think it does to our team, but again we’re 1-0 in league play we’re not 2-0, we’re not 1 ½-0, we we’re 1-0. It’s one game, and I had to say that to myself before the game and I want our fans to understand, Oregon State counts just as much as Oregon does. I know the national ranking and the ducks have a lot of respect nationally, so I knew our players would be ready for that. These are the games you don’t have to get your guys up for and ready. Sunday, I got to do a good job getting our guys up and ready to play, because Oregon State came in here and this building last year beat us. So we can’t let that happen again and they’re a quality team with quality players, and I believe this team has a chance to do something special this year. It’s only going to happen if we take every opportunity as they come and cherish and relish it and get up for it. That’s my challenge as a coach.”

D’Shawn Schwartz

On Two Top-15 Wins And Five-Straight Wins
“No doubt. I think Pac-12 play is the perfect time to start climbing, start improving as a team and starting to peak. I think we’re really getting off to a good start to Pac-12 play. We’ve got a good Oregon State team coming up here, we’ve got to show them we mean business.”

On The Crowd
“Love the crowd. When we have games like that we need them. Not only do they intimidate the other team but they really get us going. We love giving back to the fans just as much they give to us.

McKinley Wright 

On Having Mel Tucker, Rick George and Phillip Lindsay Courtside
“That’s big time. That’s Buff Nation. We’re a family, basketball, football, you know, Mel Tucker sees us front row every football game, so to see him front row tonight is big time and it’s just love both ways.”

On Sending A Statement To The Nation
“This just shows it man. Our coaches believe in us. We believe in each other. When I say this I’m not just saying that to say, we are one of the best teams in the country for real. We let one slip earlier at home against UNI. A lot of people knock us down because of that. The Dayton game, tonight, Iona, we showcased that we know we belong. So, we’re back.”

Oregon coach Dana Altman

ON GAME OVERALL
“We started with a couple of bad offensive possessions, had a lot of turnovers, we put ourselves in a bad position. We couldn’t get the three point shooting going. We had some good looks, couldn’t knock them down early, started 0 for 11 until we finally hit one. We have to do a better job.”

ON NEVER WINNING AT COLORADO
“It’s not a huge deal. There’s only been two or three guys who have played here so the others don’t know [but for himself] Not really. We’ve won a lot of games but can’t find a way to win here. We have a great team just a tough atmosphere. Colorado’s won [in Oregon] but we can’t find a way to do it here.”

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Accolades pouring in for CU; up to No. 17 at CBS Sports; given 97.8% chance of NCAA bid

… Related … Bracketology by Jerry Palm at CBS Sports … CU up to a No. 5 seed

… Related … Bracketology by Joe Lunardi at ESPN … CU up to a No. 6 seed

… Related … “Buffaloes take down No. 4 Ducks in Pac-12 opener for both teams” … from CBS Sports … Quotable: “This might be Colorado’s league to lose. The way this team looked Thursday, this is Colorado’s league to lose.”

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From CBS Sports … In advance of publishing our annual Candid Coaches series last offseason, we asked more than 100 college coaches to predict which team would win the 2020 NCAA Tournament. More than half of them said Michigan State. Nearly a third said Kansas. Kentucky, Duke and Florida also received multiple votes. But the one vote I remember sticking out, because it was a vote for a school that wasn’t in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll, was the one vote a coach submitted for Colorado.

It seemed like a stretch, at the time.

But perhaps not.

“This is a special team,” Colorado coach Tad Boyle said after Thursday’s 74-65 victory over Oregon. “We have great kids in the locker room. It’s a special group.”

CBS Rankings … include: No. 2 Kansas … No. 6 Oregon (down only one spot after loss to Colorado) … No. 18 Dayton …

No. 17 – Colorado ... McKinley Wright finished with 21 points, eight assists and five rebounds in Thursday’s 74-65 victory over Oregon. Colorado’s five-game winning streak also features a win over Dayton.

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Team Rankings.com … CU chances of making NCAA tournament: 97.8% (up from 83.3% last week) … Most likely seed: No. 3 (up from No. 5 last week) …

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Sagarin rankings … Pac-12 Top six:
Oregon – 11
Colorado – 24
Arizona – 29
Stanford – 52
USC – 55
Washington – 60

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Kenpom: Pac-12 Top six:
Oregon – 11
Arizona – 16
Colorado – 27
Washington – 54
Stanford – 55
USC – 66

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Net Rankings (which is what the NCAA Selection Committee uses) – Pac-12 Top six:
Oregon – 15
Arizona – 20
Stanford – 21
Colorado – 22
Utah – 50
Arizona State – 52
USC – 57

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RPI Rankings (which is what the NCAA used to use) – Pac-12 Top Six:

Colorado – 15
Oregon – 16
Arizona – 29
USC – 31
Stanford – 40
Utah – 49

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January 2nd – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

McKinley Wright leads Buffs past No. 4 Oregon, 74-65

… Related … “Bey Notches Sixth Double-Double In Win Over Oregon” … from CUBuffs.com

From CUBuffs.com … Point guard McKinley Wright IV sparked a decisive 10-2 Colorado run down the stretch Thursday and the Buffaloes held on for a 74-65 win over No. 4 Oregon at a sold-out CU Events Center.

The Buffs improved to 12-2 with the win in their Pac-12 opener while Oregon dropped to 11-3.

The Buffs led by as much as 15 early in the second half before the Ducks cut the deficit to four, 57-53, with 4:34 to play.

But Wright then sparked a 7-0 run with a 3-pointer, an assist and a floater from the lane to push CU’s lead to 11, 64-53, with just under three minutes to play. Oregon stopped the run momentarily with a Payton Pritchard basket, but Wright found D’Shawn Schwartz open in the corner for a 3-pointer and 67-55 lead with 1:23 to play.

The Buffs then held on in the final minutes for the win, hitting just enough of their free throws — including six in a row from Wright in the last 52 seconds — to keep the Ducks at bay.

Wright led the Buffs with 21 points, along with eight assists and five rebounds. Tyler Bey collected his sixth double-double of the season with 15 points and 13 rebounds and D’Shawn Schwartz added 13 points.

Pritchard led Oregon with 21 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado led by six at the half, 28-22, and quickly pushed the margin to 15 just five minutes into the half. Wright had a beautiful pair of assists to spark a 9-0 run. The first went to Bey, who cashed in a layup and ensuing free throw, and the second to D’Shawn Schwartz, who drained a long three from just in front of the CU bench.

Lucas Siewert then capped the run with another 3-pointer and Colorado led, 41-26, with 14:51 to play.

But the Ducks answered with a run of their own, putting together a 10-0 surge that ultimately helped Oregon shave CU’s lead down to four, 51-47, with 8:35 to play.

Colorado then briefly pushed its lead back to eight on a pair of Evan Battey free throws three minutes later, only to see the Ducks pull back to within four, 57-53, on a pair of technical free throws.

But the technical foul — a questionable call on Bey after he blocked an Anthony Mathis shot — sparked the Buffs to a 7-0 run. Wright then came down the floor and buried a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 4:10 to go, then found Schwartz wide open under the bucket on CU’s next possession for a layup after CU’s defense forced a turnover.

Then, following a missed Oregon 3-pointer, Wright hit a floater from the lane to give Colorado an 11-point cushion, 64-53, with just 2:32 remaining and forcing an Oregon timeout.

… Continue reading story here …

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January 1st – Happy New Year!

… CU in the Arena …

Buffs set for battle of preseason Pac-12 No. 1 and No. 2 picks – Tad Boyle: “It’s a new season. Zero and zero”

From CUBuffs.com … With a successful non-conference slate in the rearview mirror, the Colorado Buffaloes begin Pac-12 play Thursday when they meet Oregon in a nationally televised 7 p.m. game at the CU Events Center (ESPN2).

“It’s a new season,” CU coach Tad Boyle said after his Buffs welcomed in the new year Wednesday morning with a brisk workout. “Zero and zero.”

But while it is just one of 18 Pac-12 games — and the conference opener, at that — the matchup still has the feel of a much bigger showdown.

The Ducks, ranked fourth in the latest AP poll, were picked in the preseason to win the conference title. The Buffs, receiving votes in both polls, were picked second.

Neither team did anything in non-conference play to change people’s minds. The Buffs picked up one top 25 win (No. 13 Dayton) en route to an 11-2 record; the Ducks picked up a pair (No. 13 Seton Hall, No. 5 Michigan). Oregon’s only losses came against Gonzaga and North Carolina; the Buffs fell to Kansas and Northern Iowa.

Now, the Buffs have a chance to pick up another quality win — and just as important, maintain the home-court advantage that is so crucial when it comes to competing for a conference title. Dana Altman’s Ducks, meanwhile, have an opportunity for a quality road win, and the chance to pick up Oregon’s first-ever win in Boulder.

“Oregon is going to come in here with the eye of the tiger,” said Boyle. “They are going to be loaded for bear and we have to be ready to meet the challenge.”

It is an interesting matchup of different styles of two veteran coaches.

… Continue reading story here …

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GAME PREVIEW 

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado is 11-2, wrapping up the nonconference portion of its schedule with a 99-54 win over Iona on Dec. 29. The Buffaloes have won their last four, achieving their best pre-conference record since the 2015-16 NCAA Tournament team also went 11-2.

It’s CU’s third 11-2 start in the last 10 years, joining the 2013-14 and 2015-16 squads. It’s the fourth 11-win nonconference for the Buffs in the Tad Boyle era. Colorado was 11-4 in 2010-11, its final year in the Big 12 Conference.

Defense has been the early calling card for Colorado. The Buffaloes are second in the Pac-12, and 26th in the nation, in scoring defense at 60.5 points per game. Colorado has held six opponents under 60 points and three of those under 50. It’s the first time since 2012-13 Colorado has held three opponents under 50, and that was over a 34-game season.

Colorado is starting to get on track offensively. The Buffaloes only rank 11th in the Pac-12 in scoring overall at 71.8 points per game, but that number has jumped considerably over the last two weeks. Colorado’s top two, and three of its top four scoring outputs of the season have come in the last three games, averaging 86.6 points during that span. Colorado is shooting 48.3 percent over the last three games (87-180).

ABOUT THE DUCKS: Oregon is 11-2 and ranked No. 4 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll and No. 6 in the USA Today/Coaches Poll. The Ducks only losses have come to national powers Gonzaga and North Carolina on a neutral court. Oregon tops the Pac-12 in shooting at 49.7 percent and its 80.3 points per game ranks second in the conference. The Ducks are holding opponents to 66.0 points per game on 38.6 percent from the field. Oregon leads the Pac-12 in both 3-point shooting (.417) and 3-point defense (.299).

Senior guard Payton Pritchard leads Oregon and ranks fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring at 18.5 points per game. He leads the conference in assists (6.2 apg) and ranks ninth in steals (1.8 spg). Junior guard Chris Duarte is second on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game while pulling down 5.0 rebounds per contest. The Ducks have two of the Pac-12’s best 3-point shooters. Will Richardson leads the Pac-12 in 3-point shooting at 59 percent while Anthony Mathis tops the league in 3-pointers made (2.8 3mpg) while ranking second in percentage (.500).

SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 20th meeting between Colorado and Oregon with the Buffaloes holding an 11-8 series lead. The Buffaloes won the only meeting last season, a 73-51 at the CU Events Center on Feb. 2, 2019. Colorado is a perfect 8-0 all-time against Oregon in Boulder. Colorado holds an 8-6 lead since joining the Pac-12 for the 2011-12 season.

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Tad Boyle: “A new day and time to protect our home turf”

From CUBuffs.com … The Ducks — who bring with them an 11-2 record and a No. 4 national ranking in the Associated Press poll — have never won on CU’s home floor. It adds up to an 0-8 all-time record, including an 0-6 mark since the Buffs joined the Pac-12 in time for the 2011-12 season.

“It’s probably in their practice plan,” Boyle said after Tuesday’s practice. “I’m sure he knows it. I know his players know it. But that has nothing to do with Thursday’s game. At the end of the day, it really doesn’t. What’s past is past.”

Indeed, this Oregon team is much different than the squad that visited Boulder a year ago and absorbed a 73-51 defeat. Just three players from last year’s Oregon team are on this year’s roster.

“They don’t care what’s happened years in the past, so really it has no meaning to me or anybody else,” Boyle said. “I’m sure it has a little bit more meaning to them. But to me it’s a new game, a new day and time to protect our home turf, which you have to do in league play.”

But Boyle’s players are also aware of Oregon’s futility in Boulder — and they don’t want to be a part of the streak coming to an end.

“It’s a must-win for us — we have to protect our home court,” said CU junior point guard McKinley Wright IV. “We know that they’ve never won here. I’m sure their coaches are reaching out to them every day. They’re going to come in with a sense of urgency and try to punch us in the mouth. So we have to be ready to stand our ground and respond.”

… Continue reading story here …

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December 31st 

… CU in the Arena …

Tad Boyle on No. 4 Oregon: “I think it’s a big game because it’s the next game”

From CUBuffs.com … As Colorado head coach Tad Boyle likes to say, the price of poker goes up this week for the Buffaloes.

Boyle’s Buffs wrapped up non-conference play on Sunday with a 99-54 win over Iona to improve to 11-2. Colorado’s fourth straight win produced outstanding shooting (34-for-60, including 14-for-21 from 3-point range), solid defense (CU held Iona to 30 percent from the field) and a dominating effort on the boards (a 47-24 Colorado edge). It was a well-rounded finish to a solid non-conference slate that included wins over Dayton, Arizona State and Clemson.

But now the stakes are increased. In one of the more highly anticipated matchups of Boyle’s 10 years in Boulder, the two teams picked in the preseason to finish 1-2 in the Pac-12 will square off in the conference opener Thursday night in Boulder when 11-2 Oregon (No. 4 AP, No. 6 coaches poll) and the Buffs meet in a 7 p.m. game at the CU Events Center (ESPN2).

“If we want to compete for a conference championship, we have to take care of our home floor,” Boyle said after Sunday’s win. “That’s what you have to do, and this is a great opportunity. I don’t think it’s the biggest game of the year, I think it’s a big game because it’s the next game. I’ve got great respect for Oregon. They’ve got great players, they’ve got a great coach. It’s going to be a heck of an opportunity for us, but it’s no bigger than any other opportunity that’s on our schedule.”

Indeed, if the Buffs are going to make a serious run at the Pac-12 title, their ability to protect their home floor will be critical over the next month, as Colorado will play five of its first seven Pac-12 games at home.

It all begins with Thursday’s matchup with the Ducks, who have never won in Boulder. CU’s all-time 8-0 edge at home includes a 6-0 mark in Pac-12 play.

“It is going to be a war,” predicted CU point guard McKinley Wright IV. “They are going to come in here trying to beat us. They have never won here so I’m sure their coach is telling them that. They have a talented group that can really stretch the floor. We are going to have to have our thinking caps on and stick to our principles.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Tags: D'Shawn Schwartz, Dallas Walton, Evan Battey, Lucas Siewert, McKinley Wright, McKinley Wright IV, Shane Gatling, Tad Boyle, Tyler Bey
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