Buffs Hoops Notes: CU Returns Home For Two Games This Week
January 15, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — With a 3-3 conference record to show after perhaps the most difficult stretch of their Pac-12 schedule, the 11-7 Colorado men's basketball team is in good shape as the Buffs return to the Coors Events Center this week for a pair of games.
For the second straight year, the Buffs' opening three weeks of the Pac-12 were not built for a fast start. This year's slate included four road games and two home contests against top-15 opponents.
But unlike a year ago, when the Buffs opened 0-7 in conference play, Tad Boyle's crew bounced back from an 0-2 start this year to win three of the next four. All three wins came against top-50 RPI teams (Arizona, Arizona State and UCLA).
Now Colorado returns to Boulder for a much more friendly stretch. Five of CU's next seven games are at home, beginning with this week's contests against Washington State (6 p.m. Thursday) and Washington (4 p.m. Saturday).
It's an important week for the Buffs, who have clawed their way back into sixth place in the Pac-12 standings. A pair of wins this week would help them move up at least into fifth and possibly higher.
"We have to take care of our home court," Boyle said after Saturday's big road win at UCLA. "We need our fans out next week against Washington State and Washington."
Boyle's "formula" for Pac-12 success has always been a simple one. Take care of business at home and pick up at least a split on every road trip. The Buffs are one game behind schedule in that regard — they were swept on the Oregon trip — but they still have two more two-game swings to make up the difference, along with the annual trip to Utah.
Thursday's opponent, Washington State (9-8 overall, 1-4 Pac-12), had two nice wins in non-conference play, beating St. Mary's and San Diego State. But the Cougars lost their first four conference games before finally drubbing Cal, 78-53, over the weekend.
Washington, however, has been one of the league's bigger surprises early in conference play. First-year coach Mike Hopkins has the Huskies off to a 3-2 conference start (13-5 overall), with a non-conference win over Kansas and a Pac-12 win over USC the most impressive marks on their resume´.
BEY GETTING DEFENSIVE: Buffs freshman Tyler Bey is rapidly becoming a defensive stalwart for Colorado.
The 6-foot-7, 207-pounder is an athletically gifted youngster whose length allows him to play against bigger opponents on the block. Boyle inserted Bey into the starting lineup when Pac-12 play began, and he has responded by getting better each week. He has been an outstanding defensive presence against Pac-12 big men, a solid rebounder and a capable scorer.
In Pac-12 play, Bey is averaging 7.3 points per game, and he's shown a knack for hitting buckets at key times. But is his rebounding — 5.5 per game in conference play — and defense that is making him more and more of a factor.
WRIGHT IMPACT: Namon Wright's redshirt year in Boulder didn't go quite as planned. The CU junior sat out last year after transferring from Missouri, but couldn't even practice with the team for much of the season after suffering a foot injury early in the year.
Wright started six of CU's first seven games this season, but then came off the bench until the second week of Pac-12 play. He had a solid game in CU's win over ASU, and returned to the starting lineup against Arizona.
Now he appears to be rounding into "game" shape. In CU's last four games, he is averaging a solid 13 points, six rebounds, two assists and two turnovers in just more than 28 minutes per game. It is his most consistent stretch of the season, and the Buffs are 3-1 in that span. If he continues that kind of play, he will be a valuable piece of the puzzle as the Buffs travel down the Pac-12 road.
TARGET ON MCKINLEY: After being named the Pac-12's Player of the Week for his efforts in leading CU to wins over ASU and Arizona, CU freshman McKinley Wright IV had a clear target on his back when the Buffs ventured to California.
In two games against the Los Angeles schools, Colorado's leading scorer finished with just 11 points on 3-for-17 shooting as both USC and UCLA hounded him all night. His four points against UCLA were a career low, and the games marked his first back-to-back single-digit scoring games at Colorado (three overall).
But Wright still finished with 11 assists, including seven in the win at UCLA, and he continues to be a strong defensive presence. The fact the Buffs stepped up and won without him among the scoring leaders was a positive sign. Boyle said last week the Buffs needed to prove they had players who could fill the gap when Wright wasn't at his best, and they did just that.
Wright's scoring will return. As long as he continues to be among the Pac-12 leaders in assists (he's second overall and in conference play), the Buffs will be in good shape.
RPI WATCH: Colorado's recent surge has helped the Buffs make a steady climb back up the RPI ladder.
The Buffs are currently No. 53, with three wins over top-50 RPI teams — Arizona (24), Arizona State (25) and UCLA (48).
The Buffs no doubt still have plenty of work to do in order to insert their names into the NCAA Tournament conversation. Losses that continue to haunt Boyle — in particular at Colorado State and at home vs. San Diego — are blemishes that won't go away.
But if they can continue to hold serve at home and pick up a few more road wins, their resume´could be impressive when March rolls around.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
