Boyle's Buffs Ready For WSU 3-Point Barrage
January 17, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Over the last two weeks, Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes have played some of their best defense of the season, particularly against the 3-point shot.
That wasn't a strong suit of the Buffs early in the year. But since conference play began — particularly over the last two weeks, a stretch in which the Buffs have won three of four games — CU has throttled opponents from the outside with a newfound penchant for employing a zone defense.
In six Pac-12 games, Colorado is second in the league in overall field goal defense, limiting opponents to just 42 percent shooting. The Buffs are also second in the conference in 3-point defense, allowing opponents to hit just 31.1 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc.
That defense was particularly noticeable in their wins over No. 4 Arizona State, No. 14 Arizona and at UCLA. Those three teams combined to shoot just 21-for-84 (25 percent) from 3-point range.
"I think our zone has helped us a little bit," Boyle said after Wednesday's practice. "I think the second thing that has helped us is our guys have really dialed into scouting reports. We've really understood who are shooters, who aren't shooters, and we've gotten to the guys that are shooters and made it difficult for them. It's a combination of things."
The Buffs will have that defense tested Thursday when 11-7 Colorado (3-3 Pac-12) plays host to Washington State (9-8, 1-4) in a 6 p.m. game at the Coors Events Center. The Cougars currently lead the Pac-12 and are third in the nation (first among Power 5 teams) in made 3-pointers per game, averaging nearly 12 per contest.
In his first seven seasons in Boulder, Boyle employed a zone defense very sparingly. But the Buffs surprised Arizona State with a zone look for much of the game two weeks ago, the beginning of their recent stretch of success.
"I give Colorado a lot of credit for what they were able to do defensively," UCLA coach Steve Alford said after CU held UCLA to just 5-for-25 shooting from 3-point range and a season-low 59 points. "They did a good job of mixing from zone to man."
Indeed, the Buffs don't play zone every trip down the floor. But they mix it up enough to keep opponents guessing.
"It's been keeping people off balance," Boyle said. "That's the key. I'm going to do anything that works to help win games. What I don't want our players to do is get complacent. It's not that the zone is more effective than the man. We have to understand that when we play with energy and effort on defense, good things happen for our team."
They will need that energy against the Cougars, who love to shoot from long distance. In last weekend's 78-53 win over Cal, WSU hit 15 treys, including a program-record 10 from junior Robert Franks.
"We have to be on point," Boyle said. "We cannot take anything for granted and we have to play with the same eye of the tiger and energy and effort that we did the last basically four games."
Franks — who shot a blistering 10-for-13 from long distance against Cal— leads the team in scoring with an 18.2 average. But he doesn't lead the team in 3-pointers, as his 45 threes are second to sophomore Malachi Flynn, who has 50 of the Cougars' 202 3-pointers this season.
In comparison, Colorado's leading 3-point shooter, senior George King, has 35 of Colorado's 136 3-pointers.
"(Flynn and Franks) are the two dudes we have to be aware of and try to limit their production under their averages," Boyle said. "(Flynn) can shoot it from the buffalo (midcourt) on our floor — he really can, and make it. … Franks, he just made 10 threes against Cal. What other proof do you need that the can shoot it? He's transformed his body and his game from last year, from a low-post guy and a pick-and-pop guy to a legitimate 3-point threat, a guy that can put it on the floor. He's long, as long can be. He's a nice looking player and is having a great year."
Boyle also stresses that while CU's switch to more zone defense has helped, the Buffs have also benefited from a much more simple formula: more energy and effort on the defensive end.
"We have to understand that it doesn't matter who we play," Boyle said. "What our players have taken from the last two weeks is if we play the way we're capable of playing, with the energy, with the effort, with the intensity, with the concentration, we can beat anybody in this league."
PATCHES FOR JULIA: Thursday's game will bring together two teams whose athletic departments have been hit by tragedy this week.
Last Saturday, Colorado lacrosse player Julia Sarcona died in a car crash just outside of Boulder. On Tuesday, Washington State football player Tyler Hilinski was found dead in an apartment of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Buffs will wear a patch on their uniforms in honor of Sarcona on Thursday and again Saturday in their game against Washington.
"It's a tragedy what happened up in Pullman and certainly it's a tragedy what happened to Julia," Boyle said. "Our hearts go out to Washington State and their football program and our lacrosse program. We'll be wearing a patch for Julia both Thursday and Saturday to let her family know and her teammates know that our hearts and prayers are with them. It brings things into perspective in terms of what's important and we can't ever forget that."
SERIES: Colorado leads the all-time series, 11-3, including a 2-1 edge last year. Each team won on its home court last season before the Buffs won the third matchup in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament.
CU is 6-0 all-time in Boulder against WSU and Boyle is 10-2 against the Cougars as a head coach. Washington State coach Ernie Kent is 3-6 as a head coach against the Buffs, including a win over CU as Oregon's head coach in the 2004 NIT.
BROADCAST: The Pac-12 Network will televise the game with Mike Crispino and Mike Montgomery. KOA 850 AM radio will carry the game with Mark Johnson and Scott Wilke.
UP NEXT: The Buffs play host to Washington on Saturday in a 4 p.m. game at the Events Center.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
