Buffs Prepare For Key Home Matchup Sunday With Stanford
February 09, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — As the Pac-12 basketball schedule heads down the home stretch, one thing is apparent:
Nothing is settled. Not even preseason favorite Arizona, which looked to be firmly in control a week ago, is a sure thing. The Wildcats have lost two in a row — including Thursday night's loss at home to UCLA — and now Arizona and USC (both 9-3 in conference play) will square off Saturday with the league lead on the line.
But it's not just at the top where there is movement to be made. Sunday, the 14-10 Colorado Buffaloes (6-6 Pac-12) have the chance to make a move up when they host Stanford (13-12, 7-5) in a 2 p.m. game at the Coors Events Center.
It is, quite simply, that time of year when every game becomes almost exponentially more important, especially as teams vie for a top-four conference finish and a first-round bye in the Pac-12 tournament.
"This one is, for sure," CU head coach Tad Boyle said after Friday's practice. "We're a game behind those guys. We don't play them again. (A win) puts us even and any tiebreaker would go to us because we only play them once. It's huge game from that standpoint."
The Buffs' remaining schedule is full of such encounters. Five of CU's remaining six games come against teams either ahead of the Buffs or currently tied with them in the standings. That means virtually every game from here on out is a separation game.
But to Boyle, there's more at stake than the standings. As the season heads down the home stretch, everyone wants to be playing their best.
"The more important part of it to me isn't about standings — it's about who is getting better," Boyle said. "Are we getting better as the season progresses? … That's what I'm concerned with — our performance, what we're bringing to the table every single time we step on the floor. I always go back to energy, effort and toughness. If we play with those three things, I can live with whatever results happen. For the most part we've done that."
The Buffs have won their last two (Utah and Cal), both by virtue of some excellent defensive performances. Colorado held the Utes to 35 percent shooting from the floor in a 67-55 win, then limited the Bears to 36.7 percent shooting to produce a 68-64 win despite committing 19 turnovers and allowing 18 offensive rebounds.
They will need the same kind of defensive effort Sunday against the Cardinal, who dropped a 75-60 loss at Utah on Thursday. In seven conference wins, Stanford is averaging 85 points per game. In five losses, that number drops to 68.
"What that tells me is when you guard Stanford and hold them and limit them offensively, your defense is solid, you give yourself a chance," Boyle said. "But if you don't, they can score with the best of them."
WRIGHT READY TO RETURN: Junior guard Namon Wright, who missed the last two games with an illness, has returned to practice and could be ready to play on Saturday. Wright has had an up-and-down season to a degree, but is still averaging 11.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
"Namon coming back, watching those two games from the bench and sidelines, understands that when we guard like we did against Utah, like we did against Cal, we're going to win games in this league," Boyle said. "We're going to have to do the same thing against Stanford."
SCHWARTZ IMPROVING: Buffs freshman D'Shawn Schwartz is quietly making steady strides, particularly on the offensive end of the floor.
Schwartz is averaging 3.3 points per game this year, but is averaging 7.0 per game over the last three. He had eight in Wednesday's win over Cal, but more importantly, every basket came at a critical juncture. He scored six in a row in the second half after the Bears had pulled to within one, then scored another bucket minutes later after Cal had narrowed the gap to one again.
"Offensively what he brings to the table is positive, is good," Boyle said. "We want it. He's a really good offensive player. Where I'm really challenging him is on the offensive end and rebounding. I love D'Shawn shooting the ball when he's open. But people are going to start closing out to him. Now the next part of the game is the shot fake and going to the rim and finishing."
Schwartz did have one such shot against the Bears, a nifty drive to the rim that resulted in a left-handed layup and a free throw.
"That 3-point play, not only was it a great play for D'Shawn, it was a critical time of the game when he got it," Boyle said.
REUNION TIME: This weekend will feature the latest in an annual gathering of former Buffs coaches and players from different eras. CU has already hosted the Bill Blair, Tom Apke and Tom Miller eras. This weekend will mark the Joe Harrington era.
The reunions were initiated by Boyle and have become a priority for him each season as he tries to build the Colorado basketball culture.
"I was actually in the investment business working on Pearl Street when Coach Harrington was the coach here," Boyle said. I remember coming up and watching his teams play. He had some good teams. The whole idea is to bring the old together and blend it with the new. I want the players who played in that era to understand they are always a part of this program. Doesn't matter if they played in the '60s, '70s, '80s or' 90s. Bringing the eras of Colorado basketball together and understanding we're all Buffs."
FORMER JAYHAWK MATCHUP: Sunday's game will pit two former Kansas players against each other from the coaching boxes.
Colorado's Boyle played at KU from 1981-85 and was the head coach at Northern Colorado before moving to CU. Boyle is in his seventh year in Boulder.
Stanford's Jerod Haase played his freshman year at Cal in 1993-94, then transferred to Kansas and played for the Jayhawks for three seasons. He previously coached at UAB before moving to Stanford, where he is in his second season.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
