Buffs Set For Quarterfinal Meeting With Top-Seeded Wildcats
March 07, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
LAS VEGAS — It seemingly wouldn't be a Pac-12 tournament for the Colorado Buffaloes if they didn't play Arizona.
The Buffs will get their almost annual tournament shot at the Wildcats on Thursday when they meet top-seeded Arizona in a 1 p.m. tournament quarterfinal at T-Mobile Arena. It will be the sixth time in seven Pac-12 tournaments the Buffs have faced the Wildcats, with Arizona holding a 4-1 record in their previous tournament meetings.
But that one win was a very important one for Colorado — a 53-51 win over the Wildcats in the 2011-12 Pac-12 tournament championship game. The win culminated a four-game run through the tourney for the Buffs in their first year in the conference — still the only time a team has won four games in four days in the Pac-12 tournament.
Now, the Buffs hope to replicate the recipe that produced an 80-77 win over then-14th-ranked Arizona in early January this season. Colorado split the season series with the Wildcats, falling 80-71 in late January in Tucson, but if you're looking for an omen, there is this: CU's win over the Wildcats came on the heels of a win over Arizona State.
The Buffs defeated ASU 97-85 in Wednesday's first round of the tournament.
But the Buffs also know they will have to produce at least the type of effort they had against the Sun Devils in order to beat No. 15 Arizona. The 24-7 Wildcats won the regular season title with a 14-4 record, including wins in five of their last six games. Arizona will also enjoy what is annually almost a "home" advantage, as Wildcats fans always pack the tournament arena.
"You've got to be able to stop them because they're very potent offensively," CU head coach Tad Boyle said of a Wildcats team that features the conference's freshman of the year and player of the year, Deandre Ayton. "They're the best offensive Arizona team we've probably played against since we've been in the Pac-12. Obviously DeAndre Ayton is a heck of a player. But they have other good ones. (Dusan) Ristic is terrific. (Allonzo) Trier is back, shooting well. To me it's all about our defensive game plan, putting that together."
The Buffs entered the tournament knowing they had beaten everyone on their side of the bracket at least once. It's something, they said, that gave them confidence.
Thursday, that confidence will be tested.
"They've got great talent, and it's a great opportunity," Boyle said. "But we've played well against them both times. I thought we played well in Tucson. We didn't win. But our guys rose to that occasion."
WRIGHT STUFF: CU freshman McKinley Wright IV continues to not only put impressive numbers on the board, but to also come up with big plays in crucial moments.
In Wednesday's win over ASU, Wright just missed a triple-double, instead settling for his fourth double-double of the year.
"What an impressive performance from him today in this type of game — 20 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds," ASU coach Bobby Hurley said. "That's a heck of a stat line for a freshman. He's obviously got a tremendous future in this league."
While Wright's game wasn't surprising to Boyle, it nevertheless re-emphasized something Boyle has stated repeatedly throughout the season.
"I've said this before, McKinley is going to will us to some victories this year and I think today was a good example of that," Boyle said. "He wasn't the only one. His teammates were a big part of it. … People think I'm crazy, but I wouldn't trade this guy for anybody in America."
Wright said getting a win in his first Pac-12 tourney game was a major goal.
"It's huge," he said. "We talked about it on the plane to come here — it was win or go home. I just tried to stress to my teammates that I didn't want to le the seniors go out like this and we didn't want to be back in Boulder tonight."
BIG GAME FOR HOME FOLKS: CU freshman Tyler Bey also had a double-double Thursday, the second of his career, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Bey, who grew up in Las Vegas, produced the effort in front of plenty of friends and family.
"It felt good," Bey said. "To perform in front of my family and friends, it felt good to be here. It was fun."
Bey played well throughout the game, and had a key role down the stretch as CU protected its lead. He had a short jumper with just more than three minutes to play to give CU a 75-66 lead, then came up with a big block that led to a Buffs transition bucket a minute later.
"We just told ourselves we had to get stops and that's what we did," he said.
SENIORS HAVE 'QUIET' PRODUCTION: While CU's freshman were putting up double-doubles, CU seniors George King and Dominique Collier quietly added their fair share in Wednesday's win. King finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and two assists while Collier had 17 points and a pair of assists.
Both are playing in their final Pac-12 tournament and know that each game might be their last. King ended a 5-0 burst by the Sun Devils with a key drive to the hoop with four minutes remaining, then added two free throws a minute later to give Colorado an 11-point lead.
Collier, meanwhile, finished a 17-7 first half run with a pair of 3-pointers.
"We didn't want to lose our first game and be back in class Thursday morning," King said. "We like it out here in Vegas, so hopefully we can get three more."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
