Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: Better 'D' Is Bzdelik's Pointed Message
December 14, 2009 | Men's Basketball, B.G. Brooks
Through 10 non-conference games, Bzdelik's team (6-4) has proved it can score. On the flip side, the young and still-formative Buffaloes also have proved they have, ah, a bit of a problem in stopping the other guys from scoring, particularly in crunch time.
In Bzdelik's words, CU has "done pretty well offensively" considering the team features but one senior (guard Dwight Thorne II) and relies heavily on a mix of true freshmen and sophomores and a smattering of juniors (including one junior college transfer).
"With a young team . . . a lot of times they do what young players do - let their offense dictate their defensive energy," Bzdelik said on Monday's Big 12 Conference coaches' teleconference. "In our losses, we see where we need to improve our focus."
NCAA statistics through this past weekend's games paint a vivid picture of Bzdelik's short-term needs and long-term goals as the Buffs head into their final four non-conference games. (Next up: Cal State Northridge on Dec. 22 at 5:30 p.m. in the Coors Events Center).
Offensively, the Buffs are No. 57 among 300-plus Division I teams in scoring, averaging 78.3 points a game. Defensively, they're No. 214, allowing 70.2 points a game.
Other offensive categories bolster Bzdelik's contention of his bunch doing "pretty well" with the ball: CU is No. 21 in field goal percentage (49.5) and No. 26 in three-point field goal percentage (40.6).
On defense, though, the Buffs are No. 215 in field goal percentage defense (43.9) and No. 264 in three-point field goal defensive percentage (36.7) - rankings that put CU last in the Big 12 in those respective defensive categories, as well as scoring defense.
In close losses against Gonzaga and Arizona in the EA Sports Maui Invitational and in a subsequent down-to-the-wire road defeat at Oregon State, CU allowed all three teams to shoot 50-plus percent in the second halves.
Breaking through in close games and finishing were on the Buffs' must-do list when the season started. Obviously, it's still there.
But there were other reasons for Thursday's 77-62 loss at Colorado State; the Rams shot only 34.8 percent in the second half 42.3 percent for the night.
CSU won that game by being more aggressive and watching CU wilt in an energized Moby Arena environment that Bzdelik's players claimed they expected. Begging their pardon, but . . .
Freshman Alec Burks conceded afterwards, "I didn't know it meant that much to them . . . I guess it does; it's a big deal to Colorado State."
Maybe that hard lesson won't have to be learned again.
A 6-foot-6 guard who has started all 10 games, Burks scored a team-best 22 points against CSU and is averaging 16.1 - second only to junior Cory Higgins' 19.7.
Higgins scored 12 against the Rams, but made only one field goal in 10 attempts, while going 10-for-11 from the free throw line.
Burks, meanwhile, has scored in double figures in the first 10 games of his collegiate career. His 161 total points are the most by a CU freshman since Richard Roby opened with 144 in his first 10 games.
Burks knows where his biggest improvement must begin - defense - and he said last week he believes he's making strides: "Every day on defense I think I'm improving . . . that (defense) wasn't stressed at all in high school. They just told me to score the ball; they didn't care that much about defense. But I think I'm getting there."
Offensively, though, Bzdelik recognizes what he has in the lithe and athletic Burks, calling him "a pleasant surprise for us. He's very talented offensively . . . he has tremendous size and quickness and can score in variety of ways, and he's a tremendous passer.
"But he needs to learn other end of the court, and he will because he's very coachable. With Cory, we've got a very fine pair of wing players. Offensively, they can put pressure on people."
Doing it defensively - and doing it when the outcome is in the balance - is the next step.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
