Colorado University Athletics
Boyle's Buffs Ready For Four Games In Six Days
December 18, 2015 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — After playing just two games in the last 15 days, the Colorado Buffaloes begin a stretch Friday night that will see them play four games in six days, with games on back-to-back nights twice in the period.
Friday, it's the Nicholls State Colonels at the Coors Events Center, followed by the Hampton Pirates on Saturday. Both games are set for 7 p.m., with the Pac-12 Networks carrying the telecast for both.
The Buffs will then have two days off before playing Penn State on Tuesday at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas (8:30 p.m). The following night, Colorado will close the tournament against either Kent State or SMU, with Wednesday's game to be televised by Fox Sports 1.
The upcoming games will be the only times in the regular season the Buffs will play on back-to-back nights — but it's the kind of stretch the Buffs hope to repeat before their season is finished.
"We talked about this is what it's going to be like in tournament play," head coach Tad Boyle said. "When we get into the Pac-12 Tournament at the end of the year, we're going to have back-to-back-to-back games. You get in the NCAA Tournament, you're going to have two games in three days, and then have a week off, and then two games in three days.
"It prepares them for postseason play. It's something we want to be involved with and hopefully we are."
While the 8-1 Buffs haven't played since last Saturday's 92-83 win over BYU — their eighth straight victory — it's nevertheless been a demanding week, as it's been final exams week at CU.
"You've got to lower your expectation level a little bit in terms of what a normal practice would be like, but yet not throw your standards out the window, either," Boyle said. "There's a fine line, a fine balance there. Understand what they're going through, but not letting them just come in and be sloppy."
As of Friday, however, the semester is complete, which means the Buffs can turn their full attention to basketball.
Both 3-6 Nicholls and 4-4 Hampton come to Boulder with a loss to SMU in their most recent outing. The Colonels lost in Dallas on Wednesday; Hampton fell to the Mustangs on Thursday.
It's no secret the Buffs are expected to win both games. Nicholls State is ranked in the 300s in the national RPI; Hampton is in the 200s. The Buffs, meanwhile, are in the top 15 in most RPI ratings — but Boyle has done his best to make sure the Buffs don't take either game lightly.
"What I'm concerned with is Colorado basketball," Boyle said. "It's about taking care of our business and doing what we do well. If we do that, I think we'll be OK. If we don't, Nicholls State is one of those teams … crazy things happen in college basketball. They're coming in here with the idea they're going to knock us off, so we've got to be ready for that."
Both squads boast strong perimeter games. The Colonels are led by 6-4 forward Ja'Dante' Frye, who averages 17.8 and 6.4 rebounds per game. Hampton's leader is 6-6 guard Quinton Chievous, who is averaging 16.5 points and 13.3 rebounds per game.
Longtime Buffs fans may remember the name — Chievous' father, Derrick Chievous, was a star for Norm Stewart's Missouri Tigers in the late 1980s, and is still the all-time leading scorer in MU history.
While four games in six days is a demanding schedule, the players say they're anxious to get back to the court.
"We all like to play basketball and we all like to play games," junior Josh Fortune said. "The schedule is good for us. Back-to-back games here and then in Vegas. It's going to be fun."
FLETCHER WON'T START: CU's Tre'Shaun Fletcher suffered an unspecified minor injury in last weekend's win over BYU and did not practice for a couple of days this week and thus won't start. It means George King and Fortune will get the start on the wings.
PAC-12 PLAY: The games in Las Vegas will be their final nonconference contests of the season. They open Pac-12 play on Jan. 1 with a 9 p.m. game at Cal (Pac-12 Networks), then play again two days later at Stanford in an 8 p.m. contest (ESPNU). After this weekend, their next home game isn't until Jan. 8, when Utah visits for a 7 p.m. game at the Events Center.
TOURNEY TICKETS: All-tournament passes for the 2016 Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament, set for March 9-12 in Las Vegas, went on sale Thursday. The passes, good for all 11 games, have sold out in years past and the conference is encouraging fans to act quickly.
Additional ticketing information is available on pac-12.com/tickets or by calling 866-740-7711.
NOTABLE: The Buffs are averaging 87.6 points per game in their eight-game win streak, and they've scored at least 80 points in their last eight games, a school record. … The Buffs lead the Pac-12 in scoring (84.8 ppg), free throw percentage (.759), 3-point percentage (.422), assists (16.2), defensive rebounds (31.6 per game) and 3-point field goals made (8.3 per game). … Josh Scott leads the Buffs in scoring (18.7 ppg) and rebounding (9.8) and is shooting 63 percent from the field and 84 percent from the free throw line. He has five double-doubles this season, including each of the last three games, when he's averaged 22.3 points and 12 rebounds per game.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
