Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Set For Visit From High-Flying Ducks
January 16, 2016 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — At some point in Sunday's game between Colorado and Oregon (5 p.m. tipoff), the Buffaloes will almost certainly see the defensive-minded Ducks drop into their press.
The 13-4 Buffs (2-2 Pac-12) have seen it before.
In last year's Pac-12 Tournament, Oregon employed the strategy to perfection, turning a 37-34 halftime deficit into a 93-85 quarterfinal victory. The Buffs committed just 13 turnovers in the game, but the Ducks converted those miscues into 27 points.
"They try to keep you off balance," Boyle said after Saturday morning's practice. "We're going to have take care of the ball against their press. In the conference tournament last year we were winning, we had the game under control and their press got to us. We turned it over and they got back in the game and got going."
But the press isn't the only thing Oregon does well. Dana Altman's 14-3 Ducks (3-1 Pac-12) are second in the conference in Pac-12 games in scoring defense, giving up just 63 points per game (trailing only CU's 61 per game). They also boast a balanced offense that has four players averaging in double figures and seven players averaging at least 20 minutes per game.
"They've got a lot of guys that can hurt you," Boyle said. "Casey Benson is a good example. He's really not a scoring-mentality type guy (averaging just 6.1 points per game this year), but he has 15 against Utah. If you leave him open he's going to make 3's. Dillon Brooks (15.5 ppg) can put the ball on the floor and shoot it. They've got just a lot of good players and I think Dana Altman is probably one of the more underrated coaches in the country."
Brooks is the Ducks' leading scorer, but they also receive double-figure production from guard Tyler Dorsey (13.9 ppg) and forwards Elgin Cook (12.5 ppg) and Chris Boucher (11.8 ppg). Boucher, a 6-10 senior, is also the Ducks' leading rebounder with nearly eight boards per game.
Oregon does not have a player in the Pac-12 top 15 in either scoring or rebounding in conference games. Instead, their balance has been the key to their success. Headed into Saturday's games, Oregon had the Pac-12's highest RPI, a lofty No. 7 in the nation (Colorado was No. 31).
The Ducks' only conference loss came in their Pac-12 opener, when they dropped a 70-57 decision at in-state rival Oregon State. Since then, they've reeled off three straight wins, with home victories over Cal and Stanford and Thursday's impressive 77-59 win at Utah.
"Oregon is not going to beat themselves," Boyle said. "They're a team you're going to have to beat. We're going to have to make plays. Sunday's going to be a heck of a game to watch."
The Buffs will be aiming to recreate the recipe that produced a 71-54 victory over Oregon State on Wednesday. The Buffs played solid defense, holding OSU to 29.5 percent shooting (18-for-61), rebounded well (48-33 edge), and put the game away with a 25-12 run in the final seven minutes.
But they'll also need more than just the one-two punch of Josh Scott and Wesley Gordon that paved the way for the win over the Beavers. Scott and Gordon combined for 37 points and 26 rebounds in the game, but CU had just one other player in double-figure scoring. CU's normally high-scoring trio of Josh Fortune, George King and Tre'Shaun Fletcher combined for just 18 points in the game, 12 less than their combined averages.
Fortune had 12 points against the Beavers, but King — coming off a 21-point effort against Utah — finished with just six and Fletcher was scoreless.
And, the Buffs will have to reduce their turnovers, an issue that has plagued them all year. CU had 18 such miscues against OSU.
"We can't have just one or two guys play well," Boyle said. "We're going to have to have multiple guys play well on Sunday for us to win this game."
PAC-12 RPI: Headed into Saturday's games, the Pac-12 had eight teams in the nation's top 50 in the official NCAA RPI, and 11 in the top 75. The list included Oregon (7), USC (16), Arizona (26) Colorado (31), Oregon State (33), Utah (34), ASU (40, Stanford (45), Cal (52), UCLA (66) and Washington (75). Washington State checked in at (153). The Pac-12 was also No. 2 in the overall conference ratings according to CBSSports.com, just behind the Big 12.
ON THE AIR: Sunday's game will be carried on 760 AM radio with Mark Johnson and Scott Wilke while Ted Robinson and Steve Lavin will handle broadcast duties for the Pac-12 Network.
PLAYOFF WATCH PARTY: To accommodate fans who want to keep track of the Broncos-Steelers playoff game, CU will host a playoff watch party in Chip's Corral before the Sunday's game. The football game will be on the big-screen televisions and food and drink will be available for purchase.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
