Colorado University Athletics
Boyle's Buffs Prepare For Pac-12 Stretch Run
February 09, 2016 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — When the season began some four months ago, Tad Boyle said he believed his team had the pieces necessary to compete for a Pac-12 title.
Boyle's belief hasn't changed.
But now, with seven conference games remaining, the question is whether the Buffs can put those pieces together on a consistent basis and produce a February-March run that will yield at least a top-four conference finish.
The best way to describe the 17-7 Buffs thus far in conference play might be consistently inconsistent. Currently sporting a 6-5 conference mark and tied for fifth, their longest win streak in conference play is three games; their longest losing streak is two. They're one of six teams in the league with at least two road wins and one of six with one or fewer home losses. They've shot well; they've shot poorly. They've taken care of the ball and had nights when turnovers seemed to multiply almost exponentially.
In short, they're like the majority of the teams in the conference. As of Wednesday, just three wins separated second through 10th place in the Pac-12 standings. It means anyone who gets hot down the stretch could put themselves in very good position heading into the March 9-12 conference tourney in Las Vegas.
The Buffs believe they could be one of those teams. The key, Boyle said, will be all of the Buffs playing up to their abilities at the same time.
“They don't even have to play the best they've ever played,” Boyle said. “Just do what you do and do it well — and if we all do it on the same night, this team could beat anybody in our conference. They could beat anybody in the country. (But) the teams that do it, do it consistently.”
As Boyle noted, Colorado has by no means cornered the market on inconsistency. It's an issue that plagues coaches across the country. But as the calendar moves to mid-February and then March, the teams that conquer the problem are the teams that advance.
“You look across the country, there's a handful of teams that do that,” Boyle said. “But there's a lot of really good, talented teams that lose, especially in February.”
With two home games this week — Washington State on Thursday (8 p.m.) and Washington on Saturday (noon) — the Buffs are in good position to start their stretch run on a successful note. CU is 12-1 at home this season.
“We know we have no margin for error,” said CU junior Tre'Shaun Fletcher. “When I say no margin for error, I mean none. We have to play big these last seven games, beginning with Washington State.”
If Fletcher can come even close to duplicating his second-half effort in Saturday's loss to Oregon State, it will bode well for the Buffs. Fletcher put forth perhaps his best 20 minutes in more than a year when he scored 15 points and grabbed five rebounds to help spark a second-half rally that fell just short.
The question, Boyle said, is whether Fletcher can consistently match the effort he displayed against the Beavers on a regular basis.
“I think I can do it every game — it's just a matter of me being ready to play and being ready to do things I haven't been doing throughout the whole season,” Fletcher said. “I feel I can do it, but talking about it isn't going to help anything. I have to go out there and prove it.”
While Boyle was obviously pleased with the Buffs' second-half effort against the Beavers, he also said it's the kind of hustle and intensity he expects from his team every night for all 40 minutes.
“I thought our guys played their tails off the second half the other night,” Boyle said. “But to compete and play hard … that's the price of admission. You shouldn't have your coach pat you on the back for that. That should be a given.”
Four of the Buffs' remaining seven games are against teams in the top six of the league standings. It's an opportunity for Colorado to move ahead of each of those teams — but they'll need to match the effort and execution they displayed when they won five of six conference games prior to losing two on their Oregon trip.
“It's about executing at a high level,” Boyle said. “The margin for error is gone. To win games in February, you have to play well.”
NOTABLE: Boyle said CU senior Josh Scott, who missed the second half of Saturday's game vs. OSU with a sprained ankle, is “getting better every day.” Washington State's big man, Josh Hawkinson, is also nursing a sprained ankle. Hawkinson missed WSU's last game, a 67-55 loss to Arizona State. Scott and Hawkinson are both finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award. … Saturday's opponent, Washington, plays at Utah on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. … Sunday will see two of the league's ranked team square off when No. 23 USC plays at No. 17 Arizona at 6 p.m.
PROMOTIONS: Thursday's game vs. Washington State will see $1 tickets offered to CU students; and $15 general admission or $20 reserved seat tickets for CU faculty and staff. Saturday's game against Washington will offer the same deal for CU faculty and staff, and a $30 “Friends Day Out” ticket that includes a hot dog and soda will also be available.
Also Saturday, Chip's pals will be on the concourse with representatives from the Boulder Humane Society, who will have puppies and kittens available to play and pet.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
