Woelk: Short Memory Imperative For Buffs

BOULDER — If ever a short memory has been imperative, now is the time for the Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes.

The postseason is here.

Not that the Buffs could be blamed for wallowing in the aftermath of Saturday night's 57-55 loss at No. 13 Utah, a game in which they held a 45-31 lead with under eight minutes to play. It was a disappointing loss that hurt on a variety of levels. A win would have provided the Buffs with a significant boost to their RPI, been a huge addition to their NCAA Tournament resume, yielded some legitimate national recognition and — by no means the least important — been a CU-record 22nd regular season win.

It's enough to cause any team a sleepless night or two, never mind be a distraction as they prepare for this week's Pac-12 Tournament.

But the Buffs can't afford to dwell on the loss. While they are still considered a strong candidate for an NCAA Tournament berth, every win in the conference tournament will help — and a first-round loss would no doubt be damaging.

“We just have to forget this game and get back to work,” CU junior Josh Fortune said after Saturday night's regular season finale.

Indeed, after a day off Sunday, the 21-10 Buffs have two days to get ready for Wednesday's 3:40 p.m. tournament opener (Pac-12 Networks) against 9-21 Washington State, a team they've already defeated twice this season.

It won't be easy for the fifth-seeded Buffs to shake the memory of the Utah game, particularly since it resurrected memories of a strikingly similar road loss to USC just three weeks earlier. It was also the latest example of CU's tendency to allow late leads to dissipate or disappear completely.

But the good news is that the Pac-12 Tournament means a new season on a neutral floor. The Buffs have everything to gain this week — and they even have a little history on their side. CU is the only team in tournament history to win the championship by winning four consecutive games, a run they put together in Boyle's second season in Boulder.

A four-game stretch, though, won't be on their minds. Rather, when they return to work Monday, they'll turn their attention solely to 12th-seeded Washington State.

The Buffs beat WSU 75-70 on Jan. 23 in Pullman in a game they led by 13 early but had to fight off a late Cougars rally. CU then took a double-overtime 88-81 win in Boulder on Feb. 11, a game in which they held a 10-point second-half lead only to see the Cougars force overtime — and then almost win before a George King buzzer-beating 3-pointer forced a second OT.

It's a scenario Colorado would like to avoid in the third matchup.

The Buffs have proven this year they can play with some of the nation's best teams. They own home wins over Oregon, Cal, Arizona and Oregon State, all teams currently with a top-35 RPI.

But they've also had a tough time putting together a solid 40 minutes on the road or on neutral floors this season. CU was 1-2 in neutral-floor games this year, losing to Iowa State and SMU and defeating Penn State.

It's a flaw they'll have to address if they want to make their stay in the postseason a lengthy one.

Right now, this team's legacy is a complicated one. It is one of only three teams in CU history to win 21 regular season games — but it's also a team that has let some golden opportunities slip through their hands.

This week begins the Buffs' last opportunity to make sure they leave behind memories they don't want to erase.

RESUME´ UPDATE: While a win Saturday would have been a big boost, the loss wasn't too damaging in terms of CU's RPI. The Buffs checked in with a No. 29 NCAA RPI on Sunday, a healthy number. CU is now 9-10 against top-100 RPI teams, with three wins against teams currently in the top 25.

The nation's bracketologists also still have the Buffs as a solid pick for an NCAA Tournament berth. ESPN's Joe Lunardi had Colorado as a No. 8 seed in his latest bracket projection, as did the latest USA Today projection. CBS Sports' Jerry Palm, who has held the Buffs in slightly higher regard for much of the season, projected Colorado as a No. 7 seed in his latest bracket.

All three brackets projected seven Pac-12 teams earning NCAA berths: Oregon, Utah, Arizona, Cal, Colorado, USC and Oregon State.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu