Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Ready For Visit From Huskies, Fultz
February 08, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — The last time the Colorado Buffaloes played in the Coors Events Center, they put forth their best effort of the season, a 74-65 win over then-No. 10 Oregon.
Now, one road win and one road loss later, the Buffs return to the Events Center for an 8 p.m. Thursday matchup with Washington. Head coach Tad Boyle would like nothing more than to see the same kind of effort also make a return.
"The game plan is one thing," Boyle said. "But the game plan without energy and without effort and without focus, you can throw it out the window. It's not going to work, not with the players in this league. The players are too good. You have to play with unbelievable desire and passion and toughness. … I always say if you have to coach effort and you have coach attentiveness, it's going to be a long year — and up to this point it's been a long year. But when we dial in and play with great energy and great effort, that's when the game plan, if we follow that, we can win this game."
To be perfectly blunt, the game matches two teams that have underachieved this season. The Buffs, 13-11 overall and 3-8 in Pac-12 play, are still attempting to dig out of the hole they created for themselves by dropping their first seven conference games. The Huskies, meanwhile, have lost their last five and are just 9-14 overall and 2-9 in conference play.
"Both of our teams are better than our records indicate — but our records are what they are," Boyle said. "I wouldn't be afraid to say we're both underachieving a little bit, up to this point."
But the Huskies do have one thing in their favor — one of the nation's best players, 6-foot-4 freshman guard Markelle Fultz, who is averaging a conference-leading 23.2 points per game, along with 6.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists.
The Buffs are quite familiar with Fultz's talents. In their first meeting this year, he poured in a career-high 37 points, including nine points in overtime in the Huskies' 85-83 win.
"He's got great size, he's got great feel for the game, he can pass it, he can dribble it and he can shoot it," Boyle said. "His skills are very refined for a freshman. He can score from 3-point range, he can score at the rim and he can score at mid-range. He can pass the ball, so you just can't key on him, he can make his teammates better. He's a terrific player."
But Fultz wasn't the only player who did some damage to the Buffs in their first meeting. After an outstanding first half by the Buffs produced a 15-point lead, the Huskies rallied to tie the game and send it into the extra period. Guard David Crisp had all 14 of his points after halftime, including four 3-pointers — the last coming in the final seconds of overtime to boost the Huskies' lead to four.
"We talked about Markelle Fultz a lot, but they've got a lot of other weapons as well," Boyle said. "David Crisp, we've got to do a good job on him. Noah Dickerson, I think he's one of the more underrated low post guys in our league. … We've just got to guard them. We have to figure out a way to play with great energy and great effort."
The Buffs haven't forgotten the overtime loss in Seattle. While they've done their best to put the seven-game skid behind them, they admit that losing a game they led by 15 still sticks in their craw.
"We definitely remember that," junior George King said. "Maybe I'm being a little hypocritical because I always say forget about the past, but sometimes remembering the past is good for you as well, especially when it comes to games like this. They just beat us in overtime. We feel like we should have won that game and we see it as an opportunity to even it up a little."
King has been playing well in Pac-12 play, and has had a significant role in the Buffs recent turn of fortunes. He leads the team in rebounding in Pac-12 play (6.9 per game) and is second on the team for the whole season, averaging 7.0 per game — just behind Wesley Gordon's 7.3.
It's a big step forward over last year's 4.7 average.
"I told myself at the beginning of the year that I should average 10 rebounds per game and I'm still trying to do that," King said. "I wasn't necessarily setting out to try to outrebound my teammates, but I think the type of player I am, as athletic as I am, I'm capable of doing that."
BROADCAST: The game will be televised by Fox Sports 1 with Aaron Goldsmith and Casey Jacobsen. DenverSports 760 AM will carry the radio broadcast with Mark Johnson and Scott Wilke.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
