Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Aim To End Skid Vs. Rams As CSU Visits Saturday
November 30, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Colorado basketball coach Tad Boyle didn't need to be reminded of a quirk concerning his roster after Friday morning's practice.
Asked if he was aware that not a single player on CU's current team has played in a win over Colorado State, Boyle paused, looked at the questioner and said: "We talked about that. That is a fact that is not lost on our staff and our team."
It is also something the 4-1 Buffs can correct Saturday afternoon, when they host in-state rival CSU in a 1 p.m. game at the CU Events Center (Pac-12 Mountain).
While Colorado leads the all-time series 89-38, the Rams have had the upper hand in recent years, winning two in a row and three of the last four. Boyle is 4-4 in the series since taking over in Boulder in 2010.
The recent results, plus the emotions attached to an in-state rivalry, no doubt add a little juice to Saturday's matchup.
"It's a big game for Colorado," Boyle said. "We're not taking these guys lightly. They've beat us the last couple years. It's time for us to step up."
Boyle, who earlier in the week promised that his players would be "emotionally and mentally ready" for the game, said Friday he doesn't want his team to be "over-hyped" for the contest.
But, he also noted that most of his players were around for last season's 72-63 loss in Fort Collins, when the Rams dominated the Buffs in virtually every statistical category. That included a commanding 46-32 edge on the boards and a 39 percent shooting day from the field from the Buffs.
"This is a huge game for us," CU sophomore point guard McKinley Wright said. "We know how much this game means for this program. I'm not from Colorado but we have guys that are from Colorado and that were from Colorado. … We let one slip last year and it hurt me to see those guys emotional after that game, knowing how much it meant to them. I'm going to do my best this year to make sure it doesn't happen this year for my Colorado in-state guys."
To accomplish that, the Buffs will have to make sure the Rams don't dominate the boards as they did last year. A big part of that equation will be containing CSU big man Nico Carvacho, who has been a particular thorn in the Buffs' side the last two years. In two Colorado State wins, the 6-foot-11 junior has scored 24 points and grabbed 17 rebounds.
"(He) has kicked our tail two years in a row on the boards," Boyle said. "We've got to come up on the positive end of that."
While the Buffs are off to a solid 4-1 start that includes three wins with at least 90 points, 4-3 CSU has had an up-and-down start under first-year coach Niko Medved. After winning their first three, the Rams have lost three of their last four, including an 82-67 loss to Southern Illinois at home on Tuesday.
Still, a number of the players who did damage to the Buffs a year ago are back, albeit in a different system. The Rams are averaging 80 points and more than nine 3-pointers per game, and all five of their probable starters are averaging double-figure scoring.
"Rebounding is always an issue against Colorado State," Boyle said. "In years past that's been a strength of theirs. This year's team, offensively, is much more dangerous with the same personnel. That's a part that we have to really be concentrating on, is getting to their 3-point shooters."
But the Buffs have also flexed their offensive muscle thus far, averaging 85.8 points per game with 9.4 3-pointers per contest. Wright, coming off a season-high 22 points in a 93-69 win over Portland, is averaging 14.2 points per game while junior Lucas Siewert is right behind at 13.8.
A big part of that offense has been good defense. In Wednesday's win over Portland, the Buffs fueled a decisive 28-4 second-half run by holding the Pilots to 1-for-12 shooting and forcing six turnovers in a nine-minute span in the second half.
That feeds into one of Boyle's defensive principles.
"We want to contest every shot and limit them to one," Boyle said. "If we do that, we're going to rebound. If they get one shot, we have to get the rebound. We have to have that mentality."
One thing the Buffs and Boyle would love to see is a big Events Center crowd. In three home games thus far, Colorado has averaged roughly 5,600 fans. Saturday's crowd should easily exceed that, especially given that a healthy gathering of CSU fans is expected.
"I know they're going to come in here and try to beat us bad," Wright said. "They don't like us, we don't like them. It is what it is. We're going to go out and compete at a high level, high energy, and try to come out with the 'W' for our university and our fans."
THE SERIES: This will be the 128th meeting between the in-state rivals, with Colorado holding an 89-38 all-time lead. But the Rams have won the last two and three of the last four, including the last two in Boulder. Colorado coach Tad Boyle is 6-6 against the Rams overall, 4-4 as CU's head coach. CSU's Niko Medved is 0-1 against Colorado, with the loss coming last year as Drake's head coach.
BROADCAST: The game will be televised by the Pac-12 Mountain with Guy Haberman and Don MacLean. Mark Johnson and Scott Wilke will handle the KOA radio call.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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