Buffs Set For Diamond Head Opener Vs. Indiana State
December 21, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
HONOLULU — The Colorado Buffaloes would love to give themselves a Christmas present to remember: a Diamond Head Classic tourney championship, one they could unwrap Christmas evening at the Stan Sheriff Center.
But to get there, the 8-1 Buffs need to win three games in four days, beginning with Saturday's 1 p.m. (Mountain time) tourney tipoff against 6-3 Indiana State (ESPNU). After that, Colorado will face either UNLV or tourney host Hawaii on Sunday, then have Christmas Eve off before finishing up their Hawaii stay on Christmas Day against one of the four teams from the other side of the eight-team bracket: Rhode Island, Bucknell, Charlotte and TCU.
For Tad Boyle's Buffs, the tournament is an excellent opportunity to continue to build confidence and momentum as a springboard into Pac-12 play, which begins Jan. 3 at Arizona, followed by a Jan. 5 encounter at Arizona State.
But it is also an opportunity for CU's players to encounter and engage in an environment most have never visited. Only one player on the team, senior Namon Wright, has been to Hawaii.
"Obviously we're going over there with the idea of trying to take care of business against Indiana State," Boyle said earlier this week. "But I also want our players to enjoy the trip. You try to find that balance as best as you can."
No doubt, Boyle and his players will take part in some sight-seeing and bag some beach time. They had some time Friday to recover from jet lag and see some sights, and will have a day off Monday.
But they also don't want to forget the main order of business. The team currently with the best record in the Pac-12 wants to return home with three more wins on the ledger and hit conference play with a full head of steam.
"We've talked about that," Boyle said. "I don't know always what they're absorbing. We'll find out by the way we play. The bottom line is that's why they play the games. As a coach you prepare, you practice, you do the best you can and you just cross your fingers and hope your guys are ready to go. I think we will be."
The Buffs will see a solid team in their tourney opener. The Sycamores have lost two of their last three — including a 90-70 loss at TCU last Sunday — but are a dangerous team, particularly from the outside. Indiana State leads the nation in 3-point shooting percentage, hitting 44.5 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc thus far this season.
The Sycamores start a four-guard lineup, led by Jordan Barnes (21.0 points per game) and Tyreke Key (17.9 points per game).
The Buffs are coming off a big road win at New Mexico last week, a game in which they overcame a 17-point deficit to record a 78-75 victory for their sixth straight win. Colorado has been getting balanced scoring, with three players averaging double figures, led by sophomore guard McKinley Wright (14.8 ppg). Sophomore Tyler Bey, meanwhile, is knocking on the door of averaging a double-double, currently operating at a 12.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game clip. Bey has three double-doubles in his last four games.
If the Buffs get by Indiana State, they could possibly have a true road game (not neutral floor) in the second round if Hawaii beats UNLV. Colorado coaches have watched film on both of those possible opponents, and will also have the chance to watch all four team on the other side of the bracket in their first two games.
"The good thing is once you are there, you also can watch the other side of the bracket so you get a feel," Boyle said. "It's nice being the first game. Then you can see the other side of the bracket … Whoever you play that third day, the third game, you'll have seen them twice in person, which is even better than film."
The Buffs have the best record of the four teams on their side of the bracket, followed by the Sycamores (6-3), Hawaii (6-4) and UNLV (5-4). On the other side, TCU also takes an 8-1 mark into the tournament, followed by Rhode Island (5-3), Bucknell (4-5) and Charlotte (3-5).
If the Buffs win Saturday, they will play the UNLV-Hawaii winner Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2. If they lose, they will face the loser of that game in a 5 p.m. matchup Sunday on ESPNU. Tuesday's championship game will be played at 7 p.m.
THE SERIES: Saturday's game will be the first-ever meeting between the Buffs and Sycamores. As for Sunday's possible opponents, Hawaii is 3-0 all-time against Colorado while UNLV holds a 4-2 edge over CU. The Buffs, however, have won the last two against the Rebels, including a 68-64 win in the first round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
On the other side of the bracket, Colorado has never faced Bucknell or Rhode Island, and is 1-0 against Charlotte. CU has faced TCU four times, with the series split at 2-2.
BROADCAST: Saturday's game will be televised by ESPNU with Roxy Bernstein and LaPhonso Ellis. KOA will carry the radio broadcast with Mark Johnson and Scott Wilke.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
