Woelk: No Reason To Panic Over 8-2 Start For Buffs
December 15, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER —Ten games into the season, Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes are 8-2 with two wins over teams currently in the nation's top 50 RPI (Arizona State and Sacramento State) and their two losses against teams in the top 30.
Yet there seems to be a "sky is falling" mentality from the outside, thanks in large part to the rather lofty expectations that have been part of the CU storyline since the season began.
Boyle is the first to admit the Buffs haven't played up to their fullest capabilities. But with the Buffs just one-third of the way through the schedule, there's no reason to think they can't clean up some of the issues that have hounded them in their first 10 games.
Thus, here's a look at what we've seen so far — and a guess at what might be ahead:
— Evan Battey is becoming a quality defender. The 6-foot-7, 265-pound sophomore was a fan favorite when he finally returned to the floor last year after a two-year layoff, thanks in large part to his seemingly bottomless well of energy and enthusiasm.
But fans are now beginning to appreciate his defensive prowess and offensive tenacity. A week ago, his effort against Kansas star Udoka Azubuike was a bright spot in an otherwise tough night for Colorado in Lawrence, when Battey outscored (14-12) and outrebounded (7-6) the KU 7-footer.
He proved that wasn't an aberration Friday when he manhandled CSU's big man, Nico Carvacho, in the first half of Colorado's 56-48 win in Fort Collins. Battey helped limit Carvacho to just two points and four rebounds in the first half, and it's no coincidence that when Battey left with his third foul early in the second half, Carvacho sparked a second-half rally that erased a 16-point CU lead.
Battey is more than just a quality defender; he is also a factor on the offensive end. He is second on the team to Tyler Bey in offensive rebounds, and his .561 shooting percentage is far and away the best on the team.Â
The good news is he is only going to continue to get better.
— Yes, turnovers are an issue. CU is averaging 15.5 miscues per game, a number that won't cut it when the Buffs roll into Pac-12 play. If they had an easy answer, they would fix it.
But the gut feeling here is that they will figure out a way to reduce those mistakes.
After Friday's win over CSU, which came despite 21 turnovers, Boyle reminded his team of last year's NIT win over Dayton. Colorado had seven turnovers in that game. It was proof that they can take care of the ball and, as Boyle noted, this year's team is virtually the same squad.
Now for your stat anomaly of the day: the Buffs are 3-0 when they have more turnovers than their opponent. Meanwhile, in both of their losses, Northern Iowa and Kansas, Colorado actually had fewer turnovers than the opponent.
No doubt, it's an issue that needs to be fixed. We'll have a very good idea Saturday whether they've made any progress when they face Dayton in Chicago.
— Tyler Bey will learn to deal with double teams. A year ago, Bey caught folks unawares and he became a nearly unstoppable force over the last half of the Pac-12 season.Â
This year, everybody is waiting for him, and it's no doubt been a little frustrating. Bey is drawing a double-team every time he touches the ball, and he's still learning how to adjust. But he is still second on the team in assists and he's still leading the team in scoring (12.6 per game) and rebounding (10.4), while also playing solid defense.
Already this year, he has become a more willing and able passer, and he is finding his way to the free throw line with excellent frequency (a team-leading 71 attempts this year). It has no doubt been another step in the learning process for him, but as he continues to adjust, his game will become even more productive on both ends.
— Don't worry about McKinley Wright IV. Over the last two years, we've become so accustomed to Wright's heroics that we expect them every night — and when they don't occur, we figure something must be wrong.
But there's nothing wrong with Wright that he can't fix. The good news is that when he's had an off night shooting — as he did against CSU — there was a Shane Gatling to step in and fill the void. Meanwhile, when he's not shooting well, he still contributes in other ways. He had eight rebounds against the Rams, along with two steals and three assists.
Granted, Wright might be pressing a little. But the bet here is that when the Buffs hit Pac-12 play, he'll be ready to play at an all-conference level.
— Colorado needs a killer instinct. There have already been too many instances this year when the Buffs allowed an opponent to stay in the game instead of administering a knockout punch.
In two of those instances — Arizona State and CSU — they managed to regroup and come away with a win. The only damaging instance came against Northern Iowa, when they allowed a seven-point lead late in the first half turn into a 12-point deficit minutes into the second.
It's a product of inconsistency, something they no doubt have to fix. Which leads us to …
— Buffs have yet to play a complete game. So far, we have seen the Buffs put together some outstanding stretches on both ends of the floor. But we haven't seen them play a complete game in which they have matched a solid defensive effort with an efficient offensive effort for 40 minutes.
There's no guarantee that such a game — or series of games — will come. But if you've watched Boyle's teams over the years, you also know …Â
— Boyle's teams almost always improve as the year progresses. We've seen slow starts before. We've seen bumpy stretches. But much more often than not, Boyle's teams get better each month of the season.
That's why, 10 games into the year, it's a little early to proclaim the sky is falling. If this team progresses as Boyle's previous teams have, it will be a team worth watching when tournament time rolls around.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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