No. 20 Buffs Ready For Opportunity At No. 2 Kansas

LAWRENCE, Kan. — If there has been a central theme for the Colorado Buffaloes in their preparation for Saturday's game at Kansas, it is "opportunity."

"All you can ask for in life is an opportunity to do something special, and we have that opportunity in front of us," said CU point guard McKinley Wright IV after Friday's practice in Boulder. "All of our fans asked coach (Tad) Boyle for improved strength of schedule and he did that. The No. 2 team in the country is on our schedule. That's an opportunity for us to make a name for CU, get our name out there more and get some respect. It's up to us to go out there and give it our best shot."

Wright will be a key part of that equation for the No. 20 Buffs (7-0) in their quest to create a little history against the No. 2 Jayhawks (6-1) in the nationally televised 5 p.m. contest (ESPN2). Considered to be among the nation's best point guards, the Colorado junior will be matched against Kansas' Devon Dotson, a front-runner for a long list of national awards. KU's 6-foot-2 sophomore is averaging 19.7 points and 4.3 assists per game, and is no doubt the straw that stirs the very formidable Jayahawks drink.

"It's a big-time challenge for me," Wright said. "He's their leading scorer, he's their playmaker. I take pride in my defense and my game. It's a challenge and I look forward to all challenges. I'm ready for it."

Boyle and his team have spent the week answering questions about the atmosphere they will face in KU's famed Allen Fieldhouse. It is a building in which head coach Bill Self has constructed a 253-13 record over the last 16-plus seasons and one that is renowned for its deafening environment.

It is also a building in which Colorado has lost 29 straight times, with CU's last win there coming in 1983.

"It's going to be something they haven't experienced," Boyle said. "It's going to be Arizona on steroids."

One key to surviving that environment, Boyle said, is making sure Kansas doesn't produce an early kill shot and ignite the crowd. It means the Buffs have to control the tempo as much as possible, which will require taking care of the ball on offense and not allowing KU to produce a string of easy transition baskets.

"If you let them control the tempo of the game, you're in the danger zone," Boyle said. "We have to control the tempo. That doesn't mean we don't run, it doesn't mean we don't attack. It's just we decide when we do it and when we don't."

But even if the Buffs can prevent the Jayhawks from opening up their transition game, they will face a formidable test on the defensive end in Kansas 7-footer Udoka Azubuike, who is averaging 15.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 80 percent from the field. Paired with Dotson, Boyle said it might be the best one-two punch the Buffs have faced in his 10-year tenure in Boulder.

"Dotson's a heck of a point guard, can really score it, can get to the rim," Boyle said. "And they play through Azebuike. That kid, holy cow is he good … He catches it down there, he doesn't even dribble. He catches it and dunks, or he just catches it and turns and shoots. He can go over either shoulder, he can pass out of double teams. He's a problem. It's hard to guard him with one guy."

The Buffs will almost certainly throw a variety of defenders at Azebuike, but they must also contend with 6-10 forward David McCormack up front as well. It is a lineup that has produced the nation's 15th-leading offense (83.0 points per game) and the 17th-leading scoring margin, beating opponents by an average of 18.3 points per game.

But the Buffs take the nation's 11th-ranked scoring defense into the game, one that has held opponents to 56.3 points per game while forcing more than 17 turnovers per contest. CU junior Tyler Bey is averaging 14.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game thus far, and has five double-doubles in seven games.

Offensively, however, the Buffs have been up-and-down over the last few games, with turnovers — 18 and 19 in the last two games — an issue. The best defense against Kansas' transition, Boyle said, is a good offense.

"Taking them out of transition is really critical and you do that by taking great shots," Boyle said. "Making them take the ball out of the net, it's a lot easier to get your defense set. But you turn it over … live-ball turnovers are going to lead to good things for them and not good things for us."

The Buffs and Jayhawks once played twice a year when the two teams were members of the Big Eight and Big 12. Since Colorado joined the Pac-12 in 2011, they have played just twice, with each team winning on its home floor. For the Buffs to win, it will take their best effort of the season.

"Our guys will be ready," Boyle said. "But the margin for error shrinks significantly when you go on the road anywhere. It shrinks even more when you go to Allen Fieldhouse and it shrinks even more when you play Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse."

But more than anything, Boyle simply wants his team to enjoy the moment.

"You can't be worried, you can't be on your heels, you can't be scared," Boyle said. "You just have to go play and let it hang out and believe in yourself, believe in your teammates, believe in the game plan. I tell the players all the time, we have plays on offense, we have defensive schemes — but when all else fails, just go play."

THE SERIES: This will be the 164th meeting between the former long-time conference rivals. Kansas holds a 123-40 advantage in the series including a 62-7 record in Lawrence. Colorado won the last meeting, 75-72, in Boulder on Dec. 7, 2013, on a buzzer-beating 3-point field goal by Askia Booker. Colorado's last win at Allen Fieldhouse came on Feb. 10, 1983.

BROADCAST: The game will be televised by ESPN2 with Mark Neely and Fran Fraschilla. The radio broadcast will be carried by 850 AM and 94.1 FM KOA with Voice of the Buffs Mark Johnson and Scott Wilke.

UP NEXT: Colorado returns home on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. game against Northern Iowa, then travels to Fort Collins on Friday for a 6 p.m. matchup with Colorado State at Moby Arena.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu

Players Mentioned

Tyler Bey

McKinley Wright IV

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