Colorado University Athletics
Bey Taking His Game To Next Level As Buffs Hit Crucial Stretch
March 05, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Over the last month, Colorado's Tyler Bey has been one of the Pac-12's most dominant and dependable players.
In his last eight games, a stretch in which the Buffs have gone 6-2, Bey has recorded six double-doubles, including in each of CU's last three games. He has averaged 15.6 points and 10.9 rebounds in that stretch, and is still within reach of pushing his season averages — 12.8 points and 9.5 rebounds — to a season double-double.
That hasn't been accomplished by a Buff since Andre Roberson did it in back-to-back seasons at Colorado, averaging 11.6 points and 11.1 rebounds in 2011-12, then following that with 10.9 and 11.2 season a year later.
"Tyler is starting to understand who he is when he is successful and why he is successful," CU head coach Tad Boyle said after the Buffs' 71-63 win over Utah last weekend. "A few games ago we were really on him. When he would set a screen, he wouldn't roll hard to the rim. He would roll to the middle of the paint or to the free throw line. He wouldn't put any pressure on the defense. He has done a much better job of that since we really challenged him. … As a player, you have to have self-awareness to what you do well and what you don't do well. Tyler is starting to figure that out. I think the results have shown."
While his numbers have been good throughout the season, Bey has no doubt taken his game to the next level over the last eight games. Had it not been for a missed free throw at the end of Colorado's win over Arizona — a game that saw him finish with 10 rebounds and nine points — he would have five straight double-doubles to his credit.
His recent surge is no accident. It has come in the wake of perhaps his worst outing of the year, a four-point, four-rebound game against Oregon State that saw him on the bench for much of the second half. No doubt the message was received, but since then, it's been more than just the time on the pine that has helped elevate his game.
Bey has also started to take the job of rebounding personally.
"I'm just letting the game come to me, making hustle plays and defensive rebounding as much as I can for this team," he said. "Me rebounding helps this team out a lot. To me, it's like scoring the ball for guards. It's that type of mentality for me. I love it."
This week, Bey and his Buffs teammates will play two of their biggest games of the year at home — a 7 p.m. meeting with UCLA on Thursday, followed by Saturday's regular season finale against USC at 3 p.m.
There will be plenty at stake for the Buffs (17-11 overall, 8-8 Pac-12). Two wins would give them a chance to move into the top four in the Pac-12 standings, a finish that would give them a first-round bye in next week's conference tournament. It would also improve their postseason chances, and put the them within range of a 20-win season, something the Buffs haven't accomplished since posting a 22-12 record in 2015-16.
But the Buffs aren't the only team with something at stake this week. UCLA (16-13, 9-7) also has designs on a top-four finish, and a win Thursday would put the Bruins on position to claim that spot.
"We want that pressure," Bey said. "We feel like UCLA's going to come in here ready to play and we want to take control of the game."
STREAKS DON'T MATTER: While the Buffs have had their way with the Bruins recently — three straight wins, including two on UCLA's home floor — CU's Boyle said past games don't matter.
"Every game is a new game," Boyle said. "Streaks are streaks. As you coach and you're here nine years, you play teams multiple times, there's going to be times where you get on a roll against a certain team or a certain team gets on a roll against you. … But the fact that we've beaten UCLA three times in a row has absolutely no bearing on Thursday's game. It really doesn't from our standpoint. From their standpoint, they may have a little burr in their saddle. I'm sure Coach Bartow, who's a good coach, he's probably reminding his guys of that."
NOT LOOKING AHEAD, BUT … Despite all that is on the line this week, Boyle and the Buffs have done their best to maintain the same attitude that has helped them win six of their last eight.
"Get better today in practice, how do we beat UCLA," Boyle said. "Our team has bought into that. That's why we've been able to bounce back after tough losses. … Now we haven't won every game but we've won more than our share here down the stretch. We understand the opportunities in front of us. But it's UCLA up next. I've always said you can't win two in a row unless win one in a row, so you better win that first one, and that's what we have to do.''
But Boyle was also asked after Tuesday's practice about what has been a bit of a brewing rivalry with USC, something that began a year ago when the Trojans called a timeout in the final seconds of a game to run a play with a double-digit lead already in hand.
That didn't sit well with the Buffs, and they finally earned a little revenge earlier this season with a win on the Trojans' home floor. After the game, Boyle pumped his fist and yelled to the CU fans behind the Colorado bench. That, in turn, raised the ire of a USC assistant, who expressed his displeasure in the postgame handshake line.
"I don't know if it's a rivalry or not," Boyle said with a shrug. "I just know that every game is important this time of year, whether you're playing UCLA or USC. One doesn't mean more than the other, contrary to what people may think."
Boyle also said there are no hard feelings from any previous meetings.
"Not from my standpoint," he said. "There might be from theirs. I'm the kind of guy, I say what I say, I get it off my chest, it's over with, it's done, water under the bridge. I'm pretty quick to forgive, I'm slow to forget."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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