Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Turn Attention To Sunday Visit From Utes
January 10, 2020 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Learn, get better and move on.
That's been one of the main messages this week from Colorado head coach Tad Boyle to his Buffaloes.
The 25th-ranked Buffs (12-3 overall, 1-1 Pac-12) played well last week for approximately 73 minutes, only to see a sub-par seven-minute stretch throw a damper on the entire week. Thus, what started as a very promising week with a big win over No. 4 Oregon ended with a thud in the form of a home loss to Oregon State.
Now, the Buffs aim to rebound Sunday when they end a three-game homestand with a 4 p.m. game against Utah (10-4, 1-1) at the CU Events Center.
Granted, it hasn't been easy for the Buffs to get past those final seven minutes against OSU, when they let an 11-point lead slip turn into an eight-point loss. But as Boyle has told his team, they have to remember what they did to produce that lead — then eliminate the mistakes that let it disappear down the stretch.
"You address your problems and you also talk about the fact that we were playing very, very well for those first 33 minutes," Boyle said after Friday's practice. "We have to build on that and gain confidence from that, and learn from that last stretch. (But) you can't dwell on it. That's a big thing."
Actually, the Buffs had played well over the last several weeks prior to the final minutes of the Oregon State game. Colorado had won five in a row, thanks in big part to their improved offensive efficiency behind point guard McKinley Wright IV.
Early in the year, the Buffs had trouble finding the basket consistently. But after shooting better than 43 percent from the field in just three of their first 10 games, they eclipsed that mark in four of their last five. Including the Oregon State game, they have shot just under 50 percent (138-for-280) from the floor in their last five contests.
"I think number one, we're sharing the ball," Boyle said of the offensive improvement "McKinley, it kind of starts with him. He's really been in a great distribution mode. He's been really looking to get his teammates involved and our shooters have been ready to shoot. We've gotten the ball moved and we've played inside out. We've gotten the ball in the paint and then kicked it back out for threes, or gotten to the rim. And we I think we've been taking better shots as well."
Indeed, Wright has been distributing the ball with excellent efficiency in recent weeks. He has 28 assists in CU's last three games with just seven turnovers, a very healthy 4-to-1 ratio.
But after playing solid defense for a month, the Buffs took a step back against Oregon State. The Beavers shot nearly 53 percent from the floor (27-for-51) while also outscoring CU 42-32 in the paint.
Protecting the paint against the Utes will be a critical area for Colorado on Sunday, in particular against Utah's 6-foot-6 forward Timmy Allen, who leads the Pac-12 in scoring with a 21.1 average.
"He can score at the rim, he can make free throws, he's got a great mid-range game," Boyle said. "He's just a tough-minded, gritty, competitive dude that puts a lot of pressure on your defense. We have to keep him out of the paint. It's going to take a team effort."
RESERVE ROLES: Four Buffs — Wright, Tyler Bey, D'Shawn Schwartz and Evan Battey — have started every game for the Buffs this season.
But the second guard spot has seen sophomore Eli Parquet get the start seven times, sophomore Daylen Kountz five and senior Shane Gatling three.
Gatling, a senior, has been in the role in the last three games after turning in a stellar defensive effort off the bench in CU's win over Dayton. He is averaging 26.5 minutes per game over the last four games, a stretch in which he has averaged 4.75 points while also collecting 10 rebounds, 10 assists and just six turnovers.
Parquet, meanwhile, has not played in CU's last two games while Kountz has assumed a role as one of the first players off the bench, averaging 19 minutes and six points per game over the last four contests.
"I'm just trying to fill in whatever's missing," Kountz said. "You try to bring that spark, try to be ready to play. You want to be able to help the team however you can. That means getting a basket, playing defense — whatever we need."
HOME VS. ROAD: The general rule of thumb when it comes to the formula necessary to contend for a conference title is win your home games and earn some semblance of a split on road trips.
In the Pac-12, that would produce a 14-4 record (nine home wins and five on the road).
But early in conference play, the home court hasn't exactly been a huge advantage, as home teams are just 9-5 thus far. Eleven of the 12 teams in the conference already have at least one league loss, with Stanford (13-2 overall, 2-0 Pac-12) the only team still unbeaten in league play.
"You better be ready every time you step out," Boyle said. "I know that's a cliche in league play, but it's the truth."
SUNDAY TWINBILL: Both the CU men and women will play at the Events Center on Sunday. The women will square off with UCLA at noon before the CU men and Utah tip it off at 4 p.m.
BROADCAST: Sunday's game will be televised by ESPNU with Roxy Bernstein and Corey Williams. The radio broadcast will be carried by 850 AM and 94.1 FM KOA, with Voice of the Buffs Mark Johnson and Scott Wilke.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
