Buffs Host Utah In Pac-12 Matchup Sunday
January 11, 2020 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes have had a week now to stew over their last outing, a 76-68 loss to Oregon State.
Sunday afternoon, the 25th-ranked Buffs (12-3 overall, 1-1 Pac-12)Â finally have a chance to wash the taste out of their mouths when they play host to Utah (10-4, 1-1) in a 4 p.m. game at the CU Events Center (ESPNU).
It's no doubt been a long week for the Buffs.Â
Most weeks in the conference season involve two games. But twice each year, Pac-12 teams face their conference-designated rival and it is their only game of the week. Thus, thanks to a loss that prevented the Buffs from spending the week atop the league standings, it's been an especially long seven days.
"That's behind us," Boyle said after Saturday's practice. "We can't do anything about it now other than move forward, and that's what we've got to do with Utah."
It won't be an easy assignment. The Utes, picked in the preseason media poll to finish ninth in the Pac-12, look much more like an upper-division conference team. Utah opened its conference season with a win over Oregon State — the same Beavers, Boyle notes, who beat Colorado three days later — and took Oregon down to the wire before losing. Larry Krystkowiak's team also owns wins over Kentucky, Nevada, Minnesota and BYU.
"They're a tough-minded team and they play within themselves," Boyle said. "Utah doesn't beat themselves. You have to beat Utah. They're not going to come in here and turn it over 25 times. They're not going to take a bunch of bad shots. They're much, much better than I think anybody thought that they would be at this stage of the game before the season started."
The Utes are led by sophomore Timmy Allen, a 6-foot-6 forward who leads the league in scoring (21.1 points per game) and is in the top 10 in rebounding as well (7.9 rpg). But they also have a dangerous outside shooter in freshman Rylan Jones (third in the league in 3-point percentage at .475) and a capable scorer in 6-6 guard Both Gach (12.9 ppg).
"They have great role definition," Boyle said. "The Jones kid knows what he does well and they know what he does well. They look to get him shots and threes. Allen, when he penetrates, he knows where Gach is, he knows where Jones is, he knows where Batten is. He (Allen) takes tough shots and he makes tough shots. He's a handful."
With the Pac-12 season just two weekends old, one thing has already become clear: consistency will be critical if the Buffs are going to be in the title contention mix down the stretch. That means they can't have any more efforts like last weekend's collapse at home against Oregon State.
"The message for our team is the most consistent team is going to win this league," Boyle said. "There's a lot of talented teams, there's a lot of teams that have the ability to win this league this year. But the most consistent team is going to do it. If the first weekend is any example, we've got some work to do in terms of that consistency, as others. We're not the only one. It's going to be a heck of a race."
Indeed, only one team — Stanford at 3-0 — is still unbeaten in league play. With seven home games remaining and already one conference loss in Boulder, the Buffs can ill afford to give up another on their home floor.
"You have to be able to win on the road and you have to protect at home," Boyle said.
 To do that Sunday, the Buffs will need to rediscover the defense that held Oregon to 65 points in their conference opener. CU is second in the Pac-12 in scoring defense, giving up just 61.9 points per game, but saw that defense struggle in the 76-68 loss to Oregon State.
The Utes are second in the Pac-12 in scoring, averaging 78.3 points per game.
"Fifteen games in, 12 of the times we've taken the floor I think we've done a pretty good job of executing the defensive game plan," Boyle said. "Our defensive intensity has got to ratchet up and it's got to stay up. That's the big thing."
While it's no doubt been a long week for the Buffs, it has also meant plenty of time for them to reflect on what is at stake. They know that games now will have a huge bearing in March, when the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee sits down to make its decisions.
"We know what we're capable of," said point guard McKinley Wright IV. "We know how big these games are come March. We're going to do our best to come out with a lot more energy and do a better job of putting two halves together."
TIPOFF: The game is set for 4 p.m. at the CU Events Center.
THE SERIES: Colorado holds a 28-23 all-time edge in the series, but the two teams have split the last four, with the home team winning each time.
BROADCAST: The 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.
UP NEXT: The Buffs hit the road next week for a pair in the desert, beginning with a 7 p.m. game Thursday at Arizona State (Pac-12 Network), followed by a 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Arizona (Fox).
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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