Colorado University Athletics
Top-Four Finish, Pac-12 Tourney Bye On Line For Buffs Down Stretch
February 23, 2020 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — In the span of about 12 minutes of play Saturday afternoon, the Colorado Buffaloes went from being in control to merely being in the hunt.
Now, after a disappointing 70-63 loss to UCLA, the Buffs are no longer in complete control of their pursuit of at least a share of the Pac-12 title. Even if they win their last three games — all on the road — they could come up short.
Instead, to win even a share of the crown, they'll need some help over the last two weeks of the regular season.
But while thoughts of a conference championship are no doubt nice, what will be even more important for the Buffs down the stretch is locking up a top-four finish and earning a first-round bye in the March 11-14 Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas.
The Buffs (21-7 overall, 10-5 Pac-12) have never had a first-round bye in the tournament. While they are still the only team in Pac-12 history to win four straight tournament games and a tourney title, a feat they accomplished in 2012, conventional wisdom suggests the path to a championship is easier via three games rather than four.
But the task of earning a top-four seed won't be easy. Given the current state of the standings, and the remaining schedules of the teams at or near the top, the Buffs arguably have the most difficult season-ending path.
Of the five teams all within one game of the top spot — Arizona State (10-4 Pac-12), Oregon (10-5), Colorado (10-5), UCLA (10-5) and Arizona (9-5) — the Buffs are the only team in the bunch with three road games remaining. That schedule begins with a Thursday game at Cal, followed by a Sunday matchup at Stanford before the March 7 regular season finale at Utah.
Oregon, meanwhile, looks to have the most favorable road down the stretch. The Ducks not only have the luxury of closing with three home games, they are all against teams currently in the bottom half of the league standings.
But of all the teams in the top five, only one — Arizona State — is in control of its destiny. If the Sun Devils win out, they will win the conference title outright.
That's not out of the question. After starting out 1-3 in conference play, ASU has won seven in a row and nine of its last 10. The Sun Devils have two road games (at the Los Angeles schools) and two home games (Washington schools) remaining; with Arizona facing the same lineup.
Then there is UCLA, another team that has rebounded nicely from a 1-3 conference start. The Bruins have won five in a row and nine of their last 11. That sets up maybe the biggest game of the week in conference play Thursday when UCLA plays host to ASU.
Here are the remaining schedules for all five teams currently at the top of the standings:
ARIZONA STATE (10-4 Pac-12)
at UCLA, Thursday
at USC, Saturday
vs. Washington, March 5
vs. Washington State, March 7
COLORADO (10-5)
at Cal, Thursday
at Stanford, Sunday
at Utah, March 7
UCLA (10-5)
vs. ASU, Thursday
vs. Arizona, Saturday
at USC, March 7
OREGON (10-5)
vs. Oregon State, Thursday
vs. Cal, March 5
vs. Stanford, March 7
ARIZONA (9-5)
at USC, Thursday
at UCLA, Saturday
vs. Washington State, March 5
vs. Washington, March 7
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
