Buffs' Siewert Delivering Critical Production As Sixth Man

BOULDER — Since the beginning of the season, Colorado coach Tad Boyle has touted depth as one of the Buffaloes' strong suits.

There may be no better example than senior Lucas Siewert. A starter for 26 games last season, Siewert has assumed the role of sixth man this year for Colorado — and has proven to be an invaluable asset in that regard. The senior big man has provided a consistent scoring threat, a defensive presence and steady rebounding as the 24th-ranked Buffs have built a 17-5 overall record and remain in contention for a Pac-12 title with a 6-3 league record.

Colorado will aim to maintain that position this week with a pair of home games, beginning with Thursday's 6 p.m. contest with Cal, followed by a 4 p.m. matchup Saturday against Stanford.

Halfway through Pac-12 play, Siewert is among the leading contenders for the league's Sixth Man of the Year award. He is averaging 10.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game in Pac-12 play, second-best in both categories among all reserves in the conference.

"He's critical," CU coach Tad Boyle said. "He's given us probably the most consistent minutes off the bench of anybody all year. He's been really, really good in terms of being ready, understanding his role, accepting his role and knowing that his role is critical for this team."

After starting most of the year last season, Siewert found himself in a reserve role down the stretch. This year, he has just one start in 22 games. It's a change in roles he admits hasn't been easy, but one he has made because he believes it is best for the team.

"In the beginning it was a little bit of an adjustment," he said. "But as the year went on, I realized it was something that was better for our team and if I accepted the role and did my best, I could be a big help."

Siewert has indeed done that, coming up with big plays consistently in big moments. He has scored in double figures in Colorado's last four games — three of them wins — while also averaging nearly six rebounds per game in that stretch.

"It's just a mentality change," he said. "I try to play more aggressive, be more productive when I'm out there. We have our goal of winning the Pac-12 championship and production off the bench is something that can really contribute to that."

Siewert has been known throughout his career as a 3-point weapon. But he has added a more consistent game on the block this year, as well as improved defense and rebounding. At 6-foot-10, 232 pounds, he is now big enough to more than hold his own in the paint.

"As I've progressed from freshmen to now, I'm getting more used to it," he said. "I used to go up against Tory (Miller) and Wes (Gordon) in practice, now it's guys like Evan (Battey) and Dallas (Walton). Good competition in practice helps. I think I'm more physical now because I'm just more mature."

Siewert admits he hadn't thought about the sixth man award until he saw a post about the possibility last week.

"That's the first time it actually came to my mind," he said. "But I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing and see what happens."

What is far more important to Siewert is continuing to remain productive. He is part of a CU bench that has been critical throughout the Pac-12 season, as CU is also getting quality minutes from Walton, Eli Parquet, Daylen Kountz and Maddox Daniels.

That depth will be a huge key for the Buffs down the home stretch, particularly when it comes to consistency — something that has evaded the Buffs thus far. Colorado has yet to win more than two conference games in a row, something CU could change with a pair of home wins this weekend.

"We can't have the same inconsistency we had between UCLA and USC," Siewert said of a road trip last week that saw the Buffs stumble against the Bruins before bouncing back for a dominant win over the Trojans. "We have to get that consistency. We have to figure out what kind of team we want to be."

BUFFS BITS: After nine games of conference play, Colorado is second in Pac-12 games in scoring offense (72.78 points per game) and scoring defense (64.00 per game). The Buffs are also No. 2 in free throw percentage (.754) and 3-point percentage (.359) … Speaking of 3-point percentage, junior forward Tyler Bey might be as hot as anyone in the league in that regard (although he doesn't have enough attempts to qualify for the league lead). After missing his first four tries of the year in CU's opening game, Bey is 10-for-15 from beyond the arc, including 4-for-6 in league play … CU's McKinley Wright IV still leads the league in assists in conference play, averaging 6.78 per game. Wright is also tied for 20th in rebounding with Battey (5.33 per game), 10th in free throw percentage (.838), 13th in 3-point percentage (.379), and second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.10). Wright is also averaging more than 35 minutes per game in league play, fifth-highest in the conference.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu