Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Ready For Visit From League-leading Ducks
January 18, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — The table of opportunity has been set this week for Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes.
Now the Buffs need to belly up to the table and take advantage.
Currently 12-5 overall and 3-3 in the Pac-12, CU currently sits in a three-way tie for fifth in the league standings.
But the Buffs can make a big move toward the top this weekend, beginning with Thursday night's 8:30 matchup with league-leading Oregon (13-3, 5-0) at the CU Events Center (FS1).
They then wrap up a three-game homestand Saturday with a 5 p.m. game against Oregon State (Pac-12 Network).
The Ducks are the lone remaining team unbeaten in Pac-12 play, and they bring a six-game win streak with them to Boulder. That includes road wins at Washington and Washington State and a come-from-behind win over Cal in their last outing.
The Ducks, led by guards Jackson Shelstad (14.6 points per game) and Jermaine Couisanard (13.9 ppg), are playing their best ball of the year. While they are middle of the pack in most statistics for the season, they are much closer to the top in conference games. Oregon is fourth in scoring (78.2), third in scoring defense (72.8) and second in 3-point shooting (41.7 percent) in league games, and the Ducks lead the league in 3-point defense in conference games (32.7 percent).
But the Buffs are finally healthy. After missing standout freshman Cody Williams for seven games and senior Tristan da Silva for three, plus Julian Hammond III for a couple of games, all three were available last weekend. Colorado ended a three-game losing streak last Saturday with a come-from-behind win over USC and the Buffs should be ready for the Ducks.
"Every team this time of year has nicks and bruises," Boyle said. "It's a long season. It takes its toll on the body. That's why we're not (practicing) for two and a half hours like we were in October and November. We have to get something out of each practice and continue to get better and improve. That's the one thing that my focus is as a coach is, to make sure we're improving."
One thing Boyle isn't focusing on is Oregon's record in Boulder. Colorado is 11-1 all-time in Boulder against the Ducks.
"They're a good road team," Boyle said. "They're well-coached … It just seems like every school has a place where they struggle. I don't know how they look at it, but how I look at it is that record is in the past. That means nothing in terms of performance. It has everything to do with Thursday night."
But there's also no doubt the Buffs have been a very good team on their home floor this year. In putting together a 10-0 record at the Events Center thus far, CU is averaging 85.5 points per game while winning by almost 19 points per game. CU is shooting 52.8 percent at home — including 48.3 percent from beyond the arc — while also out-rebounding opponents by more than 10 per game.
They'll need similar numbers Thursday to get a win and reel the Ducks back closer to the pack.
"We're looking up," Boyle said of the conference standings. "We have to start scratching and clawing one game at a time. We have to start stacking wins and there's no bigger game for this basketball team than Thursday night."
