You can tell the team really misses Shane Harris-Tunks. Rebounding continues to be a struggle, and defense has been a disaster at times. Most statistical analysis hammers the team for this; kenpom has the Buffs at 179th in the nation in defensive efficiency, and CU is 210th in the nation in rebounding. Skilled post players have killed the Buffs, and essentially anyone who can get to the rim has dropped large numbers against CU. In short, the height issues of the past 3-4 years (CU is 203rd in effective height, whatever that means) are ever present and seem to be able to stunt an often exciting team's growth.
All is not lost, however. The offense can be prolific (7th in the nation in scoring) and efficient (21st in offensive efficiency. The team shoots over 50% from the field, which is awesome, and makes 78% of its freethrows. All-in-all, the offense is where it should be if the Buffs hope to win any games.
(The offense has been awesome, but without a defense to back it up the Buffs could be stuck in the mud come conference play. From: The BDC)
If CU could figure out the whole defensive/rebounding thing, they'd be one of the best teams in the nation; this is not wholly unexpected. Coming into the year we knew that CU had some stellar offensive talent, but that the defense could potentially hold the team back. It was hoped that fiery on-ball defending would make up for a lack on interior size/talent defensively; for the most part that hasn't been the case. Shannon Sharpe has been largely disappointing, seemingly a step behind quicker guards, and no one has been willing to step into the big defensive shoes HT left behind when he tore his ACL. What's been clear is that the Buffs are a 1-dimensional unit: we're going to try and outscore you, if you can keep up, you've got us.
Overall, I'll give the still young season a C-. Slightly below expectations, but there have been some bright spots. That said, I'd like to highlight some with my mid-season awards:
MVP - Alec Burks - Dude can score, and he's had some highlight games. Alec started off the year with 5-straight 20+ point games, and has been a primary focal point in the previously discussed prolific offense. Near 30% of CU's total possessions use Burks, and he's rewarded that faith with some highlight moments.
(Alec has played like a lottery player should. From: The BDC)
Best Newcomer - Andre Roberson - The team was desperate for rebounding, and the Texas native has been happy to oblige. His 7.4 boards per game, including 4 double-digit efforts, have been a huge addition to the roster. His back to back double-doubles against The Citadel and Longwood were a very welcome sight.
Most Surprising Player - Levi Knutson - I've hammered Levi in the past, but he seems to have found some black magic to cure his shot woes. He's shooting 58% from the field (obscene) and had a perfect game against Longwood, hitting every shot he took all night. I'm sorry for every harsh word I ever said about the Colorado Native. Keep it up, Levi!
Best Game - CSU - While the game was going on I was pissed we weren't dominating the Rams. In retrospect, the performance has grown on me. Sure, missed free-throws by the usually reliable Corey Higgins let the Rams back into the game, and, yes, the Rams were able to kill inside. However, the game was very exciting, and I never want to look a gift win in the mouth. Kudos to the Buffs for hanging in there and keeping the home game winning streak alive.
(All stats in this article are taken from kenpom.com and statsheet.com. They are invaluable)
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The "real" season starts Saturday against Missorui, and I hope everyone who reads this will show up to the CEC.
GO BUFFS!
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