2013-14 Utah Basketball Preview #1

AllBuffs hoops moderator and friend of the blog James Lucas has repeatedly said over the last few weeks that the season begins anew on February 1st against Utah.  He's not wrong - playing the SoCal and Arizona schools in the immediate aftermath of losing Spencer Dinwiddie was never going to go well, and the results proved that CU was in desperate need of a breather and a winnable home game.  We'll get a much better picture of what this team will be going forward after tomorrow's action.

These are not your slightly older brother's Utes, however.  They're an actual basketball team now; a credit to their conference, rather than an anchor.  Playing them is no longer a guaranteed victory.  CU will have to play a focused, disciplined basketball game to emerge victorious tomorrow afternoon.  They'd better get it too, as the slippery slope to the finish only gets steeper from here on out.

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The Buffs are back on the hardwood starting at high noon on Saturday.  Coverage can be found on the Pac-12 Network, with the radio call on 850 KOA.

Click below for the preview...

Quick post: Bye week musings

College GameDay

For a while there, I was getting worried.  The only good news of note to flow out of the athletic department in the month of January had been the verbal commitment of four-star wide receiver Shay Fields.  Good for the football program, and all, but, damnit, it's January!  No time to be talking about the gridiron.

Luckily, Wednesday brought the official news that ESPN had made the only decision that made sense, and made their own commitment to bringing College Gameday to Boulder on February 22nd.  The traveling roadshow will be at the CEC in anticipation of the Senior Day showdown between the Buffs and Arizona Wildcats.  The selection had come down to CU or Stanford for their tilt with UCLA.  While Colorado has been in a tailspin of late, even the Woldwide Leader wasn't about to lock in a trip to Palo Alto and that student section in absentia.

More than anything, I look at this as a sign of respect for the C-Unit.  There are plenty of good basketball teams across the country who aren't getting the honor of hosting GameDay.  What drew the eye of Bristol was the raucous home court advantage created in the Keg, and the students are a vital part of that atmosphere.  Kudos to the leaders of the C-Unit, young and old, for building a notable force.  The trick, now, will be maintaining the deserving energy through the month of February, and showing up at the crack of dawn (8am) to make the show an impressive sight to the rest of the basketball world.

You wanted it, you got it.  Now make the most of it.

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The return of TadBall

Almost as a threat, Coach Boyle was quoted in the Daily Camera saying:

"We don't have anything that we can hang our hat on, night-in and night out. That's always been and always will be defense and rebounding, as long as I'm the coach. I've done a bad job of keeping these guys focused in those two areas. That's where we've got to get back to basics."

Uh oh... I've seen this movie before... #TadBall is coming.

I guess it's simple arithmetic.  Without Spencer Dinwiddie, CU can no longer afford to trade shot attempts with teams over 70 possessions.  *sigh*, but I was just getting used to watching the Buffs play offense like they mean it...

To his credit, Boyle couched his return to defensive principles with a pledge that 'We're not going to take the air out of the ball and try to make it a 50-50 game,' but I'm not so sure that's realistic.  This is a young team playing too fast at the moment, and it shows.  I'm not saying some combination of Askia Booker, Jaron Hopkins, and Xavier Talton can't effectively run the point in the Mayor's stead at some point, but, outside of the USC explosion (hoo boy, the Trojans are bad), they have yet to figure it out.

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Bye week viewing

As always, the bye week, when CU sees their weekly schedule cut in half to play their travel partner, strikes me as hollow.  I guess I'll have to fill the brief basketball void with the remaining slate of conference play. Tonight we have USC @ Oregon St and UCLA @ Oregon on the docket, and those teams will be hard pressed to match the excitement generated last night.  

The UofA/Stanford game was particularly fantastic. The Cardinal pushed the #1 team in the land to the brink, but couldn't hold on to a lead that they had enjoyed for most of the second half.  A last-second three from Chasson Randle threatened to send the game to over time, but disappointingly back-rimmed.  Arizona escaped Maples with a 60-57 win, keeping their record-setting start to the season intact.

The ASU/Cal game was also a solid two hours of entertainment.  After a rough start, the Bears rallied to push the game to overtime.  Jahii Carson did his thing in the extra session, however, scoring 11 of his game-high 29 points in the five minutes of bonus basketball.  ASU earned a satisfying 89-78 victory, and took a little step closer to making the NCAA Tournament.

Of tonight's games, UCLA/Oregon is, by far, the most interesting.  The Ducks finally righted the ship this past week in Pullman, earning their first win in six tries. A win over the Bruins this evening would further solidify that narrative.  Tip-off is set for 7pm, and the action can be seen on ESPN2.

Feel free to avoid the USC/OSU game, which tips off at the same time on Pac-12 Networks.


Happy Bye Week!

Monday Grab Bag: It's worse

Not a good weekend series for the Buffs in Arizona.  It was so disorienting for yours truly, that I ended up acquiescing to my roommate's demand that we watch the Bachelor and the Grammy's last night.  Not only did I allow this shit to go down, but I sat there and watched that garbage.  Me!  Watching the Bachelor!  *shivers*

(Note, the term 'watching' is being used in the loosest definition possible.)

To make up for this, I'm going to cook meat over a fire, watch war movies, and grunt responses to any question posed.  I've got a reputation to maintain, after all.

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Today in the bag, I'm talking about the flatlining in the desert, opportunity lost back at the CEC, and the weekend that was in Pac-12 basketball.

Click below for the bag...

2013-14 Arizona State Basketball Preview

Well, it could've been worse.  Running up against a world-class defense in foreign territory, the Buffs were blitzed by the Arizona Wildcats in the early going of Thursday's game.  They kept their heads down, however, and found some traction in the second half, keeping the score from appearing to be a complete blowout.  The 69-57 final isn't an ideal, but it's a suitable result for where the team is at this moment.

I'm a little frustrated by the large number of turnovers.  CU coughed up the ball 16 times, all from their top-six players.  You could really see the absence of Spencer Dinwiddie here. Without the calming influence of the regular point guard, the Buffs struggled to find avenues of attack against the vaunted Arizona defense, and played -15 basketball in the first half.  Settled down at halftime, they played much better after the break, but the damage was done.

Arizona corralled CU far too easily in the opening minutes on Thursday.  From: the BDC

Of course, the game wasn't the big story yesterday morning.  CU losing by 12 at McKale was never going to make waves, one way or the other.  I think anyone looking at this objectively knew that CU was going to lose, it was just a matter of degree.  What did make some waves were the post-game comments uttered by star CU forward Xavier Johnson.

Now, Xavier had a good game.  He scored 21 points on 7-12 shooting, leading all scorers on the evening. It's understandable that he'd be individually encouraged by his effort, but he let the moment get the better of him once retired to the media room.

It started off innocently enough.

"They are the No. 1 team and they just beat us, so I can't really talk." 

Had Johnson ended it there, everyone, from players to fans to media, would've woken up yesterday focused on ASU.  Instead, the press conference continued.  

"[...] but everybody has their lapses, you know? We have better players than them, I think, even down a player - two great players."  

They're the number one team in the nation, Xavier.  I think you're good, too, but you've now lost three of four.  Combined with what I saw last night, I think reality contradicts your argument.  *sigh* Oh, but he continues... 

"We were playing the No. 1 team in the nation, but they're not that good."  

*rolls eyes* Sure, why not?  It only took the 'Cats a media timeout to wipe the floor with you guys, but sure, 'they're not that good.' 

"We didn't come with the right mindset."  

At least some humility after a defeat.  Anything else for the class? 

"The good news is we get another crack at these guys, at our place. That'll be a 20-point blowout."

GAH!

SOMEONE, PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, CUT HIS MIC!  WHELAN, HOWELL, ONE OF YOU MAKE YOURSELVES USEFUL AND CAUSE A DISTURBANCE! I'LL GET SKI TO RUN IN THERE AN YANK 'X' OFF THE STAGE! QUICK! GET ME ONE OF THOSE 'MEN IN BLACK' THINGIES!  Now, *cough* everyone just look in here...

Huh?  What comments by Xavier?  Nope, nothing to see here... *sticks hands in pockets, whistles*

Wow, sure glad no one said anything monumentally stupid after that Arizona game.  I think we have a good shot at beating them in a month, and I'd hate for anyone to undermine that opportunity by giving the Wildcats a hearty helping of bulletin board material...

Anyways, today's game with Arizona State is huge.  While beating Arizona was too much to ask for, the Sun Devils offer a more reasonable proposition.  It won't be easy, however.  ASU has proven to have Colorado's number since the conference shift, winning three of the four meetings, including a sweep last season.  A win in Tempe would be a well-earned, and much-needed scalp.

Tip-off from the Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Arizona is set for 5pm this afternoon.  Televised coverage can be found on Pac-12 Network, with the radio call on 850 KOA.

Click below for the preview...

2013-14 Arizona Basketball Preview #1

As far as I can tell, CU has never beaten a team ranked #1 in the AP poll.  I've looked through the record book, which only goes back through the 1950s, and count 15 attempts and zero victories. The closest, of course, was the overtime thriller with Kansas in 2010.  Beyond that and a couple of close-ish calls in the 50s, however, CU has rarely been a challenge for the #1 team in the land.

It won't be easy to break that history this evening.  Arizona is more than worthy of their '1,' and McKale is one of the best home court advantages in the country.  To pull off the upset CU will need to play near-perfect basketball.  Stranger things have happened, but the odds are stacked against them...

Tip-off from the McKale Center in Tucson, AZ is set for 7pm this evening.  Televised coverage can be found on ESPN2, with the radio call on 850 KOA.

Click below for the preview...

Quick Post: CU/Arizona Q&A at Pachoops.com

As is tradition, friend of the blog Adam Butler from Pachoops.com reached out to BuffNation for some answers on the eve of the CU/Arizona game. @JGIsland, @CUGoose and myself were more than happy to oblige, and our answers have been posted.  I highly encourage you to pop over and get informed prior tomorrow's showdown in Tucson.

A small sample:

"Most important player: Askia Booker, Josh Scott, other?

(Me): Tough one. Both are vital to the Buffs without Dinwiddie, and both have stepped up in his absence (Scott – 39 points, 16 rebounds last weekend; Booker – 34/8/8; combined – 61% from the field). Both are team leaders, and a quiet night from either severely limits Colorado’s ceiling. 

In reality, the answer is Scott, if only because there are few players in the conference that can actually guard him. He demands a double-team on the block, which opens up opportunities for others, and his 15-18 foot jumpers make him a very difficult assignment. Askia’s transition into a more efficient player will be very important, but the offense (and, to an extent, defense) now runs through Jelly. 

It must be said, however, that they can’t do it alone. Just look at last Thursday’s game against UCLA. The pair had a fantastic game (40 points combined), but CU rarely threatened in the second half. The culprit was the 16 point, 13 turnover, 22% shooting effort from the rest of the roster. Whether it be Xavier Johnson, Jaron Hopkins, or the rare assertive offensive night from Wes Gordon, someone else has to contribute for CU to compete."

Thanks, as always, to Adam for the forum!

Monday Grab Bag: Exhale, and return to breathing normally

No time for idle chatter, straight onto the bag!

Today in the bag, I'm talking the rebound victory over USC, more struggles from the women's team, and football's championship Sunday.

Click below for the bag...