2013-14 Utah Basketball Preview #2

It's that time of year, time to start keeping one eye on the action, and one eye on Bracketology.  Yep, I'm talking bubbles.

Much of the panicked, uninformed thought is that tomorrow's affair with Utah is a 'must-win' game for CU. That, for them to sneak into the NCAA Tournament for the 3rd consecutive season, necessitates, at least, a win over the Utes, maybe even another win or two the rest of the way. That conventional wisdom is wrong.

Colorado continues to be in fantastic position for the Tournament, thanks to some typically brilliant scheduling from Coach Boyle.  With a Strength of Schedule in the nation's top-15, and an RPI in the top-30 (along with protection from another year of an ugly, soft bubble), they're in, no questions asked.

'But what if the Buffs lose-out?'  Even in that scenario, CU is still in.  The RPI would remain in the top-40, and no power conference team with a top-40 RPI and a top-15 SOS is going to be excluded. What's more, Colorado has no bad losses.  Not one.  Their worst to-date is a road loss to Washington, which doesn't even qualify as the Huskies are solidly in the RPI top-100.  The Committee isn't going to hold a top-100 road loss against you.  Utah is on the fringe, but a win over CU would prop them up above the Mendoza line for good.  The resume is clean.  It's not perfect, but clean.

Now, without a single win the rest of the way, is CU going to get a good seed?  No, and it could inch them towards the dreaded play-in trip to Dayton.  Not an ideal scenario, and it would behoove the Buffs to get at least one over the next week, but that's not the point.  The point is that Colorado, regardless of what they do the rest of the way, is in the Dance. With that knowledge, they should be able to just go out there any play free, easy basketball.

Take a deep breath, the NIT will be reserved for lesser teams this season.

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Tip-off from the Hunstsman Center in Salt Lake City, UT is set for high noon on Saturday.  Coverage will be on Pac-12 Networks, with the radio call on 850 KOA.

For reference, my preview from the first game can be found here.

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2014 Off-Week Preview #2

The Buffs are taking the week to regroup, leaving Western hoops junkies to look elsewhere for their fix. Over the next couple of nights there's a five-pack of Pac-12 games to consume, a few of which might actually worth watching.  After the jump, I'll do a quick run-through of the slate, priming you for the bye-week action.

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Monday Grab Bag: AVERT YOUR EYES!

Well, that hurts like heartbreak.  I figured that Colorado would be hard pressed to crack the Arizona defense, even at home, but I was stunned to watch the parade of made baskets from the Wildcats in the second half.  CU got punked in their own gym, no less - something that only happens once a year.  It sucks.

If there's anything defiantly hopeful to be said, it's that we've seen this before.  Only a month ago, CU went down to Arizona, got their ass kicked in the weekend game, and had a week to regroup before a game against Utah. If that sequence is any indication, the Buffs know just what to do with the extra practice time, as they reeled off five wins in six games in the aftermath.  Hopefully, they're capable of a repeat performance, because Saturday's tilt at Utah is huge.

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Today in the bag, I'm talking whatever the hell that was against Arizona, the strong showing from the C-Unit, and lacrosse's home opener.

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The 2014 Senior Class

It's another year gone by, and another Senior Day to commemorate.  For the second-year in a row, it'll be a Senior Day spent in celebration of only one scholarship player.  That fan-favorite - the one, the only Ben Mills - joins walk-on Beau Gamble as the lone members of the senior class.  For one last time, that pair will get their due. A final standing ovation for consummate teammates who made an outsized connection with the fanbase.

The two seniors enjoying their ride.  From: the CU Independent.

After the jump, I'll give my thoughts on the careers of both Beau and Ben, while also taking a look at what I best remember from their time here.

2013-14 Arizona Preview #2

Earlier this week on WANE, the Pachoops.com podcast, I mentioned that Arizona State has an uncanny ability to drag the game and their opponent down to their level.  Contests with the Sun Devils are invariably gritty, physical affairs, more reminiscent of the old wars CU used to wage with Kansas State than anything usually found in the Pac-12.  As Coach Boyle said, "They’re a physical team and you’d better buck up and be physical back, otherwise they’ll punk you." Wednesday night, with postseason hopes on the line, Colorado came prepared for this style of ball, and brought a warrior mindset to bear against the visitors.  It worked, and CU out-muscled a team that has recently had their way with the Buffs, earning a vital 61-52 win in the process.

A huge win for Ski and the boys.  From: the BDC

This was a program win, both in execution and result - if this were on the football side of campus, we'd be talking about bricks.  It meant something to the team, from Coach Boyle on down.  You could see as much from the intensity Colorado brought to the court, and the reaction from everyone after the game.  The Buffs wanted this win, bad, and would not accept defeat.  A month after a game with ASU marked the low-point of the season, it was good to see the team play with this kind of intensity and passion to make the statement that Colorado is back(!).

The tilt was defined by the play down low between heavyweight post-men Josh Scott and Jordan Bachynski. These two share a brutal history, and I could tell from the opening possession that Scott was out for revenge. The Young Fundamental gave no quarter to the ASU center, routinely going toe-to-toe in the paint with the hulking brute. For all but a handful of instances in the first half, Scott got the better of the fight, controlling the game with a 13/13/2/1 line that towers over Bachynski's 4/4/1.  Further, while Josh played 35 minutes without a foul, his counterpart battled foul trouble for most of the second half, and left the arena with a bum ankle and a black eye.  All things considered, the judges scored it 12 rounds to 0: utter domination. While Josh can't remember the last time these two met in Boulder, he came up with a performance on Wednesday that will be hard to forget.

Scott dominated Lurch.  Wasn't even close.  From: the BDC

If Scott's dismantling of Bachynski wasn't enough, CU controlled all other phases of the interior game.  They finished +21 on the boards (+20 in the second half alone), shut out the Sun Devils 12-0 in second chance points, and finished +8 in paint scoring.  Add in a level of defense not seen from the Buffs in weeks, and there was no chance ASU was going to steal this one.

In victory, CU now leap-frogs the Sun Devils into 3rd place in the Pac-12, and takes a major step forward in the chase for their third-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.  It also marked their 20th win on the season, making the fourth 20-win campaign in as many tries for the great Tad Boyle.  That's pretty good value for a late-Wednesday evening.

... of course, it also sets the stage for tomorrow's titanic matchup with Arizona.  On a day when the marquee roadshow event in the sport comes to town, CU has a chance to erase all doubts that the late-January hiccup is behind them.  The stadium will be packed, the crowd will be electric, and the Buffs will look to send senior Ben Mills and Beau Gamble out in style.  Whatever it takes, get it done.

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Tip-off from the CEC is set for 7pm on Saturday.  This is it, your last chance to see Colorado in Boulder this season. The Keg should be foaming over for this one, so make sure you give yourself enough time to get to the stadium.  No one wants to be stuck in weekend traffic when the ball goes up...  Oh, and remember to WEAR BLACK for the blackout.  Coverage for those without tickets can be found on ESPN: Mothership, with Mark Johnson and the radio call on 850 KOA.

For reference, my preview from the first game can be found here.

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2013-14 Arizona State Basketball Preview #2

I know everyone wants to fast-forward to Saturday's tilt with Arizona, but there's some business to handle this evening that could end up being far more important.  ASU comes to Boulder for what could be the biggest game of the week in the Pac-12, with both teams playing in desperation mode for post-season positioning.  A win for either makes for the magical 20th on the season, and, with the Sun Devils still in outside contention for a league title, a road win in Boulder could be a big step forward in that race.

Further, this is a huge game for Colorado's confidence.  They've been much better as of late, going 4-1 over their last five to salvage the season - the trick to that run, however, is that not a single win was unexpected. They've been playing to form, taking advantage of winnable home games, and beating the dregs of the conference on the road.  CU needs to prove that they are capable of more than that, and tonight's game is a good opportunity to do just that.  The Buffs may be 'favored' tonight, but the Sun Devils have had their number over the last two seasons, and a win against ASU is anything but easy.  Should CU win, they greatly improve their Tournament standing, and completely move past injury worries.

With that much on the line, it'd be a shame if BuffNation failed to show up.  The game tonight is a late tip, 9pm, but that's not an excuse.  As coach Boyle said recently, "If we want to be considered one of the best student sections in the country, which I think they want, then it doesn't matter who we play, and it doesn't matter when we play."  That sentiment goes for the entirety of the fanbase.  For the team to be their best, and for the CEC to be as intimidating a travel destination as it has been, it needs to be packed and boisterous. Get your ass to the stadium!

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Tip-off from the CEC is set for 9pm this evening.  Get home early, take a nap, and make sure you are revved up for the tip, because the late hour is no excuse for a half-assed atmosphere.  For those without tickets, you can catch the action on ESPNU, with the radio call on 850 KOA.

For reference, my preview of the first game can be found here.

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Tuesday Grab Bag: a SoCal split

I hope everyone enjoyed a happy and safe President's Day weekend!

It's a huge week, not only for the men's basketball team, but the program and athletic department at large. Fighting for their postseason lives, CU welcomes both a pair of rivals from Arizona and a national television extravaganza to Boulder.  Oh, and did I mention it was senior week?  If that wasn't enough, the lacrosse team is also hosting their first-ever home game at Folsom on Saturday.  I've already thrown out any hope of getting work done this week, and it's only Tuesday.

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Today in the bag, I'm talking CU's win over USC, something new from the Athletic Department, and a little Olympic hockey.

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