Colorado University Athletics
Freshmen Peters, Brown Give Buffs Defensive Spark
January 13, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
Colorado hosts No. 25 USC On Sunday
BOULDER — Midway through the first half of Thursday's Colorado-UCLA game, the Buffs lineup on the floor included true freshmen Bryce Peters and Deleon Brown.
It was quality time for the youngsters, and the two responded well. Colorado trailed by six at the half, and although the Bruins responded with a red-hot second half to pull away for the win, the combination of Peters and Brown on the floor at the same time was no doubt a good look at what will likely be CU's backcourt of the future.
"They're both capable players," CU head coach Tad Boyle said after Friday's practice. "I said it when we signed them, they're both going to be very good players at Colorado before it's all said and done. They're going to get their shot. They got their shot last night and I thought for the most part handled it pretty well."
Peters finished with 11 points on 3-for-4 shooting and an assist in 17 minutes of play. Brown got his first career start, moving into senior Josh Fortune's spot, and finished with three points and a pair of rebounds in 16 minutes. Their 33 combined minutes on the floor was the second-most time they've logged together in a game this season, surpassed only by a combined 37 minutes early in the season vs. ULM.
"I thought I did all right, but I could have been better," Peters said. "Coach wanted me to be more aggressive. They told me I could help this team a lot if I'm more aggressive, so I decided to do that. I came out with 11 points and I played some defense, but it would've been better if we'd gotten the win."
Peters and Brown — along with just about everyone else in the CU backcourt — also also had their chance at guarding Bruins guard Bryce Alford, who finished with 37 points on a nine-for-14 night from 3-point range. It was, as Boyle wryly noted, a tough lesson.
Still, Boyle liked what he saw from the two and hinted that they'll continue to see more playing time as he searches for a spark off the bench for the Buffs' perimeter game.
"The one thing we know we get from Bryce and Deleon is great energy, great defensive effort," Boyle said. "If they're going to make mistakes, they're going to make mistakes really trying, really competing. We need that. I felt like we need that youthful exuberance injected into our veins."
Peters and Brown have become fast friends since arriving on campus. They possess slightly different skill sets, but with both 6-foot-4 and possessing good quickness and length, they bring to the table the kind of athleticism that could make them an effective Pac-12 duo in the future.
They certainly aren't lacking in the confidence department.
"Me and Del, we're kind of like the Energizer Bunnies for this squad," Peters said. "I think when we're out there, we can be pretty good defensively. The two of us take pride in our defense and we know that defense will keep us on the court. We put in a lot of work together outside of practice and I know as two guards getting a lot of playing time together as freshmen, we'll be veterans in the years to come and we're going to kill the Pac-12 together."
Since mid-December, Boyle has been looking for some consistency in the backcourt to play alongside senior Derrick White.
"I look at Josh Fortune, Dom Collier, Thomas Akyazili, Bryce Peters and Deleon Brown — I don't see a lot of separation right now with those five guys," Boyle said. "Who's going to give us the most energy, who's going to play the hardest? That's kind of the decision I've come to. If nobody's really going to step up and produce, let's go with the guys that defend and play with great energy."
Peters, a Los Angeles native, grew up playing against several of the Bruins he saw in Thursday's game. It's the same with a number of USC Trojans, who the Buffs will face on Sunday in a 6:30 p.m. game at the Coors Events Center.
"I always wanted to go to SC, so I'm looking forward to Sunday night," Peters said. "I'd say about 90 percent of those guys I played with. They're kind of like my hometown guys, so it's going to be a good one. We just need to go out and try to get a win. Everybody knows we're 0-4, but we know there's a lot of basketball to be played."
BUFFS VS. RANKED TEAMS: Sunday night's game against No. 25 USC (ESPNU) will be Colorado's third straight against a ranked squad, the Buffs' first such stretch since 2010 and the first since joining the Pac-12. Colorado is 2-2 vs. ranked teams thus far this season, with wins over Xavier and Texas and losses to Arizona and UCLA.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
