Buffs Prepare For 'Hostile' Moby Arena Environment
November 29, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Colorado senior Tory Miller-Stewart has tried to warn his younger teammates what's in store for them Saturday.
But, Miller-Stewart said, there's no way to fully describe to CU's youngsters what the atmosphere will likely entail Saturday at Colorado State's Moby Arena when the Buffs and Rams tip it off at 11 a.m.
"You can try to tell them but it's not until you experience it that you really know," Miller-Stewart said with a grin Wednesday morning. "Words can't really describe it. It's probably the most hostile place we play in outside of Utah … maybe the most hostile environment I've ever played in."
Saturday will be Miller-Stewart's second trip to Moby and his fourth game overall against the Rams. With a 1-2 record in those games, he would like to even up that mark in his final meeting with the Buffs' in-state rival.
Strangely enough, history suggests that the 6-0 Buffs have a decent chance of making that happen, even though the game is on the 3-4 Rams' home floor. In the last four meetings between the two teams, the visitor has won each time, with the Buffs getting wins in Fort Collins in 2013 and 2015 and the Rams collecting victories in Boulder in 2014 and 2016.
Overall, the two programs have evenly split the last 12 meetings.
"I don't know why it is, but homecourt advantage is not a real thing when it comes to this game," Miller-Stewart said. "My freshman year, I thought there's no way we lose at home — and we do. Sophomore year, we go up there and we beat them fairly handily. Last year, they come down here and you think we got 'em. We hold them under 40 percent and we outrebound them by plus 8 — and they still win. The game usually just comes down to who really wants it more."
Colorado head coach Tad Boyle has no explanation for the recent visitor domination — but he would no doubt like to see the trend hold for another year.
"I don't have an answer for that, certainly a plausible one," Boyle said. "The hardest thing to do in college basketball is to win on the road."
But Boyle does know this: his Buffs can't replicate last year's effort in Boulder and expect to win. While Colorado did indeed outrebound the Rams last year and hold CSU to 38.5 percent shooting from the field, the Buffs sealed their fate with 32 percent shooting from the floor (including 3-for-19 from 3-point range), as well as a 17-for-31 effort from the free throw line.
"As a coach I control the things I can control and last year I didn't control our team because we didn't play very well," Boyle said. "That's on me. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure we're prepared and ready to go and these guys understand what they're getting into. Going up there as a road team, we always have the mantra of respect everybody and fear nobody. I think Larry (Eustachy, CSU head coach) teaches his guys the same thing."
Miller-Stewart will no doubt have his hands full in the post, where he will be contending with CSU 6-11 center Nico Carvacho. A year ago, Carvacho had 14 points and nine rebounds in CSU's win; this year he is averaging 9.0 rebounds per game, with games of 20 and 15 boards already under his belt.
"A beast — an animal on the boards," Miller-Stewart said. "It's always fun playing somebody that's great at what they do and he's a great rebounder. It's going to be a fun challenge and I think I'm prepared."
Thus far this year, Miller-Stewart is doing his part in the post, averaging 6.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. But Boyle and Miller-Stewart wouldn't mind seeing him get a few more chances with the ball inside.
"It's apparent every single game that we are so much better when we get the ball in the paint," Boyle said. "That could be on a post up, that could be on a drive. This year's team, we might be driving the ball more than maybe in the past. … (But) Tory is a capable post scorer, we need to get him some more post touches down there. Dallas (Walton) does some nice things when he slows down. That's going to be an area we need to improve as the season goes on. We need to play inside out. Doesn't matter who we're playing, doesn't matter man or zone."
Miller-Stewart, though, just smiles when asked about his limited touches.
"I learned at an early age that basketball is a guard's game," he said. "I do the things that people don't see. I get them more shots. I do other stuff. I get McKinley (Wright) shots, I get George (King) shots. When I'm rolling, I take in three other guys and George is wide open. If I set a screen, nobody's in front of McKinley. I do things that are 'underground.' I do the dirty work. I don't get the pretty points, I don't get the assists, but we get the win."
Most importantly, Miller-Stewart said he's looking forward to one last trip to Moby — and he knows what kind of game to expect.
"It's going to be a fun game," he said. "Every time we go up there it's a good battle, every time they come down here it's a good battle. They always want to be physical with us because we like to run and they want to make it a halfcourt game. Physicality is always a factor. I think this year that plays to our advantage, especially for guys like me, George, McKinley, Namon (Wright) — aggressive, strong attackers. … It should be fun."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
