Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Set For Pac-12 Tourney Opener Vs. Cougars
March 07, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — The formula in college basketball this time of year is very simple: win or go home.
Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes know the math.
The seventh-seeded Buffs (18-13 overall, 8-10 Pac-12) open play in the Pac-12 tournament Wednesday with a 7 p.m. game against No. 10 Washington State (13-17, 6-12) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
If they win, the Buffs earn another game, that one a Thursday matchup against No. 2 seed Arizona. That same formula then continues on a repeat basis: as long as the Buffs keep winning, they know they have another game in their future. Win four this week and it will guarantee them a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
But unless they win four in a row, they know their next loss could be their last game of the year. Any loss in Las Vegas will send them back to Boulder and leave them awaiting a possible Sunday night call from the NIT.
Sunday night, however, is a long time in the future and the Buffs want to delay their version of Leaving Las Vegas as long as possible. Thus their sole focus is on Wednesday night's game.
The Buffs and Cougars split a pair of games this season, both winning on their home floor. The Buffs dropped a 91-89 overtime decision in their first meeting Jan. 21 in Pullman; then rolled to an 81-49 win three weeks later in Boulder.
The rubber match will be the second straight time the two teams have met in the opening round of the conference tournament. A year ago, CU took an 80-56 win over the Cougars in the opening round of the Pac-12 tourney after splitting with WSU in the regular season.
In short, they are two teams quite familiar with one another.
"We know each other, we know each other's plays, we know each other's tendencies and personnel," Boyle said. "It's the third time for them, third time for us — there's no advantage either way."
History is on the Buffs' side, at least in the tournament opener. Since taking the reins in Boulder, Boyle is a perfect 6-0 in conference tourney openers (1-0 Big 12, 5-0 Pac-12). Boyle owns a 9-4 record at CU in Pac-12 tournament play (2-1 Big 12), and his teams have advanced to at least the semifinals in three of his six conference tournaments with the Buffs.
Given their druthers, the Buffs would much rather play the type of game they played in their second go-round against the Cougars this year. In that game, they forced WSU into a season-high 24 turnovers, shot 50 percent from the field, held the Cougars to just 38.6 percent shooting and committed just 11 turnovers.
Thing is, the Buffs believe they didn't play their best that day, but the Cougars simply had one of those games when they were at their worst.
"You want to pat yourself on the back and give yourself credit when you win those games," Boyle said. "We did some good things, but it wasn't one of their better efforts. We know they're a better team than what we saw in here."
Indeed, the Cougars have had better moments — including their last outing, a 77-68 loss at UCLA that was a one-point game with roughly seven minutes left in the game.
"They've got talent and they've got seniors in their starting lineup, just like we do," Boyle said. "It's going to be one of those games where who does not want their season to end more than the other team — that's what it's going to come down to in my mind."
Washington State has one of the Pac-12's most productive players in forward Josh Hawkinson. The 6-10 junior is averaging 15.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. But the Cougar who has done the most damage to the Buffs this year is senior guard Charles Callison, who more than tripled his season average with a career high 30 points in WSU's win.
"Hopefully our guys understand that these guys are talented," Boyle said. "Our guys need to understand that and respect that. They're sneaky good."
But more than anything, what Boyle wants his team to understand is the urgency of the situation. For four seniors — Wesley Gordon, Xavier Johnson, Derrick White and Josh Fortune — every game from this point on could be their last as Buffs.
At least one of them, senior Derrick White, does seem to grasp the situation.
"Right now it's win or go home for the rest of the season," said White, who earlier this week was selected to the Pac-12 coaches all-conference first team. "If you don't bring it, your season is over. It's definitely a big time for each one of us. The big players have to make big-time plays and this tournament shows it."
FIRST LOOK AT NEW DIGS: The Buffs got their first look at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday in a brief shootaround. The facility, which will be home to the NHL expansion Golden Knights, is a major step above the MGM Garden Arena, where the Pac-12 tournament has been played the last several years.
THE SERIES: Colorado holds a 10-3 all-time series edge, with the Buffs having won 9 of 11 since joining the Pac-12 in 2011-12. CU is 1-0 against WSU in postseason meetings.
BROADCAST: The game will be televised by the Pac-12 Network with Ted Robinson, Bill Walton and Lewis Johnson. Denver Sports AM 760 will carry the radio broadcast with Mark Johnson and Scott Wilke.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
