Woelk: Plenty Of Positives From Back-to-back Buffs Wins

BOULDER — Notes, quotes, stats and observations in the wake of a pair of wins over top-15 teams by Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes:

— After victories over No. 4 Arizona State (90-81 in overtime) and No. 14 Arizona (80-77), the biggest question about the Buffs is whether they can pack up the energy and toughness they showed at home and take it with them on the road. Colorado is 0-4 in road games this season. The Buffs make their annual Southern California swing this week, with a Wednesday game at USC and a Saturday stop at UCLA, and a win in either gym would be a big help for a young team still finding its identity.

— It's worth noting that Saturday's win over Arizona provided the emergence of another impact freshman. This time it was 6-foot-7 wing D'Shawn Schwartz, who finished with a career-high 10 points in 15 minutes on 3-for-4 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers.

Schwartz's first trey gave Colorado its biggest lead of the game, a 20-point margin in the first half. His second ended a 17-4 UA run that had cut Colorado's lead to three points in the second half. He followed the 3-pointer with a couple of free throws a minute later, helping CU re-establish control with a 19-12 surge.

Schwartz is a smooth, dependable wing whose role is only going to grow as he becomes more comfortable and more confident. Saturday was a nice step in that direction.

— Speaking of youngsters making an impact, the steady growth of redshirt freshman Dallas Walton has been pleasing for all involved.

The 7-footer held his own Saturday against Arizona's Deandre Ayton (considered to be a top-3 NBA Draft pick next June) and has been steadily improving since stepping into a starting role in place of injured senior Tory Miller-Stewart.

Walton's 15 points against Arizona were a career high, and he also had a couple of blocked shots. In four conference games, he's averaging 21.0 minutes, 4.8 rebounds, 6.3 points and nearly two blocks per game. Those blocks are an indication of Walton's emerging role as a rim protector, particularly when CU drops into a zone defense. When he is roaming the block, he is becoming a defensive force.

— While he hardly seems like a youngster anymore, Buffs freshman point guard McKinley Wright IV continues to turn heads.

In the win over ASU, Wright scored 19 points and added five assists, three rebounds and a pair of steals. Against UA, he recorded his third career double-double, scoring 16 points to go with 10 assists. That's 35 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds against two top-15 teams.

One thing Boyle would like Wright to reduce is his turnover numbers. While he had 15 assists in the two games, he also had 12 turnovers.

"Turnovers start with me," Wright said. "I have to take care of the ball."

The guess here is Wright will do just that.

— The Buffs played their best first half of the season against Arizona, jumping out to a 16-point lead at intermission. It was a welcome change from the rough starts the Buffs had put forth in their previous five games, when they fell behind in the first few minutes each time.

"We need to understand what got us that," Boyle said. "What got us that is ball security, sharing the ball — 10 assists and two turnovers is what we're talking about — and getting great shots."

— It's a rarity when CU senior George King doesn't score in double digits. Saturday's five-point effort matched his season low and was only the fifth time he has been held to single-digit scoring.

But King still made his presence felt with terrific effort on the boards, grabbing 11 rebounds to go with three assists, and he also pitched in with some solid defensive work on Arizona's big men down low. King is averaging 8.1 rebounds per game, sixth-best in the Pac-12 and the only Buff in the league's top 20.

— Buffs junior Namon Wright put together by far his best back-to-back performances in Colorado's sweep of the desert schools. Wright had 19 points, seven rebounds and an assist against ASU, and followed that up with 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists vs. Arizona. In the two games combined, he shot 12-for-22 from the field.

Senior Dominique Collier, meanwhile, also had solid back-to-back efforts. Collier had 11 points and six assists against ASU, followed by 14 points and a pair of assists against Arizona.

The common theme here? While CU's freshmen no doubt make the long-term future of the program a bright one, this year's upperclassmen still have a chance to leave a hefty imprint on the program. If seniors Collier and King and junior Wright continue to play like they have over the last couple of games, there's no reason this season couldn't be a memorable one.

— Which brings us back to the beginning … road games.

Boyle's recipe for Pac-12 success is to hold serve at home and pick up at least a split on every road trip. The Buffs have held up that bargain at home, but are already behind schedule on the road.

Beginning this week, they need to remember what produced the back-to-back big wins in Boulder and recreate that formula on the road.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu