Colorado Basketball: Previewing, predicting Buffs next five 5 games
Can the Colorado Buffaloes basketball team ride some of the success that the football team had this season?
That will certainly be the hope, now that the school has experienced the attention that follows a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game. And though Tad Boyle’s basketball squad dropped a disappointing game to in-state rival Colorado State, the team is still 6-2 and should compete in the conference all year long.
Boyle has led the Buffs to the NCAA tournament in four of the last five years and the school no doubt has plans to do so again.
The college basketball season is long and arduous. That’s why I’m going to take it a few steps at a time. Here, I’m going to take a look at the next five games on the Buffaloes schedule and give you a preview before telling you what the final score will be.
Read on for more.
Dec 3, 2016; Waco, TX, USA; Xavier Musketeers guard Edmond Sumner (4) reacts after a foul is called in the second half while playing Baylor Bears at Ferrell Center. Mandatory Credit: Sean Pokorny-USA TODAY Sports
When: Wednesday, December 7
Where: Coors Event Center, Boulder
Up next for the Buffs is a visit from the No. 13 ranked Xavier Musketeers on Wednesday.
This is a team that Colorado has never faced, but it will be a difficult matchup. The Musketeers started the year 7-0 before dropping their most recent game to Baylor, a team ranked in the top five.
Xavier also has a trio of Trevon Bluiett, J.P. Macura and Edmond Sumner who all average at least 15 points per game. Bluiett and Macura also shoot the 3-point shot at over 30 percent.
Though the Buffs will welcome a home game in Boulder, this is one of the toughest games they’ll play all year. It would be great to see Colorado step up and get the win, but it won’t happen on this night.
Prediction: Xavier 83, Colorado 70
Nov 30, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars forward Eric Mika (12) and guard L.J. Rose (5) celebrate their 77-63 win over Utah State Aggies at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
When: Saturday, December 10
Where: Marriott Center, Provo, Utah
BYU has gotten off to a 5-3 start to the season, but that’s still good for first place in the West Coast Conference.
Boyle will have his hands full trying to match up with the 6’10” Eric Mika, a player averaging 21 points and 8.5 rebounds per game for the Cougars. It will be interesting to see how Boyle tries to slow him down, but he’s sure to make an impact on the game.
Perhaps the strategy will be to take away everybody but Mika. Still, BYU has three other players who are averaging double figures on the year. Colorado will need to win a high-scoring affair if they are going to get a road win here, which means Xavier Johnson, Josh Fortune and Derrick White will all need to put forth big games.
BYU looks like a decent team, but they have losses to Valparaiso and Utah Valley on their schedule, making it hard to assess them. In the end, I see BYU edging out the Buffs at home.
Prediction: BYU 91, Colorado 87
Mar 17, 2016; Des Moines, IA, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Josh Fortune (44) reacts on the bench during the second half against the Connecticut Huskies in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
When: Saturday, December 17
Where: Coors Event Center, Boulder
After having a week off, the Buffs get a visit from Fort Hays State. Does anyone even know where Fort Hays State is? It’s actually a tiny school in Kansas, but the Buffs are by far the biggest school on their schedule this year.
There isn’t much to assess here, and the Buffs should feast on the tiny Tigers in this one.
Prediction: Colorado 82, Fort Hays State 50
Mar 5, 2016; Fort Collins, CO, USA; Colorado State Rams guard John Gillon (4) defends against Air Force Falcons guard Zach Kocur (5) in the first half at Moby Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
When: Monday, December 19
Where: Clune Arena, Colorado Springs
Air Force got off to a 5-0 start this season by beating up on teams such as Johnson and Wales, Stetson and McPherson College, but then lost three in a row.
Air Force has never really been known as a basketball school and Colorado is a team that is coached well enough to make sure they don’t drop a game against a team like this, even if it is on the road.
The Buffs should have no problem being physical with this team and gaining a huge advantage in the rebound department on both sides of the floor.
Colorado cruises in the springs.
Prediction: Colorado 76, Air Force 57
When: Thursday, December 22
Where: Coors Event Center, Boulder
Just before Christmas, the Buffs get a visit from a team out of the Big Sky Conference.
After losing their first two games of the season, the Eastern Washington Eagles have won five in a row, and have winnable games on their schedule prior to a matchup with the Buffs. That said, this could be a hungry, upset-minded squad come December 22, but expect Boyle to have his team focused and ready.
Eastern Washington averages a touch over 77 points per game, and I expect them to keep this one close in the early going before the Buffs pull away in the second half.
Prediction: Colorado 84, Eastern Washington 69
Predicted record after next 5 games: 9-4
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