SB Nation Denver: All Posts by Parker Baruh

What Dominique Collier and George King Bring To Colorado

2013-05-16T16:39:48Z

Tad Boyle has made some recruiting news in the past weeks by completing the 2013 class with George King and starting the 2014 class with Dominique Collier. Collier is the better commitment for the Buffaloes; he is the 61st best player in the 2014 Rivals 150 and a four star prospect. He was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Colorado last year as well. King is not as notable of a player as Collier, but his addition to the 2013 class is critical. He's an explosive 6'6" wing that can rebound and shoot.

Here are three points about the newest commitments:

Tad Boyle has shown he can recruit the best players in Colorado

Players from Colorado haven't been key contributors yet in the Tad Boyle era aside from Josh Scott, but Boyle has now shown for two consecutive years that he can sign the best talent in his state. UCLA, Arizona, Gonzaga and other schools offered Collier, but the local product went with the Buffaloes. It speaks volumes that Boyle can not only recruit successfully in Southern California, (Booker, Dinwiddie, Xavier Johnson) and beat out other Pac-12 teams for products in their own states while also get the best talent in his own state. Being able to consistently recruit the best players in Colorado while recruiting well outside of the state is key to avoid rebuilding years and will be the way the Buffaloes continue to become a legitimate program in college basketball.

Collier is a potential replacement for Spencer Dinwiddie

It is almost a certainty that Spencer Dinwiddie will leave Colorado for the NBA after this upcoming season and similar to Dinwiddie, Collier has been labeled as a potential NBA prospect that can play both guard positions. He has received much more praise than Dinwiddie ever did in high school, but Collier lacks the size at 6'1" that Dinwiddie has, which has helped him become such a great player in the Pac-12. Furthermore, Collier could seemingly transition at Colorado just like The Mayor, improving each year adding muscle and leaving for the pros before all four of his years in Boulder.

Collier is a very fast player that can facilitate in the open court and finish around the rim. He is a good ball handler and a strong defender, but there are concerns about his slender frame as he only weighs 160 lbs. Collier still needs to improve his shot and needs more work to become a true point guard, but given his work ethic, it shouldn't be a problem. Looking at the potential back court when Collier comes to Colorado, the Buffaloes could have two successful combo guards to pair with him in Askia Booker and Jaron Hopkins.

George King is going to have an impact next year off of the bench

I didn't think the Buffs would get much with the scholarship that became available after Andre Roberson left, but I couldn't have been more wrong. After watching highlights of King, it is easy to see that he is an explosive athlete, a tremendous leaper, and can finish around the rim. King can score and rebound evident by his 17.1 point and 11.3 rebound per game averages in his senior year. Last year, the bench play wasn't particularly great for Colorado. Xavier Talton and Jeremy Adams certainly played much better as the year went on, but there weren't any reliable bench scorers. King might not provide that right away with the amount of depth on this team, but he will provide instant energy off of the bench, stretch the floor with his shot, score down low despite being smaller than most bigs, and bring the Coors Events Center to mayhem with his dunks.

Colorado Ends Season With 57-49 Loss To Illinois

2013-03-22T23:51:30Z

The Buffaloes once again couldn't put forth a complete 40 minutes and lost to Illinois 57-49. Colorado trailed 37-21 at halftime and looked finished. They responded, however, with a 23-2 run and managed to take a 44-39 lead, but couldn't sustain their momentum. Ultimately, it wasn't the greatest performance from Colorado, but they didn't lay down in the second half and came close to pulling off a monumental victory. Askia Booker led the way for Colorado with 14 points and was the only player in double figures.

Things the Buffaloes did well:

Colorado was agressive on defense to start the first half and had a hold on the game until the bench came in. Besides that, there wasn't much the Buffaloes did well in the first twenty minutes.

The second half was where Colorado stood out. They came out driving to the hoop and getting to the free throw line. The Buffaloes brought some tremendous defensive pressure forcing Illinois to miss shots and turn the ball over. For the game, Colorado held Illinois to 25 percent shooting from three, and forced them to commit 12 turnovers. Part of the Buffaloes' resurgence was because of Askia Booker who had three consecutive threes in a stretch of four minutes.

Andre Roberson, in what might have been his final game in a Colorado uniform, caused trouble for Illinois' Brandon Paul all game. Roberson fought and chased through each screen and managed to still make his mark offensively with 9 points and 8 rebounds. Paul couldn't overcome Roberson's length and ability to stay with him on the perimeter. Although Paul had 17 points, little of that came when Roberson was guarding him.

Josh Scott had his best game of the year rebounding wise as he finished with 6 offensive rebounds and 14 total. Scott was effective defensively and finished with three blocks and added eight points.

Things the Buffaloes struggled with:

The bench was awful. Sabatino Chen had three turnovers and was lost defensively whenever he was in. He also played point guard at times and that was a disaster. When the bench came in during the first and second halves, everything unravelled. They just couldn't keep up with anyone on Illinois and let them have too many open looks. Part of this problem was because of Tad Boyle. It was clear that the starters couldn't play 40 minutes, but the leash given to the bench was too long and was arguably the reason the Buffaloes lost.

As a team, Colorado was passive offensively in the latter parts of both halves. Instead of attacking the hoop, the Buffs settled and shot a poor 5-of-19 from behind the arc. They also were careless with the ball evident by their 15 turnovers.

In the biggest game of the year, Spencer Dinwiddie failed to do much. He only took three shots in the first half, and just did not attack the defense enough in the game. Credit to Illinois as they did a good job stopping the point guard, but it still seemed like down the stretch Dinwiddie could have done more. His four fouls were certainly a factor, yet Dinwiddie is the guy the Buffaloes look for in the final minutes of games and he just wasn't there. He finished with 6 points on 1-of-8 shooting and went 0-for-5 from three.

Moreover, the biggest flaw of this team this year was the lack of depth and it was evident today. There just isn't really anyone who can provide consistent scoring out of the starting five and that hurt Colorado throughout the game.

Up Next:

The Buffaloes will likely return four starters next year and will also be bringing in three talented recruits. Additionally, Wesley Gordon and Chris Jenkins, who redshirted this year, will play their first games in a Colorado uniform. Looking back at the season, it's hard to complain.

The Buffaloes lost three starters from last year's team, yet managed to have a better season than last as they made the NCAA Tournament once again. Next year should bring a better team as Spencer Dinwiddie will be without question the team's best player and have another offseason under his belt while Xavier Johnson and Josh Scott will both be playing with a year of experience.

Previewing Colorado's First Round Game Against Illinois

2013-03-20T00:19:01Z

Another year under Tad Boyle and another appearance in the field of 68 for the Buffaloes. This year, Colorado didn't need the automatic bid as they accomplished enough in the regular season to receive a 10 seed in the East Region. The Buffaloes will play on Friday in Austin, Texas at 2:40 p.m. MT on TNT and if they pull out a victory, they will take on the winner of Miami (FL) and Pacific. Here's a look at their opponent:

Illinois

The Fighting Illini are a team heavily reliant on perimeter shooting. This year, they've beat Butler, Gonzaga, Indiana, and Ohio St. with superior guard play coming from Brandon Paul, D.J. Richardson, and Tracy Abrams and high percentage shooting. Paul is the go-to guy, leading the team in scoring at 16.3 points per game. The senior guard is similar to Colorado's own Spencer Dinwiddie, in that he uses over 28 percent of Illinois' possessions according to kenpom.com. Richardson and Abrams also handle their share of the Illini offense both averaging double digits in scoring at 12.8 and 10.6 points per game respectively.

As a team, the Illini led the Big Ten in three point shots made per game at 7.9, but they aren't incredibly effective as they only shot 32 percent from behind the arc. Like all teams with offenses oriented around outside shooting, the Illini are inconsistent.

Defensively, Illinois has tough guards with 6-foot-4-inch Brandon Paul and 6-foot-3-inch D.J. Richardson being the most effective man-to-man defenders for head coach John Groce. Although the Illini are certainly not terrible on the defensive side of the ball, they don't stand out as a team that can beat you with their defensive prowess. They are ranked 49th in defensive efficiency whereas the Buffaloes rank 28th. In addition to three guards, Illinois rounds out their starting lineup with 6-foot-9-inch Tyler Griffey and 6-foot-11-inch Nnanna Egwu.

D.J. Richardson can hurt teams on both sides of the ball.

Egwu and Griffey average a combined 13.7 points per game and, more importantly for Colorado, only average a combined 7.9 rebounds per game. Griffey, however, can knock down shots from the outside and beyond the arc, shooting 55 percent on two pointers and 33 percent on three pointers this year. Since the Illini tend to play four out and one in, the glass is where Colorado has the biggest advantage with one of the nation's leading rebounders in Andre Roberson who averages 11.3 rebounds per game.

Off the bench for the Illini, Joseph Bertrand is the sixth man averaging 7.7 points while logging over 23 minutes a game. He's another pesky guard at 6 feet 6 inches tall that can rebound as well evident by his 4.2 rebound per game average and a season high 12 rebounds against Purdue.

Keys to the game for Colorado:

Don't get into a shootout and stick to the offense.

Colorado has similarities with Illinois, but getting into a shootout would not bode well for the Buffaloes. The Illini have proven many times this year that they can get hot and let their streaky shooting propel them to a victory. So, the Buffaloes need to stick to their tendencies. And that starts with Spencer Dinwiddie. He must continue to dribble off of ball screens for the open shot, drive to the hoop, and get to the free throw line. Along with Dinwiddie, Josh Scott and Xavier Johnson will need to step up with Johnson providing points from both outside and inside and Scott scoring in the post.

Andre Roberson must take advantage on the glass and defense.

As mentioned above, Colorado certainly is the better rebounding and defensive team. After Andre Roberson's performance against Arizona in the Pac-12 quarterfinals, it's evident he's back at full health. And Colorado is going to need a big time game from Roberson to pull out the victory. Although he doesn't have much in his offensive repertoire besides the occasional three-pointer and the drive to the right off a pump fake from the top of the key, his length is crucial for second chances, easy layups, and offensive rebounds. If he can put forth a similar performance to the one he had against the Wildcats, Colorado will be in great shape. Defensively, the double-double machine must continue to block shots and force steals to help the Buffs get easy buckets in transition.

Andre Roberson and his superior rebounding ability could benefit the Buffaloes greatly against the guard-oriented Illinois. (Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Tad Boyle should have a short leash on Askia Booker and the front court must limit the fouls.

We've all been waiting for a breakout game from Booker, but this certainly doesn't look like the game for it to happen. Jeremy Adams and Xavier Talton can hold their own on the defensive end and will need to be inserted quickly if Booker has his typical defensive mental lapses. Additionally, if the Illini's guards hit shot after shot, that could cause instant problems for Booker as he likes to take ill-advised threes and jumpers in response to opposing teams' runs. With Shane Harris-Tunks not yet cleared to play and unlikely to contribute much, the trio of Xavier Johnson, Andre Roberson, and Josh Scott must not get into foul trouble. If any were to pick up two quick fouls in the first half, it would take away Colorado's biggest advantage.

Final Word:

Just like UNLV last year, the Buffaloes match-up well with Illinois. Brandon Paul is a sensational senior guard, but with Andre Roberson guarding him, it's likely Paul won't have a high scoring game as Roberson has prevented players like Solomon Hill and Allen Crabbe from having good games this year. The Illini could shoot well right out of the gate and end up being too much for Colorado, but the Buffaloes are seemingly never unprepared on the defensive side of the ball and should be able to contain the strong perimeter play. The biggest factor is that the Buffs are much better on the glass than Illinois.

Prediction: Colorado 68 Illinois 64

Colorado Falls In Pac-12 Quarterfinals To Arizona 79-69

2013-03-15T00:45:05Z

Colorado struggled tremendously in the first half and their second half resurgence wasn't enough as the Buffaloes fell to Arizona 79-69. For the Buffaloes, Spencer Dinwiddie finished with 18 points and Andre Roberson had a strong performance in his second game back from illness as he added 15 points and 11 rebounds. Unlike last year, Colorado didn't need to win four games in four days to get to the NCAA Tournament. They've done enough this year and should hear their name on Selection Sunday.

Things the Buffaloes did well:

Colorado played some spectacular basketball in the last ten minutes of the second half. Down 54-40, the Buffaloes turned it around and cut the deficit to as little as two. Dinwiddie started to get to the free throw line where he went 9-of-10 and created for others. The team defense was active as they hedged ball screens and recovered and switched when they needed to. The Buffaloes were persistent and finally forced Arizona to take some tough shots holding the Wildcats to shoot 9-of-27 from behind the arc for the game.

Andre Roberson by far had the best game out of any Colorado player. Not only did he have 15 points and 11 rebounds, but six of them came on the offensive side of the ball as he constantly crashed the boards. Roberson guarded Solomon Hill and although Hill had 13 points, he needed 13 shots to get there. Surprisingly, Ben Mills was effective in the five minutes he played in the first half. Shane Harris-Tunks left the game with an injury and Mills played about as great as he could have and picked up two rebounds. Jeremy Adams had another good game off the bench. He added four points, was in down the stretch in place of Josh Scott, and logged 23 minutes.

Things the Buffaloes struggled with:

The first half was terrible. Colorado went 5-of-12 from the free throw line and committed 10 turnovers in the first 20 minutes. Arizona guards attacked the rim at will either laying it off to the bigs, finishing, or driving and kicking for threes. The Wildcats came out ready to play and the Buffaloes did the exact opposite. Colorado had no answer for Nick Johnson as he scored 18 points and went 6-of-7 from the field. Johnson also limited Spencer Dinwiddie from scoring as Dinwiddie went 4-of-12 from the field. Arizona also simply had too much of an inside presence as Josh Scott couldn't match Kaleb Tarczewski down low. Ultimately, Arizona's defensive pressure and overall play was too much for the Buffaloes and they showed why they were at one point considered the best team in the conference today.

Individually, Sabatino Chen had one of his worst games of the season as he committed four turnovers in only 11 minutes.

Up Next:

This team is no stranger to disappointment on Selection Sunday, but the Buffaloes have done enough to warrant an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. They could end up being anywhere from a nine to 12 seed, but the bottom line is that they more than likely will be in the field of 68.

Colorado Beats Oregon St. 74-68, Will Face Arizona Tomorrow

2013-03-14T00:40:26Z

The Buffaloes didn't play their best basketball, but with the return of Andre Roberson and a strong defensive effort, Colorado beat Oregon St. 74-68. Spencer Dinwiddie led the way for Colorado as he added 20 points while Xavier Johnson had 16 points and eight rebounds. With the win, it's likely that Colorado solidified their chances to make the NCAA Tournament, but if the Buffs want to advance to the semifinals, they'll need a more complete performance against Arizona tomorrow.

Things the Buffaloes did well:

The defense was critical for Colorado. Roberto Nelson and Eric Moreland shot a combined 11-of-30 for 34 points and the Buffs limited the Beavers to 28 percent shooting from three and 39 percent shooting from the field. They gave up second chances as Oregon St. grabbed nine offensive rebounds, but for the most part, Colorado forced the Beavers to take difficult shots.

Offensively, Colorado was better against the zone than their last game against Oregon St. They got the ball to the free throw line and into the post setting up some easy looks for Josh Scott. The Buffaloes were much more efficient from three as they shot 43 percent and they were less stagnant around the perimeter driving and kicking to set up open looks from behind the arc.

Andre Roberson came out aggressively and despite foul trouble played well. He finished with 12 points and seven rebounds and was one of the only players to constantly be at the free throw line moving around trying to break the 2-3 zone. Josh Scott only managed seven points, but his 10 rebounds, with five of them coming on the offensive side of the ball, helped Colorado battle Oregon St.'s length and size inside. Xavier Johnson had a lackluster game defensively, but he was crucial inside scoring on second chances. Off the bench, Jeremy Adams provided scoring with eight points on 3-of-6 shooting.

Things the Buffaloes struggled with:

Colorado is capable of a much better performance than that. They got the victory, but had 11 turnovers, and all of them seemed careless. Whenever Colorado had a chance to put it away, they committed inexcusable fouls letting the Beavers back into the game. Additionally, the Buffs missed way too many layups and easy shots. The free-throw shooting was a problem as Colorado shot 23-of-32 with some key misses coming down the stretch. Ultimately, it was the little things that were the problem today for the Buffaloes.

Up Next:

Colorado is in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament and will take on Arizona tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. MT. Arizona will have the advantage energy wise as they haven't played a game since Saturday, but this still remains a very intriguing matchup. Colorado won't be seeing any zone from the Wildcats and will be able to play their style offensively. More importantly, will be Colorado's defense. If Andre Roberson can limit Solomon Hill and Spencer Dinwiddie can get the best of Mark Lyons, the Buffs could be headed to the semifinals.

Previewing the Pac-12 Tournament

2013-03-12T23:37:37Z

The Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas has finally arrived. Action will start tomorrow as eight of the 12 teams will square off while UCLA, Cal, Oregon, and Arizona all have first-round byes. Colorado proved last year that winning four games in four days to claim an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament isn't out of the question and this year's field could provide just as much excitement as last year. Here's the bracket and the outlooks of all the teams that will be playing at the MGM Grand:

1) UCLA

The team with the most talent in the Pac-12 finished as the outright champion. Shabazz Muhammad and Larry Drew II have been the Bruins' best players all year while freshmen Kyle Anderson and Jordan Adams have also contributed to the team's success. The Bruins are an efficient, fast-paced offensive team, yet they struggle with rebounding and defense. They are beatable as they have lost to Washington St., USC, and Arizona St. this season, but the Bruins also have shown why they are the number one seed as they have taken down Arizona twice and Cal once this year. UCLA will play the winner of Arizona St. and Stanford, and would likely rather see the Cardinal considering the Bruins are 2-0 against Stanford while just 1-1 against Arizona St.

2) Cal

Mike Montgomery's team has won seven out of its last eight games and has beat all the other seeds that have a first-round bye this season. They have arguably the best backcourt in the conference with Pac-12 Player of the Year Allen Crabbe and second team All Pac-12 player Justin Cobbs. Despite finishing their season with a loss to Stanford, the strong backcourt and improved play of Richard Solomon and Tyrone Wallace will make Cal a tough out in Vegas. Cal will play the winner of USC and Utah, a group of teams they are a combined 4-0 against.

3) Oregon

The Ducks started the Pac-12 season off 7-0 and looked like the clear favorite to win the conference. Then, Dominic Artis went down with a foot injury, and the Ducks' season went south. They finished 5-6 in their final 11 games and missed two opportunities to win the Pac-12. Although Dana Altman has said Artis will get starter minutes, the Ducks have yet to play like they did earlier in the season. Oregon will play the winner of Washington St. and Washington, and shouldn't have trouble with either opponent as they are a combined 4-0 against the two schools.

4) Arizona

In contrast to Cal, the Wildcats have not beat any of the top three teams in the Pac-12, losing to UCLA twice, and Cal and Oregon once. They also lost to Colorado and arguably should have lost to them at home as well in the beginning of the year on the controversial buzzer beater. Nevertheless, Arizona has the depth and talent to win this tournament easily, but their defense has been very inconsistent in conference play. The Wildcats will face the winner of Colorado and Oregon St. Barring another upset by Oregon St., this should be the best quarterfinal to watch.

5) Colorado

For the second straight year, the Buffaloes ended their season with a loss to Oregon St. and will have to play four games in four days to win the Pac-12 Tournament. If Andre Roberson is back, the Buffs are obviously a much better team and have proven this year they can beat anyone in the conference. Colorado knows what it is going to get from Roberson and Spencer Dinwiddie, but will need Xavier Johnson or Josh Scott to step up to avoid an early exit in Vegas. With a win over Oregon St., the Buffs would draw Arizona.

6) Washington

The Huskies have had their ups and downs this season starting the conference season with four consecutive wins followed up by four consecutive losses. Ultimately, Lorenzo Romar's team is unlikely to have much success in Vegas. With a win over Washington St., they would have to face Oregon, who they are 0-2 against this year.

7) USC

There were some positives to this season for the Trojans as they fired Kevin O'Neill, which led to some upset victories over UCLA and Arizona under interim coach Bob Cantu. They didn't end the season on a good note, however, falling to Washington and Washington St. last weekend. They will take on Utah first and will play Cal if they win, but it does not bode well for the Trojans that they have already lost to Cal twice this year.

8) Stanford

Another year filled with expectations and another letdown from Johnny Dawkins and Stanford. The Cardinal have a better chance than the higher seeded USC and Washington to win the Pac-12 Tournament and steal an automatic bid because of Dwight Powell and Chasson Randle, but they have the hardest draw of the first round as they face Arizona St.

9) Arizona St.

Despite finishing ninth in the conference, the Sun Devils had a very successful conference season given their expectations. They started out strong, but tailed off late losing their last four games ending any hopes of getting at an-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. First team All Pac-12 Jahii Carson and second team All Pac-12 Carrick Felix can cause problems for any team making the Sun Devils a threat to upset UCLA if they get by Stanford.

10) Utah

After coming off their best win of the year at home against Oregon, the Utes will play USC. At best, the Utes will play two games in Vegas; they just don't have enough talent to play past the second day in this tournament.

11) Washington St.

The Cougars ended the season on a high note beating UCLA and USC behind strong performances from Brock Motum. Washington St. will play rival Washington and if Motum keeps up his play, the Cougars could pull out the win. Nothing more than one win, however, should be expected from Washington St. in Vegas.

12) Oregon St.

The Beavers, just like the Cougars and Utes, are coming off their best win of the season against Colorado and will face off with the Buffaloes once again. Unless Colorado comes out completely unprepared or Roberto Nelson has an unstoppable game, this is the end of the road for Oregon St.

Prediction:

Round of 12: Arizona St. over Stanford, Colorado over Oregon St., USC over Utah, Washington over Washington St.

Quarters: UCLA over Arizona St., Arizona over Colorado, Cal over USC, Oregon over Washington.

Semis: UCLA over Arizona, Oregon over Cal.

Final: UCLA over Oregon.

The top nine seeds all have the ability to win the conference tournament, but I'm going with UCLA because they have the most talent in the Pac-12 and they make up for their rebounding struggles with their efficient offense.

Oregon St. Upsets Colorado At Home 64-58

2013-03-10T01:00:24Z

Colorado never overcame its sloppy start and played lackadaisically all game long as they lost to Oregon St. 64-58 today ruining Senior Day at the Coors Event Center. The Buffaloes were outworked and outcoached and as a result, suffered their worst loss of the season. Spencer Dinwiddie was the only Buffalo in double figures as he finished the day with 18 points, five rebounds and five steals. The disappointing loss leaves Colorado at 20-10 overall and 10-8 in the Pac-12 to end the regular season.

Things the Buffaloes did well:

There weren't any bright spots in the loss.

Things the Buffaloes struggled with:

That was 40 minutes of terrible basketball. Oregon St. defended Colorado with a 2-3 zone and the Buffaloes decided to settle around the perimeter passing the ball and heaving up threes. The Buffaloes flat out failed attacking the inside of the zone. Colorado shot an awful 28 percent from three and a less than stellar 35 percent from the field.

On defense, the Buffaloes weren't any better. Colorado continuously struggled to box out and gave up 12 offensive rebounds to the Beavers. The man-to-man defense was atrocious as Oregon St. cut to the hoop at will due to the fact that no Buffalo could keep his eye on his man and the ball consistently.

Tad Boyle wasn't at his best either. Around the middle of the second half, Boyle took out Xavier Johnson, Josh Scott, Askia Booker, and Spencer Dinwiddie and Oregon St. was able to take an eight point lead. Despite the panicked defensive effort down the stretch, Colorado couldn't muster up enough to get back in the game and part of that was due to Boyle's reliance on the bench. The Buffaloes also didn't foul in the last 30 seconds of the game for whatever reason when Oregon St. had a two point lead and the Beavers made a layup with thirteen seconds left virtually ending the game.

There was so much wrong with Colorado today. They lost to a team who had one road win in the Pac-12 prior to the game and only three total wins in the Pac-12. They were at the Coors Event Center for the last time this year and they were passive and lethargic. At some point, Colorado was going to have penetrate the zone and not settle for three point shots, but they never did. Spencer Dinwiddie didn't attack the rim until the end of the game and was 2-8 from three and 4-12 from the field. Askia Booker continued to shoot his questionable jumpers going 3-13 from the field.

Up Next:

Going forward, the Buffaloes are going to have win at least one game in the Pac-12 Tournament if they want to get into the NCAA Tournament. If they get left out, however, it'll be all on them and not the committee. They had a tourney bid locked up with a win, but now their future is in doubt. Colorado will be the five seed in the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas and take on the 12 seed and will play at 3:30 p.m. MT on Wednesday.

Buffaloes Dominate Without Andre Roberson, Beat No. 19 Oregon 76-53

2013-03-08T04:37:33Z

Colorado's Andre Roberson was out with mono, but that didn't stop the Buffaloes from dominating No. 19 Oregon tonight as they won 76-53. Colorado out-rebounded Oregon and forced the Ducks to struggle on offense all night. It was the first performance of the year from the Buffaloes where every player contributed as the bench totaled 16 points and provided a big lift in the first half when Colorado's starters were in foul trouble. Xavier Johnson led the way for Colorado with 22 points and Spencer Dinwiddie added 17. With the victory, Colorado moves to 10-7 in the Pac-12.

Things the Buffaloes did well:

This is up there with the Arizona game as the most complete game Colorado has played in the conference all year. The defense never relented forcing tough shots and they let that effort fuel their transition game as the Buffaloes never stopped looking to get out and run. The Ducks certainly didn't play well, but the Buffaloes were active and energetic on defense the entire night and didn't make it easy. Colorado limited Oregon to 37 percent shooting from the field and 16 percent from three. They chased through screens throughout the game and caused sloppy ball movement as Oregon committed 15 turnovers.

Offensively, the Buffaloes were effective and agressive. The ball movement was constant setting up post opportunities and Colorado was driving and kicking all night. The Buffs shot 48 percent from the field, shot 41 percent from three and 79 percent from the free throw line. The bench was unexpectedly amazing. Xavier Talton continues to play well and added three points and two assists. Jeremy Adams has been consistent off the bench for a while now and he had seven points and two rebounds.

As far as the starters go, Spencer Dinwiddie and Xavier Johnson were crucial. In Roberson's absence, Johnson needed to have a big game and he did. He didn't miss, going 7-7 from the field and 3-3 from behind the arc. By far, Xavier Johnson has improved the most this year. He showed his versatility once again as he scored on the fast break, threatened in the post, and stretched the defense with his perimeter shooting. Dinwiddie bounced back after a lackadaisical performance against Cal. He did his usual attacking, but managed to distribute and affect the game on the glass with seven rebounds and six assists. As long as Dinwiddie plays the way he has been facilitating and driving to the hoop, the Buffs will continue to be hard to beat.

The lone senior, Sabatino Chen, had a great performance back in the starting lineup. Chen contributed with six points and three rebounds, and his effort never stopped as he dribbled in the lane and knocked down a floater and added some nice layups. Askia Booker is still struggling offensively, but he was effective in other parts of the game against the Ducks. His defense was much better than usual and he had six rebounds and contributed 11 points.

Ultimately, this was one of the most impressive performances Colorado has had all year as they were in control of the entire game and got contributions from every player on the team.

Things the Buffaloes struggled with:

Colorado didn't struggle with anything at the Coors Event Center against Oregon tonight.

Up Next:

Colorado plays Oregon St. at 2:30 p.m. MT on Saturday. This shouldn't be a letdown game as Oregon St. is a really bad team. If the Buffaloes put forth a defensive effort close to what they did tonight, they should come out with a win on senior day.