The Colorado Buffaloes are moving to the Pac-12 next season, but before they do they must face their future conference piers in the Oregon St. Beavers. It is almost like being put between a rock and a hard place for the Buffs. On one hand they want to win for their own sake and to show their future conference what they're all about. On the other hand, a win moves the Big 12 one step closer to securing the series title, meaning the Buffs will help the conference they are leaving defeat the conference they are going to.
Or maybe Alec Burks, Cory Higgins and the rest of the Buffs will put that out of their mind and go out and play like the team all the pundits tabbed as the sleeper team in the Big 12.
But in order to do that, Burks and Higgins need help. The pair is averaging a combined 38 points per game. They also are one and two on the team in assists per game, and second and fourth in rebounds. They are the wonder twins everyone was expecting... and now they just need help from the supporting cast.
Marcus Relphorde is doing his part, and Levi Knutson is helping out as well, but Relphorde, Knutson and the other guys need to help out Burks and Higgins more. They need to understand their roles as second fiddles, but play like the first chair.
This might be the right time for the Buffs to turn it around as Oregon St is 3-3 on the season with losses to the Utah Valley Wolverines, Texas Southern Tigers and Seattle Redhawks. The Beavers only signature win came when they visited the Howard Bison, and that was more for who was in attendance than for defeating the 1-6 MEAC bottom dwellers.
The Beavers are led in points and rebounds by Omari Johnson, who puts up 14.7/7.7 nightly. Their other real scoring threat is 6'2" guard Calvin Haynes.
Tip is set for 8 p.m. MT at the Coors Events Center in Boulder, CO.