The Colorado Buffaloes saw their perfect conference record and seven-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday, and look to rebound against one of the Big 12's worst teams on Saturday when they face the Oklahoma Sooners.
On paper this one looks like it should lean towards the Buffs. CU (14-5) is playing good basketball right now, as evident by having won 12 of their past 14 games. OU, on the other hand, is 9-9 on the season, 1-3 in conference and hasn't come close to defeating a team you've heard of all season.
But to paraphrase SportsCenter, "They don't play the games on paper; they play them in your television sets." Or even worse for the Buffs, they play them in Norman, OK.
CU's Achilles Heel this season has been road games. With losses on the home courts of the Georgia Bulldogs, San Francisco Dons, Harvard Crimson and Nebraska Cornhuskers, plus a neutral court loss to the New Mexico Lobos, the Golden Buffaloes have difficulty winning at sea level. Despite road wins against Kansas St. and Cal State Bakersfield, CU is less comfortable wearing road whites.
In order to maintain status as one of the top four teams in the Big 12, the Buffs need to start winning away from the Coors Events Center, and the Lloyd Noble Center is a great place to start.
Oklahoma also needs help, but it isn't as easy to sum up in a few paragraphs. They simply have a lack of talent, after last season's underachieving talent-laden team disbanded following a 4-12 conference mark.
This season OU is averaging 66.9 points a game, which places them 232nd in the nation. Compare that to the 10th ranked CU Buffaloes (83.0 points per game) and you can see why Sooners coach Jeff Capel might need to use antiperspirant.
For the Buffs, Alec Burks is becoming a household name, and teamed with Cory Higgins, the Buff guards form one of the best backcourts in the conference. Add Levi Knutson, who is averaging 13.8 points in conference play, and CU has the potential for any guard to breakout at any moment.
The Sooners are led by Andrew Fitzgerald and Cade Davis, who should be able to play big, which is where the Buffs lack depth.
The game tips at 11:30 a.m. MT and can be viewed on ESPN3.com.