Colorado at UCLA Game Thread

[PAHIBuff]

After the last 2 games, an 8-seed looks unlikely.

 

[aghcsm]

I'm less worried about making the tournament and more worried about CU playing like a tournament caliber team.

The finish line shouldn't be just a seed at the tournament. The finish line should be a sweet sixteen appearance or better.

Yet as the regular season is winding down, the Buffs quality of play and conference record are looking more unremarkable all the time. While any loss is bad, it's the type of losses on this LA road trip that are particularly disappointing. An epic choke and an embarrassing blow-out is no way to make it to the dance, my friends.

Yes that's the concern. When a team hasn't been to the NCAA tourney for 30 years, just making it is the goal. Like hoping our football team wins half their games and gets a postseason game. But having made the tourney a few times, and even winning a first round game not too long ago, "getting in" is a little underwhelming, especially if quality of play is deteriorating like it seems to be. I understand that getting in is a good thing, helps recruiting, gives something to build on - but it's hard to get enthused at the moment, recalling what can happen to teams in the first round that are playing poorly (reference Pitt).

 

[aghcsm]

Hope we're ready to potentially meet UCLA again in Las Vegas with it being possible that we need a win to make the NCAA Touranment. We've now long since kissed goodbye to the top 4 and may well end up an 8 seed.

USC and Utah have some tough games remaining, including playing each other. A top 4 finish would be very possible if we swept the last 3 games.

Of course we won't sweep based on recent play, thus the virtual impossibility of getting a bye in the P12 tourney.

 

[CVilleBuff]

After the last 2 games, an 8-seed looks unlikely.

I'm talking 8th in the Pac if we aren't careful in these final 3

 

[seattlebuff]

We have to beat ASU and win one in Vegas to have a prayer of making the dance. Plain and simple. Isn't the BPI more of a factor the last few years? We're 56 right now. If we go 1-2 and then lose in the first round in Vegas, we could tumble to the 70s. RPI would be near 50. Can't see us getting in.

Hard to have optimism with our abysmal guards at this point. Only hope is that they play like they have their backs against the wall. Because they are.

 

[Eggon]

Big problem right now is that in conference play teams know you too damn well. Play a zone that extends out on shooters and double J40 in the post. Basically, dare CU to try to get dribble penetration. I don't know if this roster has an answer for it, either. Very concerning.

Sums it up really. Z not fully adjusted yet, and Dom can penetrate in bursts, but does not see the court well to gain some assists when he does.

Our opponents have developed a formula, that our staff and team cannot seem to counter. We are just a turnover and bad possession machine, that plays so so defense. Maybe they can reboot, but not holding huge hope at this point.

 

[OsideBuff]

Really think we'll beat ASU? I don't.

And this is not a coaching issue, unless you mean recruiting. With these players, this is who we are ... an NIT level team. Plain and simple.

Bull pucky! Turnovers are discipline and fundamentals....period! We lead the league in turnovers...that ain't talent but an u disciplined team! Two turnovers in the first five possessions..... Now please tell me how turnovers have anything to do with talent? Not buying it.....

 

[buffgal]

This one I turned off at the half. Too ugly to watch and final score proved I was right.

 

[NBDefektor]

Now sober, I have to say the event put on by our alumni group in LA at the W Hotel was great. Really well attended and gets people reconnected with the university. If any organizers are reading this, great job!

 

[PAHIBuff]

I'm talking 8th in the Pac if we aren't careful in these final 3

Thanks CVille, I figured that out about 15 minutes after I posted. I had recently seen some projections of the Buffs in the Dance as an 8 seed. Responded to that. The Buffs BBall team is one A+ player away from being a big time program. Very interesting. This year my projection is a 10 or 11 seed.

 

[aghcsm]

Thanks CVille, I figured that out about 15 minutes after I posted. I had recently seen some projections of the Buffs in the Dance as an 8 seed. Responded to that. The Buffs BBall team is one A+ player away from being a big time program. Very interesting. This year my projection is a 10 or 11 seed.

Aren't a lot of teams only missing that one A+ player?

 

[PAHIBuff]

Yup.

 

[CVilleBuff]

Thanks CVille, I figured that out about 15 minutes after I posted. I had recently seen some projections of the Buffs in the Dance as an 8 seed. Responded to that. The Buffs BBall team is one A+ player away from being a big time program. Very interesting. This year my projection is a 10 or 11 seed.

I agree. Still think our chances of getting in are good if we can avoid complete collapse. I do think it's more likely we end up as a 10 or 11 though. Truth be told, I don't much like the 8/9 spot anyway. Give me a little tougher first game with a more favorable (potentially far more favorable) second game.

 

[FtColBuff]

Big problem right now is that in conference play teams know you too damn well. Play a zone that extends out on shooters and double J40 in the post. Basically, dare CU to try to get dribble penetration. I don't know if this roster has an answer for it, either. Very concerning.

This is who we are. We are a soft team. Our one star (Josh Scott) was product of winning the Pac 12 Tourney in 2011. That class also brought in Stalzer, Johnson, Talton, and Gordon. Tad has hit his ceiling in recruiting. WE are soft and lack ball handling talent on our team.

Even in winning 20 this year( and there is a chance we may not), Tad has hit his ceiling in that. Look, for 30 years, we have sucked beyond sucking as a program. So what Tad has done has been beneficial. And as long as he wins 20, or close to that, a year, he will get his annual extension. But the future doesn't look bright. We have too many projects on our team. After a while, we will become tired of finishing in the 2nd tier constantly, and hope we can be a top tier team in the PAC 12. I don't see that happening in the next couple of years.

I watched Collier play many times in high school. The kid is a good player, but he isn't a leader, he wasn't the point guard of his team, and he pouted when things didn't go his way. He is not a natural point guard and I believe he is more like Ski Booker in that he should be on the wing shooting 3's. He isn't very good defensively and struggles to find his place on our team. I don't see a confident player starting at point guard.

Until Tad can bring in top players consistently, we are in for a long struggle. I'm excited for Peters next year. But who are we bringing in to help him? Maybe X Johnson comes back and helps Gordon down low. Then what do we have after that? I want to believe that as a program CU can become a basketball school.

This might be the new norm of middle of the pack. It is better than the old norn of bottom half of the conference. But it is still unsatisfying.

 

[seattlebuff]

This is who we are. We are a soft team. Our one star (Josh Scott) was product of winning the Pac 12 Tourney in 2011. That class also brought in Stalzer, Johnson, Talton, and Gordon. Tad has hit his ceiling in recruiting. WE are soft and lack ball handling talent on our team.

Even in winning 20 this year( and there is a chance we may not), Tad has hit his ceiling in that. Look, for 30 years, we have sucked beyond sucking as a program. So what Tad has done has been beneficial. And as long as he wins 20, or close to that, a year, he will get his annual extension. But the future doesn't look bright. We have too many projects on our team. After a while, we will become tired of finishing in the 2nd tier constantly, and hope we can be a top tier team in the PAC 12. I don't see that happening in the next couple of years.

I watched Collier play many times in high school. The kid is a good player, but he isn't a leader, he wasn't the point guard of his team, and he pouted when things didn't go his way. He is not a natural point guard and I believe he is more like Ski Booker in that he should be on the wing shooting 3's. He isn't very good defensively and struggles to find his place on our team. I don't see a confident player starting at point guard.

Until Tad can bring in top players consistently, we are in for a long struggle. I'm excited for Peters next year. But who are we bringing in to help him? Maybe X Johnson comes back and helps Gordon down low. Then what do we have after that? I want to believe that as a program CU can become a basketball school.

This might be the new norm of middle of the pack. It is better than the old norn of bottom half of the conference. But it is still unsatisfying.

Hard to argue with anything in here IMO. But I'm not sure about the "soft" thing ... I think if we had 1-2 genuinely talented guards that could consistently break their opponent down off the dribble, it wouldn't matter much how tough we are. We have a king-sized hole in this team, one that is easily exploitable (see Defense, Zone). We're the only team in the league without one single legit penetrator.

And I agree that middle of the pack feels like our ceiling the way things are going. And that's far better than the Big 12 days, for sure. But Tad set the bar kinda high early, and it seems like we're going to struggle just to get back to that level of success, much less take it to the next level, based on what we have now and what's coming in. Two years ago at this time when we were struggling, we were talking about how Dom was going to be our backcourt savior "next year". Last year, it was Fortune. Next year, it's Peters. We can't look to one guy to rescue us. Eventually, Tad's got to hit on an entire class, or somewhere close. And it starts at guard.

 

[OsideBuff]

Hard to argue with anything in here IMO. But I'm not sure about the "soft" thing ... I think if we had 1-2 genuinely talented guards that could consistently break their opponent down off the dribble, it wouldn't matter much how tough we are. We have a king-sized hole in this team, one that is easily exploitable (see Defense, Zone). We're the only team in the league without one single legit penetrator.

And I agree that middle of the pack feels like our ceiling the way things are going. And that's far better than the Big 12 days, for sure. But Tad set the bar kinda high early, and it seems like we're going to struggle just to get back to that level of success, much less take it to the next level, based on what we have now and what's coming in. Two years ago at this time when we were struggling, we were talking about how Dom was going to be our backcourt savior "next year". Last year, it was Fortune. Next year, it's Peters. We can't look to one guy to rescue us. Eventually, Tad's got to hit on an entire class, or somewhere close. And it starts at guard.

Krystowiak is proving to be a much better coach than Tad....he is in year three and is clearly in the upper echeleon....better recruiting and much more disciplined team. We are falling fast...Utah goes 2-0 in LA....are clearly getting better as the season progresses....while we are regressing. And why did the adminsCHANGE my handle>? Huh? No me gusta....just sayin"....

 

[Goose]

Krystowiak is proving to be a much better coach than Tad....he is in year three and is clearly in the upper echeleon....better recruiting and much more disciplined team. We are falling fast...Utah goes 2-0 in LA....are clearly getting better as the season progresses....while we are regressing. And why did the adminsCHANGE my handle>? Huh? No me gusta....just sayin"....

Because you had a similar login to a long time poster (SD Buff - both on here and Rivals) and it was causing confusion. Numerous mods sent you numerous DM's asking you if you would change. You ignored us repeatedly, so we stepped in. If you want to choose it, drop me a PM and let me know what you want.