Games thread- MEN'S BBall hits the road to face (RV) ASU (Sat., 1/4/25; 4:00 PM MT; ESPN+) and UCF (Wed., 5:00 PM MT; ESPN+)

[Da Lama]

How does ASU land a kid like Jihad and we scrape up Malone?

 

[Da Lama]

Our entire backcourt has 5 points.

 

[Buffnik]

How does ASU land a kid like Jihad and we scrape up Malone?

They invested in basketball NIL. One 5* and two 4* recruits plus signing 5 quality transfers.

 

[Da Lama]

They invested in basketball NIL. One 5* and two 4* recruits plus signing 5 quality transfers.

The way Tad handled this offseason and the way this season is likely to end makes me start to think he might be done after this year. A bit of "I'm going out with my type of team on my terms."

I also just heard some more indications that we had more NIL money this year than Tad has let on.

 

[buffs233]

Point #1: Not awful, but not good.
Point #2: Definitely.

FTR, Carrington never sees the court at program other than a low mid-major. I just don't get it.

Disagree / this team is awful. Tad needs to start with making a serious NIL Contribution himself and ask donors to match it. Otherwise, he will need to get happy losing in the BIG 12.

 

[buffs233]

The way Tad handled this offseason and the way this season is likely to end makes me start to think he might be done after this year. A bit of "I'm going out with my type of team on my terms."

I also just heard some more indications that we had more NIL money this year than Tad has let on.

This also what I have been consistently told that Tad will not use all the NIL funds available to him. He philosophically disagrees with paying transfers all their funds on a yearly basis, and wants to backend load $$$.

 

[Buffnik]

Buffs are 15/34 from 2
ASU is 15/35 from 2

We're +6 on offensive rebounds, which overcomes our -4 on turnovers.

But ASU has hit 8 more 3s. That's the 24 points.

 

[Da Lama]

Buffs are 15/34 from 2
ASU is 15/35 from 2

We're +6 on offensive rebounds, which overcomes our -4 on turnovers.

But ASU has hit 8 more 3s. That's the 24 points.

Say they've only hit 4 more threes than us. We're still getting bodied.

 

[Buffnik]

Say they've only hit 4 more threes than us. We're still getting bodied.

That's not the difference, though. We're getting more OReb and I believe we've got more points in the paint. It's almost completely a 3pt shooting loss. Our perimeter D sucked and we didn't make sh!t - our guards got completely dominated.

 

[Scotch]

Buffs are 15/34 from 2
ASU is 15/35 from 2

We're +6 on offensive rebounds, which overcomes our -4 on turnovers.

But ASU has hit 8 more 3s. That's the 24 points.

Cold shooting and inconsistent defense will almost always = a road loss. They're getting open looks at least.

Baskin needs to start every damn game from here on out. Dude is a baller.

 

[Da Lama]

Julian just 100% pussed out this whole game. Then looked happy getting pulled.

 

[Buffnik]

Buffs 3/24 from 3
ASU 13/28

Hammond, Ruffin and RJ combined for 7 points on 2/15 shooting. 12 assists with 4 turnovers was damn good, though. But you just can't get out-shot like that and have a chance to win.

 

[Da Lama]

Buffs 3/24 from 3
ASU 13/28

Hammond, Ruffin and RJ combined for 7 points on 2/15 shooting. 12 assists with 4 turnovers was damn good, though. But you just can't get out-shot like that and have a chance to win.

Now do their guards.

 

[Scotch]

Buffs 3/24 from 3
ASU 13/28

Hammond, Ruffin and RJ combined for 7 points on 2/15 shooting. 12 assists with 4 turnovers was damn good, though. But you just can't get out-shot like that and have a chance to win.

Stinkers happen. Hopefully they use it for motivation @ UCF. Should be mentioned this was their first true road game of the season.

 

[Buffnik]

Now do their guards.

26 points, which included 5/12 from 3. 12/6 with A/T. That's pretty much the score differential, but maybe the biggest thing was that their dribble penetration (which our guards didn't achieve) caused defensive help rotations which allowed their forwards to get a ton of easy looks. Jihad & Freeman had it easy today because of this and had their best offensive games of the season. This is what concerns me the most. RJ, Hammond & Ruffin can shoot, but can they penetrate off the bounce or prevent it?

 

[Lightning]

26 points, which included 5/12 from 3. 12/6 with A/T. That's pretty much the score differential, but maybe the biggest thing was that their dribble penetration (which our guards didn't achieve) caused defensive help rotations which allowed their forwards to get a ton of easy looks. Jihad & Freeman had it easy today because of this and had their best offensive games of the season. This is what concerns me the most. RJ, Hammond & Ruffin can shoot, but can they penetrate off the bounce or prevent it?

Baskin was the only real positive. Will be great if he can build on.

 

[hokiehead]

Gross

 

[Robert Sorell]

Why did Dak only play 4 minutes?

 

[Da Lama]

Why did Dak only play 4 minutes?

He was pretty damn bad today TBH.

 

[Robert Sorell]

He was pretty damn bad today TBH.

Yeah, it was rough; still would have expected to see him again though.

 

[Da Lama]

Yeah, it was rough; still would have expected to see him again though.

Agreed. Tad is getting into a bad habit of trusting Carrngton over his youngsters. That’s not good for a multitude of reasons.

 

[AztecBuff]

Game day!



_________________________________________________________________________

Preview - https://cubuffs.com/news/2025/1/7/mens-basketball-buffs-visit-ucf-in-first-big-12-match-up

"

Buffs Visit UCF In First Big 12 Match-Up​

By: Troy Andre, Associate Director/Athletic Communications

Game 14 - UCF, Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Addition Financial Arena, Orlando, Fla.
Tip: 5:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Drew Fellios, BJ Taylor) https://buffs.me/4gJstp3
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 384, SXM App 974
Live Statistics: https://buffs.me/4a8NlmU

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 9-4 overall and 0-2 to open Big 12 Conference play after falling to Arizona State 81-61 on Jan. 4 in its first true road game of the season. The Buffaloes will be looking to avoid their first 0-3 conference start since the 2016-17 Pac-12 schedule. Overall, it's Colorado's first back-to-back losses since Feb. 10 & 15, 2024 (Arizona, at UCLA) which proceeded an eight-game winning streak that led the Buffaloes into the NCAA Tournament.

Colorado returns to the Big 12 where it had been a charter member for the 1995-96 season when the old Big Eight Conference and four teams from the dissolved Southwest Conference merged to form the Big 12. The Buffaloes left for the Pac-12 for the 2011-12 season.

In their last Big 12 season in 2010-11, led by then first-year head coach Tad Boyle, the Buffaloes tied for fifth place in the league standings that season at 8-8 advancing to the Big 12 Championship semifinals. Colorado won a then-school record 24 games in 2010-11 (24-14), finishing its season in the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden.
...

ABOUT THE KNIGHTS: UCF is 10-3 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12. The Knights defeated Texas Tech on the road in their league opener 87-83, but fell at home to Kansas on Jan. 5, 99-48. UCF averages 78.8 points on 42.2 shooting. The Knights lead the Big 12 in free throws at 18.8 made per game and rank second in free throw shooting at 77.5 percent. Defensively, UCF allows 76.6 points while opponents shoot 43.1 percent.

Junior forward Keyshawn Hall leads UCF at 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Senior guard Darius Johnson averages 14.5 points, leading the Knights in 3-point field goals (33), assists (55) and steals (38). Johnson's 2.9 steals per game average leads the Big 12 and ranks sixth in the nation. Freshman center Moustapha Thiam is 10th in the country in blocked shots at 2.5 per game while pitching in 7.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

THE SERIES: This will be third meeting between Colorado and UCF and first as conference opponents. The series is tied 1-1 with both programs winning a game on their home courts. Colorado defeated UCF 96-87 on Jan. 3, 2007, at the CU Events Center in the first meeting. UCF took a 79-74 decision in an NIT first round game in Orlando on Mar. 15, 2017.
"

 

[Scotch]

Would like to see some improvement tonight, especially from our guards.

GO BUFFS!!!

 

[RumblinBuff]

Would like to see some improvement tonight, especially from our guards.

GO BUFFS!!!

Or, just improvement in general.

 

[SewallBeach]

 

[Buffnik]

Tad has had some really great performances when forced into a short rotation in previous years. The problems have usually occurred when it became a long term challenge.

We're incredibly thin with ball handlers tonight, though. RJ & Hammond better both be prepared to play 35+ minutes.

 

[Da Lama]

 

[Buffnik]

Good start. On pace to beat them 60-0.

 

[Da Lama]

Tad has had some really great performances when forced into a short rotation in previous years. The problems have usually occurred when it became a long term challenge.

We're incredibly thin with ball handlers tonight, though. RJ & Hammond better both be prepared to play 35+ minutes.

I'm having a waking nightmare of Baskin bringing the ball upcourt tonight.

 

[Buffnik]

Looks like Jakimovski is playing. Appreciate him gritting it out.