*** Official 2014 San Francisco @ Colorado Basketball Game Thread ***

[Daaah]

And we did it without XJ. So that's a positive. Any word on his availability?

I think he's taken DBT. Besides, I think you're too old for him.

 

[Buffnik]

And we did it without XJ. So that's a positive. Any word on his availability?

RyanK said it was a "tweak" not a "pull" and so minor that XJ didn't even realize he'd hurt it during the Lipscomb game. Woke up the next morning and it was tight. May be able to go this weekend, but it's day-to-day to make sure that it doesn't turn into a lingering injury.

 

[DBT]

RyanK said it was a "tweak" not a "pull" and so minor that XJ didn't even realize he'd hurt it during the Lipscomb game. Woke up the next morning and it was tight. May be able to go this weekend, but it's day-to-day to make sure that it doesn't turn into a lingering injury.

I live with lingering injuries.

 

[Buffnik]

I live with lingering injuries.

You've also got fifteen decades on XJ.

 

[absinthe]

Fixed that one for you. Lord knows I didn't see that coming.

Um Utah?

 

[absinthe]

I also agree that p12 is down, but it's showing a few signs of life - washington could be better than we thought.

Fixed that one for you. Lord knows I didn't see that coming.

Um Utah?

They have a Pac-12 POY front runner, a potential NBA draft top-10 pick, and then we get to Loveridge who's no damn slouch. Also if UCLA's youngin's put it together and that team gel's they could be legit.

 

[aghcsm]

One thought I've had on Buff performance is that they're so good at home, and they know it, that they have trouble getting motivated for teams they should easily beat - seriously, no matter how much Tad warns the team that Lipscom is a threat, can anyone really believe there's any chance the Bisons can win? Or come close? So they play down to the competition. Won't happen in conference play - only Arizona is a likely home conference loss, just because they're so good. Not sure about UCLA yet, but since it's the first conference game we'll soon know. Rams won't be a big challenge - they're not going to win at Coors, no matter how they play elsewhere. Finding a way to win consistently (at least half) on neutral and away courts makes the difference between a good and a great Buff team.

 

[CVilleBuff]

Um Utah?

They have a Pac-12 POY front runner, a potential NBA draft top-10 pick, and then we get to Loveridge who's no damn slouch. Also if UCLA's youngin's put it together and that team gel's they could be legit.

Arizona is a given and we'll call Utah bottom-tier top 25. That's 2 teams out of 12. UCLA, CU and hopefully Stanford hold it together and are Dance-caliber. Maybe UCLA steps up and gets ranked, but they've blown their chances for respect thus far. And I'm counting a Stanford side that lost by 15 to DePaul and our own Buffs who scored 33 on Wyoming as the "meat and potatoes" of the conference. Outside of Washington who remains a mystery, we seemingly have no depth. Who else steps up? Does Altman work magic at Oregon? Again, they've blown their chances. We've done jack **** as a conference OOC thus far for the most part which will mean conference wins will only carry so much weight.

 

[wyobuff]

I didnt mean to leave the utes out here. In my mind, the conference stacks like this

Tier 1 Arizona - no one else is even close
Tier 2 Colorado, UCLA, Utah
Tier 3 Everyone Else
Tier 4, Oregon, USC, Wazzu, Beavs, ASU

 

[CVilleBuff]

I didnt mean to leave the utes out here. In my mind, the conference stacks like this

Tier 1 Arizona - no one else is even close
Tier 2 Colorado, UCLA, Utah
Tier 3 Everyone Else
Tier 4, Oregon, USC, Wazzu, Beavs, ASU

These groupings are difficult, but I would definitely move Oregon up. They're down, but they're light years ahead of Wazzu, OSU or USC. Oregon is much closer to Cal than Wazzu. ASU also hasn't done anything awful yet, they may prove to be more in line with the lower-middle tier of Cal/Oregon than the hapless bottom 3 of USC, OSU and Wazzu. Let's see how ASU does @ Texas A&M.

For me, the big question is where are Stanford and Washington. Are they with Cal and Oregon in the lower-middle, or are they with the Utah/UCLA/CU in the upper-middle? On paper, Stanford should be up with Utah, UCLA and CU. However, when you lose by 15 to DePaul, I have my questions. Washington is 6-0, but hasn't faced a power conference program. UTEP is easily their best win. Washington faces #15 San Diego State in Seattle this weekend. We'll know a lot more about them soon.

 

[Goose]

Um Utah?

They have a Pac-12 POY front runner, a potential NBA draft top-10 pick, and then we get to Loveridge who's no damn slouch. Also if UCLA's youngin's put it together and that team gel's they could be legit.

Oh, I was mostly referring to the Washington part of that. My love for Utah around here is pretty well known.

I didnt mean to leave the utes out here. In my mind, the conference stacks like this

Tier 1 Arizona - no one else is even close
Tier 2 Colorado, UCLA, Utah
Tier 3 Everyone Else
Tier 4, Oregon, USC, Wazzu, Beavs, ASU

Tier 1 - Arizona
Tier 2 - Utah
Tier 3 - CU, UCLA, Furd
Tier 4 - Washington, Cal, Oregon
...
Tier 749 - USC, Wazzu, ASU, OSU

 

[wyobuff]

Oregon has played well so far, but it's non-con and the joe young show. I really dont think that can last through conf play. I'm not saying they'll roll over for everyone, but it wont be the most difficult out.

 

[Goose]

Oregon has played well so far, but it's non-con and the joe young show. I really dont think that can last through conf play. I'm not saying they'll roll over for everyone, but it wont be the most difficult out.

Agreed, but I don't see them being USC/WSU/OSU/ASU levels of bad. Honestly, I'm not even sure USC is in that grouping because they're going to randomly win a game or two that causes everyone to scream WTF (while finding a way to lose 5 or so that make even less sense). WSU/OSU/ASU are horrid.

 

[Buffnik]

Agreed, but I don't see them being USC/WSU/OSU/ASU levels of bad. Honestly, I'm not even sure USC is in that grouping because they're going to randomly win a game or two that causes everyone to scream WTF (while finding a way to lose 5 or so that make even less sense). WSU/OSU/ASU are horrid.

I think that just as UA is on its own level at the top, WSU is on its own level at the bottom. They shouldn't be worse than OSU, but they are. In between we don't know enough about anyone yet but I'd say that the conventional wisdom is that Utah is the favorite for 2nd while OSU is the favorite for 11th.

 

[wyobuff]

Agreed, but I don't see them being USC/WSU/OSU/ASU levels of bad. Honestly, I'm not even sure USC is in that grouping because they're going to randomly win a game or two that causes everyone to scream WTF (while finding a way to lose 5 or so that make even less sense). WSU/OSU/ASU are horrid.

Like the new mexico game? The pit is a tough place to play (though I could imagine it'd be a touch empty for this game)