I’ve got something to say and it’s going to be one of those things where we’d look around the room at eachother and kinda nod our heads and you can’t really agree or disagree as what I’m about to say is really just a light fact. It’s neither nor bold nor trivial. It’s just a little above blah. Ready? “The Harvard win was a nice win.”
And now that both my statement and that game are out of the way, let’s move on to what this non-conference slate has really been about. Because you and I both know that heading into the season Tad and crew recognized the significance of their schedule but knew that December was the meat, potatoes, dessert, and extra round of port. Because this is when Kansas comes to the Keg and it’s when Marcus Smart and his Pokes Viva Las Vegas with your Buffs. This is big kid basketball and by golly you’re going to love it.
And Colorado belongs.
They’re not a top-10 team but that doesn’t mean they’re not top-10 competitive. Especially when it’s in
The Keg. But this isn’t a matter of location or rankings. It’s a matter of evolution, how the Buffaloes are going to get from A to B, neon green Bears to a selection committee. You want a barometer for how good Colorado can be? Look no further than Saturday’s game against Kansas. And one of the things I appreciate the most about this game is that it’s going to definitively be a Colorado basketball game. Gone are the days when The Keg would be infiltrated by opposing fans (Of note: I bought my flight to Denver on Friday, 2/21 for a basketball game on 2/22. Just of note). A winter hideaway from whatever bumf*ck Big-12 town they needed to escape. But everything I’ve heard – twitter, gchat, text, conversation, beyond – suggests that Jayhawks are persona non-grata on December 7. As it should be.
We could dive into some of the numbers. Dissect KU’s propensity to put players on the line (235[SUP]th[/SUP] worst FTA/FGA average) or their inability to turn people over. They don’t shoot the three well and don’t make their free throws. These Jayhawk traits play right into some of Colorado’s strengths (draw fouls at the 25[SUP]th[/SUP] best rate, 40% of opposing shots against the Buffs are threes). But this is a big game and in my guestimation the numbers will take care of themselves. Kenpom has the Buffs losing by one, essentially suggesting an evenly matched game of round ball. When things boil down to 50/50 – as it is being suggested here – things don’t always boil down to offensive rebounds or free throw rates. This is testicular fortitude. You either can or you can’t on Saturday.
I’m not naïve enough to think that this game is going to define these Buffs. This isn’t college football. But take yourselves to that moment. It’s early on Saturday afternoon and things have gone the Buffalo way. Coors Event Center is swelling and Bill Self’s hand – whether he wears a toupee or not – has been forced into more timeouts than he’d have otherwise preferred to call. You’re anxious with what your team could be on the cusp of accomplishing, understanding the magnitude and significance of this visiting former foe. Feel the energy inside that buried house of Boulder noise intimidate and bully.
And this is where our envisioning exercise ends.
The game must be played, it has to be and it will. It’s the game that’s been circled on Buffalo calendars all the summer long – if not longer – and it’s here.
Don’t look past little brother, but Saturday is the first step in recognizing just how big 2013-14 can be.
