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Colorado basketball is back!
Yes, you read that headline correctly.
Your Colorado Buffaloes, who were picked to finish second-to-last place in the Big 12 conference, have knocked off the back-to-back reigning national champions and #2 ranked Connecticut Huskies in the Maui Invitational by a final score of 73-72.
This game was a nail-biter that came down to the final seconds. Nobody honestly expected the 15.5-point underdog Buffaloes to come away with a win over the Huskies, including most of the fanbase, but here we are.
We have many questions after today’s game, as I’m sure you all do too. How’d we get here? How’d this happen? Is this real life? We at Ralphie Report are happy to provide the answer you’re all craving.
First things first, Colorado played a damn good game against UConn. The Buff played Tad Boyle-style basketball to a tee, playing defense-first hoops and holding their own against a strong UConn team on the defensive boards.
Specifically, Andrej Jakimovski put the Buffaloes in a position to win this basketball game. Along with scoring 12 points and putting the game away on one of the most impressive shots in Colorado basketball history, Jakimovski dominated the Huskies in the defensive paint, coming away with a game-high 7 defensive rebounds. The Washington State transfer finished with a double-double for Colorado, tallying 10 total boards, 12 points, and a steal.
Seriously, just look at this bucket. It’s a thing of beauty.
Another Buff that paved the way to this historic upset was center Elijah Malone. Just one year ago, Malone was playing hoops at the NAIA level for Grace College in Indiana. Now, Malone is using his size and physicality to bully the back-to-back natty champs.
Malone completely worked UConn in the low-post, scoring 16 points off six makes from the field and four freebies. The Huskies couldn’t handle Malone’s 6-foot-10, 268-pound frame, getting essentially whatever he wanted in the paint.
Oh, and Malone can also shoot the three-ball too. Does that remind you of any recent Colorado big who’s now an assistant coach on the staff? Because it probably should...
Guard Julian Hammond also played an instrumental role in beating the Huskies. Hammond was lethal when given space behind the arc, making four of his five three-pointers in Maui on Tuesday. After a slow start to the season for Hammond, he turned on the gas when the pressure was high and the lights were brightest, which is all that matters.
Another Buffaloes that deserves mentioning is guard Javon Ruffin, whose stats don’t jump off the boxscore at first glance, but don’t let that fool you. Ruff put the Buffs in a position to win the game with an incredible block when the Buffaloes were down one with 20 seconds left on the game clock. Without that block, the Buffs probably wouldn’t have come away victory.
Ruffin is a glowing example of what Colorado basketball is all about. He did all the little things right and played selfless, defense-first basketball that put his team in a spot to win a basketball game. Hats off to you, Ruff.
Lastly, Colorado benefitted greatly from UConn’s foul trouble throughout the game and really capitalized on it in the final minutes of the game.
After UConn coach Dan Hurley went ballistic on the refs following a technical foul that cost UConn a win against Memphis on Monday, Hurley sounded off to the media about the refereeing in Maui. Shockingly, the refs on Tuesday didn’t do Hurley or his team any favors, as the Huskies racked up fouls fast against Colorado.
UConn finished the game with a whopping 22 fouls, including 12 in the first half alone. Just for some context, Colorado took 28 free throws compared to UConn’s 13. Granted, Colorado missed 10 of those 28 freebies, but the point still stands.
The Huskies found themselves in foul trouble fast, which ended up coming back to bite them later when key rotation players Tarris Reed Jr. and Sampson Johnson both fouled out late in the second half. That led to UConn going with a smaller lineup in the final minutes of the game, allowing Jakimovski to score his go-ahead bucket.
As to where the Buffaloes go from here, we’ll have to wait and see. CU will play either Iowa State or Dayton tomorrow at 12:30 pm MT for the fifth-place game in the Maui Invitational.
Regardless, Colorado has picked up a solid Q1 win over a really good opponent and have officially begun building their resume for a potential bid to go dancing. In a conference as strong as the Big 12, CU will have more leeway than ever to snag an at-large bid.
What a time to be a Buffalo...
by RylandScholes
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