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Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
The run-and-gun Buffs are not messing around.
These are not your typical Colorado Buffaloes. This not a defense and rebounding outfit that needs to outwork and outmuscle their opponents. This not a Tad offense that has one good shooter and a guard who runs everything. This is a Colorado team that can score 106 points without even really trying in that last 5 to 10 minutes.
They did everything right in their 106-79 demolition of the Milwaukee Panthers on Tuesday night. The Buffs hit a bunch of threes early when the Panthers weren’t guarding the perimeter. Tristan da Silva hit 4/6 from deep, KJ Simpson 3/4, and the whole team shot 13/20 (65%) on a buffet of assisted triples.
More often, the Buffs attacked in transition. The defense and rebounding are still there — maybe not to the extent as in years past — that this team will turn into instant scoring opportunities on the other end. Simpson is as aggressive as they come, Luke O’Brien and J’Vonne Hadley never get tired, and big Eddie Lampkin is a monster on the boards and quickly finds his outlets.
We also saw the potential of Cody Williams. He’s built to play in pace and space. He was lethal in transition, threw down a dunk that only worked because he was a 7-foot-something wingspan, and threw some absurd hit-ahead passes for breakaway layups. He’s not going to score as much as he did last night, but his defense, rebounding and passing will always be there. He’s perfect for this version of the Buffs.
Next up for the Buffs is a trip to Daytona Beach, Florida, where they will first play the Richmond Spiders on Monday, Nov. 20. After that, they will play one of Florida State or UNLV. The Buffs are much better than those other teams, but they haven’t played away from Boulder and these Feast Week trips are always weird.
by Sam Metivier
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