The Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team returns to Boulder Wednesday night for a big-time matchup with the No. 13 Xavier Musketeers.
For the Buffs (6-2), it’s sure to be the most challenging game of their non-conference schedule. That being said, it’s also a chance for this team to prove they can play better than they recently have.
Xavier (7-1) will be looking to get back on track after suffering a tough 76-61 loss at Baylor. It was their first loss after winning seven straight to start the season.
Will the Buffs be able to pull off the sizable upset, or will the Musketeers be too much to handle? Here’s the factors that will determine just that.
Offense
It’s pretty common knowledge that missing shots isn’t a good way to win basketball games. That hasn’t stopped the Buffs from having some miserable field goal percentages this year, most notably 32.2 percent against in-state rival Colorado State. Things have been even worse behind the arc, with CU shooting 3-19 in that CSU game and 3-18 against the lowly Seattle Redhawks.
Not every game fits this narrative though, as the Buffs did shoot well in wins over Wofford and (at the tine) No. 22 Texas. Still, it’s a worrying trend and something the team will really have to improve on as they move forward. Despite this, senior guard Josh Fortune has claimed the team will not shy away from the three-ball on Wednesday.
“We got a lot of guys that can make the three,” Fortune said. “So we want to shoot it with confidence in the game, we know it’s going to fall eventually.”
Colorado’s salvation on offense as of late has been solid rebounding, led by junior guard George King. Senior guard and UCCS transfer Derrick White has shown some flashes as well, but has also given up more than his fair share of turnovers.
“[We want to beat them] in rebounding,” head coach Tad Boyle said after practice on Tuesday. “They’re a very tough physical team, so when that shot goes up on the glass, it’s anybody’s ball. Colorado has to come up with the majority of them.”
As for Xavier, they haven’t exactly been shooting lights out either. Averaging 44.8 percent on field goals, the Musketeers can blame much of the Baylor loss on missed shots in the second half. Star shooting guard Trevon Bluiett has been missing the mark more times than he did last year, but not really enough to make him any less dangerous of a player.
Someone who doesn’t have a shooting problem is guard Malcolm Bernard, who has been on fire from the three-point range, making 42 percent of his shots behind the line. In the paint, forward Sean O’Mara has been a force of nature, having no trouble getting the ball or scoring in the post.
Defense
Defending shots isn’t always a strong point for this Colorado team either. From both the field and the three, the Buffs have struggled to come up and challenge shots. That could be a problem considering the hot-hand of Bernard and the talent of Bluiett.
The good news is teams have a lot more trouble scoring inside the paint where CU has really been solid. Senior forward Wesley Gordon has been the biggest force on the board so far, recording 76 rebounds in only eight games. They’ll need him to be tough inside against the slightly taller O’Mara. Sophomore guard Thomas Akyazili has also been tough defensively as of late, they’ll need him to keep it up as well.
For Xavier, guard Edmond Sumner could hold the key to keeping Colorado’s already ill-performing offense at bay. Sumner is one of the best in the business at blocking, stealing and defensive rebounding. His tremendous athletic talent could cause major headaches for the Buffs’ offense.
In the paint, Gordon, White and company will have to get something going against O’Mara and his presence in the post. If CU is going to succeed on Wednesday, that’s where they’re most likely to do it.
The game tips off Wednesday at 7 p.m. (MST).
Contact CU Independent Sports Writer Kyle Rini at kyle.rini@colorado.edu.
