Buffaloes within reach of playing consistent high-energy basketball

 

Despite a freshman-heavy roster, the Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team has proved that this season is more than just rebuilding process.

The loss of senior forward Tory Miller-Stewart for the year due to a broken foot in late November threw head coach Tad Boyle an early season curveball, as did the NCAA’s redshirt ruling on freshman forward Evan Battey for falling below his GPA requirements.

So far, season highlights include impressive victories over Arizona and Arizona State, the only Pac-12 Conference teams that are currently ranked. However, consistency remains an issue for the Buffaloes up and down the roster.

With road losses to Oregon State, Oregon and Southern California serving as premier examples, the Buffs have yet to prove that they can play every opponent in a consistent, high-energy manner.

But key pieces that would help solve that puzzle could be close to formally emerging.

A big element of that revolves around Colorado’s upperclassmen, who have recently been setting the tone for the rest of the roster, which has seemed to resonate with the younger players.

“All of our seniors play a huge role in leading the way for this young team,” said freshman forward/center Dallas Walton. “Last year, I don’t know if any senior would really force guys to get in the gym on their day off, but this leadership is getting in the gym, so all the freshman follow them.”

Leading by example means more than making big baskets and playing great every night, though.

Last Saturday’s 72-62 loss to Washington, in which Colorado allowed the Huskies to grab an astounding 50 rebounds at the Coors Events Center, was a painful blow to the Buffaloes’ momentum moving deeper into Pac-12 play.

The Buffs were routinely out-muscled near the rims and paid for it in the form of losing a winnable game.

That game saw junior guard Namon Wright, who ranks third in scoring on the Buffaloes with 11.6 points per game average, held scoreless in his 22 minutes on the court for the first time this season.

“I had a terrible game, offensively and defensively,” Wright said. “I think that people look up to me on this team and if I do my job, the next man’s going to do his job.”

Wright may have had a bad game, but his attitude and acknowledgment of what’s expected of him should leave fans confident that the lackluster performance will be an isolated incident.

“[Boyle] challenges all of us to produce, be efficient and do your job,” Wright said. “The first time he really challenged me, I took it personally because I’ve probably never had real coaching. I’m finally realizing that challenging players is real coaching. You’ve got to be flat out honest with your players and that’s what he’s done.”

Younger players have personally answered Boyle’s challenges in the past few weeks. Against Washington, freshman guard/forward Tyler Bey contributed a season-high 14 points and 11 rebounds.

“When Tyler gets stuff around the rim, he’s really good,” Boyle said. “I want him to shoot [the ball] when he’s open.”

Since the start of conference play, Bey has elevated his play and is now averaging just shy of nine points per game vs. Pac-12 teams.

Before Bey stepped up against the Huskies, sophomore forward Lucas Siewert contributed 11 points in the Buffs’ win over Washington State while freshman guard D’Shawn Schwartz added 10 crucial points in Colorado’s upset of Arizona.

As a team leader and most impactful senior on the Buffaloes roster, expectations have been high for senior guard George King. He’s recently righted some wrongs, as he’s gone from averaging just over nine points per game through the first four Pac-12 games to exactly 19 in his past four contests.

“I’m just kind of locked in,” he said. “I want to win really bad . . . the team’s playing with a lot of energy, which I’m feeding off, as well, so it’s been good all around.”

Last year, with four Buffaloes attempting over 100 three-pointers, King saw his attempts drop from his totals during the 2015-16 season, when he nailed a personal best 46 percent of such shots.

Now, playing on a youthful team with a different dynamic, King has put it on himself to be a constant threat from long range.

“George is an elite level shooter when he’s open,” English said. “Everyone on this team has something that they do extremely well. That’s why coach Boyle chose them, and hopefully if we can get everyone on the team doing what they do best . . . we’ll win more games than not.”

With impact performances from the younger players becoming more of a regular occurrence and as King and Wright, who’s scored at least 10 points in seven of his last 10 games, continue to heat up, consistency could be right around the corner for Colorado.

But Boyle’s Buffaloes will have their work cut out for them this week as they attempt to prove they can fire on all cylinders.

The Buffs travel to Arizona later this week for rematches with the No. 11 Arizona Wildcats on Thursday, Jan. 25, and No. 21 Arizona State on Saturday, Jan. 27.

The Buffs and Wildcats will tipoff from the McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz. at 6:30 p.m. MST.

Contact CU Independent Head Sports Editor Justin Guerriero at justin.guerriero@colorado.edu and follow him on Twitter @TheHungry_Hippo