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Happy New Year! *I took the last week off recovering from my miss-adventures in the Aloha State, but am back and ready for more!
It strikes me that, with all the excitement of Christmas Day, I never got around to posting my Hawai'i game recap. *For those who didn't get a chance to watch, the game played out like a greatest hits album of what's been troubling the Buffs recently. Fighting for third place on the final day of the Diamond Head Classic, CU held a late lead over the host Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors. However, stunted by an inability to defend the perimeter (what new) and a painful scoring drought over the final five minutes (a new take on an old tune), CU coughed up that 62-58 lead, eventually losing*69-66. It was the second time in as many games that the team couldn't turn a second half advantage into victory. *The loss left the trip to the Islands at an uncomfortable 1-2, and the team with more questions than answers.
Perimeter defense continues to be CU's Achilles heel. *Opponents are scoring almost 35% of their points from deep this season against Colorado, which is simply criminal. *The Warriors, playing inspired ball in front of their home crowd, were always going to be a tough nut to crack, but it's hard to beat any team when you're allowing 9-18 shooting from behind the arc. Down the stretch, however, the story was more about play making - as in the ones Colorado wasn't converting. The Buffs would go the final 5:07 of the game without hitting a field goal. *As the clock ticked down, CU would turn the ball over more times (4), they they even attempted shots (3). It was a painful inability to mix clock management with a struggling offense.
Generally, it was hard for CU to find any offensive rhythm. *Hawai'i forced 16 turnovers, muscled out six blocks, and grabbed nine steals. *Only the big three of Askia Booker, Xavier Johnson, and Josh Scott could find any joy with the rock, scoring all but six of Colorado's points. *The inconsistency from the second unit was paramount. *While Coach Boyle shortened his bench, the inability of anyone other than those three to make a damn basket really limited the Buffs in the second half.
Look, CU proved good enough to play with both George Washington (the eventual tournament champions) and Hawai'i (a home team leveraging their advantage well), but lost both because they couldn't make the plays in the final minutes. *There'd be a sudden breakdown on defense, or a lack of creativity on offense, and the team would fall into defeat. *Those were both games this program would've found a way to win over the last few years, and they're a prime example of what is wrong in 2014-15. *Against good teams, the Buffs are just too good at finding ways to lose - the how and why a team full of talent goes 7-5 in non-conference play.
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And so, the Buffs return home searching for answers, only to find conference play waiting. *This is a dangerous time for CU. *The opening rounds of Pac-12 action are brutal, and the season could completely spin out of control if they aren't successful this weekend in the home games against the SoCal schools. *Up first: a similarly inconsistent UCLA squad. *Colorado has yet to beat the Bruins in the Pac-12 era, losing the four matchups by an average of 13 points, and could surely use a buck of the recent trend this evening.
Tip-off from the CEC is set for 8pm. *Those still on Winter Break can avail themselves of either the Fox Sports 1 broadcast, or Mark Johnson's radio call on 850 KOA.
Click below for the bag...
Read more »
Happy New Year! *I took the last week off recovering from my miss-adventures in the Aloha State, but am back and ready for more!
It strikes me that, with all the excitement of Christmas Day, I never got around to posting my Hawai'i game recap. *For those who didn't get a chance to watch, the game played out like a greatest hits album of what's been troubling the Buffs recently. Fighting for third place on the final day of the Diamond Head Classic, CU held a late lead over the host Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors. However, stunted by an inability to defend the perimeter (what new) and a painful scoring drought over the final five minutes (a new take on an old tune), CU coughed up that 62-58 lead, eventually losing*69-66. It was the second time in as many games that the team couldn't turn a second half advantage into victory. *The loss left the trip to the Islands at an uncomfortable 1-2, and the team with more questions than answers.
Perimeter defense continues to be CU's Achilles heel. *Opponents are scoring almost 35% of their points from deep this season against Colorado, which is simply criminal. *The Warriors, playing inspired ball in front of their home crowd, were always going to be a tough nut to crack, but it's hard to beat any team when you're allowing 9-18 shooting from behind the arc. Down the stretch, however, the story was more about play making - as in the ones Colorado wasn't converting. The Buffs would go the final 5:07 of the game without hitting a field goal. *As the clock ticked down, CU would turn the ball over more times (4), they they even attempted shots (3). It was a painful inability to mix clock management with a struggling offense.
Generally, it was hard for CU to find any offensive rhythm. *Hawai'i forced 16 turnovers, muscled out six blocks, and grabbed nine steals. *Only the big three of Askia Booker, Xavier Johnson, and Josh Scott could find any joy with the rock, scoring all but six of Colorado's points. *The inconsistency from the second unit was paramount. *While Coach Boyle shortened his bench, the inability of anyone other than those three to make a damn basket really limited the Buffs in the second half.
Look, CU proved good enough to play with both George Washington (the eventual tournament champions) and Hawai'i (a home team leveraging their advantage well), but lost both because they couldn't make the plays in the final minutes. *There'd be a sudden breakdown on defense, or a lack of creativity on offense, and the team would fall into defeat. *Those were both games this program would've found a way to win over the last few years, and they're a prime example of what is wrong in 2014-15. *Against good teams, the Buffs are just too good at finding ways to lose - the how and why a team full of talent goes 7-5 in non-conference play.
--
And so, the Buffs return home searching for answers, only to find conference play waiting. *This is a dangerous time for CU. *The opening rounds of Pac-12 action are brutal, and the season could completely spin out of control if they aren't successful this weekend in the home games against the SoCal schools. *Up first: a similarly inconsistent UCLA squad. *Colorado has yet to beat the Bruins in the Pac-12 era, losing the four matchups by an average of 13 points, and could surely use a buck of the recent trend this evening.
Tip-off from the CEC is set for 8pm. *Those still on Winter Break can avail themselves of either the Fox Sports 1 broadcast, or Mark Johnson's radio call on 850 KOA.
Click below for the bag...
Read more »
Originally posted by The Rumblings of a Deranged Buffalo
Click here to view the article.
It strikes me that, with all the excitement of Christmas Day, I never got around to posting my Hawai'i game recap. *For those who didn't get a chance to watch, the game played out like a greatest hits album of what's been troubling the Buffs recently. Fighting for third place on the final day of the Diamond Head Classic, CU held a late lead over the host Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors. However, stunted by an inability to defend the perimeter (what new) and a painful scoring drought over the final five minutes (a new take on an old tune), CU coughed up that 62-58 lead, eventually losing*69-66. It was the second time in as many games that the team couldn't turn a second half advantage into victory. *The loss left the trip to the Islands at an uncomfortable 1-2, and the team with more questions than answers.
 |
| Hawai'i got to celebrate on Christmas Day. |
Generally, it was hard for CU to find any offensive rhythm. *Hawai'i forced 16 turnovers, muscled out six blocks, and grabbed nine steals. *Only the big three of Askia Booker, Xavier Johnson, and Josh Scott could find any joy with the rock, scoring all but six of Colorado's points. *The inconsistency from the second unit was paramount. *While Coach Boyle shortened his bench, the inability of anyone other than those three to make a damn basket really limited the Buffs in the second half.
 |
| Not enough from players like Dustin Thomas.* |
--
And so, the Buffs return home searching for answers, only to find conference play waiting. *This is a dangerous time for CU. *The opening rounds of Pac-12 action are brutal, and the season could completely spin out of control if they aren't successful this weekend in the home games against the SoCal schools. *Up first: a similarly inconsistent UCLA squad. *Colorado has yet to beat the Bruins in the Pac-12 era, losing the four matchups by an average of 13 points, and could surely use a buck of the recent trend this evening.
Tip-off from the CEC is set for 8pm. *Those still on Winter Break can avail themselves of either the Fox Sports 1 broadcast, or Mark Johnson's radio call on 850 KOA.
Click below for the bag...
Read more »
Happy New Year! *I took the last week off recovering from my miss-adventures in the Aloha State, but am back and ready for more!
It strikes me that, with all the excitement of Christmas Day, I never got around to posting my Hawai'i game recap. *For those who didn't get a chance to watch, the game played out like a greatest hits album of what's been troubling the Buffs recently. Fighting for third place on the final day of the Diamond Head Classic, CU held a late lead over the host Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors. However, stunted by an inability to defend the perimeter (what new) and a painful scoring drought over the final five minutes (a new take on an old tune), CU coughed up that 62-58 lead, eventually losing*69-66. It was the second time in as many games that the team couldn't turn a second half advantage into victory. *The loss left the trip to the Islands at an uncomfortable 1-2, and the team with more questions than answers.
|
| Hawai'i got to celebrate on Christmas Day. |
Generally, it was hard for CU to find any offensive rhythm. *Hawai'i forced 16 turnovers, muscled out six blocks, and grabbed nine steals. *Only the big three of Askia Booker, Xavier Johnson, and Josh Scott could find any joy with the rock, scoring all but six of Colorado's points. *The inconsistency from the second unit was paramount. *While Coach Boyle shortened his bench, the inability of anyone other than those three to make a damn basket really limited the Buffs in the second half.
|
| Not enough from players like Dustin Thomas.* |
--
And so, the Buffs return home searching for answers, only to find conference play waiting. *This is a dangerous time for CU. *The opening rounds of Pac-12 action are brutal, and the season could completely spin out of control if they aren't successful this weekend in the home games against the SoCal schools. *Up first: a similarly inconsistent UCLA squad. *Colorado has yet to beat the Bruins in the Pac-12 era, losing the four matchups by an average of 13 points, and could surely use a buck of the recent trend this evening.
Tip-off from the CEC is set for 8pm. *Those still on Winter Break can avail themselves of either the Fox Sports 1 broadcast, or Mark Johnson's radio call on 850 KOA.
Click below for the bag...
Read more »
Originally posted by The Rumblings of a Deranged Buffalo
Click here to view the article.