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Colorado was in complete control for the whole forty minutes.
What’s the best way to avenge an ugly upset loss from the prior season? Blowing out that same team by 32 points at home would probably be near the top of the list. Tad Boyle and the Buffs did just that, absolutely manhandling Grambling State by a final score of 95-63.
This game wasn’t even remotely close, not even for a second. The Buffs took an immediate 6-2 lead to start the game out and never looked back. Pretty much everything was clicking for Colorado tonight. There was very little resistance against the Buffs getting to the basket, as 6 separate Colorado players scored double digit points. We saw a selfless brand of basketball night as the Buffs finished the game with 28 total assists, the most they’ve had in a single game since the 2005 season.
The Buffs defense absolutely smothered Grambling, holding the Tigers to only 63 points. CU had an impressive 9 steals tonight, 3 of which came from KJ Simpson alone. What’s extra impressive is that the Buffs looked this dominant without five star newcomer Cody Williams, who sat out tonight’s game due to a nagging injury. Tad didn’t elaborate what that specific injury was, but he did say that Cody is going to be fine and to expect to see him in next week’s game against Milwaukee.
It’s really hard to pick a player of the game, as essentially every single Buff that hit the floor tonight absolutely balled out. Tristan da Silva led the Buffs with 21 points and 3 makes from deep, along with 7 boards. KJ Simpson flirted with a triple-double, finishing the game with 12 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists.
J’Vonne Hadley has proven himself to potentially be the third best player on the team. We heard about Hadley scoring over 20 points in that illusive secret scrimmage against Texas last month, but now we’re finally seeing what the forward is capable of. Hadley finished tonight's game with a stat line of 17 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Against Grambling, J’Vonne demonstrated that he excels at driving in the paint and has a nice finish. Hadley plays with 1000% effort every minute he plays and is one of the Buffs best defenders. He’s quickly becoming a fan favorite.
Speaking of fan favorites, Eddie Lampkin gave Buffs Nation a glimpse of what he’s capable of in his first start in Boulder. Due to Williams’ absence, Lampkin filled for his spot in the starting 5 and has a great game. Eddie finished the game with 10 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists for Colorado. Lampkin used his massive frame to bully Grambling and create an absurd amount of space. We haven’t seen a big man make this much space since Evan Battey, which is going to be a game changer for Colorado this season. Lampkin made the CUEC erupt after diving and coming up with a loose ball. It’s clear that CU fans have already taking a liking to the TCU transfer.
The Buffs now move to a 2-0 record on the young season. The nucleus of this team seems to be really coming along, with Hadley and Lampkin showing just how much they can help while on the floor. Colorado’s next game will be on next Tuesday when Milwaukee comes to Boulder. Fans can watch the Buffs try to win three straight games on the Pac-12 Network at 7 p.m. MT.
by RylandScholes
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