BOULDER — When devising a defensive plan against top-ranked Kansas, it’s always a pick-your-poison proposition. Do X and the Jayhawks will counter with Y.
But Colorado’s toughest matchup tonight at the Coors Events Center figures to be Kansas’ 6-foot-11 junior center Cole Aldrich. CU has no one tall enough or bulky enough to match up against him.
For conference games, Colorado (11-10, 2-5) ranks last in rebounding margin. Kansas (20-1, 6-0) tops the league in board work. If that wasn’t tough enough, Aldrich averages a double-double this season, 11.6 points, 10.3 points.
“With Aldrich, you have to make him take tough shots over you,” Colorado 6-9 junior Casey Crawford said. “You have to make him catch the ball as far off the block as you can, and then make sure he takes contested jump shots. If we’re making him do that we’ve done our job.”
Sellout crowd.
Tonight’s game is a sellout. The team expects a higher percentage of Buffs fans in the crowd than in recent years, because of CU’s improvement. In past years, Kansas fans filled as many as half the seats.
“If you get booed coming out of that tunnel in your own gym, it’s something you’re going to remember for the rest of your life,” said CU guard Dwight Thorne, the team’s only senior. “It gets you a little upset.”
CU coach Jeff Bzdelik said: “If they have hurt feelings (from hearing boos), they should do something about it.”
Footnote.
CU freshman guard Alec Burks, who leads Big 12 newcomers with a 16.3 scoring average, said he expects his availability for tonight to be a game-time decision. Burks sustained a knee sprain in Saturday night’s loss at Iowa State. He said he feels good enough to play but realizes it is not his call to make.
“I was doing my usual thing in practice, I was dunking and shooting,” Burks said with a grin.
