LAS VEGAS — Colorado coach Tad Boyle talks to his team about the college basketball calendar being made up of three “seasons” — the nonconference, the conference and the postseason. CU has one season left to produce some magic, here at the Pac-12 Tournament, and relieve some of the sting from a 14-16 record.
Colorado, the No. 10 seed with a 7-11 league mark, meets No. 7-seeded Oregon State (17-13, 8-10) Wednesday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The winner advances to a Thursday night quarterfinal against second-seeded Oregon. CU has to run the table, four wins in four days, to get into the NCAA Tournament.
“It’s a new season, and we’re 0-0,” Boyle said. “It’s a great opportunity. That’s all you can ask for in life.”
Injuries to key performers such as Josh Scott (lower back) and Xavier Johnson (ankle) in January took their toll during what became the first losing record in the regular season in five years under Boyle. But even before the injuries, Colorado went just 7-5 against nonconference foes.
“We didn’t really hold up to expectations,” said Scott, who said his back is feeling better than it has since December. “But things are finally coming together. It’s focus on Oregon State, win that game and move on to the next one.”
Colorado has built some late-season momentum, winning two of its final three games and showing more offensive firepower than at any previous point this season. The Buffs nearly made it three straight wins but lost 96-91 in overtime Saturday at Washington State. CU had the ball and a two-point lead late in regulation.
Colorado may have a physical advantage over Oregon State but had trouble solving the Beavers’ 2-3 zone in the teams’ only regular-season meeting. Oregon State won 72-58 in Corvallis and held CU to 12 first-half points.
The athleticism and defensive instincts of Beavers guards Malcolm Duvivier (6-2 sophomore) and Gary Payton II (6-3 junior) at the top of the zone make Oregon State’s defense go. Payton, son of the former Oregon State and NBA great, was voted the Pac-12 defensive player of the year.
Oregon State is one of the league’s surprises in its first season under Wayne Tinkle, formerly head coach at Montana.
“They play hard in that zone, and that makes it one of the toughest defenses in the league to score against,” Scott said. “It’s generally the same idea against a zone: You’re always trying to get the ball to open cutters. We just have to find open spots.”
Tom Kensler: tkensler@denverpost.com or
CU in PAC-12 tournament
A look at how cu has done in the pac-12 tournament under coach Tad Boyle.
2014: 2-1 — Fifth-seeded Buffs win close ones against USC and California before getting trounced 63-43 by top-seeded Arizona in the semifinals.
2013: 1-1 — A No. 5 seed, CU handles Oregon State in opener (74-68) but gets ousted by fourth-seeded Arizona (79-69) in quarterfinals.
2012: 4-0 — Buffs, a No. 6 seed, earn automatic NCAA Tournament bid as conference tournament champion with four wins in four days, knocking off Utah (53-41), Oregon (63-62), California (70-59) and Arizona (53-51).
Source: CU
