At least Colorado doesn’t have to worry about staying sharp during a potential open week ahead of the Pac-12 Conference tournament.
On Tuesday, the league announced that Thursday nightap scheduled battle between the Buffaloes and Arizona State at the CU Events Center has been postponed due to coronavirus issues within the ASU program. It is the fourth COVID-19-related schedule rearrangement suffered by CU since the start of Pac-12 play, though each of the Buffs’ previous postponements have been rescheduled and two already have been played.
For the Sun Devils, the latest round of cancellations will make completing the Pac-12’s planned 20-game league schedule a unique challenge. ASU’s scheduled game on Sunday at Utah also has been postponed, giving the Sun Devils six postponed conference games that still have to be officially rescheduled.
CU’s five-game homestand has now been trimmed to four. Since Thursday’s postponement was due to coronavirus protocols at ASU, the Buffs’ home date on Saturday against Arizona is set to proceed as scheduled (6 p.m., FS1). The Buffs complete the homestand Monday evening against Oregon State (5 p.m., Pac-12 Networks) in a game originally scheduled for Jan. 9 but scuttled due to virus issues with OSU.
CU had its first two Pac-12 games, Dec. 2 at Arizona and Dec. 5 at home against Washington State, moved. The Arizona game was played Dec. 28 (an 88-74 Buffs loss) and the Washington State game was played last week, with the Buffs posting a 70-58 win.
The Pac-12 planned its inaugural 20-game league schedule with room for flexibility at the end, with all 12 teams originally scheduled to go through their one-game rivalry during the final week of the regular season, allowing ample time for potential makeup games early in the week. However, the Buffs already had their final-week game at Utah rescheduled preemptively for Jan. 11, a road game CU won, 65-58.
As it currently stands, the Buffs do not have any games scheduled between the Feb. 27 home finale against UCLA and the start of the Pac-12 tournament on March 10, leaving plenty of time for the Buffs to pencil in a makeup date with ASU. If, that is, the Sun Devils can find time in what is shaping up to be a furious final few weeks.
ASU also was supposed to host Utah on Tuesday afternoon, and five of the six games ASU now has in limbo are road games. That includes the trip to both Washington schools, the two-game Rocky Mountain trip, and ASU’s visit to Oregon.
ASU last played on Saturday, a 79-75 win against Stanford, and its next scheduled game is Feb. 11 at home against Oregon.
