SEATTLE — The final two-game Pac-12 Conference swing through the state of Washington was extended an extra day for the Colorado men’s basketball team.
The current excursion through the Pacific Northwest is the only one of the Buffaloes’ conference road trips that began on a Wednesday instead of Thursday, with CU picking up its first win in a true road game this season at Washington.
Afterward, head coach Tad Boyle expressed relief that his club had an extra day to prep for the next road challenge, as the Buffs take aim at a rare road sweep with a Saturday afternoon battle at Washington State.
“Normally, you don’t like to be on the road too long,” Boyle said. “But in this case, I’m glad we have two days of prep for Washington State rather than one day of prep, because that makes it more difficult when you’re on the road. They whipped Utah pretty good (on Wednesday). They’re a good team and they’re playing well and they’ve got a lot of confidence. Itap not easy, I don’t care what league you’re in.”
Now in the 13th and final season in the Pac-12, CU is in the midst of its 49th multi-game road trip within the conference. In only three of the previous 48 have the Buffs come home with a sweep, winning at Oregon and Oregon State in 2012-13 and sweeping the Los Angeles schools in 2018-19. CU also won three games in a single road trip two years ago, when a sweep against California and Stanford was preceded by a victorious visit to Oregon State in a game rescheduled due to COVID.
The Buffs will have an opportunity to add to that total on Saturday, despite losing 13 of 15 true road games dating back to the start of last season prior to the 98-81 win at Washington.
“They’re probably one of the toughest teams in the Pac-12,” CU’s J’Vonne Hadley said. “They’re going to come with toughness. They can rebound. We’ve just got to know their personnel because itap going to be a war down there.”
While adding to the scant total of road sweeps would be a commendable feat, a victory would keep the Buffs squarely in the Pac-12 race at the midpoint of the season, particularly after a stunning Arizona loss at Oregon State on Thursday night kept the top half of the standings in a jumbled mess. As of Friday, Oregon remained in first place with a 6-2 league mark, but hosts what likely will be a desperate UA team on Saturday. The Buffs were situated in a group of four teams with three league losses, with WSU and Utah just behind that quartet at 5-4.
“We’ve just have to have that defensive mentality,” CU guard KJ Simpson said. “We have to accept and understand that teams are going to go on runs in their home arenas. Itap just what they’re going to do. Fans are going to get involved. We just have to guard no matter what. Thatap our mentality and thatap our identity.”
CU Buffs men’s basketball at Washington State Cougars
TIPOFF: Saturday, 3 p.m. MT, Beasley Coliseum, Pullman, Wash.
TV/RADIO: Pac-12 Network/KOA 850 AM and 94.1 FM.
RECORDS: Colorado 15-5, 6-3 Pac-12 Conference; Washington State 14-6, 5-4.
COACHES: Colorado — Tad Boyle, 14th season (287-177, 343-243 overall). Washington State — Kyle Smith, 5th season (83-67, 247-189 overall).
KEY PLAYERS: Colorado — G KJ Simpson, 6-2, Jr. (19.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.5 apg, .502 FG%, .459 3%); F Tristan da Silva, 6-9, Sr. (15.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.8 apg, .505 FG%); G Cody Williams, 6-8, Fr. (15.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, .598 FG%, .520 3%); F J’Vonne Hadley, 6-6, Sr. (11.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, .582 FG%); C Eddie Lampkin Jr., 6-11, Sr. (10.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg, .534 FG%); G Julian Hammond III, 6-2, Jr. (7.5 ppg, .412 3%); G/F Luke O’Brien, 6-8, Sr. (7.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg). Washington State — F Isaac Jones, 6-9, Gr. (15.8 ppg, 7.7 rpg, .585 FG%); G Myles Rice, 6-3, R-Fr. (15.5 ppg, 3.7 apg, .457 FG%); F Andrej Jakimovski, 6-8, Sr. (10.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg); F Jaylen Wells, 6-8, Jr. (9.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, .408 3%); F Oscar Cluff, 6-11, Jr. (8.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, .561 FG%).
NOTES: CU is 4-5 in Pac-12 road games at Washington State, including one game played in Spokane. … The Cougars have won four of their past five games, a run that includes an upset win against Arizona and road wins against USC and Stanford. … WSU has been strong defensively, leading the Pac-12 in defensive field goal percentage (.402) and defensive 3-point percentage (.320). However, the Cougars have been a little more vulnerable from long-range in conference play, ranking ninth in Pac-12 games with a .372 defensive 3-point percentage despite holding Utah to a 4-for-22 3-point mark during a WSU win on Wednesday. … Williams has shot .697 (23-for-33) in the past three games while going 7-for-10 on 3-pointers. … WSU is 10-1 at home. … Simpson went 13-for-14 on free throws and scored a career-high 34 points to lead CU’s 74-67 home win against the Cougars on Dec. 31. Simpson’s .883 free throw percentage leads the Pac-12, and he is on pace to make a run at Cory Higgins’ CU season record of .866 set in 2010-11. … The Buffs will travel home after Saturday’s game but complete a run of three consecutive road games on Feb. 3 at Utah (3 p.m. MT, Pac-12 Network).
