Even with a 10-1 start thatap the program’s best opening run in 10 years, the Colorado men’s basketball team hasn’t always played its best.
However, the Buffaloes have been ready for every fight, dialed-in and focused. Itap a trait that gives head coach Tad Boyle a measure of confidence heading into the final pre-holiday test of the nonconference schedule.
For the second time in the past month, CU takes on a former Pac-12 rival on a neutral floor, facing Stanford in Phoenix on Saturday in the Naismith Hall of Fame Series at PHX Arena, home of the city’s NBA and WNBA franchises.
The final contest before the holiday hiatus always is a mental challenge. Like most teams, the Buffs haven’t enjoyed any meaningful break since preseason practice opened nearly three months ago. Following the game against Stanford, the Buffs will scatter to their respective hometowns for a few days off before reconvening in Boulder on Christmas. The Buffs turned in two of their more impressive performances of the season in a pair of neutral-floor games three weeks ago in Palm Desert, California, defeating San Francisco and Washington, and another neutral-floor win would put a satisfying holiday bow on what has been an unexpectedly strong start by CU.
“Itap our job as coaches to make sure that they are dialed-in to that game in Phoenix,” Boyle said. “And I don’t worry about this team when it comes to that. I don’t feel like we’ve had a game this year where we’ve come out and we were emotionally flat. Now, we’ve come out and we’ve not played well. That happened the first couple games. It happened the first half against UTSA.
“But, in terms of not being ready to play emotionally and dialed-in to the game plan, I’ve got a lot of confidence in this team. Especially for as young as we are. You’ll never hear me talk about our youth after a loss. I might talk about it after a win. But we are a young team. Everybody knows that.”
The Buffs won their final seven matchups with the Cardinal before the former version of the Pac-12 Conference splintered, with Stanford landing in the ACC while CU rejoined the Big 12. The Cardinal has played a schedule similar to that of CU, loading up on mid-major foes at home. However, unlike the Buffs, Stanford has stumbled twice at home, losing to Seattle and UNLV.
Stanford has featured one of the top freshmen in the nation in guard Ebuka Okorie, but he has missed the past two games due to a lower body injury. Okorie leads Stanford in scoring (21.0 points per game) and assists (3.1), but the Cardinal boasts three other double-digit scorers and has gone 2-0 without Okorie.
Regardless if Okorie suits up against the Buffs, CU will seek another win that could be a potential resume-builder for March. As solid as the Buffs have been so far this season, they enter Saturday’s matchup just 1-1 in Quad 1 and 2 games for the NET rankings.
“To be in a position that we’re in right now, you don’t get opportunities back,” Boyle said. “We’d love to have that opportunity in Fort Collins back. But it doesn’t work like that. So you’ve got to live with that and move on and learn from it. We’ve got to learn from (Portland State) and keep getting better.”
Stanford Cardinal vs. CU Buffs men’s basketball
TIPOFF: Saturday, 6 p.m. MT, PHX Arena, Phoenix, Arizona.
TV/RADIO: ESPNU/KOA 850 AM and 94.1 FM.
RECORDS: Stanford 9-2; Colorado 10-1.
COACHES: Stanford — Kyle Smith, 2nd season (30-16, 288-209 overall). Colorado — Tad Boyle, 16th season (322-205, 378-271 overall).
KEY PLAYERS: Stanford — G Ebuka Okorie, 6-2, Fr. (21.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.1 apg); F Chisom Okpara, 6-8, Sr. (15.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.6 apg, .464 FG%); G Benny Gealer, 6-1, Sr. (11.0 ppg, .433 3%); F AJ Rohosy, 6-9, Gr. (10.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg, .565 FG%); G Jeremy Dent-Smith, 6-1. Gr. (8.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.4 apg). Colorado — G Isaiah Johnson, 6-1, Fr. (15.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.2 apg, .542 FG%, .441 3%); F Sebastian Rancik, 6-11, So. (13.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.5 apg, .366 3%); G Barrington Hargress, 6-1, R-Jr. (12.7 ppg, 4.8 apg, .571 FG%, .636 3%); F Bangot Dak, 7-0, Jr. (11.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, .505 FG%); F Alon Michaeli, 6-9, Fr. (10.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, .519 FG%); G Felix Kossaras, 6-6, So. (7.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg, .569 FG%); C Elijah Malone, 6-10, Gr. (7.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, .588 FG%).
NOTES: This is the first nonconference matchup between the former Pac-12 rivals since Nov. 29, 2008, a CU loss at Stanford. … CU leads the all-time series 20-11. The Buffs dominated the rivalry during the Pac-12 years, going 17-4 against the Cardinal. … The teams never aligned in the Pac-12 tournament, so this will be the first neutral-floor matchup between the programs since the 1951 Big Seven Christmas Tournament in a win by Stanford in Kansas City, Missouri. … The Buffs and Stanford have faced three common opponents, with the Cardinal also recording home wins against Portland State, Montana State and UTSA. … Buffs players recorded two games with double-digit free throw attempts in 35 games last year. Johnson has recorded four through his first 11 collegiate games. … CU will be idle until a Dec. 28 home date against Northern Colorado in the nonconference finale (1 p.m., ESPN+). … The Buffs return to the Phoenix area in two weeks to open Big 12 Conference play against Arizona State on Jan. 3.
