Prior to a much-needed, sigh-of-relief victory against TCU, Colorado basketball coach Tad Boyle described this week as the most critical of the season.
After snapping a six-game losing streak, CU’s third-longest in 16 seasons under Boyle, with the victory against the Horned Frogs on Sunday, the Buffaloes cleared the first hurdle of the week. The next one arrives on Wednesday, as the Buffs make their first visit to Baylor since rejoining the Big 12 last year.
“I’m hoping it gives them confidence and life and understanding of how good we can be if we play together, if we play with energy and toughness,” Boyle said. “All the things I’ve talked about at times this year that we haven’t done. When we do it, and they see the difference in the results, you’d like to think they’re like, ‘Hey, this is a lot more fun,’ coming off a 30-point beatdown at Iowa State.”
Despite the six-game losing streak and a 3-6 mark in the Big 12, the Buffs remain among four teams with three league wins, essentially sitting in a four-way tie for ninth in a league that awards byes in the conference tournament for the top eight finishers. Baylor and Saturday’s opponent at home, Arizona State, begin the week with two Big 12 wins, making this week a window of opportunity for a Buffs team that faces a pair of ranked teams on the road next week in No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 16 BYU.
Baylor has struggled and enters the matchup as arguably the most disappointing team in the Big 12, although the Bears are coming off a solid road win at West Virginia that snapped a four-game losing streak.
The Bears generated their biggest headlines this season with the midseason addition of former second-round NBA draft pick James Nnaji, but the 7-foot center has made a minimal impact, averaging just 10.1 minutes, 1.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in eight appearances off the bench.
Baylor has not yet won a Big 12 home game, going 0-4, although three of those losses occurred against a few of the league’s best in Iowa State, Houston and Texas Tech. But the Bears also have lost twice to the TCU team the Buffs dominated on Sunday.
CU’s most glaring deficiencies have been on defense and on the glass, but the Bears offer another opportunity for the Buffs to turn that around after excelling in those areas against TCU. In Big 12 games, Baylor ranks 14th in scoring (68.6), 14th in field goal percentage (.421) and 11th in 3-point percentage (.365).
The Buffs’ defensive attention likely will be focused on Baylor’s top two scorers, 6-foot-5 guards Cameron Carr (19.4 points per game) and Tounde Yessoufou (17.3), a true freshman. On Tuesday, Carr was named to the midseason watch list for the Jerry West Award as the top shooting guard in the nation.
“Itap the Big 12. There’s no easy match,” CU forward Sebastian Rancik said. “Every team is really good and has a lot of talented players. But it starts at practice. We’ve got to come out (this week) and concentrate to what the coaches are telling us, then go to Baylor and execute the game plan and just play winning basketball like we did (against TCU).”
CU Buffs men’s basketball at Baylor Bears
TIPOFF: Wednesday, 6 p.m. MT, Foster Pavilion, Waco, Texas.
TV/RADIO: Peacock/KOA 850 AM and 94.1 FM.
RECORDS: Colorado 13-9, 3-6 Big 12 Conference; Baylor 12-9, 2-7.
COACHES: Colorado — Tad Boyle, 16th season (325-213, 381-279 overall). Baylor — Scott Drew, 23rd season (476-268, 496-279 overall).
KEY PLAYERS: Colorado — G Isaiah Johnson, 6-1, Fr. (16.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.5 apg, .510 FG%, .425 3%); G Barrington Hargress, 6-1, R-Jr. (13.8 ppg, 4.5 apg, .535 FG%, .516 3%); F Sebastian Rancik, 6-11, So. (13.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg, .352 3%); F Bangot Dak, 7-0, Jr. (11.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, .478 FG%); F Alon Michaeli, 6-9, Fr. (8.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg). Baylor — G Cameron Carr, 6-5, R-So. (19.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, .521 FG%, .400 3%); G Tounde Yessoufou, 6-5, Fr. (17.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, .476 FG%); G Obi Agbim, 6-3, Gr. (11.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg); G Dan Skillings Jr., 6-6, Sr. (10.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg); G Isaac Williams IV, 6-1, So. (9.8 ppg, .573 FG%); C Caden Powell, 6-9, Sr. (6.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg, .639 FG%).
NOTES: This is CU’s first visit to Baylor since Jan. 29, 2011. … Rancik had a solid game in the Buffs’ lone matchup against Baylor last year, going 2-for-4 on 3-pointers with 10 points, six rebounds and two assists in a CU win in Boulder. … In their past three road games, the Buffs have shot just .300 (21-for-70) on 3-pointers. … Agbim is a native of Aurora who starred at Rangeview High School. He has bounced around during his collegiate career, making stops at Northeastern Junior College, Fort Lewis and Wyoming before joining the Bears this year. … The Buffs ended their previous stint in the Big 12 with four consecutive road losses at Baylor. … CU has posted single-digit turnover totals in four of the past five games and five of the past seven. … The Buffs return home to host Arizona State on Saturday night (7:30 p.m., ESPN2).
