An old friend comes back to McKale, where it’s never won
The first seven games of Arizona’s Big 12 schedule have been a mix of first-time opponents, ones it had seen in nonconference play in recent years and one it faced earlier this season. But the start of this next homestand brings an old friend back to Tucson, one the Wildcats have had plenty of success against.
Old Pac-12 friend Colorado comes to McKale Center on Saturday afternoon, where it has never won and usually gets blown out. From 2012-24 the Wildcats have won by an average of 15.7 points, with eight of 12 games decided by double figures and the closest game coming in 2013 when Sabbatino Chen tried his darnedest but didn’t get that shot off in time at the end of regulation.
Last season Colorado won 26 games, most in school history, and had three future NBA players on the roster, and Arizona swept them. This time around, the Buffaloes are 0-7 in the Big 12 after losing 83-67 at home to BYU on Tuesday night, this after going 9-2 in nonconference play with a win over two-time defending NCAA champion UConn at the Maui Invitational.
To explain what’s going on with the Buffs, we asked Sam Metivier of SB Nation sister site Ralphie Report for some insight. Below are his honest answers to our insincere questions:
AZ Desert Swarm: Colorado’s return to the Big 12 has not gone well, to say the least. What, in your opinion, have been the biggest reasons for the Buffs’ performance in league play?
Sam Metivier: “The simplest answer is that this team is not good. We expected a transition year after the Buffs lost almost the entire rotation from last year’s 26-win team. Three guys left for the NBA, the three seniors transferred elsewhere, leaving the Buffs with role players and development projects. We tried our best in the transfer portal, but there’s no money for basketball at CU. We landed some solid role players, but they’re overmatched in their current roles because there was no Derrick White, McKinley Wright or Sabatino Chen to build around. This season was always going to be a struggle, we just didn’t think it would be this bad.”
There have been seven different starting lineups used this season, four in Big 12 play, with Julian Hammond the only guy to start every game. What has led to all this uncertainty?
“Tad Boyle is trying to shake things up and find something that works. He’s a defensive coach, first and foremost, and he’s now starting the players he trusts to nail their rotations and rebound the ball. Elijah Malone started strong, but the Grace College transfer hasn’t been doing either job for weeks now. Trevor Baskin was meant to be the offensive fulcrum but he can’t shoot and hasn’t taken care of the ball. Neither of them have been effective enough on offense to make up the difference. Tad is fed up and is now leaning hard on younger guys like RJ Smith, Assane Diop and Bangot Dak—all of whom are defense-first, long-term projects. The downside is that now we’re a team that can’t shoot, dribble or pass, although we couldn’t do any of that before either.”
Speaking of Hammond, his scoring and assist numbers have nearly doubled from a year ago despite only playing a few more minutes per game. How has he improved himself to become the team’s best player?
“I’m not sure Julian Hammond is our best player, but I also don’t know who else would be. Maybe Andrej Jakimovski? Anyway, the answer is rhythm and volume. In years past, the Buffs ran everything through KJ Simpson and Hammond often supported him as an off-ball guard. When Simpson rested or missed the game, Hammond got to run the show, mostly through pick-and-rolls. He played best when on his own, but he wasn’t dynamic enough to lift the entire time. Boyle actually spent the summer looking for an upgrade, struck out, and is now running the offense through Hammond PNRs. He’s been good—better than expected—but he can’t carry an offense that can’t shoot or take care of the ball.”
Like most teams nowadays, Colorado has quite a few newcomers. Which of the first-year players has stood out the most, and why?
“I mentioned Malone and Baskin as players we expected to do better than they have. Both were highly sought after, transferring from NAIA and Division II, respectively, but have struggled with the speed and physicality of the Big 12. Maybe that should’ve been expected because it is a big jump. Thankfully, however, Jakimovski has been very solid after transferring from Washington State. We saw him plenty in the Pac-12 and knew he was a physical, technically sound forward who could get hot from distance. It’s just sad because he should be a standout role player on a competitive team, which we are most certainly not.”
Colorado’s Big 12 games have included A LOT of fouls and trips to the line, for both teams. Is this by design or just the way the whistles have gone?
“Our games have been utterly unwatchable, from the lack of star power to the poor shooting and awful turnovers, and yes, the fouls. Boyle usually teaches his teams to play conservative defense—don’t jump on shots, don’t gamble in the passing lanes—but this isn’t a typical TadBall team. The young guys I mentioned are the only players who have any functional athleticism and they’re still raw. (Diop had five fouls in eight minutes against Oklahoma State.) Everyone else is struggling to stay in front of their man and evidently fouling in the process. As for our offense, we’re just trying to make something happen. We can’t shoot (15th in Big 12 in threes attempted, hitting just 29 percent on mostly open looks) so may as well pound the ball inside and hope for a foul call.”
Tad Boyle passed 300 wins at Colorado last year and made his sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in 14 seasons. Does he have enough slack to withstand a rough season or two as the Buffs adapt to the Big 12?
“Tad has this job for life. He’s the greatest coach in program history and he’s built it all on a shoestring budget. I don’t know who could have rebuilt an entire team in one offseason with the NIL budget he had at his disposal. Now, if this continues for another season or two, we might see a shake up. But that would be Boyle retiring, rather than him being fired. For years there have been rumors that he’s close to retiring and no one would be surprised if he moves into an administrative role in the next couple years.”
Prediction time. Does Colorado get its first victory in Tucson since 1960 or does Arizona keep the Buffaloes winless in the league? Give us a score pick.
“First *official* win since 1960. But no, haha, we’re going to get smacked. I’m thinking something like 87-63 to the ‘Cats, with the Buffs committing more turnovers than they have made field goals.”