Buffs Embrace Neutral-Site Success Ahead of Stanford Clash in Phoenix
PHOENIX - Tad Boyle still prefers the old-school model: home-and-home series, packed gyms, rowdy student sections, and the kind of road tests that forge a team’s identity. But college basketball has evolved, and so has Colorado.
These days, the Buffaloes are making a habit of showing up big on neutral floors - and they’ll get another opportunity Saturday night when they face Stanford in Phoenix (6 p.m. MT, ESPNU) as part of the Naismith Hall of Fame Series.
While Boyle remains a strong advocate for true road-and-home matchups, CU’s recent track record in single-game, neutral-site battles speaks for itself. The Buffs have won four straight regular-season neutral-floor games (not including postseason tournaments), and they’ve done it with a flair for the dramatic - knocking off ranked opponents in three of those victories.
Let’s rewind for a moment: unranked Colorado beat No. 15 Miami in Brooklyn last December, stunned No.
11 Tennessee in Nashville in 2022, and edged No. 13 Dayton in Chicago back in 2019.
That’s not just a string of wins - that’s a pattern of stepping up when the lights are brightest and the location is unfamiliar.
This season, the Buffs are already 2-0 in neutral-site games, having taken down San Francisco and Washington at the Acrisure Holiday Classic in Palm Desert. And if history under Boyle is any indication, this is a setting where Colorado tends to thrive.
The Buffs have won their opening game of the conference tournament in 14 of 15 seasons under Boyle. Even last year, in a campaign that saw CU drop 21 games, they still managed to knock off then-No.
2 UConn at the Maui Invitational and win a pair of games in the Big 12 tournament.
So while the schedule may not be loaded with true road tests, Boyle’s group is finding other ways to get battle-tested.
“I love to get home-and-homes. Because, to me, that’s the ideal.
You’re either playing in front of your home fans or you’re playing on the road in a tough environment,” Boyle said earlier this week. “But if you can’t get those - and it’s really been difficult for us to get those - you have to rely on the MTEs or these one-off, neutral-site games.
A lot of people are playing them now. It’s just a part of college basketball.”
Boyle pointed to the difficulty of locking in high-level home-and-home series, adding that this year’s schedule only includes one true road non-conference game - a rivalry tilt at Colorado State. Outside of that, the Buffs have leaned on quality opponents in neutral settings, including the wins over San Francisco and Washington, and now a well-coached Stanford squad with some intriguing talent.
Colorado does have one home-and-home series in progress - a two-year set with Providence. The Buffs beat the Friars in Boulder earlier this season and will return the favor with a trip to the East Coast next year. But beyond that and the annual Colorado State clash, CU hasn’t had a nonconference home-and-home since a brief series with Kansas wrapped up in the 2021-22 season.
Stanford’s Backcourt Star Likely Out
As for Stanford, the Cardinal could be without one of the most electric freshmen in the country. Guard Ebuka Okorie, who’s averaging 21.0 points per game - second only to Duke’s Cameron Boozer among ACC freshmen - has missed the past two games with an injury and is reportedly unlikely to play on Saturday. Head coach Kyle Smith told reporters this week that both Okorie and Donavin Young (who has yet to suit up this season) are targeting a return after Christmas.
That’s a significant blow for Stanford, which has leaned heavily on Okorie’s scoring punch. Without him, the Cardinal will need to find offense elsewhere against a Colorado team that’s shown it can lock in defensively on neutral floors.
Other Notes Ahead of Tipoff
- Colorado entered Saturday ranked No. 50 in the NCAA’s NET rankings, while Stanford sat at No. 96.
- Saturday’s doubleheader in Phoenix features two Pac-12 matchups in the Naismith Hall of Fame Series. After CU-Stanford, No.
1 Arizona takes the floor against San Diego State.
- Boyle has had success against Stanford head coach Kyle Smith in the past, posting a 7-3 record during Smith’s five-year stint at Washington State.
Smith is now in his second season leading the Cardinal.
- Like Colorado, Stanford also picked up a pair of neutral-site wins last month in Palm Desert, knocking off Minnesota and St.
Louis.
- Roxy Bernstein and Corey Williams will be on the call for ESPNU.
The Bottom Line
Boyle may not have drawn it up this way, but his team has adapted - and thrived - in the evolving landscape of college hoops. Neutral sites, ranked opponents, unfamiliar arenas?
The Buffs have made a habit of rising to the moment. Saturday’s matchup in Phoenix is another chance to prove it.