Buffs Look to Bounce Back After Stanford Loss, Prep for Final Tune-Up Against Northern Colorado
Tad Boyle knows the rhythm of a college basketball season better than most. After 16 years at the helm in Boulder, he’s seen how the highs and lows can stack up-and how important it is to take a breath when you can.
That’s exactly what the Colorado Buffaloes did over the holiday break. But once the wrapping paper was cleared and the eggnog was put away, Boyle was back in his home office on Christmas night, diving into the film of Colorado’s pre-break loss to Stanford.
Let’s just say the holiday spirit didn’t last long.
“I wanted our players to enjoy their friends and family,” Boyle said. “Then on Christmas day about 3:30 I went to my office and watched the rest of the film and got pissed off all over again. Came to practice that night and felt like the Grinch.”
That frustration is understandable. The Buffs were handed their worst loss of the season-a 77-68 stumble against Stanford in Phoenix-and had to sit with it during the short break.
It wasn’t just the loss that stung. It was how it happened.
“Especially knowing that we beat ourselves and they didn’t beat us, that’s the worst part,” sophomore forward Sebastian Rancik said. “Eventually you have to put the game behind you and focus on getting better every day. We’ll see if it was an eye-opener for this group Sunday.”
Colorado has a chance to reset the tone this weekend as they host Northern Colorado in their final nonconference game before Big 12 play begins. And make no mistake-this one was scheduled with purpose. Unlike last season, when CU returned from the break to face a top-25 Iowa State squad, Boyle wanted a chance to ramp up the intensity before diving into the conference grind.
Northern Colorado comes in with a 9-3 record and a style of play that should feel familiar to the Buffs. Much like Colorado State-the team responsible for CU’s only other loss-UNC lives and dies by the three.
The Bears average nearly 29 attempts from deep per game and knock them down at a solid .371 clip. That kind of perimeter firepower demands disciplined closeouts and sharp defensive rotations.
Four of UNC’s regular starters are shooting over 35% from beyond the arc, including Zach Bloch (.519), Brock Wisne (.423), Quinn Denker (.367), and Ibu Yamazaki (.361). And while Denker, the team’s leading scorer, has missed the last two games with a hand injury, CU knows better than to count anyone out-especially after Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie returned from injury to drop 32 points on them.
Boyle had high praise for Wisne, a Colorado native who’s blossomed into a versatile offensive threat. The 6-foot-9 senior has been on a tear lately, averaging 28 points over the past two games while shooting a blistering .650 from the field.
“Brock Wisne, just watching them on film, he’s one of the most improved players in America, in my opinion,” Boyle said. “He is a good, good post player.
He can score on the block, he can pass the ball, he can shoot threes. He’s turned into a hell of a basketball player.”
The Buffs will need to bring a sharper edge defensively than they showed against Stanford. And they’ll look to lean on a balanced offensive attack that’s been one of their strengths all season.
Freshman guard Isaiah Johnson continues to impress, averaging 14.8 points per game while shooting over 55% from the field and 44% from deep. Rancik adds size and range at the forward spot, while Barrington Hargress has been a steady hand in the backcourt, dishing out nearly five assists per game and shooting a scorching .625 from three.
Colorado’s frontcourt depth remains a weapon, with 7-footer Bangot Dak anchoring the paint and freshman Alon Michaeli providing a spark with his efficient scoring. Grad transfer Elijah Malone, who torched UNC for 27 points last season, has been limited recently by a shoulder issue but remains a potential X-factor.
This matchup also carries a bit of personal history for Boyle, who spent four seasons as UNC’s head coach before taking over at CU. He helped turn the Bears from a 4-win team into a 25-win program by the time he left in 2010. Now, his focus is on making sure this year’s Buffs don’t let another winnable game slip away.
CU leads the all-time series 25-18 and has won the last 13 meetings, including last year’s double-overtime thriller in Boulder. But history doesn’t win games-execution does. And with Big 12 play looming, Sunday’s tip-off offers one last chance to fine-tune the details.
Northern Colorado at Colorado
- Tipoff: Sunday, 1 p.m.
MT, CU Events Center
- TV/Radio: ESPN+ / KOA 850 AM, 94.1 FM (93.5 FM in Greeley)
- Records: Northern Colorado (9-3), Colorado (10-2)
- Coaches: Steve Smiley (UNC, 6th season), Tad Boyle (CU, 16th season)
Key Players to Watch
Northern Colorado
- G Quinn Denker (17.3 ppg, 6.1 apg, .527 FG%) - Questionable with hand injury
- F Brock Wisne (16.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg, .619 FG%) - Red-hot scorer, Colorado native
- G Zach Bloch (13.2 ppg, .519 3PT%) - Deadly from deep
- F Ibu Yamazaki (9.0 ppg, .361 3PT%) - Stretch forward
- C Egan Shields (7.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, .682 FG%) - Efficient inside presence
Colorado
- G Isaiah Johnson (14.8 ppg, .551 FG%, .444 3PT%) - Dynamic freshman
- F Sebastian Rancik (13.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, .378 3PT%) - Versatile big
- G Barrington Hargress (13.0 ppg, 4.9 apg, .625 3PT%) - Steady playmaker
- F Bangot Dak (11.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg) - Interior anchor
- F Alon Michaeli (10.4 ppg, .500 FG%) - Emerging contributor
- C Elijah Malone (6.8 ppg) - Looking to regain form after shoulder injury
What’s Next After Sunday, it’s Big 12 time.
Colorado opens league play on the road at Arizona State before returning home for matchups against Utah and No. 15 Texas Tech.
But first, the Buffs need to take care of business against a dangerous Northern Colorado squad that’s more than capable of making things interesting if CU doesn’t bring its A-game.
For Boyle and the Buffs, this isn’t just a nonconference finale. It’s a measuring stick-and a chance to prove they’ve learned from the lumps they took before the break.