Colorado’s trip to San Diego ended with a familiar kind of problem: too many whistles, not enough clean offense, and a game that tilted heavily toward the home side even though it was listed as a neutral-site matchup. In the inaugural Bill Walton Classic at Pechanga Arena, the Buffaloes fell 77-66 to San Diego State, with the Aztecs turning the setting into something that looked and felt a lot like a home game.
The foul count told a big part of the story. Colorado had three players - Justin Neely, Noah Feddersen and Jain Holland - finish with four or more fouls, and Neely eventually fouled out with 2:17 left in the second half. Instead of staying disciplined and adjusting to what San Diego State was doing, the Buffs spent too much time putting the Aztecs on the line and digging themselves into trouble.
That wasn’t a one-off issue, either. Colorado also dealt with foul trouble in its season-opening win over Abilene Christian, especially in the first half, and Holland picked up four fouls in that game as well.
After that opener, Tad Boyle pointed to depth and the need for cleaner play, saying, “Foul trouble is a part of the game, and that’s why you have to have quality depth,” said Buffaloes coach Tad Boyle after CU’s win over the Wildcats. “We have that, but we’ve got to learn to not pick those things up if can.”
If the whistles were one problem, the offense was another - and Julian Hargress was the reason Colorado had any real chance to hang around. With other options either struggling to score or getting bogged down by fouls, Hargress carried the load. He delivered the best game of his career, pouring in 33 points on 11-of-20 shooting and going a perfect 6-for-6 at the free-throw line.
That kind of performance fits what Colorado believed it was getting from him over the offseason. Hargress isn’t a ball-stopper, but he’s also willing to take over when the situation demands it, and Saturday was one of those nights. The problem for the Buffs is that they may need that version of him more often than they expected.
The supporting cast hasn’t given Colorado enough consistency yet. Josiah Sanders and Holland combined to shoot 35 percent from the field, while Ian Inman had a rough night of his own, missing his first seven shots before finally connecting in the last 1:30. Alex Dickeson, who looked more dangerous in the Mile High Hoops Classic exhibition against the North Texas Mean Green, has also been quiet through two games, shooting 50 percent from the field and scoring 15 points.
As non-conference play continues to pick up, Colorado is still searching for more reliable scoring around Hargress. Saturday showed exactly why that matters.
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His latest surge has also come with a bigger role after Tyler Martinez went down with an injury, forcing the Buffaloes to lean harder on Lamprons instincts and range. Deion Sanders has already taken notice of the linebackers ascent, and now the bigger question for Colorado is how much of this breakout can be counted on as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]