The Colorado Buffaloes had to grind for it on Tuesday, and the final 83-75 win over San Diego told a bigger story than the score alone. After another sluggish first half, Colorado trailed at the break before flipping the script late and pulling away enough to avoid a damaging loss in its third game of the season.
That finish matters. Through three games, the Buffs have made a habit of digging themselves out of holes they created early, and that pattern is already shaping into the clearest issue on the roster. Colorado’s slow starts have now shown up in three straight contests, including the Bill Walton Classic loss to San Diego State, when the second-half push wasn’t enough to erase an 11-point defeat.
Against San Diego, the problem wasn’t just missed shots. It was what happened after those misses, too. Colorado simply didn’t create enough second chances in the opening half, and coach Tad Boyle pointed directly at the effort level.
“First half, we missed 13 shots. Zero offensive rebounds,” said Colorado coach Tad Boyle postgame.
“Second half, we missed 12 shots. Five offensive rebounds.
That is all effort … And that is what we have to do for 40 minutes.”
That’s the kind of split that jumps off the page. Colorado’s offense looked more engaged after halftime, and the difference on the glass was obvious. Whatever is causing these slow openings - whether it’s the routine, the game plan, or something else - it needs to get fixed before it becomes the Buffs’ biggest weakness.
The frontcourt is another area under the microscope. Colorado came into the season with questions there, and while the group looked strong in the opener against Abilene Christian, the last two games have exposed some real problems. Rebounding has been the biggest one, and freshman guard Alex Dickeson has unexpectedly been the team’s most productive board man.
“He’s leading us in rebounding, and good for him. I’m not mad at him about that,” Boyle said.
“But I want the other guys to [ask themselves], ‘How can I let that happen?’ I want our guys to be selfish on the glass.”
That’s not where Colorado expected to be. Forwards Noah Feddersen, Justin Neely and Goc Malual were supposed to be among the team’s top rebounders, but all three are averaging 5.3 rebounds per game or fewer.
There’s another layer to that problem, too: fouls. Neely and Feddersen need to be aggressive on the boards, but they also have to stay on the floor. Colorado’s foul trouble has been a recurring issue, and it’s hurting the team on defense.
Jalin Holland is part of that same conversation. He has picked up fouls in all three games, and Boyle sees him as a future All-Big 12 defender.
But against San Diego, two early fouls sent him to the bench for a long stretch before halftime, and that changed how Colorado had to handle Toreros guard Davion Hill. Josiah Sanders stepped in and did a solid job on Hill, but once Holland returned, he had a harder time containing him, especially inside, because of the foul situation.
If Colorado wants steadier defense, particularly in the paint, it has to clean up the fouling. Right now, the Buffs are making too many of their own problems early and then spending the rest of the game trying to solve them.
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