Take Two: Arizona Basketball to face the Colorado Buffaloes

After previously postponing their match-up from a few weeks ago, it is game on for Arizona Basketball (6-1, 0-1) and the Colorado Buffaloes (6-1, 0-0). 

After coming away with a hard-fought win over Montana last week, the Arizona Basketball team finally returns to action in a makeup game against Colorado from weeks prior.

Already the Wildcats have had one Pac-12 game, this will now be the second of the season, and it will surely be a tough test.

Arizona Wildcats

The Buffaloes are a skilled group that is undoubtedly led by McKinley Wright IV, Jeriah Horne, and Dallas Walton, in addition to a great supporting cast. Initially predicted to finish No. 7 in the Pac-12 Conference, from early indications, this is a team that will present a lot of problems to not only the Cats, but for the rest of the Pac-12 as well.

From first glance, the Buffaloes have some nice size down low with Dallas, plus, Evan Battey is quite the stout forward himself who will present a challenge for an inconsistent Arizona frontcourt.

Additionally, the Buffaloes enter this contest as one of the best offensive teams in the Conference, ranking No. 2 currently, and as a group, they are shooting 37.5 percent from three-point range  this year so far.

Thanks in large part to the play of Wright, Colorado will be a tough test. Arizona is a decent defensive team, but I still see Colorado presenting numerous challenges. I would imagine the Buffaloes will want to push the tempo and play perimeter basketball, so Arizona will need to be ready.

It is a winnable game, however, it won’t be easy, and if the Wildcats are going to win, these are the Keys to the Game:

Make your Free Throws: Once again, Arizona struggled from the charity stripe last week, going just 19-34 in their win over the Grizzlies. In the last two games, the Wildcats are shooting just 31-57 (54 percent).

Uncharacteristic for most Sean Miller-coached teams, this is an area that will need to drastically improve moving forward if the Wildcats hope to succeed.

Against Stanford, it resulted in a loss, and against Montana, it was a win that was too close for comfort. With nearly a full week off, hopefully, the Cats have been putting in work at the free-throw line, and hopefully against Colorado, they will have better results.

Play with Energy and Purpose: Chalk it up to being just days before the Holiday’s, the Wildcats looked flat and uninterested in their game against Montana. On Monday evening, they will need a better effort.

We saw a close game against a talented Stanford team, and that was with Arizona playing a little sloppy. To me, they have the talent to come away with the win, but it is a matter of how they come out.

If they play with Energy and Purpose, I like their chances. I do believe the Wildcats have some talent, but they have to put it together for 40 minutes because we know Colorado will.

Game Information:

Date: Monday, December 28th, 2020

Time: 7:30 PM MST (Arizona Time), 6:30 PM PST

Location: Tucson, AZ – McKale Center – Tucson, AZ (14,545… 0)

Line: -2.5 Arizona

Television: Pac-12 Network

Radio: Arizona IMG Sports Network Arizona Wildcats (Try TuneIn Radio)

Team Records:

• Arizona Wildcats (6-1, 0-1):  Arizona got the win against Montana, but it was a hard-fought win. Even though they are 6-1, the competition has been weak, and Colorado will provide a tough test.
• Colorado Buffaloes (6-1, 0-0): Colorado has really found their groove lately, albeit was against weaker competition, nonetheless, this is a solid group that will challenge Arizona.

All-Time Record: 20-14. Since 1949-50, Arizona Basketball has had the upper hand in the series, owning a six-game lead. The Wildcats split the series last year, beating Colorado in Tucson, and losing to the Buffaloes in Boulder in a 73-72 OT loss.

Arizona is just slight favored in this one, and it will surely be a tough test. Hopefully, the Cats can come away victorious and move to 7-1. As always, Bear Down, Arizona!