Arizona Basketball will need better effort against Colorado

After a disappointing loss to Utah on Thursday evening, Arizona Basketball (13-5, 7-5) will need a much better effort against Colorado (13-5, 7-4).

Thursday evening was a flat out awful effort by Arizona Basketball, as the Wildcats got their butts kicked against Utah on the road. On Saturday, they will have an even tougher challenge with Colorado.

The Buffaloes are 13-5 (7-4) and are fresh off a loss to Utah last weekend in which they blew a 19-point lead. With their Thursday game against ASU being canceled due to Covid concerns, this has given the Buffaloes a week to prepare and stew on that loss.

Arizona Wildcats

Led by McKinley Wright IV, Jeriah Horne, and Evan Battey, the Buffaloes have plenty of talent and should be fully healthy against the Wildcats at home on Saturday. As a team, when they are playing well, they are a good group, and against Arizona, they should present a tough challenge.

Offensively, they are a talented group, averaging 75.4 points per game, everything seems to flow through Wright, and rightfully so too. He is a talented and savvy veteran guard who has big-game potential every time he steps onto the court.

As a team, they shoot it pretty well from the field, converting at 37 percent from three, but they also have some nice size and can grind it out down low.

If the Wildcats are to come away with the victory over the Buffaloes, these are the Keys to the Game:

Arizona’s Guards need to step-up: Thursday evening against Utah was one of the worst performances of the season from Arizona’s guards. Together, James Akinjo, Terrell Brown, Jr., and Kerr Kriisa went a combined 5-22 from the field with only 18 of Arizona’s 58 points. Performances like that will not win you very many games.

Whether it was defense or offense, the Wildcats just looked out of sorts as a group, and overall just overmatched by Utah’s guards.

Against Colorado, Arizona’s guards will need to step up and give a better effort, or they will lose this one too.

Defense, defense, defense: Against Utah, Arizona seemed to show no interest in defending the Utes at all. As a team, they shot 50.9 percent from the field (53.3 percent from three) which is why they ran all over the Wildcats.

With Colorado being a more talented offensive team, naturally, the defense needs to improve and give a better effort.

To me, Arizona has the talent to be successful, however, they have to have the effort and the buy-in, or it will be another long day for the Cats and an even longer trip back home.

Effort: Arizona was terrible against Utah, and overall it looked like they had no interest in being there. Granted, they may not be much that the team is playing for right now, however, performances like that  cannot be accepted.

The team fell behind before the half, looked sloppy in the second, before seemingly quitting en route to the 15-point loss. With a hungry Colorado team taking the court on Saturday, the effort needs to be there for Arizona, otherwise, it is going to be a long day for the Wildcats.

Game Information:

Date: Saturday, February 6th, 2021

Time: 6:00 PM MST (Arizona Time), 5:00 PM PST

Location: Boulder, CO – CU Events Center (11,064… 0)

Line: +6.5 Arizona

Television: FS1

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

Team Records:

• Arizona Wildcats (13-5, 7-5):  Arizona played poorly against Utah on Thursday evening and now they will face Colorado who is coming off a loss where they blew a 19-point lead.
• Colorado Buffaloes (13-5, 7-4): Colorado is coming off a loss where they blew a 19-point lead to Utah and had their game canceled against Arizona State. They will look for the win against Arizona.

All-Time Record: 21-14 Arizona. Since 1949-50, Arizona holds a slim lead, but really this has been more of a one-sided affair these past couple of seasons.

Hopefully, Arizona can come out with a stronger effort and pick up the win against Colorado. As always, Bear Down, Arizona!