No. 6 Arizona Basketball finally resumes play against Colorado

After another long break, No. 6 Arizona Basketball (12-1, 2-0) finally returns to action to take on Pac-12 foe, the Colorado Buffaloes (11-3, 3-1). 

After yet another substantial break in the action, No. 6 Arizona Basketball is finally resuming as they take on the visiting Colorado Buffaloes.

Coming into this one, the Wildcats should be fresh and ready to roll; however, rust could be a bit of an issue as the Wildcats have played just two games over the past three weeks.

As we all saw, Arizona did come away with the big win over Washington over a week ago, unfortunately, it wasn’t the prettiest game that the Wildcats played, as they overcame a slow start and sloppy play en route to the 95-79 win.

Colorado is going to provide a tougher challenge in this one. Coming off of sweeps over the Washington schools, the Buffaloes are rolling, and should prove to be a tougher opponent for the Wildcats.

Currently sitting in 4th place in the conference, Colorado has some good playmakers, and while Arizona is favored by double-digits, this is a game that the Wildcats cannot get complacent in.

Arizona has not played much basketball lately, so the Cats need to be sharp from the start if they are going to win. Hopefully, the nine-day layoff doesn’t hurt the Wildcats here and Tommy Lloyd has his boys ready to go and ready to get back on track.

Getting to Know the details of Arizona Basketball’s opponent, the Colorado Buffaloes.

Team: Colorado Buffaloes

Conference: Pac-12 Conference

2020-21 Record: Finishing the year with a 23-9 (14-6) record in 2020-21, the Buffaloes ended up as the No. 3 team in the conference. Colorado then went to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 5 seed before losing to Florida State in the NCAA Tournament.

Head Coach: Tad Boyle entering his 12th season with the Buffaloes and has compiled a 244–146 (106–92) in Boulder with five NCAA Tournament appearances. Boyle has a 300–212 record overall after previously serving as head coach at Northern Colorado from 2006-10.

Keys to the Game:

Shake off the Rust – As we all saw against Washington, the Wildcats looked a bit rusty in that game, not having played for nearly two weeks prior before returning to action.

Against Colorado, Arizona will have to overcome another substantial break in the action and play similarly to their early season form if they are going to win this one.

So for the Cats to be victorious, they are going to have to shake off that rust early, and use their rest to their advantage to get the conference win.

Win the Battle of the Boards – The Buffaloes are one of the better rebounding teams in the country, averaging 38.6 rebounds per game. Adversely, the Wildcats are also one of the better rebounding teams in the country.

On paper, this one is going to be a battle on the boards. So, once again, Arizona has to attack and dominate the glass to minimize Colorado’s opportunities in this game if they are going to win.

Protect the Basketball – Arizona plays at a fast pace, averaging 77.4 possessions per game. On the flip side of that, they are averaging 13.5 turnovers per game. In their win over Washington, the Wildcats had 17 turnovers.

As a team, the Buffaloes average 5.6 steals per game, and they force teams to 12.3 turnovers per game. Against Colorado, the Wildcats will need to protect the basketball if they are going to win. Any more opportunities for the Buffaloes cannot happen.

Arizona Basketball versus the Colorado Buffaloes game information and details:

Date: Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022

Time: 9:00 P.M. MST / 8:00 P.M. PST

Location: McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz. (14,655)

Spread: -16.0 Arizona (Also, don’t forget to use WynnBet to enhance your overall betting experience)

Television: FS1

Radio: 107.5 FM (Tucson) / 1290AM (Tucson) | Arizona IMG Sports Network

Team Records:

No. 6 Arizona Wildcats (12-1, 2-0): It has been nine days since Arizona last played a game but after their short break, the Wildcats look to stay sharp against a talented Colorado squad that comes to town.

Colorado Buffaloes (11-3, 3-1): Entering this game fresh off sweeps over Washington State and Washington, the Buffaloes return to action as they have a tough challenge taking on No. 6 Arizona in Tucson.

Head-to-Head Record (since 1949-50): Since 1949-50, Arizona has had the upper hand in this head-to-head matchup, owning a 21-15 advantage over Colorado.

Last Meeting vs. Arizona: The last time the Wildcats played the Buffaloes was in Boulder last February. Colorado came away with the narrow win, topping the Wildcats 82-79.

My Prediction: Arizona 87 Colorado 75 – Arizona looked a little rusty against Washington but still came away with the big win over the Huskies. After another substantial break in basketball action, the Cats will return to play against Colorado and should be fresh, using their depth and length to wear down the Buffaloes en route to a convincing home victory.