Scouting report: No. 2 seed Arizona Wildcats vs. No. 7 seed Colorado Buffaloes
- Updated
Prepare for Arizona's Pac-12 Tournament opener on Thursday with Bruce Pascoe's in-depth scouting report.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Matchup: No. 7 seed Colorado (19-13) vs. No. 2 Arizona (27-4)
Game: Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals
Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
Time: 7:10 p.m.
TV: Pac-12 Networks
Radio: 1290-AM, 107.5-FM
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
How they got there: Colorado blundered to an 0-7 start in Pac-12 play, including an 82-73 loss at Arizona on Jan. 7, but won eight of its final 10 conference games to capture sole possession of seventh place and the No. 7 seed. The Buffs then beat Washington State in a first-round game on Wednesday.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Arizona nearly blew a 20-point second half lead in its only game against Colorado this season, with the Buffaloes shooting 51.5 percent in the second half and cutting the Wildcats’ lead to just four points in the final minutes of their Jan. 7 game at McKale. But UA guard Kadeem Allen hit 9 of 11 free throws while scoring a career-high 18 points while helping limit CU leading scorer Derrick White to just seven points with three assists to four turnovers. Lauri Markkanen added 22 points with 4-for-5 3-point shooting.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Since its seven-game losing streak at the start of conference play, when Colorado had to play five of seven games on the road, the Buffaloes have reverted back to the kind of defensively efficient team Tad Boyle has been known for coaching. In their past 11 games, Colorado has kept opponents to 69.6 points, a full 14.3 less than during the first seven Pac-12 games, and teams have shot 44 percent against them (down from 48.1 in the first seven games). Colorado has kept four of its past 10 opponents under 40 percent from the field, and Cal shot just 26.7 percent against them in the regular-season finale last week.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Colorado’s Division II transfer, who scored a school-record 1,912 points at Colorado-Colorado Springs over three seasons, more than proved he can play high-major D-I ball. He was named to the Pac-12’s 10-man all-league team.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Sean Miller says he’s still betting on Markkanen from outside, even though the Finnish 7-footer is 0-for-11 from 3-point range in his last four games and has made only 14.2 percent in his last eight. But he shot well against Colorado in January and the Buffs have no comparable matchup for him.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
“Xavier (Johnson) and (Wesley) Gordon have been playing well but White makes that team go. He does an awesome job. He leads them on offense and defense. I don’t think he gets a lot of credit on the defensive end. He’s good on the ball, he’s one of league leaders in steals, he can rebound the ball. He has great size, and he has a great pace and demeanor about him.” — UA assistant coach Book Richardson, who scouted the Buffaloes in person Wednesday in Las Vegas.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
When Arizona beat UCLA on Jan. 21 in Los Angeles, UA coach Sean Miller said the Wildcats had their best “overall flow” to their offense all year. But since then, the Wildcats have had a balance issue that has kept them plateauing: While Trier has played increasingly well, Markkanen’s shooting has stalled from the outside even as he’s produced more inside baskets.
The Wildcats can only hope their two top scorers can sync up during the postseason.
“Lauri has played some excellent basketball,” Miller said earlier this week. “Just watching him against ASU, he played a really good game but his strength that everybody saw from Day 1 here has temporarily left him. He hasn’t shot the ball particularly well over the last month but if you think about that it coincides in some way with Allonzo returning. I don’t think believe that’s why he’s in a slump, but we haven’t really seen our team offensively hitting on all cylinders, hitting with the offensive firepower that I think we have. We’re working to bring that out. (With both of them on) that’s the best you’re going to see with Arizona.”
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
For Arizona — and every team trying to improve its NCAA Tournament placement this week – it’s may not be about winning the conference tournament as much as beating the right teams along the way.
Before the Pac-12 Tournament tipped off Wednesday, NCAA selection committee chair Mark Hollis made that message clear during a media conference call.
“The conference tournaments provide an opportunity to play quality opponents on a neutral site, and that can improve your resume,” Hollis said. “It’s no different than a regular-season game at a neutral site.”
Therefore, since UA has only one win over a Top 25 RPI team (at UCLA on Jan. 21), the Wildcats can benefit by playing and beating the Bruins again if they get the chance on Friday and by doing the same with Oregon on Saturday – if both the Wildcats and Ducks make it that far.
Oregon entered the week with the No. 8 RPI ranking while UCLA was at 15 and UA at No. 9.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
While moving across the Las Vegas Strip from the cozy MGM Grand Garden to T-Mobile Arena this season, the Pac-12 Tournament is bringing over the usual Vegas-style halftime acts and trying to keep the spirited atmosphere.
As a result, UA fans on hand can watch a halftime show Thursday featuring the circus-style acts of the Russian Bar Trio, while Saturday’s final game will feature a halftime with hip-hop dancers JabbaWockeeZ, who have been performing across the street at the MGM Grand.
Other halftime and national anthem performers during the tournament will include Chadwick Johnson, Terry Fator, Tron and the Chinese Bars.
Meanwhile, the “Pac-12 Fan Plaza” outside the arena will hold pep rallies for each team about 70 minutes before their games, and all Pac-12 mascots were scheduled to host a “Midnight Mascot Madness” event at 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Oregon State forward Drew Eubanks said it was his ankle. Coach Wayne Tinkle said it was his knee. But whatever.
The fact is that Oregon State’s season is over, having been finished Wednesday in precisely the most fitting way possible: By nearly knocking Cal off the NCAA Tournament bubble in a first-round game earlier Wednesday but failing to complete the job after losing Eubanks to an injury with 16 minutes left.
Cal hung on for a 67-62 win that it desperately needed to hang on to its NCAA Tournament hopes, at least in part because the Beavers’ second-leading active scorer wasn’t available. Just like OSU’s leading scorer, Tres Tinkle missed 25 games and Steven Thompson Jr. missed another six.
“Boy, is that a microcosm of our season?” Tinkle said. “Wer’re playing our tails off right there and we lose one of our leaders. … He’s been a warrior for us.”
The Beavers, which reached the NCAA Tournament last season, finished just 5-27 yet Tinkle was optimistic.
“There was never a day where our staff didn’t look forward to coming to practice,” Tinkle said, “and that’s because of our guys—their effort, their attitude and their energy.”
California skidded into the Pac-12 Tournament firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble, it was no surprise that the Bears had trouble putting last-place Oregon State away in a Wednesday afternoon first-round game.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
0: Times before in the Pac-12 Tournament’s 19-year history that three teams have entered the event with Top 10 rankings, as Arizona, Oregon and UCLA all have this season.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
6: The Pac-12’s collective computer ranking among all conferences, according to CBS, Kenpom and Sagarin.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
6: Straight Arizona wins in Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal games.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
23.3: Points Allonzo Trier has averaged in his past four games, while shooting 59.2 percent from the field and 52.2 percent from 3-point range.
How they got there: Colorado blundered to an 0-7 start in Pac-12 play, including an 82-73 loss at Arizona on Jan. 7, but won eight of its final 10 conference games to capture sole possession of seventh place and the No. 7 seed. The Buffs then beat Washington State in a first-round game on Wednesday.
Arizona nearly blew a 20-point second half lead in its only game against Colorado this season, with the Buffaloes shooting 51.5 percent in the second half and cutting the Wildcats’ lead to just four points in the final minutes of their Jan. 7 game at McKale. But UA guard Kadeem Allen hit 9 of 11 free throws while scoring a career-high 18 points while helping limit CU leading scorer Derrick White to just seven points with three assists to four turnovers. Lauri Markkanen added 22 points with 4-for-5 3-point shooting.
Since its seven-game losing streak at the start of conference play, when Colorado had to play five of seven games on the road, the Buffaloes have reverted back to the kind of defensively efficient team Tad Boyle has been known for coaching. In their past 11 games, Colorado has kept opponents to 69.6 points, a full 14.3 less than during the first seven Pac-12 games, and teams have shot 44 percent against them (down from 48.1 in the first seven games). Colorado has kept four of its past 10 opponents under 40 percent from the field, and Cal shot just 26.7 percent against them in the regular-season finale last week.
Colorado’s Division II transfer, who scored a school-record 1,912 points at Colorado-Colorado Springs over three seasons, more than proved he can play high-major D-I ball. He was named to the Pac-12’s 10-man all-league team.
Sean Miller says he’s still betting on Markkanen from outside, even though the Finnish 7-footer is 0-for-11 from 3-point range in his last four games and has made only 14.2 percent in his last eight. But he shot well against Colorado in January and the Buffs have no comparable matchup for him.
“Xavier (Johnson) and (Wesley) Gordon have been playing well but White makes that team go. He does an awesome job. He leads them on offense and defense. I don’t think he gets a lot of credit on the defensive end. He’s good on the ball, he’s one of league leaders in steals, he can rebound the ball. He has great size, and he has a great pace and demeanor about him.” — UA assistant coach Book Richardson, who scouted the Buffaloes in person Wednesday in Las Vegas.
When Arizona beat UCLA on Jan. 21 in Los Angeles, UA coach Sean Miller said the Wildcats had their best “overall flow” to their offense all year. But since then, the Wildcats have had a balance issue that has kept them plateauing: While Trier has played increasingly well, Markkanen’s shooting has stalled from the outside even as he’s produced more inside baskets.
The Wildcats can only hope their two top scorers can sync up during the postseason.
“Lauri has played some excellent basketball,” Miller said earlier this week. “Just watching him against ASU, he played a really good game but his strength that everybody saw from Day 1 here has temporarily left him. He hasn’t shot the ball particularly well over the last month but if you think about that it coincides in some way with Allonzo returning. I don’t think believe that’s why he’s in a slump, but we haven’t really seen our team offensively hitting on all cylinders, hitting with the offensive firepower that I think we have. We’re working to bring that out. (With both of them on) that’s the best you’re going to see with Arizona.”
For Arizona — and every team trying to improve its NCAA Tournament placement this week – it’s may not be about winning the conference tournament as much as beating the right teams along the way.
Before the Pac-12 Tournament tipped off Wednesday, NCAA selection committee chair Mark Hollis made that message clear during a media conference call.
“The conference tournaments provide an opportunity to play quality opponents on a neutral site, and that can improve your resume,” Hollis said. “It’s no different than a regular-season game at a neutral site.”
Therefore, since UA has only one win over a Top 25 RPI team (at UCLA on Jan. 21), the Wildcats can benefit by playing and beating the Bruins again if they get the chance on Friday and by doing the same with Oregon on Saturday – if both the Wildcats and Ducks make it that far.
Oregon entered the week with the No. 8 RPI ranking while UCLA was at 15 and UA at No. 9.
While moving across the Las Vegas Strip from the cozy MGM Grand Garden to T-Mobile Arena this season, the Pac-12 Tournament is bringing over the usual Vegas-style halftime acts and trying to keep the spirited atmosphere.
As a result, UA fans on hand can watch a halftime show Thursday featuring the circus-style acts of the Russian Bar Trio, while Saturday’s final game will feature a halftime with hip-hop dancers JabbaWockeeZ, who have been performing across the street at the MGM Grand.
Other halftime and national anthem performers during the tournament will include Chadwick Johnson, Terry Fator, Tron and the Chinese Bars.
Meanwhile, the “Pac-12 Fan Plaza” outside the arena will hold pep rallies for each team about 70 minutes before their games, and all Pac-12 mascots were scheduled to host a “Midnight Mascot Madness” event at 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Oregon State forward Drew Eubanks said it was his ankle. Coach Wayne Tinkle said it was his knee. But whatever.
The fact is that Oregon State’s season is over, having been finished Wednesday in precisely the most fitting way possible: By nearly knocking Cal off the NCAA Tournament bubble in a first-round game earlier Wednesday but failing to complete the job after losing Eubanks to an injury with 16 minutes left.
Cal hung on for a 67-62 win that it desperately needed to hang on to its NCAA Tournament hopes, at least in part because the Beavers’ second-leading active scorer wasn’t available. Just like OSU’s leading scorer, Tres Tinkle missed 25 games and Steven Thompson Jr. missed another six.
“Boy, is that a microcosm of our season?” Tinkle said. “Wer’re playing our tails off right there and we lose one of our leaders. … He’s been a warrior for us.”
The Beavers, which reached the NCAA Tournament last season, finished just 5-27 yet Tinkle was optimistic.
“There was never a day where our staff didn’t look forward to coming to practice,” Tinkle said, “and that’s because of our guys—their effort, their attitude and their energy.”
California skidded into the Pac-12 Tournament firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble, it was no surprise that the Bears had trouble putting last-place Oregon State away in a Wednesday afternoon first-round game.
0: Times before in the Pac-12 Tournament’s 19-year history that three teams have entered the event with Top 10 rankings, as Arizona, Oregon and UCLA all have this season.
6: The Pac-12’s collective computer ranking among all conferences, according to CBS, Kenpom and Sagarin.
6: Straight Arizona wins in Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal games.
23.3: Points Allonzo Trier has averaged in his past four games, while shooting 59.2 percent from the field and 52.2 percent from 3-point range.
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