The Star's Bruce Pascoe breaks down the starting lineups, storylines and stats as the No. 2-ranked Arizona Wildcats travel to face Colorado Saturday night.
What: No. 2 Arizona (25-2, 15-1) at Colorado (18-10, 10-8)
Where: CU Events Center, Boulder
When: 6 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Radio: 1290-AM
Social media: @TheWildcaster on Twitter / TheWildcaster on Facebook
PROBABLE STARTERS
ARIZONA
G Kerr Kriisa (6-3 sophomore)
G Dalen Terry (6-6 sophomore)
F Bennedict Mathurin (6-6 sophomore)
F Azuolas Tubelis (6-11 sophomore)
C Christian Koloko (7-0 junior)
COLORADO
G Nique Clifford (6-6 sophomore)
G Keeshawn Barthelemy (6-2 sophomore)
F Tristan da Silva (6-9 sophomore)
F Jabari Walker (6-9 sophomore)
C Evan Battey (6-8 senior)
HOW THEY MATCH UP
Arizona Wildcats center Christian Koloko (35), left, and forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) try to close down Colorado Buffaloes guard Luke O'Brien (0) under the basket in the first half of their Pac 12 basketball game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 13, 2022.
The last time: Arizona shot 50.9% from the field and had four players scoring 12 or more points en route to a 76-55 win over Colorado on Jan. 13 at McKale Center. Azuolas Tubelis led Arizona with 14 points and eight rebounds. Former Wildcat signee K.J. Simpson had 17 points to lead the Buffs but Colorado shot just 32.8% overall.
The last time at the CU Events Center: Arizona held leads for nearly all of the final 10 minutes but Colorado’s Evan Battey hit all four free throws he took over the final 15 seconds to help the Buffs beat Arizona 82-79 on Feb. 6, 2021. James Akinjo tried to pick up a foul when he drove to the basket in the final minute but a jump ball was called that gave possession back to the Buffs, while Terrell Brown also missed 1 of 2 free throws with five seconds left. Bennedict Mathurin had 22 points off the bench after then-coach Sean Miller did not start him against Colorado or in the second half of a preceding loss at Utah after Miller said he did not like Mathurin’s attitude in that game.
Series history: Arizona has won six of the last eight games in the series but has gone just 2-6 against the Buffs in Boulder since they joined the Pac-12 in 2011-12. The only two UA teams to win Pac-12 games in the CU Events Center went on to reach the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, in 2013-14 and 2014-15. Arizona is 22-15 against Colorado overall.
What’s new with the Buffs: Despite suffering two key injuries late last month, Colorado was making a move to get in the NCAA Tournament race, winning five straight games until it lost 82-65 to ASU at home on Thursday. That suggests the Buffaloes probably now have to beat UA and do well in the Pac-12 Tournament to still get an at-large berth.
Starting guard Eli Parquet underwent surgery in late January to remove bone spurs from his right foot, while backup center Lawson Lovering injured his MCL during a practice, and both players are done for the season.
Colorado moved sophomore Nique Clifford into Parquet’s starting spot at shooting guard while freshman guards Julian Hammond and K.J. Simpson have been playing significant backup roles.
Colorado Buffaloes guard Nique Clifford (32) snares the offensive rebound, just out of the reach of Arizona Wildcats guard Pelle Larsson (3) in the first half of their Pac 12 basketball game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 13, 2022.
Inside, the Buffs have turned more often to 6-8 freshman Luke O’Brien inside while even moving Tristan da Silva to center at times when starter Evan Battey is out.
While the Buffaloes’ defense has not been living up to its standards, especially without Parquet, CU has partly made up for it by getting to the line and 3-point shooting. In Pac-12 games, Colorado is first in 3-point percentage (37.9) and second in free-throw percentages (77.0) , and the Buffs know how to get to the line — they take the highest percentage of free throws relative to field goals attempted (35.1%) of anybody in the Pac-12 during league games.
He said it: “ASU did a good job of pressing them and turning them over (14 times). ASU had nine steals and a lot of them were live-ball turnovers. They rely on making free throws and 3s and if they’re not making them it’s tough.
"Walker has been playing well and Battey’s the leading 3-point percentage shooter in the Pac-12 (50.8%) and fourth in the country.
"It’s hurt them that Lovering is out. They’re now having to play da Silva and O’Brien (at center). They only play eight guys and they get thin pretty quickly. Parquet was their best perimeter defender and not having him really affects their depth.
"But Colorado is going to play well Saturday. There’s no doubt. We’re getting everybody’s best shot at this point. You take that and appreciate it. It’s a sign of respect. People have us circled on their calendars. We have to defend without fouling and limit their 3-point opportunities.”
— UA associate head coach Jack Murphy, who scouted the Buffaloes
KEY PLAYERS
COLORADO: Evan Battey
Colorado forward Evan Battey, center, looks to move to the basket between Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis, left, and guard Kerr Kriisa during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The Buffs’ veteran big man hit only 1 of 6 3-pointers on Jan. 13 at McKale Center. Considering he now leads the Pac-12 in 3-point percentage (50.8) that doesn’t appear likely this time. Especially on Senior Night.
ARIZONA: Justin Kier
Arizona Wildcats guard Justin Kier (5) signals his three pointer against the USC Trojans in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 5, 2022.
The Wildcats’ super senior hasn’t been to Boulder before, but he’s seen just about everything else in college basketball. A four-year starter before he arrived at Arizona this season, Kier had his best scoring output of the season on Jan. 13 against Colorado, hitting 3 of 4 3-pointers en route to a 14-point effort.
SIDELINES
It’s official: Aiken no longer with team
Arizona has finally removed reserve forward Kim Aiken from its online roster after keeping him on it for more than two months after he left the team for still-unexplained reasons following its Dec. 5 win at Oregon State.
After Arizona beat Utah 97-77 on Friday, UA coach Tommy Lloyd confirmed the deletion meant Aiken has left the team for good.
Kim Aiken Jr.
“He’s no longer with us,” Lloyd said, “and that’s about all I’ve got for you.”
Lloyd declined to say what discussions he and Aiken might have had, nor whether Aiken was dismissed or voluntarily left the team.
“I can’t even go into this stuff,” Lloyd said.
Brent Blaylock, UA’s senior associate AD for compliance, also said in the postgame interview area only that Aiken was no longer on the roster.
Which Buffs will show?
Over the years, it's hardly been unusual that a team facing Arizona on Saturdays struggles against ASU on the preceding Thursday before beating or at least scaring the Wildcats on Saturday.
UA re-learned that lesson last week when Oregon lost badly at ASU and then came into McKale Center and nearly knocked off the Wildcats.
So when Colorado dropped a home game to the Sun Devils on Thursday, 82-65, UA coach Tommy Lloyd tried to pay little attention.
“ASU has gotten better and we took a big punch from Oregon,” Lloyd said. “I’m expecting Saturday’s game to be one of the toughest of the year.”
But that's news to Colorado coach Tad Boyle, who complained about his team’s effort and toughness after Thursday’s game and again Friday after he watched video of the Buffs’ loss to ASU.
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Tad Boyle tries to get his team fired up as they fall behind in the second half of their Pac 12 basketball game against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 13, 2022.
Boyle said he took responsibility for the effort but noted that the Buffs showed “immaturity” after coming into Thursday on a five-game winning streak.
“That’s unacceptable,” Boyle said, comparing it to CU's home loss to Oregon on Feb. 3. “It’s immaturity and not learning from previous lessons. Part of going to college is you learn and there’s no teacher like experience.”
Not surprisingly, then, when told Lloyd was concerned that the Buffaloes might make for a much tougher game on Saturday, Boyle grinned.
“That’s the Tommy Lloyd-Gonzaga, you know, paranoia," Boyle said. "Arizona’s got nothing to worry about. They’re one of the best teams in the country.”
And, when reminded him of the series history, Boyle chuckled again. Colorado is 6-2 against the Wildcats at the CU Events Center since the Buffs joined the conference in 2011-12.
“You didn’t see us play last night,” Boyle said in response. “Historically speaking, you’re right. But we’re talking about this year’s team.”
Praise for Lloyd
Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd pulls Arizona Wildcats guard Kerr Kriisa (25) in for a word in the first half against the Colorado Buffaloes in the first half of their Pac 12 basketball game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 13, 2022.
Whether or not Boyle was sandbagging — and he normally doesn’t –—he left no doubt about what he thinks of the job Lloyd has done. Boyle said Lloyd has given former UA coach Sean Miller credit — “which he should” — and carried himself with a humble approach … while going out and blowing away preseason expectations.
“I think everybody's surprised to some degree,” Boyle said. “Tommy’s a friend. I’ve known him for years and I know he's a hell of a coach. Hell of a basketball mind. But I didn't know how he would take to their players or how their players would take to him.
“I do think his European kind of slant on basketball, and the fact that he inherited a lot of European players has been kind of a utopia, if you will. He’s really blended well with them and they blend well with him.
"They’re playing at a high level on offense and on defense, in transition and blocking shots. They’re a legitimate Final Four team in my mind. Obviously you never know what happens in the tournament with matchups and stuff, but they're legit.”
Numbers game
4 – Seasons since Arizona won the Pac-12 regular season title, which the Wildcats can at least clinch a share of with a win at Colorado.
4 – Arizona’s predicted finish, in a tie with Oregon State, in the Pac-12’s preseason poll.
55.2 – Percentage of Colorado’s field goals that are made off assists in conference games, the second-highest percentage in the Pac-12.
66.2 – Percentage of Arizona’s field goals that are made off assists in conference games, the highest percentage in the Pac-12.
