Colorado @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 23, 2019 ) Colorado 55, Washington 64

Washington's success this season can mostly be traced to its defense with Matisse Thybulle usually the one stealing the show. The senior guard hopes to continue breaking records that will help the top-seeded Huskies navigate their way through the Pac-12 Tournament with Friday's semifinal game against No. 5 seed Colorado the next obstacle on the path to what they hope is their first conference tourney title since 2011.

Thybulle leads the nation in steals at 3.56 per game after recording five in Wednesday's 78-75 quarterfinal victory over eighth-seeded USC and owns the Pac-12 record with 114 this season, breaking the previous mark of 110 set by California's Jason Kidd in 1992-93. Thybulle needs three steals to break the career conference standard of 321 established by Oregon State's Gary Payton from 1986-90. "He's really, really intelligent," Washington coach Mike Hopkins told reporters about Thybulle (9.3 points). "His IQ defensively is on a different planet. He's got incredible anticipation skill. ... He's got the athleticism and the length to create an incredible steal." The Buffaloes improved to 13-6 in the Pac-12 Tournament with a 73-58 quarterfinal victory over fourth-seeded Oregon State on Thursday for their fifth straight victory and will try to snap a four-game slide against the Huskies that includes a pair of losses by a combined 16 points this season.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network

ABOUT COLORADO (21-11): Sophomore guard McKinley Wright IV (team bests of 13.3 points, 4.8 assists) recorded 17 points, five rebounds and four assists Thursday, and is 16-for-28 from the field while scoring 52 points in his last three games. Sophomore guard Tyler Bey (13.0 points, club-high 9.6 rebounds) grabbed only six boards versus Oregon State, snapping a string of eight straight contests with at least 10. Freshman forward Evan Battey (8.2 points, 4.4 rebounds) had 10 points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes before fouling out Thursday for his fourth double-digit scoring game in his last seven.

ABOUT WASHINGTON (25-7): The Huskies are coming alive offensively with two of their five highest-scoring Pac-12 games occurring in the last three contests. Sophomore guard Jaylen Nowell averages a team-best 16.5 points after scoring 24 on Thursday - his highest total since going for 26 in an 81-79 loss to No. 1 Gonzaga on Dec. 5. Senior guard David Crisp (12.8 points) also stepped up versus USC with 18 points and his six assists were his most since recording seven in a season-opening victory over Western Kentucky.

TIP-INS

1. Washington had the stingiest defense in the Pac-12 this season, allowing 62.3 points per conference game.

2. The Buffaloes are shooting 80.7 percent from the free-throw line in their last 11 games.

3. Thybulle is a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award along with Gonzaga F Brandon Clarke, Virginia G De'Andre Hunter and Duke F Zion Williamson.

PREDICTION: Colorado 65, Washington 64