Colorado @ Utah preview
Jon M. Huntsman Center
Last Meeting ( Mar 7, 2020 ) Colorado 72, Utah 74
The Colorado Buffaloes were supposed to be in the middle of a four-game homestand, but the schedules are always in flux in the unusual 2020-21 season.
So instead of resting after a game against Oregon State, the Buffaloes (8-3, 2-2 Pac-12) will be on the road to face the Utah Utes (4-4, 1-3) in Salt Lake City on Monday.
The game was originally scheduled for March 6 but was moved up after Colorado's game with the Beavers was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns within the Oregon State program. The Utes are fitting this game in between Saturday's loss to the Oregon Ducks and Thursday's game against Stanford.
Both teams are coming off home games against Oregon, with different results. The Buffs beat the Ducks 79-72 on Thursday, the 10th straight time they've defeated Oregon in Boulder. Utah fell 79-73 loss to the Ducks on Saturday.
Utes coach Larry Krystkowiak shook up his rotation ahead of Saturday's loss, bringing then-leading scorer Alfonso Plummer and 7-footer Branden Carlson off the bench. The change in the starting lineup had Utah leading No. 17 Oregon by 10 at halftime before fading.
"It doesn't really matter to me," Timmy Allen said after scoring a team-high 23 points in the loss. "Anybody in the starting lineup, I know they'll be ready to go."
Colorado likely won't shake up its lineup for Monday, especially with McKinley Wright IV playing at a high level. Wright had 21 points, a season-high 10 rebounds and five assists against Oregon and sealed the win with a layup with 27 seconds left.
Wright has 558 career assists, four behind the program record set by Jay Humphries from 1980-84.
"I'm in awe of him on the court," Colorado teammate Evan Battey said after Thursday's win. "I'm in awe but I'm in the play as it's being ran. So it's kind of special to watch and to be in awe, while you're in the action."
This will be the 20th meeting between the teams since the Buffaloes joined the Pac-12 before the 2011-12 season. They have split the last six games, with the home teams winning each time.
--Field Level Media