Colorado @ Arizona preview
McKale Center
Last Meeting ( Jan 18, 2020 ) Colorado 54, Arizona 75
Colorado has yet to win at Arizona since joining the Pac-12 Conference for the 2011-12 season.
Monday night's game in Tucson seems to provide a golden chance to end that 0-for-8 skid.
Not only do the Buffaloes (6-1, 0-0) have a veteran team as they head into their Pac-12 opener, they won't have to face the usual sold-out crowd at McKale Center. Arizona is playing without fans as part of its COVID-19 protocols.
The Wildcats (6-1, 0-1) are still a bit of a mystery with five new starters. All of their victories are against non-power conference teams, while the loss came in the conference opener -- 78-75 against Stanford in Santa Cruz, Calif.
"We're going to have some tough moments," coach Sean Miller said after a hard-fought 70-64 home win over Montana last Tuesday. "There's no getting around it. I do think our best basketball is in front of us."
Arizona is led by Jemarl Baker Jr., who is averaging 15.4 points and shooting 45.5 percent from 3-point range (20 of 44).
James Akinjo is at 13.4 points per game, while Jordan Brown contributes averages of 10.7 points and 6.9 rebounds.
Miller made a lineup change against Montana, taking out 7-footer Christian Koloko and inserting more offensive-minded Azoulas Tubelis. The freshman was a force on both ends with eight points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks.
McKinley Wright IV is Colorado's engine, averaging 16.3 points and 5.9 assists. He is surrounded by veterans, such as Dallas Walton (10.3 points), Evan Battey (8.7) and D'Shawn Schwartz (6.6), while getting help from Tulsa graduate transfer Jeriah Horne.
Horne is averaging 11.4 points and is the leading 3-point shooter (12 of 24) for a team that can stretch the floor at every position.
The Buffaloes are coming off two wins at the Far West Classic in Las Vegas, where they beat Washington in a nonconference game and Grand Canyon. A late 10-0 surge helped Colorado hold off Grand Canyon 76-64 on Tuesday despite being outrebounded by 13.
"This team is resilient and tough," coach Tad Boyle said.
"We got outrebounded by 13, they shot almost 51 percent on us, and we won by 10. I knew, even after the Tennessee loss (56-47 on Dec. 8), that there was something about this team that's special that you can't put into words. There's a toughness and a resiliency that they have."
Free throw shooting could be a factor. Colorado leads the nation at 85.8 percent. Arizona has shot 54.4 percent (31 of 57) in its past two games.
This game was rescheduled from early December because of COVID-19 issues within the Colorado program.
--Field Level Media