Colorado Buffaloes (20-11)

• Head Coach: Tad Boyle (9th Season)
• Top Performer: Tyler Bey (13.4 PPG, 9.6 RPG)
• Points For: 75.0 PPG (114th)
• Points Against: 68.4 PPG (95th)
• Last Game/Streak: 56-51 Win v. California* (4W)

The Skinny

Having won three straight games heading into the Pac-12 Tournament, Colorado picked up where they left off by squeaking by California, 56-51, in the first round of the league post-season bracket.

They’ll now meet Oregon State on Thursday for a chance to advance to the Friday’s semi-finals.

To learn quickly about the Buffs, Colorado is a mostly balanced group that lacks great depth, as they played just seven players in their victory over the Golden Bears. On any given night, Tad Boyle’s has multiple players who can carry the offensive load, including leading scorer Tyler Bey (13.4 PPG), one of the Pac-12’s most improved talents.

The Buffs also get double-digit scoring averages from McKinley Wright IV (13.0 PPG), Shane Gatling (10.5 PPG) and Lucas Siewert (10.0 PPG), with the two former adding to a strong Colorado back-court. Other role players like Evan Battey (8.3 PPG), D’Shawn Schwartz (8.7 PPG) and Daylen Kountz (5.3 PPG) will also get their chances out there, as the Buffs are currently an all-hands on deck operation.

Anytime your opponent plays a short rotation and lacks quality depth, the obvious adjustment to make is to put pressure on their foul situation and try to tire out an overworked group. However, falling into this one-minded line of thinking could hinder the Beavers, who have seemed to fix some of their offensive issues as of late.

However, with the Buffs averaging 75 points per game over the course of their thirty-one game season so far, it could be Oregon State’s impact on the defensive end that changes the complexion of this game.

Player To Watch

Tyler Bey (Sophomore) - Tyler Bey’s rough night from the field (1-6 FG) against California didn’t stop the sophomore swingman from snagging 11 rebounds and getting to the free-throw lines 8 times in the contest. If Bey regains his scoring form on Thursday, he could be in for a likely double-double performance against Oregon State.

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Game Info

• Date: Thursday, March 14th
• Time: 2:30 PM PT
• Location: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, NV)
• Coverage: Pac-12 Network