BOULDER — The schedule did no favors to the Colorado men’s basketball team on Saturday against Sacramento State, as most students had not returned to Boulder while the ones who had were more focused on the football game in Salt Lake City.
But while Colorado’s football team struggled in Utah, the basketball team did enough to improve to 6-0 on the season.
Heres what went down Saturday night:
Colorado continues to win in new ways
Colorado proved it can win despite adversity against Clemson, but Saturday night’s display emphasized just how many ways the Buffs can do it. They shot just nine times from deep, hitting just two, and were out-shot by Sacramento by 14.
Still, they were much more efficient, focusing on easier shots and defensive ball. They hit 44% from the field on an impressive 20-45 while holding Sacramento to just 17 makes on 59 shots. Although the Buffs struggled with turnovers throughout the game and regressed from the free-throw line, Colorado again came out on top. Some of these struggles should be attributed to the opponent, as often a team will find themselves playing down depending on the competition.
Colorado is showing a variety of different ways that they can take down opponents, and considering the Hornets entered the night undefeated as well, this victory should continue to inspire confidence among Colorado faithful.
The coaching staff shows continued flexibility
Head coach Tad Boyle elected to bench the struggling Daylen Kountz in favor of Eli Parquet Saturday night, a move that showed Boyle will have a short leash with so many options on the bench.
Kountz had been the starter to this point and was getting significant minutes with little in return. This season, Kountz is averaging just four points per game on 20% from the field and 22.2% from three. He was having little impact and was noticeably off the court late in close games in favor of Shane Gatling.
Parquet receiving the nod to start was particularly surprising, as he was averaging just 10 minutes a game without much impact. On Saturday, he still received just 10 minutes, with the backcourt rotation being largely the same regardless of the starter.
Gatling needs to be a name to watch as a sixth man, as he comes off the bench to get around 20 minutes a game while maintaining a high-energy presence in the lineup. Maddox Daniels is also another key contributor off-the-bench, as his 58.3% from three ranks high in the conference off of a decent sample.
It will be interesting to see where this lineup evolves moving forward, as Dallas Walton continues to get more looks and the shooting guard spot seems to be a revolving door, feeding the hot hand. With Wright, Schwartz, Bey, and Battey all playing well, they are reasonably one consistent starter away to one of the strongest lineups in the Pac-12.
What else is there to say about Tyler Bey?
Yes, it may be a bit redundant to continue this narrative, but that speaks volumes to Bey’s production and dominance over the early season.
His stats speak for themselves, as his 11 points, 17 rebounds, and four assists (as well as two blocks) give him a clear advantage in the books as Colorado’s leaders. But his dominance does not stop within Boulder. Expanding into the conference, Bey dominates on defense. His 11.6 RPG and 2.8 SPG both lead the Pac-12 and, pairing that with 14.8 PPG, Bey is on pace for quite the season.
McKinley Wright came into the season as the favorite to lead the team statistically and emotionally, and his on-the-court performance has not dropped him. Wright is still having a very strong campaign, but it has been largely overshadowed by Tyler Bey’s emergence. His length and hands give him an athletic advantage that is unmatched, and he’s proving more and more each night why he would likely fit better in the pros than college basketball.
Looking ahead
Colorado now looks to prepare for its next home game on Wednesday, Dec. 4 against Loyola Marymount. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.
