How the Buffs can bounce back from a 76-62 loss to Cal

There is concern brewing in Boulder for the Colorado Buffaloes basketball team.

Colorado is not a bad basketball team; far from it in fact. But for a team to drop back-to-back conference games while a first-round bye is on the line, well it is not a reassuring look.

Tonight, the Buffs’ outrebounded the Bears in total and offensive boards, as well as had three more assists. They also only committed three more turnovers. But while the stats didn’t look all that bad, they were also just simply out-hustled. Cal’s Matt Bradley dropped in 26 points and CU was unable to go shot-for-shot with him.

Colorado now finds itself in fifth in the conference standings with just two games to the finish line.

While it could be beneficial to discuss all the ways Colorado has been disappointing fans in the last two games, instead let’s talk about what they specifically need to work on to get things back on track heading into March.

It is time to get the swagger back

Where Colorado has been losing down the stretch is in it’s lack of intensity and confidence. When they get pushed on the playground, they have begun an awful trend of rolling over and showing their belly.

This makes two games in a row where the Buffs’ were bullied with points in the paint but from two different sources. Against UCLA, their two bigs dominated the post. Now against Cal, Matt Bradley used his accuracy from deep to open up driving lanes.

What has been missing in this time?

A ground-shaking Tyler Bey block that sends the ball flying into the stands as he looks out with a confident smirk.

An Evan Battey offensive board turned pump-fake that causes a defender to soar into the air, fouling the big man and causing an and-1.

CU hasn’t had the fire or passion, and it stems from missing turning point plays. McKinley Wright IV, who quite frankly is doing all he can to will this team back to life, can only do so much. While his driving layups are incredible, it is not the same spark that comes from a dynamic play on the glass.

It has to come from somewhere, and it should be from Bey and Battey. For a frontcourt tandem that was dominating the non-conference ball, they have yet to put together a collectively strong performance since January. Look for the Buffaloes to get these two in rhythm earlier in the games against Stanford and Utah to hopefully start putting the game away early.

Find some offense from someone not named McKinley Wright

When McKinley Wright was called for his second charge and third foul of the game, sending him quickly to the bench, it seemed as though Colorado’s fate was sealed.

Although it was still early in the second half, the Buffaloes bench had no energy all game. In particular, they do not have a backup guard capable of sparking productive offensive possessions.

Shane Gatling and D’Shawn Schwartz on the night: 0-11 from the floor, 0-7 from deep.

Furthermore, Daylen Kountz continues to regress from what he has been the majority of the season, and Gatling is far too inconsistent. In the normal rotation, that leaves Eli Parquet and Schwartz left in the backcourt, who alone does not have the dynamic ability to run an offense.

These problems are intensified when the Buffs are cold, and tonight was the epitome of this issue. While Lucas Siewert was able to provide a lift from deep for a brief moment, the Colorado offense was borderline extinct with Wright off the floor.

The Buffaloes cannot afford for these cold streaks to continue.

With two games remaining in the regular season, as well as the Pac-12 Tournament glooming in the distance, CU needs to find its stroke again and fast.

While they are a 20-win team, it’s about what a team does in February that projects what is to come in March. Perhaps the pressure was too much for a team that has not been to the dance since 2016, and a chip on the shoulder entering big games seems to bring the best out of Wright and his teammates.

It is not time to throw in the towel on the Black & Gold, but it is time for them to start showing the conference – and the nation – exactly what it is to be a Buffalo.

Looking ahead

Colorado is a desperate team, but unfortunately, so are the Stanford Cardinal.

Both teams will be looking for a win on Sunday when the Buffs travel to Maples Pavillion, as the teams are No. 5 and No. 6 in the conference standings, respectively, and are fighting to crack the top-4 and earn a bye.

Colorado took care of Stanford 81-74 earlier this month in Boulder behind a strong final 10 minutes from McKinley Wright and Co., but lately, this team has not shown an ability to finish down the stretch. With both teams needing a win, this game could be sloppy on both ends of the floor.

Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. MST Sunday and will be televised on ESPNU.