Report: Colorado has finalized its 2022-23 non-conference basketball schedule

BOULDER — Colorado’s 2022-23 non-conference basketball schedule has been finalized, according to Rocco Miller of Bracketeer. The Pac-12 previously announced its early-season conference games in March. The rest of the conference schedule will probably be announced in August or September. Because of the 20-game conference schedule, the Buffs will play every Pac-12 team twice, except for Arizona (who they’ll play only at home only) and Washington State (on the road).

Here’s what the schedule looks like, so far:

Nov. 7 vs. UC Riverside

Nov. 10/11 @ Grambling

Nov. 13 @ Tennessee (Bridgestone Arena)

Nov. 15 vs. North Alabama

Nov. 17, 18 & 20 @ MYRTLE BEACH INVITATIONAL
(Boise State/Charlotte/Loyola-Chicago/Murray State/Texas A&M/Tulsa/UMass)

Nov. 27 vs. Yale

Dec. 1 vs. Arizona State

Dec. 4 @ Washington

Dec. 8 vs. Colorado State

Dec. 18 vs. Northern Colorado

Dec. 21 vs. Southern Utah

#RoadBuffs

Of Colorado’s 11 non-conference games, six will be played at home, four will be played at a neutral site and one will be played on the road. (The game against Tennessee is technically a neutral-site game because it will be played at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, about three hours from the campus in Knoxville.)

This is actually more trips away from the CU Events Center than we saw last season, when Colorado played three of its 11 scheduled non-conference games at a neutral site and didn’t schedule a true road game.

Typically, head coach Tad Boyle has scheduled 2-3 road contests and a few more games at a neutral site.

The computers won’t be happy

Boyle has been clear in the past that his goal in scheduling is always to build the best possible schedule for the current team; some teams need more guaranteed wins, others need more shots at top opponents. (And some need more road or home games. For example, Boyle scheduled an exhibition at Nebraska last year because he wanted them to feel a hostile crowd in a no-stakes situation.)

This season, the Buffs won’t take on too many elite opponents. Colorado State will be a challenge in Boulder. Tennessee finished with the #5 ranking last year but loses a couple of key pieces. CU will get knocked for playing them at a neutral site instead of in Knoxville, despite the Volunteers having a significant home-court advantage.

The key will be taking advantage of the Myrtle Beach Invitational. CU will play three games in four days against some of the other seven teams there. Potential opponents include Loyola-Chicago and Texas A&M, which both received votes in the final AP Poll last season, and Boise State, which finished at #23.

The other key is not blowing the easy games, which is what doomed CU last season.

Revenge games?

A pair of games could wind up being “revenge games” this season.

First, new CU guard Jalen Gabbidon will take on the Yale Bulldogs, whom he played for over the past five seasons. Yale is a solid opponent (it received one vote in the final AP Poll) but it lost its two leading scorers, one of whom is Gabbidon.

The Buffs will also take on Daylen Kountz and his Northern Colorado Bears. Kountz declared for the draft after leading the Bears to a Big Sky Championship Game appearance but decided to return to school for a final season.

Another matchup with Tennessee

For the third consecutive season, Colorado will take on the Tennessee Volunteers.

Colorado didn’t come out on top in either of the first two contests. In the first game, in Knoxville, the Buffs cut the lead to 5 with just over two minutes left but lost 56-47. In the second, CU lost by 15 in Boulder.

This is the marquee game on the CU schedule and a win could wind up being the centerpiece of a tournament-caliber resume.

The Rocky Mountain Showdown is back

Before the lsat two seasons, Colorado had matched up with Colorado State on the hardwood at least in every season since the 1990-91 campaign.

A covid outbreak prevented the teams from playing in the 2020-21 season.

The two teams could have played last season at Paradise Jam, but the bracket didn’t fall in favor of a Rocky Mountain Showdown.

This year the rivalry is back and it will be played in Boulder.

CSU is coming off a tournament appearance after eight years off. They peaked at #20 in the AP Poll and finished at #24. The team has improved its record in all four seasons Niko Medved has been head coach but they lost their best player, David Roddy, to the NBA Draft.

Colorado is 92-40 against Colorado State.