Three takeaways from Colorado's 76-58 victory over Kansas State

Well, it didn’t start pretty but the Buffs collected themselves and remain unbeaten as they move on to 2-0.

It’s hard to believe that Colorado was able to rebound from a 22-9 early deficit to beat the Wildcats by 18 points, but the Buffaloes’ slow start was not a sign of things to come. They ended up shooting the ball better from the floor than their previous game and achieved coach Tad Boyle’s goal of making more free throws than the other team attempts.

While K-State shot the ball very well early, Colorado’s defense tightened up and was able to force enough turnovers and contest enough shots to give them an edge.

Here are three takeaways from the 76-58 win in Manhattan, Kansas:

Slow start, impressive finish, some learning in between

The 13-point deficit early in the first half had some Buffs fans scratching their heads. Was this the same team that ran away with a win just two nights ago?

K-State came out firing, hitting on over 50% of their 3-pointers at one point in the game. However, a KSU technical foul against McKinley Wright, right before a shooting foul on Jabari Walker allowed Colorado to grab a quick four points and lit a fire under the Buffs’ senior point guard.

To flip a 13-point deficit to an 18-point victory is a pretty incredible feat.

As is the best thing in sports, Colorado collected themselves and can learn a lot while still coming away with a win. While they executed well from the field and the charity stripe, their 3-point percentage dropped from opening night. Perhaps the most concerning figure from their slow start, however, was the eight first-half turnovers.

Again, the Buffs cleaned things up in the second half. But, as they head on the road against Arizona next Wednesday, their next Wildcat opponents may not allow Colorado to stay in the game if they start this slowly.

McKinley Wright continues to dominate

Yes, it’s been only two games thus far; however, McKinley Wright is putting on an offensive show unlike anything in his career.

As of the final buzzer Friday night, Wright is averaging 20 points per game with four rebounds and five-and-a-half assists. Not only that, but he is shooting 64.3% from the field and 42.8% from deep.

Wright has always been able to counteract his below-average size with an above-average on-ball speed and basketball IQ, and this season has been no different. However, Wright seems more comfortable and confident in his ability. He is not shying away from the lane while he utilizes his ball-handling to create space. 

The biggest improvement this year has been his ability to hit open jumpers, though. This is not just his improvement from deep, but also confidence in his stroke to take open looks from between the elbow and the arc.

Although it is early, McKinley Wright is making his case to bring home some serious hardware come March.

More Battey struggles but the frontcourt is still strong

This was another tough night for Evan Battey.

Although he was able to stay out of foul trouble, he was still unable to get in a rhythm. He scored five points with four rebounds and two assists and was just 1-5 from the floor.

For a player capable of making impact plays, the truth is that Colorado has not needed Battey to make any high-intensity plays. This is due to two main reasons: Dallas Walton’s improvement and Jeriah Horne’s arrival.

First, Walton has become more comfortable on the court with each passing minute. Unfortunately, he picked up three quick fouls Friday night and was not seen after a quick exit in the second half. Still, in just seven minutes, he scored seven points as he established his presence inside.

Also, Horne was much improved tonight compared to his Buffs debut. He still scored, putting up nine points. However, he was much more efficient, hitting on 3-5 from the floor and 1-2 from deep. Tonight, Horne’s biggest impact came as a playmaker. He grabbed six boards with three assists while playing stout defense.

All that is not even mentioning the continued rise of Jabari Walker, who put up nine more points tonight and three more rebounds.

On the whole, Evan Battey’s struggles have been a legitimate concern to start this season. Still, Colorado’s depth on that part of the roster allows for his slow start, as the frontcourt continues to improve game-over-game.