Two takeaways from Colorado's 89-60 win over Cal

BOULDER — If fans came for the McKinley Wright assist record, they stayed for the Jabari Walker breakout game.

The Buffs took their time to warm up their engines, as they have throughout the season. Cal wasn’t supposed to provide much of a challenge but they did for the majority of the first half.

However, it was only a matter of time until Colorado’s skill advantage over the Golden Bears showed through. While Cal is now 1-6 in conference play, this win is key to keeping the Buffs competitive in the Pac-12 standings.

Here are two key takeaways from Thursday afternoon’s 89-60 win over Cal.

Wright is alone at the top

McKinley Wright IV didn’t just break the program assist record tonight, he smashed it.

Entering the game, he was tied with Jay Humphries. Needing just one assist to set a Buffs mark that is sure to stand the test of time, he instead dished 12 assists, setting a new career high for a single game. He added 13 points as well.

In a year where Wright is pushing for postseason accolades, this type of performance was key. The record-setting performance is sure to gain some national attention, so scoring efficiently with a double-double will help propel Wright forward in national perception.

At this point, there is little left for Wright to achieve. But with plenty of games left on the schedule, he can set even more records.

Wright sits as just the third player in Pac-12 history to score 1,500 points with 500 rebounds and 500 assists. If he continues playing the way he has this season, he could be the first to reach 1,600, 600, and 600.

Even still, these are just cherries on top of a college resume that sits near the top all-time for Buffaloes.

Jabari Walker has officially arrived

Colorado has many players in their rotation that would be starting across the country.

None of these players may be playing as well, though, as Jabari Walker.

Tonight was his first time playing over 20 minutes in a Buffs uniform, finishing the night with 28 minutes that helped him score 23 points and 11 rebounds. Not only that, but he was incredibly efficient, hitting nine of his 13 attempts.

Walker is now averaging a double-double this week and has hit on his last five three-point attempts as well.

The kid can ball.

But Walker simply highlights a game in which the depth played as well as was expected heading into the season. Combined with the fact that Dallas Walton and Keeshawn Barthelemy both sat, it’s easy to convince oneself that Colorado is a sleeping giant.

At this point, I’m not sure they are sleeping anymore.

D’Shawn Schwartz is shooting the ball consistently and confidently. Tonight, he scored 18 points on 3-6 from deep, putting his season average at 44%. In a ‘quiet’ night from Jeriah Horne and Evan Battey, they both combined for 16 points and almost 60% shooting from the floor.

Oh, and Maddox Daniels was a perfect 4-4 from the field.

Colorado had perhaps its most complete offensive game of the season. Now, they just have to keep it up as the strength of the opposition will leap into Saturday.

What’s next?

Colorado will stay in Boulder on Saturday to host the Stanford Cardinal. With a win, Colorado will leap Stanford in the conference rankings and hold a nice grip on their path towards the coveted tournament first-round bye.

Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. MST on Pac-12 Network.