What to watch for when Colorado takes on #2 Arizona in the Pac-12 semifinals

BOUDLER — The Buffs are on to the semifinals!

The Colorado Buffaloes knocked off the Oregon Ducks in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament on Thursday and will be back in action Friday night against the #2 Arizona Wildcats. Colorado is the midst of an eight-wins-in-nine-games run but the Buffs will be a double-digit underdog against the 29-3 Wildcats. The game will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network at 6 p.m. PST.

Here’s what you need to know:

Target on their back

There’s an elephant in the room: Colorado just took down Arizona two weeks ago in one of the biggest upsets of the college basketball season.

Now the #2 team has a bone to pick with Colorado.

“They will be ready to play the Buffs,” Boyle said Thursday night. “They will be emotionally ready, mentally ready. I know Tommy Lloyd, he’s a competitive dude. They got competitive players.”

While giving an elite opponent bulletin board material isn’t ideal, Colorado also gained some confidence. They know they can not only go toe-to-toe with Arizona, they can blow the Wildcats out of the water.

Boyle wasn’t too concerned about the Wildcats being locked in.

“We’re going to ready too,” he said.

Kerr Kriisa probably won’t play

The big news on Friday is the likely absence of sophomore Arizona point guard Kerr Kriisa.

As Arizona’s quarterfinal win over Stanford ticked down to the final seconds, Kriisa landed awkwardly and rolled around on the court in pain. He was helped off the floor without putting any weight on his right leg. Kriisa left the arena in a wheelchair and walking boot without taking off his uniform.

Watch us win it all. Bear Down, Go Cats 🤪 pic.twitter.com/JEg0ElSC7F

— Kerr (@KerrKriisa) March 10, 2022

After the game, Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said Kriisa has a sprained ankle but didn’t know how long he’d be without his starting point guard. Given the circumstances though, it’s probably a safe bet that he won’t be on the court on Friday.

While Kriisa is the only Arizona starter who didn’t earn at least an honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection this season, he finished second in the Pac-12 in assists and 3-pointers per game, and third in assist to turnover ratio. Efficient guard play is crucial in March, and Arizona may have lost its floor general Thursday night.

Boards and turnovers

When you boil it down, basketball is a simple game: just make more buckets than your opponent.

The best way to make more buckets? Take more shots.

And if you win on the glass and win in the turnover column, you’re going to be taking a lot more shots than your opponent. That’s what happened when Colorado pulled off the upset in Boulder; the Buffs won the turnover battle 16-10 and the rebounding battle 35-33. By the end of the game, Colorado had taken 13 more shots than its opponent.

Against Oregon on Thursday, the Buffs won the turnover battle 9-8 and out rebounded the Ducks by 13. In tournament basketball, the basics are the key to success.

On Friday, Colorado’s point guard platoon could be the catalyst in both of these categories. They’ll be tasked with leading an efficient offensive attack, but they also play a crucial role in rebounding for Colorado. When the bigs box out, it’s up to the guards to crash the glass and grab the ball. K.J. Simpson did exactly that on Thursday, when he pulled in seven boards.

Taking down the No. 2 team in the country is tough—and it’s even tougher to do it twice—but the job is much simpler when you boil it down to the basics.