Kansas basketball: Five things to know about Colorado
Kansas basketball is back in action this Saturday night against a top 25 Colorado squad. Here are five things to know about the Buffaloes before they take on the Jayhawks.
After a tough battle against Dayton, Kansas basketball still has some important non-conference games before Big 12 play begins. The first of those important non-con games is this Saturday at 6:00 PM (CT) when the Jayhawks take on Colorado.
The Buffs are off to a good start this season, so here are five things to know about Colorado.
1. Kansas and Colorado have a history
The Jayhawks and Buffaloes used to be Big 12 buddies until Colorado left the for the Pac-12 after the 2010 season. Still, Kansas and Colorado have met 148 times on the basketball court since 1950, and the Jayhawks have dominated the series, as Kansas holds a 115-33 record over Colorado.
2. Colorado struggles to defend the three-point line
The Buffaloes rank number 224 in the country at defending against three-point shots according to kenpom.com. So far, Colorado is allowing opponents to shoot over 34% from behind the arc, so Jayhawks like Isaiah Moss could really take advantage of that.
3. Kansas is the toughest team Colorado has played to this point (by far)
So far this season, Colorado has played and beat Arizona State, San Diego, UC Irvine, Wyoming, Clemson, and Sacramento State. They play Loyola Marymount on the fourth, before traveling to Lawrence for their first true road game.
It’s safe to say that the Buffs have had it pretty easy thus far, so it’ll be interesting to see how they react to playing in a tough road environment against a good team.
4. Tyler Bey is a problem
Junior guard Tyler Bey was a preseason first-team all Pac-12 selection this year, and for good reason. The junior from Las Vegas is off to an incredible start averaging over 14 points and 10 rebounds per game. Bey will pose a matchup problem similar to that of Obi Toppin for the Jayhawks, as Bey stands at six feet and seven inches tall.
5. This is supposed to be “the year” for Colorado
With two preseason first-team Pac-12 selections, a real chance to win their conference, and a reasonable schedule, this is supposed to be the year for the Buffaloes. Colorado barely missed beating out Oregon as the preseason number one team in the Pac-12, which means the expectations are high this year in Boulder.
A win over a top-25 Colorado team would look really good for Kansas basketball come Selection Sunday, especially if the Buffs go on to win the Pac-12. The Jayhawks will have to take care of business though, but that shouldn’t be a problem after watching Kansas take down Dayton in the Maui Invitational.
Kansas basketball will take on Colorado this Saturday the seventh in Allen Fieldhouse. The game is slated to begin at 6:00 PM central time and be broadcast on ESPN2.