PAC-12 Tournament Recap
The Buffs entered the Pac 12 tournament with tremendous momentum on the heels of a four game winning streak in the regular season. Discipline and perseverance were the foundation of the Buffs success throughout the past two seasons as they battled cancelations due to COVID 19 regulations. Head Coach Tad Boyle has been a foundational element of the Buffs success as well, as he led Buffs Men’s Basketball to “its best conference record (14-6) in program history” this year highlighted by Troy Andre on CU’s website. The Buffs closed the regular season with a 20-7 record, earning third position in the Pac-12. Seed three is the Buffs highest starting position in a tournament since 1996 (Big 12 championship). The Buffs received a by the first round, and were set to play the winner of the Stanford (no.6) v. Cal (No. 11) game. The Buffs defeated Cal 61 to 58. The Buffs continued their winning streak against USC Trojans capturing a 72-70 victory. In the championship game the Buffs narrowly lost to Oregon State 68-70. The Buffs along with five other teams from the Pac 12 headed to March Madness in Indianapolis this week. Winning six out of the last seven games sets the Buffs up as a force to be reckoned with as they take on Georgetown in the first round March 20th.
NCAA March Madness Tournament First Round: Colorado vs. Georgetown
Gameday Details
- Saturday, March 20
- 12:15 pm ET, 10:15 am MT
- Network: CBS
Multiple indicators point to a first round victory for Tad Boyle and Buffs Men’s Basketball. First let’s examine records. Colorado entered March Madness as the fifth seed from Pac 12, with a (22-8) record. Meanwhile, Georgetown entered as the 12th seed from the Big East Championship with a (13-12) record. This is the first time Georgetown has been in March Madness since 2015 and Colorado’s first time since 2016. Georgetown gained momentum towards the end of their season. Colorado has continually tended a winning fire all season, with an undeniable winning streak leading up to March Madness round one. On the court the Buffs are consistent, showcasing dominance time and time again on the foul line. Free throw wise the buffs have the second highest percentage nationally according to CU’s website (82.16 percent). The Buffs are strong defensively, and have the potential to excel offensively particularly when utilizing “long range” shots described by Woelk’s analysis for CU (2021). Mckinley Wright IV is a force to be reckoned with as he is the Buffs top scorer putting an average of 15.5 points up per game and contributing to 5.6 assists per game as well (Statistics from CBS). The goal for CU during this game is to maintain the level of play they have demonstrated all season. Georgetown on the other hand struggles with three point conversion. However, Georgetown boasts noteworthy players as well offensively especially Jahvon Blair who lead in points averaging 15.8 a game (CBS). Georgetown’s victories over Villanova and Creighton (both No. 5 seeds in the NCAA) however establish the team’s credibility and ability. The Colorado v. The Georgetown game is one to watch for sure, especially considering both teams reemergence in the tournament this year. The winner of the Colorado v. The Georgetown game will be on Monday March 22 against either Florida State (No. 4) or UNC-Greensboro (No. 13).
March Madness Preview
Break out the brackets people! After extensively reviewing ESPN’s analysis, it can be concluded by overwhelming consensus that Gonzaga is predicted to win March Madness. Gonzaga is the No. 1 seed entering the tournament, boasting an undefeated season. ESPN surveyed and collected over three dozen brackets, from Men’s college basketball writers, commentators and analysts. Out of 36 industry professionals surveyed, highlighted by ESPN, 36 had Gonzaga in the final four and 27 had Gonzaga winning March Madness. Baylor and Illinois were tied votes wise (5 each) as runner up contenders to win March Madness based on the ESPN bracket poll. Regardless of who is speculated to win on your bracket this year, let’s not forget to acknowledge the “win” that is having the ability to fill out a bracket. March Madness in this Covid era, stands in stark contrast to its cancelation last year.
