6. Colorado Buffaloes (9-3) LW: 4
Despite a victory against the Charlotte 49ers, 17 points from Lucas Siewert and an additional 12 from Daylen Kountz, the Buffaloes placed seventh at the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii.
This was an underwhelming result for a team making progress towards prominence this season. Their latest victory capped off a rather underwhelming three-game stretch, as the now 9-3 Buffs went 1-2 with losses to Indiana State and Hawaii.
Led by McKinley Wright IV, Siewert and Tyler Bey, Colorado has been one of the few constants in the Pac-12 this season. Things are about to heat up for both the Buffs and the rest of the Pac as conference play is set to kick off January 3rd.
Given Colorado’s high scoring offense (81 PPG) and statistically solid defense (93.9 DRtg), there is a strong base that coach Tad Boyle can build off heading into an‘up for grabs’ conference.
With increased production from Wright and continued impact from Siewert, the Buffs may be able to make a splash this coming conference season. Their first two-game swing takes them to Arizona, where they will take on the Wildcats in Tuscon and the No. 17 Arizona State Sun Devils, who are coming off an upset of formerly No. 1 ranked Kansas Jayhawks at home.
– Geraffo