10. Colorado Buffaloes (10-7, 1-4 Pac-12) LW: 8
After a 1-4 start in Pac-12 play, Colorado head coach Tad Boyle said a reworking of the starting lineup may be in place.
The only problem?
The Buffaloes are consistently struggling to suit up seven scholarship players on a nightly basis due to a growing list of injuries amid other issues holding players from playing.
Just after returning Namon Wright to the lineup, Boyle and the Buffs lost the team’s star sophomore McKinley Wright IV to a shoulder injury, holding him out against Utah.
The combination of injuries and Deleon Brown’s academic issues that have held him off has made for some extremely slow starts to games.
The result?
Almost insurmountable leads by opposing teams, making it difficult for the short-handed Buffs to get back into the game.
Some of these leads include an early 13-2 lead by ASU, a 12-0 run to start the game for Washington and falling behind as much as 28 points against Utah before pulling within single digits in the final minute of play.
The slow starts have almost become routine for the struggling Colorado team, who has at times showed some promise of being a competitive team in the league. Despite these glimpses, the Buffaloes have quickly fallen to the lower third of the league as virtual non-contenders to make the NCAA Tournament with a conference record of 1-4.
The Buffaloes will hope to have Wright back this weekend as matchups against California and Stanford have the team looking at a make-or-break stretch. Two losses would certainly leave Boulder in a precarious situation heading into the latter part of Pac-12 play.