ASU Basketball: Sun Devils head to Rockies for test against Colorado

After splitting with Washington State and Washington, ASU basketball heads to Boulder for a matchup against the Colorado Buffaloes.

Now, it’s crunch time. With about a month until Selection Sunday, the games become even more notable, and any misstep may prove costly for Arizona State’s postseason chances.

At 7-4 in Pac-12 play, the Sun Devils sit second in the league’s standings more than halfway through the conference season. Seven games remain in the regular season, and ASU needs to be near-perfect if they want an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

To begin this seven-game stretch, ASU heads to the Rocky Mountains for two must-win games. The first of those comes against Colorado on Wednesday.

Much like other Pac-12 teams, Colorado has struggled to be consistent this year. The Buffaloes are 5-6 in conference play and 14-9 overall.

Their best win came a couple weeks ago when they cruised past Oregon, 73-51. Colorado also collected wins last week against UCLA and USC.

But Colorado’s defeats are, perhaps, more significant. Losses to Indiana State, Charlotte and Stanford, among others, have diminished the Buffaloes’ legitimacy.

One thing that has kept Colorado from finding its rhythm is its lack of one strong scorer. McKinley Wright IV – who leads the team with 13.0 points per game – is the closest to that, but he can’t score on an everyday basis.

That said, offense has been a widespread effort, with four Buffaloes averaging more than 10 points per game.

Defensively, Colorado is one of the most sound groups in the Pac-12. Allowing 68.8 points per game, the Buffaloes are third in the Pac-12 in scoring defense, behind Oregon and Washington.

Another strength for the Buffaloes is rebounding. They are third in the conference in boards per game, averaging 37. Individually, guard Tyler Bey is third in the Pac-12 with 8.9 per contest.

Colorado comes into Wednesday hotter than almost anyone in the ‘Conference of Champions.’ The Buffaloes are riding a three-game winning streak after starting conference play 2-6.

In the previous meeting between Arizona State and Colorado, it was all Sun Devils.

In that game, the usually-sound Colorado defense had no answer for ASU’s offense. The Sun Devils shot 57.1 percent from the field, and Romello White notched 19 points.

Colorado was also crushed on the glass. Despite their usual prowess down low, the Buffaloes were outrebounded 42 to 28, helping the Sun Devils cruise to an 83-61 victory.

This game could be much different. For one, the Sun Devils don’t have the famed 942 Crew wreaking havoc on opposing free-throw shooters. But, perhaps more importantly, the Sun Devils are .500 on the road in conference play and have never earned a road sweep under Bobby Hurley.

Hurley’s quest to crush that narrative begins at 8:30 p.m. tonight.