Perimeter defense big problem for CU

boulder» At the outset of the season, Colorado men’s basketball coach Tad Boyle expressed confidence that one of his perimeter players would evolve into the role of a defensive stopper.

With 12 games left before the Pac-12 Tournament, that search continues.

Washington guard Andrew Andrews torched the Buffaloes for 33 points Wednesday night in Colorado’s 95-83 loss to the Huskies in Seattle, once again exposing CU’s shoddy perimeter defense that has displayed little evidence of reversing its downward trend.

“Their starting backcourt had 50 points,” Boyle said. “We’ve been looking for a perimeter stopper on this team really since Spencer Dinwiddie left, and before that Andre Roberson. We don’t have that. When you run against a team like Washington with guards like Dejounte Murray and Andrew Andrews who are really good guards and terrific players, we don’t have an answer for that. Because we don’t have anyone who can step up to a challenge and lock them up.”

Each of CU’s top four perimeter players — Dom Collier, Josh Fortune, George King and Tre’Shaun Fletcher — has shown flashes at the defensive end, yet none of them has fully stepped up to the challenge.

Fletcher drew the opening assignment against Andrews, but none of the players Boyle rolled against the conference’s leading scorer slowed Washington’s perimeter assault. Nor did the occasional flashes of a zone defense in the second half.

The issue wouldn’t be as worrisome to Boyle if Andrews’ performance was an anomaly as opposed to the routine. In CU’s previous game, against Oregon, the Ducks knocked down 12-of21 3-point attempts.