After big road win, Buffs trying not to look past Cal
BO U LDE R » It could turn out to be an opportunistic and celebratory afternoon Thursday for the Colorado Buffaloes.
After ending a nearly nine-year run of losses at Utah, the Buffs return home against a struggling Cal team that, on paper, should provide an opportunity for CU to continue its march up the Pac-12 Conference standings.
Additionally, with his first assist of the game, senior point guard McKinley Wright IV will break a 37-year old program record held by one of the Buffs’ all-time greats, Jay Humphries.
Head coach Tad Boyle is trying to make sure the Buffs don’t put the party ahead of the achievements.
The Buffs are well aware the Bears gave them all they could handle a year ago, including a Cal win in Berkeley that contributed to CU’s season-ending slide.
With another big game looming Saturday against Stanford, the Buffs are taking care to not look past Cal’s visit on Thursday afternoon.
“I had a little bit of bit of edge to myself at practice (Wednesday) because I know how good Cal can be. I know how tough they are,” Boyle said. “I know that they want to beat us just like Utah wanted to beat us and Oregon wanted to beat us and UCLA wanted to beat us. Everybody you play, nothing is going to be given to you in this league. I think our veterans understand that. I know our freshmen probably don’t, because they’re freshmen. So it’s incumbent upon me and our staff to make sure that we do not letthathappenanddonot overlook them.
“Icanpromiseyouasa coaching staff, we are not. I haven’t even thought about Stanford on Saturday.“
Cal is coming off its first Pac-12 win of the season, edging Washington at home, but the Bears have been trying to stay afloat without star guard Matt Bradley.
A second team All-Pac12 selection last year who torched the Buffs in both meetings, Bradley has missed the past two games due to an ankle injury.
Boyle offered an injury update on his own squad on Wednesday, saying 7footer Dallas Walton is expected to miss his fifth consecutive game due to a lower leg injury, but Boyle also said he is “keeping my fingers crossed” that Walton will be available on Saturday against the Cardinal.
Backup point guard Keeshawn Barthelemy, who played just three minutes at Utah before exiting with an apparent ankle injury, will be a game-time decision.
As for Wright, he finished the game at Utah after going to the bench briefly while favoring the left shoulder that was surgically repaired after the 2018-19 season.
Boyle expressed concern about Wright during his postgame media session following the win at Utah, but said his floor general is “fine” going into Thursday’s game against Cal.
Wright goes into what will be his 112th career game with 562 career assists, the same total Humphries compiled in 112 games with the Buffs in the 1980s.
“We’re preparing as if (Bradley) is going to be in the lineup. If he’s not, he’s not,” Boyle said. “He’s obviously a big key to their team. But Cal is one of those teams that you start watching film on them, you start looking at them and see how they play and look at their players, they’re better than their record. They’re more talented than their record.”