Buffs’ da Silva is Pac-12 Player of the Week
BROOKLYN, N.Y. >>
It wasn’t as if Tristan da Silva quickly served notice this particular game away from home would be different.
In fact, although he had other decent numbers at halftime, at that point it looked as if Colorado’s senior forward was on his way to another frustrating shooting day outside the CU Events Center.
But then da Silva caught fire, and the Buffs followed his lead.
After nearly joining an exclusive club that counts only Chauncey Billups among its members in CU Buffs men’s basketball lore while leading a key win against Miami, da Silva on Monday was named the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week.
Da Silva nearly joined Billups as the only CU players to post a triple-double in points, rebounds and assists after finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in a 90-63 win against the Hurricanes in Brooklyn, N.Y.
It is da Silva’s second career Pac-12 weekly honor and his first this season. The Buffaloes also nearly rejoined the Associated Press top 25 on Monday, finishing as the top team among others receiving votes, 31 points behind No. 25 Northwestern.
Miami dropped nine spots to No. 24, while the Buffs jumped from No. 60 to No. 37 in Monday’s NET rankings.
“I feel like we saw what we could do. It was just a matter of going out and doing it,” da Silva said. “Focusing on defense, getting turnovers, and then sprinting in transition and getting easy shots. Sharing the ball, playing together. That’s when we are at our best.”
Da Silva entered the Miami game averaging 15.5 points but just 11.3 in CU’S previous three games away from home. Da Silva also sported an 0-for-12 mark on 3-pointers away from home that grew to 0-for-17 early in the second half against Miami.
At halftime, da Silva was just 2-for-7 overall and 0-for-4 on 3-pointers, although he had seven rebounds and five assists. He finally broke the 3-point drought during CU’S game-breaking 19-4 run in the second half and went 7-for-10 with 18 of his 22 points after halftime.
It was the third doubledouble of da Silva’s career.
“I think it gives our guys a lot of confidence,” Boyle said of the da Silva-led second half in Brooklyn. “Because Miami is a good basketball team, a good basketball program. So, I think confidence is a big thing. Our guys believed. We’ve got a competitive group. I’ve known that from the beginning. But this makes that Florida State loss sting even more. There’s nothing we can do about that. If I
had to say it in one word, it would be confidence — in the system, in the offense, and what we’re preaching defensively. To see when they do the things we’re talking about, success happens.”
The Buffs were off on Monday after returning home from New York, and will begin three days of practice on Tuesday ahead of a Friday night home game against Northern Colorado (6 p.m., Pac-12 Network). It has been an inconsistent run through the nonconference slate, with the Buffs left to lament a neutralcourt loss against a Florida
State team three weeks ago that has since gone 0-3. But the Miami win has a chance to become the result that gives the Buffs a much-needed confidence boost away from home.
“It’s huge,” point guard KJ Simpson said. “It shows that we can play no matter where. We’re playing real good and comfortable at home, but away is where I’ve been trying to stress to this team to get going. In order to be a good, deep team toward the end of the season, even though it’s a long ways, we have to learn to play the same way home and away.”