Buffs’ offense earning passing marks
Team sits high in several categories
The game always has been about defense and rebounding for the Colorado men’s basketball team under Tad Boyle.
It still is. Yet for the first time since the first of Boyle’s 14 seasons at CU, the Buffaloes boast an offense that ranks among the best in the nation.
With nonconference play winding down and the start of the Buffs’ final Pac-12 Conference schedule less than three weeks away, the lofty early numbers are certain to level out to an extent. Nonetheless, CU goes into Friday’s home date against Northern Colorado (6 p.m., Pac-12 Network) among elite company nationally in several offensive categories.
Not that the Buffs are satisfied, despite coming off their most impressive win of the season on Sunday against Miami.
“Even (Tuesday) at practice, we were working on stuff we can improve on,” CU’S J’vonne Hadley said. “You can always get better. But that (Miami win) is a good example of a textbook example of the five-out (offense). But you can always get better. Sometimes you miss open things and we’re trying to perfect those.”
Through Monday’s games, Colorado ranked in the top 10 nationally in field goal percentage (.525, fifth), 3-point percentage (.409, eighth) and free throw percentage (.789, 10th). CU also ranked 12th in assists per game (18.4) and was tied for 27th in scoring (84.4).
The Buffs have shot at least .500 in seven of nine games (hitting at least 52% in all seven) after hitting 50% in just seven of 35 games last year. CU goes into Friday’s game against UNC having hit at least 50% in four consecutive games for the first time since the first few weeks of January 2010.
“The spacing was great. The cutting was great,” Boyle said of the effort against Miami. “I thought our reads and ballscreens were great. Eddie (Lampkin) was really active in terms of giving us a presence inside. Our decision-making was good as well. That’s how it’s supposed to look. I think we’re in the top 10 in the country in field goal percentage, 3-point percentage and free throw percentage. That’s a testament to our players.”