As the wins pile up with one impressive performance after another, the bar of expectations gets raised a little higher.
The first four weeks of the season offered a revelation for the Colorado men’s basketball team. On the heels of a 21-loss season and last-place finish in the Big 12, the mixture of impact freshmen, significantly improved holdovers, and the addition of point guard transfer Barrington Hargress have altered the course of the program.
But the specter of Big 12 Conference play still looms, and the first week of December offers a new set of challenges for the new-look Buffs. The first of those unfolds on Monday night, as the Buffs host Cal Baptist at the CU Events Center.
“That’s our job as coaches. We’ve got to understand we’ve got a young team and it’s our job to get them mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally ready for Monday night,” CU head coach Tad Boyle said. “Because Cal Baptist is a good team. They’re well-coached. They’ve got good players. We can’t take anything for granted. When you start stacking wins, like we are, each game becomes more important. Not less important.
“What I want our players to understand is the game Monday night is the most important game of the season. We’ve got to approach it like that.”
Not only will the Buffs take on a Cal Baptist team that also is off to a 7-0 start, and is coming off a solid road win on Saturday at Oregon State, but the Buffs have been forced to refocus in a hurry. CU traveled home on Saturday following its two wins in Palm Desert, California, leaving just one day of preparation for Monday’s battle of unbeatens.
“We take it game-by-game,” CU sophomore forward Sebastian Rancik said. “Our record doesn’t matter going into the next game, and into the next game. We have to approach every single game the same way.”
The Buffs have a chance to make a little history against Cal Baptist, as a victory would give them their first 8-0 start in 76 years. CU has enjoyed better extended starts during the 16 seasons under Boyle, starting 10-1 in 2013-14 and 11-1 in 2015-16, but both those teams lost their opening games of the season.
Still, in the aftermath of the championship at the Acrisure Holiday Classic that featured impressive wins against San Francisco and Washington, Boyle made certain to tap the brakes on his club’s red-hot start. CU didn’t win any awards for finishing November undefeated, nor will the Buffs win anything by beginning December with the program’s first 8-0 start in 76 years.
“It’s about learning and getting better,” Boyle said. “It’s not about, hey, rest on your laurels and look at your record. It’s about improving every day, and that’s what we need to focus on. It’s still November. That’s what’s amazing. We’ve got a long way to go.”
Cal Baptist at CU Buffs men’s basketball
TIPOFF: Monday, 7 p.m., CU Events Center.
TV/RADIO: ESPN+/KOA 850 AM and 94.1 FM.
RECORDS: Cal Baptist 7-0; Colorado 7-0.
COACHES: Cal Baptist — Rick Croy, 13th season (257-128, 387-163 overall). Colorado — Tad Boyle, 16th season (319-204, 375-270 overall).
KEY PLAYERS: Cal Baptist — G Dominique Daniels Jr., 5-10, Gr. (17.8 ppg, 4.5 apg, 18-for-19 FTs); G Martel Williams, 6-3, Sr. (15.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, .440 3%); G Jayden Jackson, 6-4, Gr. (9.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg); F Devon Malcolm, 6-5, Sr. (8.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, .524 FG%); F Jonathan Griman, 6-11, Jr. (8.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, .656 FG%). Colorado — G Isaiah Johnson, 6-1, Fr. (14.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg, .574 FG%, .571 3%); F Sebastian Rancik, 6-11, So. (13.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.1 apg, .357 3%); F Bangot Dak, 7-0, Jr. (12.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg, .508 FG%); G Barrington Hargress, 6-1, R-Jr. (11.9 ppg, 5.6 apg, .548 FG%); F Alon Michaeli, 6-9, Fr. (10.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, .532 FG%); G Felix Kossaras, 6-6, So. (8.9 ppg, .579 3%); C Elijah Malone, 6-10, Gr. (8.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, .667 FG%).
NOTES: This is the first matchup between the programs. … CU has shot .472 (25-for-53) on 3-pointers over the past three games. … Cal Baptist has played the past two games without Jackson, who started the first five games of the year. … Williams went 3-for-5 on 3-pointers and scored a team-high 19 points during Cal Baptist’s win at Oregon State on Saturday. … CU hasn’t been outrebounded in any game this season, although it finished the game against San Francisco tied 35-35. … Rancik went without a rebound in CU’s season-opening win against Montana State but has averaged 6.3 in the six games since. … Dak has recorded nine blocked shots in the past four games. With 62 career blocks, Dak needs 11 more to break into the top-20 of CU’s career leaders list. … The Buffs play their only true road game of the nonconference schedule in its rivalry battle at Colorado State on Saturday (3 p.m., CBS Sports Network).