Tag Archives: Andre Roberson

Six thoughts on Five Days of Pac Hoops

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This first week of the college basketball season has really moved fast as we’re already going to have a new number one team and I’ve already completely written off Stanford’s season and proposed trading Washington State. It’s gonna be a good one.

Here’s a few observations from close-to-the-first week:

What if this really is Richard Solomon? And Ty Wallace?

Through just two games the big Bear has grabbed 26 rebounds. Maybe that’s not sustainable but I’ve long touted the necessity of his improvement for Cal to be a frightening contender. They’ve got the pieces to contend but to strike fear? That’s Solomon’s job. What’s more is he’s committed just four fouls in those two games. It’s obviously early but these are auspicious signs for Monty’s front court. And Ty Wallace is 18/5/4.

BUT OREGON SUSPENDS DOMINIC ARTIS AND BEN CARTER!

Old news, yes, but then Johnathan Loyd missed no shots, turned no balls over, and assisted on seven buckets as the Ducks beat JOSH SMITH’S Hoyas. I’ve said it a few times now but Oregon is the only team that could survive this suspension. They have more guards than jersey combinations. We ultimately, however, have no idea what Carter is going to bring to the table. Would he have helped to stop Josh Smith? Probably, but the front court will continue to be a place to focus for the Ducks as they shoot their way through these suspensions.

Tony Parker’s development at UCLA:

Luc and I agree that UCLA’s ceiling is primarily dependent on this kid’s development. He allows the Wear family to become role players and that’s what they are: very good role players. Tony Parker could be a star and if he is, Jordan Adams is going to rain Manna from heaven and it’s rumored that Kyle Anderson would shave. Here are Tony’s two stat lines:

  • vs. Drexel: 20min, 3-6 FG, 6pts, 5rbs, 1blk, 4fls
  • vs. Oakland: 34 min, 10-12 FG, 21pts, 12rbs, 3blks, 3fls

I’m going to conclude that Tony Parker plays his best basketball when he’s on the court. Fair? Keep him out of foul trouble and the Bruins just might have the big man they’ve coveted to open the floor for Adams threes and Wear jumpers. Going to elaborate on this one later.

You should probably get used to this:

And these dunklights:

The new starter

Much ado about Colorado’s returning of four starters. It’s a nicety for any team and a recipe for high expectations. They lost Andre Roberson who is actually averaging 2 rebounds a game for the Buffaloes this season despite not playing a game or even being eligible. But keep an eye on his replacement, Wesley Gordon. He’s a thick athlete (6’9″ 225lbs) and is swiftly putting up competitive numbers: 11 points, 8 rebounds. There’s a team-wide learning curve but those things tend to flatten out when there’s talent around. Wesley Gordon’s pretty talented.

 

Grant Jerrett Left Arizona, Now Considered for Cash

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The first things Rece Davis had to say about the 40th pick and the Portland  Trailblazers’ selection of Jerrett were surrounding his choice to declare and his lack of a neck. Bill Simmons remained distraught over his Celtics’ recent trade and dismissed the selection all together.

Grant Jerrett’s NBA career was off to a glowing start.

And then late – while I was researching Andre Roberson’s prospects as a member of the Thunder – I discovered the Arizona dropout was acquired by Roberson’s guaranteed team for “cash considerations.” Whether Jerrett feels he needed quick rationale to validate leaving Tucson is beyond me. I’d hope such validation comes in the form of on-court production. “Cash considerations,” however, won’t soon help his cause.

But maybe the Thunder – who even bothered to yield dollar bills for the kid – see something we don’t. After all, this is the franchise that has traded away the likes of James Harden and Jeff Green and remains a perennial power. They recognized Serge Ibaka at the back of the draft and took heat for selecting Russell Westbrook and Harden as high as they did (how’d that work out?).

So Jerrett joins – or at least has a fighting chance to – the Thunder. Jay Bilas spent much of the draft lead-up referencing wingspan and length and between their two new Pac-12ers, OKC has found such. Roberson measures in at 6’7″ with 6’11” wings while Jerrett touts 6’9″ and 7’2″. Effing condors.

[Insert something about hand size here]

Of course those are the facts on Grant. He’s tall, he’s long, he has advanced footwork and a nice touch. He can shoot a lick. Or at least he can do all of this in an empty gym. He’s perhaps unique to this draft in that he really hasn’t played a ton of basketball. And what “high level” basketball he has played, he’s produced just 5ppg and 3rpg. I compared that to the projected draft upon his declaration to find the average draft pick was putting up 16/6.

But this is why Sam Presti is paid for his job.

The Oklahoma City Thunder made their futures bet with whatever wealth of knowledge they held on Grant Jerrett and the confidence of previously successful evaluations. They also don’t have to give Jerrett a single thing. They’re only on the financial hook to the Trailblazers. Or at least they’re considering it.

It’s game time for Grant.

Andre Roberson is About to Thunder Up

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For three seasons in Boulder Andre Roberson did nothing but grab rebounds and defend. Thursday night, the talents he’s been showing off at the Coors Event Center went recognized as first round worthy. The 6’7” athlete was picked twenty-sixth and will suit up for the Oklahoma City Thunder this upcoming season. He was the third Pac-12 player selected in the first round.

NOTE: I’M NOT ENTIRELY SURE AND NOT BOTHERING TO GOOGLE WHETHER OR NOT “THUNDER UP” IS AN ACTUAL OKC PHRASE. OK, TURNS OUT IT IS BECAUSE I DID GOOGLE IT AND THE FIRST SEARCH RESULT IS THIER NBA SITE.

For Roberson, the pick has to come as somewhat of a surprise as many draft boards did not include the CU departed.

For Colorado fans, the pick may come as no surprise considering they watched the young man lock up each of the Pac’s other draftees. Which is exactly the versatile and dynamic talent that NBA teams – particularly ones set in their scoring – need in order to succeed.

One needs to look no further than the success of Kawhi Leonard who found his way into the Spurs’ lineup by defending and boarding (Roberson qualities), while letting the offense come to him as it may.

Alas, this helter-skelter draft is full of “the next Kawhis” but as it were, it seems Andre has a very good shot at legitimately becoming such. The Thunder clearly have a scoring nucleus and could greatly benefit from the defensive versatility Roberson could provide. What’s more: HOLY-BIG-LENGTHY-ATHLETIC-LINEUP, BATMAN! I mean seriously, imagine a lineup of Westbrook, Martin, Roberson, Durant, and Ibaka. Sounds like a dunk contest.

I’ve long been a Roberson fan and I’ll continue to be as he heads to Chesapeake Energy.

Thunder up.

NBA Draft: Andre Roberson the Glue Guy

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In a draft lacking star power, value is to be sought. And as we often think of value as bang-for-our-buck, GMs will need to deeply examine their needs and pick accordingly. Selecting talent for the sake of talent is not an option this year.

Andre Roberson, Colorado’s versatile forward and only player in school history with a whole lot of every type of stat, would seem to be the type of talent to do exactly that.

He declared late in the declaration process and I discussed that and other components of Dre’s draft prospects over at AllBuffs. You can read that article here.

He’s the quintessential glue guy and might actually have the best long-term prospects amongst any of the similarly sized and skilled Pac-12 players in this year’s draft. The defensive side is not in question and the versatility he offers there will get him on the floor. It will then boil down to whether or not he can develop a consistent jumper. He can get is garbage buckets (BIRDMANBIRDMAN) but to get regular tick and a lucrative contract, he’s going to have to hit the corner three.

He’ll need to bulk up a touch as well, it’s a physical damn league.

This is the first in some sporadic draft coverage I’m doing across a few different platforms. I’ll post to the others as they come up on The Pac-12 Post and PacificTakes.

And, as I mentioned, there are a lot of like-sized players amongst this Pac-12 class of possible draftees and so I apologize in advance for any and all Kawhi Leonard references. He’s just now become the easiest damn comparison for the exact type of player who boards and plays defense and learns to shoot and goes straight to becoming Bruce Bowen before ever thinking they could ever be MJ.

Oh, and bear in mind that Kawhi Leonard didn’t have an offer from either USC or UCLA. He’s a Riverside native.

OK OK! That was a cheap shot considering the entire 2009 class projected to be Leonard-types with Moser, Honeycutt, and Nelson on-boarding and all of whom projected as better prospects in HS. But it’s still interesting to play the look-what-you-missed game.

Lessons from Basketball Kid

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I watched a video posted to the Facebook by a good friend of mine. The poster played some college basketball and shares a passion for the game as many of us do; which is to say the video came from a trusted hoops source.

Here it is:


Unbridled joy for a simple game. And this doesn’t need to be basketball specific. I’m sure we could find Baseball Kid, Soccer Kid, Tennis Kid, Hide-n-Seek Kid, Imaginary Friend Kid, or any of an assortment of other kids so damn fired up about something they’ll suggest taping a cheetah to grandma’s back. But Basketball Kid helped with perspective; that this is a game and it is one that we love.

I mean, Adam made a shot while playing defense!

And while that’s a remarkable feat in and of itself, I want for us to be reminded that Andre Roberson was once Basketball Kid, too. He just wanted to play. After all, how much do you have to love hoops to play defense and rebound? Today he’s taking heat for trying to play, once and for all, at the highest level.

Grant Jerrett, too. Taking heat for the dream.

And I’m simplifying this stuff. I’m breaking it down to the easiest level of comprehension because deep down I want to be so naive that I think every competition I watch is a celebration of sport.

It’s why I had to look away during The Fab Five as they showed each of Chris Webber’s two long walks down that longest of corridors. I don’t care how much money he did or did not take from Ed Martin, that was Basketball Kid. He cared and he was genuinely hurt.

Perhaps the decisions of Roberson and Jerrett are misguided. Maybe they’re not setting themselves up for success but that’s not the point as they seek to fulfill their professional aspirations. Because if they really do have enough Basketball Kid in them, they’re going to be just fine.

Yes, I choose to be naive in these moments of perceived greed or self-interest because we’re not privy to the inner-workings of such a decision. Because we’re not far enough removed from One Shining Moment and because it’s not November yet.

Sure, the stakes are a touch higher than enjoying the swing set by your house, but Adam’s closing words ring true, “I love basketball.”

Well Adam, Grant and Andre do as well.

And me too, buddy.

The Dancing Colorado Buffaloes

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The Buffs are playing in back-to-back NCAA tournaments for the first time since the ice ages. This is an impressive feat by Tad Boyle and his staff and kudos to them. Amongst all of the contenders in the conference to jump into that upper echelon of programs, Colorado was amongst the least likely but don’t tell Tad that. They’re right there as one of the toughest outs. The team they’re dancing with this year has some terrifying pieces that I believe few staffs out there want to prepare for. I mean – as I’m about to get in to – who wants to deal with a 6’6″ point guard? And we’re not talking about Cedric Bozeman.

Why I like them: At this point, who doesn’t like Spencer Dinwiddie? He gets to the rim with ease and draws fouls at faster rate than Marshall Henderson draws haters (17th highest FT rate in the nation). His game is supported by the best role player in the nation in Andre Roberson who may be underrated but certainly not on this blog. I’m also becoming an increasingly big fan of CU’s X-factor, Xavier Johnson. He brings energy and size off the wing that the Buffs miss with Chen on the floor. He’s definitely a difference maker as it’s no surprise they roll when he’s on.

Why I don’t like them: They’re young. Oh so very young and it shows in their inconsistent play. The roll Oregon then lose to Oregon State. They have some great, convincing wins but some frustrating and discouraging losses. Which team will show up in Austin?

Poetic Justice: The Buffs manage to knock off fellow enigmatic-crew, Illinois, and advance to the second round for the second straight year. Facing a very tough and veteran Miami squad, the Buffaloes manage to linger til the waning moments. Down a pair and with the ball, the clock swiftly approaching zeros, Sabatino Chen heaves a three. It drops. Monitors are not reviewed. Buffs to their first Sweet 16 in half of a century.

Best Case Scenario: The Buffs play their sound style of defense and out B1G the Illini. Spencer Dinwiddie indeed gets to the line because Illinois has a propensity to do such defensively. Roberson boards the hell out of the offensive end alongside Josh Scott and they Buffs roll. Against Miami, the Buffs tap their inner, youthful naivety while the veteran ‘Canes lock up under the pressure and immediacy of their fleeting careers. Dinwiddie has an OK game but disrupts Shane Larkin enough to spark offense from defense and awkward-body, Kenny Kadji, has a horrible game with P12 dPOY, Andre Roberson, all over him. The Buffaloes advance – as I said – to their first Sweet 16 since 1963 to face the once again Cinderella Butler Bulldogs. Well this time it’s Askia’s time to shine as he out Rotnei Clarke’s Rotnei Clarke and shoots the Buffs into the E8. The Elite Eight. But this is the unfortunate part of our story where the Buffs run into the Indiana Hoosiers and their depth of talent Colorado just can’t contend with. It’s a glorious run and Tad Boyle kills another bear.

The Pac-12 Awards as Voted On By You

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Before we dive too far down this rabbit hole, let’s look at the actual results from the Conference HQ:

  • POY: Crabbe
  • COY: Altman
  • dPOY: Roberson
  • FOY: Carson/Muhammad

No major surprises and that’s a formidable list. I was surprised by the co-FOY awarding but not that shocked considering ASU’s current four game skid compared to UCLA’s outright ‘ship. Alas, all were great.

AwardsP12

Perhaps my favorite part of the lists was the damn depth up and down the All-Conference teams. I’d be pretty stoked to go to battle with that Honorable Mention crew: Jio, Arsalan, Nelson, Washburn, Wise. Damn.

But back to you, the voters. Here is what you came up with:

  • POY: Dinwiddie (174 votes)
  • COY: The Field (11 votes)
  • FOY: Scott (15 votes)
  • dPOY: Roberson (38 votes)

Well it looks like a Colorado sweep. Kudos to that crew and the virality of the web and the depth of fandom from that crew. Sincerely a dedicated group.

But while this list drips with homerdom, it’s worth noting that these Buffaloes are a force to be reckoned with. They’re scary with that talent and should he stay another year, Spencer Dinwiddie could be a legitimate POY candidate.

And again, I can’t say I agree that Josh Scott or Tad Boyle are their respective “of the year” winners, I’ll most certainly hat tip the talent.

Boyle, in short order, has proven his proven his mettle as a program changing and developing leader. Josh Scott has proven similar. He’s been the consistent man in the middle, helping to spread the floor and keep defenses honest. Josh Scott has been great.

But not Shabazz or Carson-great. And Boyle’s work was sound but I’m inclined to say Dana Altman did more with less. I was really impressed with his work this season. Alas, these are the fun awards. The one’s built for discussion and mantles that make us feel good about the accomplishments of the teams, players, and coaches we support.

My favorite awards are the ones that hang in rafters.

Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year: A VOTE!

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The Pac has definitely taken a turn for the defensive considering the days past. In 2001-02, the Pac-10 had seven of it’s teams scoring more than 73.1ppg. Today that number is just two, and they barely eclipse that mark.

So yeah, it’s a big deal to be named the Pac-12 dPOY in a day and age when defense is becoming central to the changing western style.

The candidates (and there are some good ones):

Andre Roberson, PF, Colorado

RobersonBoards

Here’s a dude I recently saw Seth Davis call the most underrated in the nation. I’m not exactly sure if this is a good distinction or not and Isn’t calling him underrated sorta like rating him? Alas, his play stands for itself. We’ve watched this dude defend the spectrum of sizes and shapes and he’s taken all comers. His length is something to behold. Many still feel he was a major snub from last year’s dPOY during the Jorge farewell tour, further adding to the underrated dialogue. Whatever you want to call it, this guy can lock down.

  • 11.5 rpg (1st in nation), 2.3 spg (25th in nation), 1.4 bpg
  • 27.7 DR% (4th in nation)
  • 4.1 Steal% (41st in nation)
  • 4.4 Block%

Arsalan Kazemi, PF, Oregon

KazemiDPOY

From the moment I saw Kazemi take the court, I was impressed with his rebound timing. I watched him elevate as others were being sucked down by gravity along with the ball. But the Iranian-born kid was going up, a position of strength, to capture that ball. To secure it. And he did. Like really well, amongst many other things. As the argument was made for him is POY, Kazemi has done a bit of it all and well.

  • 9.9 rpg (18th in nation), 2.2 spg (28th in nation)
  • 29.2 DR% (1st in nation)
  • 4.4 Steal% (29th in nation)
  • 2.2 Block% 

Josh Huestis, PF, Stanford

HuestisDPOY

Look, this is a two man race, but I wanted to be sure to include the athletic guy with a fro because he’s pretty darned good, too.

  • 9.3 rpg, 2bpg
  • 21.5 DR%
  • 6.0 Block%

The Field

DinFelJohn

Nick Johnson, Carrick Felix, Spencer Dinwiddie

 

Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year

  • Andre Roberson (84%, 38 Votes)
  • The Field (9%, 4 Votes)
  • Arsalan Kazemi (7%, 3 Votes)
  • Josh Huestis (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 45

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Pac-12 Player of the Year: A VOTE!

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Criteria for such an award are oft debated: Is it the best player? The most valuable player? The most impactful? What’s the breakdown of numbers vs. intangibles vs. wins? In the real world, the award is voted on by the coaches and sometimes they do things like award it to Jorge Gutierrez (career achievement?). Sean Miller recently said Larry Drew II would be his pick for POY. Against Arizona, Drew2 is averaging 11 points and 9 assists and is a convincing 2-0. Against everyone else it’s 7/7. So there’s that.

Whatever the case, it often boils down to a gut check; a conglomerate of components that make up a POY ripe for discussion, criticism, and debate.

To help you in determining the winner, I’ve pieced together my ideas of the top candidates with some of their numbers and of course left you a write in vote. Of note, the “Big Game Numbers (BGN)” are the players ppg/rpg/apg against the conference’s top four teams (Oregon, UCLA, Arizona, Cal).

Alas, without further ado and without prefacing much by way of candidate qualifications, the Candidates:

Allen Crabbe, G, California

AllenCrabbePOY

[Note: Open Crabbe snipped with shoving joke]. OK, that’s out of the way so we can get to his ears? Double joke fail? Crabbe has filled the tin with the best of them and been Monty’s rock all season long. He’s the safest pick amongst the field as he’s been the best player on a top team. His performance in Tucson (31/7/5 on 12-15 shooting) was likely the best game of the year.

  • 18.5 ppg , 6rpg, 2.6 apg
  • 109.6 ORtg (11) , 25.2% possessions used
  • 22.8 PER
  • 5.3 win shares
  • BGN: 18.6/4.3/2.6 (4-1)

Jahii Carson, PG, Arizona State

JahiiCarsonPOY

Please advice that the following is all nice things about Jahii Carson, alert his mother. ASU waited a long time (year plus) for this kid and he proved worth the wait. The native Phoenician has been a program changer (10 wins in 2011-12, 20 wins in 2012-13) in leading the Devils onto the NCAA bubble conversation (at least for more than a hot second). I have big respect for the effect he’s had on this program, but winning has got to count for something (a lower half finish ain’t great).

  • 17.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 5 apg
  • 102.0 ORtg, 28.6% possessions used
  • 19.0 PER
  • 3.5 win shares
  • BGN: 17.6/4.2/4.3 (2-3)

Shabazz Muhammad, SF, UCLA

ShabazzMuhammadPOY

Up in the air whether this guy would ever play in Westwood, he finally debuted in Brooklyn – adjacent the home of NBA headquarters; perhaps telling of the Gucci wearing small forward’s intentions. Alas, once both the hype and Shabazz settled, he proved one helluva basketball player. Similar to Crabbe, Bazz is susceptible to the mono-dimensional critique, yet another best-player-on-a-top team argument can be made for his candidacy.

  • 18.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 0.9 apg
  • 108.9 ORtg, 28.1% possessions used
  • 23.0 PER
  • 3.1 win shares
  • BGN: 16/5.8/1 (3-2)

Spencer Dinwiddie, PG, Colorado

SpencerDinwiddiePOY

Big guards cause havoc and The Mayor is no different. And he rocks a swag ‘stache. He’s a dynamic force on the offensive end, commanding the floor and getting in the lane at will, while defensively he’s capable of locking down smaller guards – which is generally most of them. And he rocks a swag ‘stache. The Buffs haven’t had quite the conference season they expected but they should be dancing in March and Dinwiddie is a major part of that. And he rocks a swag ‘stache.

  • 15.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.0 apg
  • 115.9 ORtg, 23.8% possessions used
  • 22.9 PER
  • 4.8 win shares
  • BGN: 14.4/2.6/3.8 (2-3)

Arsalan Kazemi, PF, Oregon

ArsalanKazemiPOY

Like Muhammad, this guy’s eligibility was in question. Unlike the Bruin, however, Kazemi was never seen in a cutesy satchel (no more backpack jokes); just a dirty stache (no more ‘stache jokes). Kazemi joined the Ducks and quickly started doing a lot of everything for them. He undoubtedly embodies the concept of guy that does the dirty work but that’s just what the Ducks needed. And he’s done it well. The following won’t WOW you until you get to the efficiency stuff. Wow.

  • 9.4 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 1.3 apg
  • 121.2 ORtg, 16.3% possessions used
  • 25.3 PER
  • 5.1 win shares
  • BGN: 9.8/10.8/.8 (2-2)

Solomon Hill, SF, Arizona

SolomonHillPOY

In a surprisingly long lineage of point-forwards at Arizona, Hill has endured the strangest of times at Arizona. But he’s done so to blossom into a tremendous talent and one that’s deserving of mention in such a candidacy. The data isn’t about to overwhelm you, but watch a game or two and the talent just may.

  • 13.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.7 apg
  • 112.9 ORtg, 21.6% possessions used
  • 20.2 PER
  • 4.3 win shares
  • BGN: 14.8/6/2.8 (0-4)

The Field

POYCandidates

Andre Roberson (11/12/2), CJ Wilcox (17/4/2), Carrick Felix (14/8/2), Roberto Nelson (18/3/2), Brock Motum (18/6/1)

Pac-12 Player of the Year

  • Spencer Dinwiddie (55%, 174 Votes)
  • Allen Crabbe (35%, 110 Votes)
  • Shabazz Muhammad (4%, 13 Votes)
  • Arsalan Kazemi (3%, 9 Votes)
  • The Field (3%, 8 Votes)
  • Solomon Hill (1%, 3 Votes)
  • Jahii Carson (0%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 318

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Week 4 Pac-12 Hoops Review

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For the record, know that I could care less about Shabazz’s Gucci backpack. For starters, I’m not a backpack guy. That’s not to say I don’t like them, but exorbitant spending on a carrying device that effuses the appearance of a middle-school seems an unworthy purchase to me. I still use the backpack I used from the first day of sixth grade. I mean, there was a Trapper Keeper in that thing. Whatever Shabazz had in his – more than likely just channeling his inner KD35 – I’m not concerned and I certainly don’t care about how he got it. I’ll let that be worried about by the NCAA and whatever investigative abilities they may or may not have. Go for it fellas! Because I’m really more concerned with UCLA’s crowning victory parade ending in a Tempe meltdown. No bueno there and while I think it might say more about ASU, it certainly wasn’t a good luck for the Bruins who looked mighty good in Tucson. Alas, maybe the backpack is telling of where the focus is in Westwood.

Leader in the Clubhouse: An utter no brainer here, the Oregon Ducks just keep stockpiling wins like its football season or something. I love how deeply ingrained this team is in playing the style their coach wants them to. They systematically beat you and that’s why they managed to eek out yet another W despite losing Dominic Artis. And they’re deep, too. On Wednesday night, Altman saw his second group mount a bit of a comeback against the Cougars in the first half. That group cut an eight point deficit to three. And then he subbed four new bodies in. Arizona is the only other team that can do that in the Pac-12. When you can throw that many looks at people, it makes you defensively vicious. I mean, look at the UCLA-ASU box score. Not one starter played less than 30 minutes. That’s unsustainable and a truth the Ducks will never have to deal with. And EJ’s heating up.

GotW: Felt like a lot blow outs this weekend, some demons being shaken free. My gut would suggest that the Oregon-Washington game was the GotW but any event that displays 44 combined turnovers cannot be consider the best of anything. Maybe the best of the worst, I don’t know. I did catch that USC-ASU game that went to OT and featured a whole heckuva lotta points. Somewhere KO sipped (slugged?) his JD-rocks and thought, “A team once coached by me nearly yielded a century mark?” Alas, JT Terrell gets to play free and loose and it showed as he and Jio hit big threes in the closing ticks. Fun game.

Biggest Loser: I really do not like what I’ve been seeing from Cal. I think Allen Crabbe is tremendous but one player does not a team with effort and discipline make. Justin Cobbs was quickly taken out of his game in the first half in Colorado and that essentially spelled the rest of his night. Sure he got his late but at that point the Buffs were heels up sipping fine scotch and curious whether or not they were going to hit up the slopes in Park City before or after their trip to Utah next week. Cal looked disinterested and out of sorts and wildly dependent on the successes of Crabbe and Cobbs. Bad recipe.

What We Learned: The Buffs are back. They played their kind of ball and took the Bay Area to task. Final scores aside, Colorado finally started scoring some buckets. Is Xavier Johnson for reals? I know he’s not going to drop double-doubles on the weekly but his 11/3 effort Thursday was exactly what this group needed from someone not named Booker, Dinwiddie, or Scott. Also, 20 rebounds is so much. The next step will be in observing the sustainability of this O as the slump they were in was significantly long. Did they just catch fire or is this real deal? I’m leaning towards the latter. I told BuffsNation about it, too (amongst other weekend wrap up items). But in all honesty, I don’t know if too much was grossly revealed by this weekend’s games. UCLA exposed Arizona as lacking a scoring threat on the post and that just because there is immense size in Kaleb Tarczewski, he isn’t yet the type where teams scheme against him, opening things up for Arizona’s dynamic guards. Grant Jerrett is becoming more assertive about getting into the blocks but isn’t quite there yet. At the end of the day, however, your team is generally pretty well suited to feature two such players. It’s going to be OK in Tucson.

The YouTuber: This video was brought to my attention and I can’t get enough of it. I don’t know if it’s the fact that a 6’9″ 270lbs man tackles someone absurdly unprepared to take a tackle from a 6’9″ 270lbs man or the shot. Dude should get blindfold credit.