3 Keys for Colorado Basketball to upset UCLA Bruins in Pac-12 matchup
Get back to basics!
Part of the reason the Colorado Buffaloes are only one game above .500 is that they have not done a great job of doing the little things that translate into victories. In the words of the legendary former Coach of the UCLA Bruins “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”
In the case of the Buffaloes, the little things they need to pay extra attention to are taking care of the basketball, making their free throws and knocking down open shots. Although the team features a multitude of players who experienced both the Pac-12 Tournament and the NIT last season, they have appeared rattled at times and have been careless with the basketball. So far this season, the Buffaloes are averaging 13.4 turnovers per game. A comparison to their next opponent is all it takes to get an idea of how egregious this is. The Bruins are averaging 10.3 turnovers per game as a team, which is significantly less and a big part of the reason their record is significantly better.
The Buffaloes are also a below-average free-throw shooting team this season. The team is shooting a collective 69.4 percent from the charity stripe this season. If the Buffaloes want to beat the best team in the nation this trend of poor free throw shooting cannot continue. That means they are leaving a lot of free points off of their final score each and every game. Coaches often strive for their teams to shoot 75 percent or higher from the free throw line as a team. This season in college basketball, all of the Top 50 free throw shooting teams in the country are shooting 75.1 percent or better.
Similar to the team’s free throw shooting woes, the Buffaloes are also making field goal attempts at a less-than-ideal rate. The team is shooting 43.4 percent from the field overall and 31.3 percent from 3-point range. Neither of these statistics put them among the leaders in the Pac-12. If they want to pull off an upset against the UCLA Bruins, Colorado must take care of the basketball, capitalize on opportunities at the free throw line and make open shots. Otherwise, it will be a long night in front of their hometown fans.