What To Watch For: Colorado

Next up, Kansas heads into what used to be affectionately known as Allen Fieldhouse West. When Colorado was still a member of the Big 12, the Jayhawks would make the annual trip to Boulder to slap around the Buffaloes a bit in front of a nearly majority Kansas crowd.

Times have changed for Colorado. Tad Boyle has done a nice job out there since he took over, and this game is certainly circled on the Buffs’ schedule. It should be a very good pro-CU crowd that the Jayhawks face as they try to bounce back from a disappointing tournament in the Bahamas. Here are some things to watch for:

1. Mason’s influence in the starting role. As you might have heard, Frank Mason will be replacing junior point guard Naadir Tharpe in the starting lineup. I think of this as more of an audition for the freshmen. A chance to see how he will fare in a competitive game on the road, but in a game where KU is also likely going to open the favorite. He must have had a great week of practice to go along with his superior play in order for Self to pull the trigger. Historically, Self is a guy that values and rewards seniority. Still, Mason gets the nod. If you read my earlier post, I argued that Mason and Embiid probably deserved to start sooner rather than later. I actually thought Embiid would be tapped first, but Self may still be worried about him picking up a cheap early foul whilst feeding off the early game adrenaline. I hope for the sake of the KU offense and defense that Mason’s energy is contagious. Maybe he is just the spark the team needs to shake off its indifferent attitude.

2. Battle inside the arc. One thing Colorado does well is defend. Neither team is a good three-point shooting squad at this point in the year, so we are probably looking at a 2-point field goal battle. Colorado only gives up 65 points per contest, which is better than Bill Self’s team. Self, of course, is really known for producing top defensive teams year in and year out. They are also superior in 2-point field goal percentage, holding teams to 45.9 percent to KU’s 48.1 percent. I still can’t believe KU is giving up nearly 50 percent on the year in the category. It will be interesting to see who can hold who to the worse shooting night. Kansas is coming off a few bad shooting games while Colorado is currently rolling on an eight game winning streak. Still, Kansas has been more effective offensively this season overall, so it’s really a toss-up.

3. Fouls. Like Kansas, Colorado fouls too much. Unlike Kansas, they don’t force teams into fouling. KU has been to the charity stripe more times and is more efficient when they get there. That is no surprise given the speed and toughness of its back court. If Kansas can be aggressive and keep the Buffaloes on their heels and in bad position throughout the game, KU should have a marked advantage in free throw points by the game’s end. That could be the difference in the ballgame. On the flip side, if Kansas gets itself into foul trouble, it may be a long afternoon.