Men’s basketball: CU Buffs begin nonconference stretch run against Pacific

In a perfect world, the Colorado men’s basketball team might have preferred a more deliberate return to normalcy following a long and intense road trip.

But the schedule inevitably marches on. And for the Buffaloes, it’s time to get back in the swing of things.

CU resumes a nonconference schedule on Monday that is barreling toward the finish line, hosting Pacific in the first matchup between the programs. The Buffs returned to Boulder on Friday morning following their trip to the Maui Invitational, where they went 1-2 while playing three top-tier games in three days — suffering one-sided losses against Michigan State and Iowa State while also defeating No. 2 UConn.

Colorado head coach Tad Boyle said he conferred with other coaches who had played in Maui previously about re-integrating into the regular routine of the schedule. While the Buffs are the heavy favorite against Pacific on paper, they are coming off a demanding road trip and can’t get caught looking ahead to a rivalry battle on Saturday against Colorado State.

In each of CU’s previous two three-game trips to Hawaii under Boyle — the Diamond Head Classic tournaments in 2014-15 and 2018-19 — the Buffs had more than a week before their next game following the trip.

“Obviously you have the calendar, so you’ve got to play games at some point,” Boyle said. “But every coach I talked to that was over here (at Maui) really warned about the next game on your schedule. They said to try to make it as distant from the trip as you can, and schedule judiciously.”

After playing the season’s first seven games in a 23-day span, the Buffs are hitting the final relative lull in the schedule ahead of the Big 12 Conference opener, which will be a rematch against Iowa State on Dec. 30. Following the Maui-closing rout against Iowa State, the Buffs play their final four nonconference games over a 31-day span.

Pacific is coming off a 64-55 home win on Saturday against Cal State Fullerton, which suffered a 30-point loss at CU on Nov. 13. The Tigers are in their first season under a new head coach, former Texas Tech assistant Dave Smart, and boast a pair of accomplished scorers in forward Elias Ralph and DePaul transfer Elijah Fisher, both of whom are averaging 17.3 points per game.

The Tigers are shooting just 28.7% on 3-pointers, but they boast an average rebound margin of plus-8.5 and have held their opponents to 68.6 points per game.

“So Monday against Pacific, guess what? They’re going to come in thinking (the Buffs) have a hangover,” Boyle said. ”They’re going to look at the Michigan State tape. They’re going to look at the Iowa State tape. They’re going to try to come in and steal a win, thinking we still have a Hawaii hangover. And if we do? They’ll beat us. That’s what our players have to understand. There’s nothing given in college basketball. You look around and you see scores in November. How did that happen? Well, it happens because some teams aren’t ready to play every time they step on the floor. Mentally, emotionally. We’d better not be one of those teams.”

Pacific Tigers at CU Buffs men’s basketball

TIPOFF: Monday, 7 p.m., CU Events Center.

TV/RADIO: ESPN+/KHOW 630 AM.

RECORDS: Pacific 5-4; Colorado 5-2.

COACHES: Pacific — Dave Smart, 1st season (5-4 at Pacific and overall Division I). Colorado — Tad Boyle, 15th season (303-185, 359-251 overall).

KEY PLAYERS: Pacific — G Elijah Fisher, 6-6, Jr. (17.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, .510 FG%); F Elias Ralph, 6-7, Sr. (17.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg, .558 FG%); G Lamar Washington, 6-4, Jr. (11.3 ppg, 7.0 apg, 4.7 rpg); G Jefferson Koulibaly, 6-3, Jr. (6.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.1 apg, .455 3%); C Jazz Gardner, 7-0, So. (5.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg, .700 FG%). Colorado — F Andrej Jakimovski, 6-8, Gr. (13.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, .361 3%); C Elijah Malone, 6-10, Gr. (12.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, .607 FG%); G Julian Hammond III, 6-2, Sr. (12.7 ppg, 3.4 apg, 2.3 rpg, .452 3%); F Trevor Baskin, 6-9, Gr. (8.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg, .556 FG%); G Javon Ruffin, 6-5, R-Jr. (7.7 ppg, 2.6 apg); G RJ Smith, 6-3, R-So. (6.3 ppg, 2.3 apg, 10-for-18 3-pointers); F Sebastian Rancik, 6-9, Fr. (5.1 ppg, 6-for-12 3-pointers).

NOTES: Pacific has played two power conference teams on the road, losing 91-72 at Arkansas on Nov. 18 before losing 91-56 at Missouri on Nov. 22. … Hammond needs eight points to reach 600 for his career. … Pacific is averaging 11.6 offensive rebounds a game and will look to exploit that mark against a Buffs club that has surrendered an average of 9.3 offensive rebounds per game. … The Buffs don’t play away from home again until the first road game in Big 12 play on Jan. 4 at Arizona State. … CU is 20-1 at home since the start of last season. … Pacific has lost 16 consecutive true road games but already has nearly matched its win total from last year’s 6-26 squad. … CU renews its state rivalry against Colorado State at home on Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN+).

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