After an impressive finish to the season for Colorado basketball the Buffs now look on to bigger stakes. Could this team still have a shot at a ticket to the Big Dance? Colorado finished the season at 20-10 by winning their last 7 of 8 games. Their only losses were against Oregon and Arizona State in the month of February.
The road to the NCAA Tournament will not be an easy one for Tad Boyle’s men. Though they do have 20 wins and are fourth in the Pac-12, they are still not even on the bubble for a bid. In the NET rankings Colorado only lands at 75. Beating No. 2 Arizona was huge for them, but losing against a team like Arizona State so deep in the season is going to hurt them.
The sure bet is to win the Pac-12 tournament. It is most likely the only way they get in. To even have a chance at an at-large the Buffs would have to at least get to the Championship game. Winning only one will not cut it. The NCAA does not give at as many at-large Pac-12 bids as other conferences. This year they are only projected to get three.
With a first round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament they will face the winner of Oregon vs. Oregon State on Thursday. Whoever wins that matchup will then move on to play top seeded Arizona in the semifinals. A team Colorado just upset in a big way. Do they have it in them to do it twice?
Even if they do upset Arizona for a second time they would still be on the bubble. Wildcat wins are great for them, but they did lose against some low-end teams this year, and thanks to COVID missed out on big games that would have upped their stock in the eyes of the NCAA. But to get into the Big Dance Colorado will have to get to the title game and win it all to leave nothing left in doubt. Getting in at-large bid just for beating Arizona is still a slim shot, but a shot.
Should the Buffs lose out in the Pac-12 Tournament there is a great probability they will be a high seed for the NIT Tournament, and play at least one or two games in Boulder if they at least win one game. If they win nothing they’ll be on the road, and if they have two wins in the Pac-12 tourney they could see 2 home games at home. So that still is something Colorado fans can look look forward to.
By game time Thursday in Las Vegas the Colorado will be heavily rested and ready to take on one of the Oregon teams. They are 1-1 against Oregon this season due to Covid-19 they missed two opportunities to play the Ducks, and 2-0 against Oregon State. After a stellar end to the season they will look on in high in confidence ready to prove that they belong in with the best of the Pac-12.