Published Feb 26, 2022
GAME PREVIEW: No. 2 Arizona at Colorado
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Matt Moreno  •  GOAZCATS
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GAME INFO

Who: No. 2 Arizona (25-2, 15-1 Pac-12; last game: 97-77 win over Utah) at Colorado (18-10, 10-8; last game: 82-65 loss to Arizona State)

When: 6:00 p.m. MST

Where: CU Events Center | Boulder, Colorado

TV: ESPN2

Last meeting: 76-55 Arizona win (Jan. 13)

All-time series: Arizona leads 22-15

Favorite: Arizona (-10), O/U: 153

COLORADO SNAPSHOT

Head coach: Tad Boyle (12th season at Colorado | 251-153; 307-219 all time)

Preseason Pac-12 prediction: 6th place

Current Pac-12 standings: 5th place

HEAD TO HEAD: Arizona & Colorado (Pac-12 ranks)

Scoring offense: Arizona (1st/85.2 PPG) | Colorado (6th/70.1)

Scoring defense: Arizona (5th/66.2) | Colorado (6th/66.5)

Rebounding: Arizona (1st/43.2) | Colorado (5th/37.1)

Turnovers: Arizona (10th/13.6) | Colorado (11th/14.1)

Turnovers forced: Arizona (6th/13.3) | Colorado (8th/12.0)

Assists per game: Arizona (1st/20.5) | Colorado (6th/12.9)

Arizona leaders (through 27 games)
PlayerPointsReboundsAssists

Benn Mathurin

17.3

5.7

2.3

Azuolas Tubelis

15.5

6.5

2.5

Christian Koloko

12.0

7.4

1.3

Kerr Kriisa

10.4

2.6

5.0

Dalen Terry

7.5

5.1

4.1

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

Arizona is set to close out its final road weekend of the regular season Saturday evening at a place it has had some struggles in recent years. The Wildcats have won just twice in CU Events Center since 2012 and have not earned a victory in Boulder in exactly seven years.

The last UA win at Colorado came on Feb. 26, 2015 when the Wildcats were able to take down the Buffaloes by a wide 82-54 margin thanks to a balanced attack led by 15 points from Stanley Johnson.

The other Arizona in on the road at Colorado during the last 10 years came in 2014 when the Wildcats dominated the Buffs in an 88-61 win behind 23 points from Aaron Gordon.

The common thread with both teams is that they each made deep runs in the NCAA Tournament.

This year's team hopes to do the same in the first season under head coach Tommy Lloyd, and the Wildcats can wrap up the regular season Pac-12 title with a win plus some help Saturday night.

If the Wildcats are able to earn the victory in Boulder, they will earn at least a share of the conference title. However, if that happens plus USC loses to Oregon on the road in Eugene, then the Wildcats will earn the outright regular season title and the No. 1 seed in next month's Pac-12 Tournament.

Should that happen it would be the 17th time Arizona has secured the conference's regular season title since joining the league in 1978.

WHO TO KNOW

F Jabari Walker (stats vs. ASU: 12 points (3-9 FGs), 7 rebounds, 3 turnovers)

The California native heads into Saturday's game as the leading scorer for Colorado averaging nearly a double-double with 14.4 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game this season. Walker did not have an efficient shooting night Thursday against Arizona State, but he still managed to finish second with 12 points in the loss for the Buffaloes. The versatile 6-foot-9 forward leads the team with 21 steals this season and is second with 17 blocks overall.

F Evan Battey (stats vs. ASU: 13 points (4-10 FGs), 4 rebounds, 2 turnovers)

Another forward from California for the Buffaloes is the senior who has been through plenty of battles with the Wildcats over the course of his career. Battey is second on the team in scoring entering Saturday's matchup with the Wildcats as he is currently averaging 11.7 points to go with 4.5 rebounds. He finished Thursday's game versus the Sun Devils with a team-high 13 points and as one of three players to end the loss in double-figures for CU. The 6-foot-8 forward scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds in the first meeting with UA this season.

MATCHUP TO WATCH

The point guard matchup will be a key battle Saturday night in Boulder. Arizona's Kerr Kriisa is coming off an outstanding performance in a win over Utah as he finished the night with the program's first triple-double since 2004. Kriisa hit seven 3-pointers in the win over the Utes and finished with 10 rebounds and 10 assists as he continues to hit his stride at the right time in the season. On the other side is a familiar face.

Colorado guard KJ Simpson planned on attending Arizona and playing for the Wildcats at one point, but when the coaching transition happened in Tucson he ended up making the move to Colorado before stepping foot on campus at UA. Simpson is the reigning Pac-12 Freshman of the Week, and he has become a key piece of the Buffaloes in his freshman season.

Simpson led the Buffaloes with 17 points in the first meeting between the two teams while Kriisa dished out 10 assists to go with two points and two rebounds in that first matchup.

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