The 2023 calendar year is coming to an end and the Colorado men’s basketball team is finishing things off with a New Year’s Eve game against Washington State at home.
The Buffs just defeated Washington at home on Friday in their final Pac-12 Conference opener before moving to the Big 12, and it was KJ Simpson who stole the show with a near triple-double.
The Cougars have been a pleasant surprise so far with a 9-3 record. They lost to Mississippi State and Santa Clara in nonconference play before falling to Utah in their Pac-12 opener.
Isaac Jones, an Idaho transfer, and Myles Rice, a freshman, both average about 15 points per game and have been the heartbeat of this team early on.
Jones has a couple of 20-plus point performances this season, and the Cougars are rebounding well with 40.9 per game, so they are a potential sleeper in the Pac-12.
The injury-riddled Buffs are feeling great after defeating Washington on Friday night, but this could be a trap game — if you believe in those — with a huge challenge at Arizona up next.
Tipoff on Sunday is at noon MT on the Pac-12 Network.
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