Following a 60-46 win over the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners on Saturday afternoon, the Colorado Buffaloes now hold a 9-3 record with all of their non-Power 5 matchups now behind them. The Buffs’ schedule is only going to get more difficult from here on out.
On Tuesday, Colorado will take on the No. 7 Kansas Jayhawks at the CU Events Center in arguably their biggest game of the year so far. The Buffs have faced two other ranked opponents this season, then-No. 5 UCLA and then-No. 13 Tennessee, and lost both games.
Kansas and Colorado have a long history dating back to their first matchup in 1931, most of which has been dominated by the Jayhawks. The Buffs’ all-time record against Kansas is 40-124 and the Jayhawks have won nine of the last 10 games. CU’s last victory was a memorable one in 2013, which was sealed by Askia Booker’s iconic buzzer beater.
If there is any hope for a repeat of 2013, the Buffs will need to bring their absolute best to the court for all 40 minutes on Tuesday. They’ll have to overcome their struggles with offensive execution and finishing plays on top of a rock solid defensive effort to keep the Jayhawks in check.
One player to watch on Kansas’ roster is senior guard Ochai Agbaji, who is the heartbeat of the Jayhawks’ offense. He’s averaging 22 points per game through 10 contests, enough to make him one of the top scorers in the country.
Ochai running clean up pic.twitter.com/Bxal9H5Bry
— Kansas Basketball (@KUHoops) December 19, 2021
Another key factor for Colorado will be Jabari Walker’s status come Tuesday night, as he left Saturday’s game early with an undisclosed injury. His status is still uncertain but if he is unable to play, it would be a major loss for the Buffs.
Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. MT on ESPN2.
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