Mighty Buffs Head to Moby for Crucial CFRL Tilt

The #24/#23 ranked Colorado Buffaloes (7-2), currently riding a two-game bender, bring their traveling road show to Fort Collins for what in all likelihood be the most pivotal game in the Crackers Front Range League this season.

With their win over Wyoming during the Thanksgiving tournament season, the Buffs moved into a tie at the top with Colorado State, and Air Force at 1-0. This will be their final CFRL game as Tad Boyle would prefer not to schedule local schools and instead play the likes of Sacramento State, Prairie View A&M, and Iona.

On top of CFRL implications, the Buffs are currently in position for an NCAA at-large bid and any more out of conference losses will put serious pressure on them. They returned a lot of minutes from last year and are solid and deep with good athletes.

The Colorado State Rams are in a different spot. With a record of 7-5, 0-2, the Rams are currently in year two of a rebuild in which 6 of their top 9 players are freshmen or sophomores. While improving, they suffer from inconsistency that is much the result of youth and inexperience.

Last time the Buffs visited Moby, CSU rolled to a relatively easy 72-63 win. CU point guard McKinley Wright was a freshman playing his 7th collegiate game. He struggled against the defense of CSU’s JD Paige that evening. Wright is two seasons further along and CSU doesnt have a backcourt defender in the mold of a long Paige. Any chance CSU has this evening will start with how well the triumvirate of Isaiah Stevens, Kendle Moore, and Hyron Edwards can keep Wright under wraps.

CU also features an all conference level forward in Tyler Bey. Much like CSU’s Nico Carvacho, he’s a double-double machine. He can score in the mid-range but his game is really built around finishing relentlessly at the rim. He poses a match-up problem for CSU in that the Buffs can throw a few other talented bigs on the floor. The first is Evan Battey, a 6’8″ 280 pound hulk and the second is 7′ Lucas Siewert who can stretch the floor to the three-point line. Any combination of two of those three players will cause issues for CSU on the defensive end.

CSU has Nico Carvacho. The Rams are 2-1 against the Buffs with Carvacho in the line-up. In those three games he has averaged 12.3 points and 10 rebounds. The Rams will need him to deliver in the paint on both ends

CSU has shown a penchant for being a solid half-court defensive team. It will be critical for the Rams to minimize live ball turnovers and shoot a reasonable percentage on the offensive end to take away CU’s advantage in transition.

Led by Bey, CU can absolutely murder teams on the offensive glass. CSU will need to effectively cap off defensive possessions with rebounds. And that means not just Carvacho. It means Thistlewood, Roddy, and Martin need to play big. Easier said than done. They struggled against San Diego State to do just that.

CU is currently favored by 4.5. For the Rams to pull off the upset, they will have to keep McKinley Wright under wraps, rebound relentlessly, and execute their half-court offense cleanly.

Sez here that they will, the Rams will score a famous victory over their rivals from Bowdah, and Nico Carvacho will finish his career 3-1 against the Buffs.

And that CSU will move to the top of the CFRL standings.