The Arizona Wildcats are coming off an improbable sweep of California and Stanford, two teams ranked in the top-tier of the conference. No one was expecting the two wins, especially after the Wildcats had lost their third game in two weeks by two points or fewer. Now, with a ton of momentum on their side, the team returns home to the McKale Center to take on the Colorado Buffaloes, who are tied for second place in the conference and one game ahead of UA in the standings.
The Buffaloes knocked off Arizona by one point last month, winning 64-63 at the buzzer. The Wildcats played well on the road and should have probably won, but awful execution down the stretch caused them the game. With a sellout crowd expected tonight, expect the 'Cats to come out looking for revenge.
Colorado is a talented team that can certainly win tonight, but they're pretty bad on the road and lost some questionable games early in the season. In conference play, the team is 1-3 away from Boulder (with their lone win coming over an awful USC squad) and have lost their games by an average of nearly 15 points. Five of their remaining seven games are on the road, with a home stand with the Bay Area schools also looming.
CU features four players averaging double digits in points, and they are led by Carlon Brown, who had 19 against Arizona in their previous meeting. Austin Dufault, Andre Roberson and Spencer Dinwiddie are the other three scoring threats, and they all shoot higher than 40% from behind the arc.
This is a huge game for both teams, and the Wildcats should be able to win at home, especially given Colorado's recent struggles on the road. Look for a raucous and recharged crowd at McKale Center to be the difference tonight.
The game is scheduled for begin at 7 p.m. in Tucson. ESPN will broadcast the game this evening with Jon Sciambi and Fran Fraschilla calling the action.