BuffZone writer Pat Rooney discusses three topics on CU Buffs athletics as the search for the first Big 12 win continues for the men’s basketball team while the women attempt to back up an impressive win against Kansas State during a road opportunity at BYU.

Sinking

A review of where things stand, such as it is, for the sinking Colorado men’s basketball team.

Saturday’s loss at Arizona dropped the Buffaloes to 0-8 in the Big 12. It’s the worst conference start in 15 seasons under head coach Tad Boyle and the worst since the 1992-93 team also started 0-8 in the Big Eight. Lose against Arizona State at home on Tuesday, and an 0-9 conference start would be the program’s worst since an 0-9 Big Eight start in 1986-87.

The eight-game losing streak is the longest under Boyle and the longest since CU lost the final 12 games of the 2008-09 season. Pick any of the above marks, and the Buffs are well on their way to matching and surpassing them.

After Tuesday against Arizona State, which defeated CU by 20 points on Jan. 4, the Buffs play three of the next four on the road. The Buffs are 0-4 on the road (1-6 away from home overall) and haven’t been competitive in two of those road games (ASU, Oklahoma State).

Beginning Feb. 8, the Buffs play a run of four out of six games against the Big 12’s elite (Houston, at Iowa State, and twice against Kansas). I’ve noted before that even if the Buffs do start improving — a prospect for which there has been no tangible evidence so far — the schedule might prove too unforgiving to break out of the doldrums.

In the past four years with a 20-game league schedule in the Pac-12, the Buffs finished 8-12 once (2022-23) and posted winning marks the other three years. In the previous nine Pac-12 seasons with an 18-game league schedule (2011-12 through 2019-20), the Buffs were sub-.500 three times (7-11 in 2014-15; 8-10 in 2016-17; 8-10 in 2017-18). In the first season of the Boyle era, CU went 8-8 in a 16-game Big 12 schedule.

That’s only four sub-.500 conference records in the previous 14 seasons under Boyle, and only one sub-.500 league mark in the past six seasons, marks set to increase soon. The Buffs are on track for threatening some of the lowest conference winning percentages in recent history — like a 1-15 mark (.063) in 2008-09, and 3-13 seasons (.188) the previous two years.

Ongoing drought

For my two cents, the most surprising among the Buffs’ many deficiencies has been their errant shooting touch from long range.

It was easy to guess the Buffs might struggle on the glass. It also was fair odds the Buffs weren’t destined to land anyone on the Big 12’s all-defensive team.

Three-point shooting, though, has been a fairly consistent strength through the Boyle era. Yet outside of senior guard Julian Hammond III, the Buffs have struggled from long range.

Last year’s team set a program record with a .391 mark, but the Buffs were able to set that record thanks to help well beyond KJ Simpson and his No. 4 all-time season mark of .434. J’Vonne Hadley developed into a steady 3-point threat, finishing at .417. Hammond, Cody Williams and RJ Smith all finished above 40% in injury-shortened seasons. Tristan da Silva (.395) and Luke O’Brien (.376) both finished above 37%.

Despite a couple dry games along the way, Hammond generally has been steady with a .414 3-point mark overall and a .395 percentage in league play. But those complementary-type shooters that thrived last year have struggled this year.

Andrej Jakimovski was a .343 3-point shooter in four seasons at Washington State but has dipped to .302 this season. Smith has cooled after his hot start, going 1-for-14 in his past six games. Trevor Baskin (4-for-16), Bangot Dak (8-for-25) and Assane Diop (4-for-14) have been unable to pitch in. Javon Ruffin has warmed up lately, but his season 3-point mark still sits at .317.

Opportunity knocks

The CU women’s basketball team put together an impressive and much-needed win against then-No. 10 Kansas State on Saturday. The road hasn’t been kind to the Buffs so far, who are 2-5 in true road games and 0-4 within the Big 12.

The Buffs can change that on Wednesday at BYU, and if they do there is an opportunity to get on a little roll. The Cougars begin the week at 1-7 in the conference and with four consecutive losses. BYU began that losing streak with a 27-point home loss against the same K-State team the Buffs just took care of — although K-State did at that time have preseason Big 12 player of the year Ayoka Lee, who is now injured and didn’t play against CU. After that, the Buffs will be favored in two more home games (Texas Tech, Arizona) before hitting the road again.

Saturday’s win lifted the Buffs to No. 61 in Monday’s NET rankings. The Buffs are trending toward being a bubble team and can’t afford missteps in a favorable portion of the schedule this week.