According to the numbers, it’s an aspect of the Colorado defense that has been sufficiently up to par through the bulk of nonconference play.

A deeper dive, however, exposes why CU men’s basketball coach Tad Boyle is concerned about his team’s perimeter defense as Big 12 Conference play draws closer.

The Buffs go into Saturday’s nonconference finale at home against Bellarmine (1 p.m., ESPN+) with a defensive 3-point percentage of .314. It’s a number Boyle likely would be happy to maintain through Big 12 play. But several teams have taken advantage of the quantity of quality looks the Buffs have surrendered from the arc, and it’s an area the Buffs are looking to reinforce ahead of the start of the league schedule on Dec. 30 against No. 3 Iowa State.

“I think some of it’s a product of the competition,” Boyle said of his team’s defensive 3-point percentage.

“With that being said, a lot of these teams like South Dakota State, they have good shooters. There’s certain teams that really shoot the ball well from three. I think it’s really an understanding of who you’re guarding. That’s what we haven’t done a great job of.”

It’s not as if the Buffs haven’t had their moments defensively through an 8-2 start. Cal State Fullerton went 2-for-17 on 3-pointers at the Events Center during a Buffs win on Nov. 13. And, even if Michigan State’s 2-for-21 mark against the Buffs is dismissed as a poor-shooting Spartans team that still defeated CU by 16 points, the Buffs held Pacific to a .250 3-point mark (4-for-16) and followed by holding Colorado State to .259 (7-for-27).

Still, the Buffs nonetheless have been vulnerable from long range. During last week’s win against South Dakota State, the Jackrabbits stayed close early from the arc before finishing 11-for-25. That marked the fourth time in 10 games the Buffs have allowed their opponent to hit at least 11 3-pointers, a club that also includes Iowa State (11-for-25 on Nov. 27), UConn (12-for-31 on Nov. 26) and Northern Colorado (13-for-36 in a double-overtime game on Nov. 8).

Iowa State torched the Buffs from long range at the Maui Invitational, but the Cyclones rank just 12th in the Big 12 in 3-point percentage as the nonconference schedule barrels toward the finish line. And that’s why, despite the solid overall numbers, Boyle knows CU’s perimeter defense must improve if the Buffs hope to compete in one of college basketball’s toughest conferences.“It’s just a lack of awareness on the scouting report. That’s what we have to do a better job of,” Boyle said. “The 3-point shot is a great equalizer. A lot of teams are going to shoot a lot of threes. And when they shoot a lot of threes, they’re going to make some. But as long as they’re contested, as long as the guys that are really good shooters on that team, you’ve got to make them drive.

“We’re still lacking in the recognition of that. And understanding when you’re playing against a good player, he can shoot the three and he can drive. Now you’ve got a challenge on your hands. And that’s when you have to take pride in your defensive awareness.”