The 2019-2020 Colorado Buffaloes’ season was an emotional rollercoaster, with numerous highs and lows that ultimately resulted in CU missing out on the NCAA Tournament. Despite having the 11th-ranked offense in the country and a host of talented players, the Buffs fell just short of making their first NCAA Tournament since 2016.
In this article, we’ll break down the various factors that led to the Buffs’ ultimate exclusion from the field of 68.
Summary of CU’s Regular Season Record
The Colorado Buffaloes basketball team had another tough year in 2019-20, falling short of expectations. The Buffaloes had a 17-14 regular season record with an 8-10 mark in the Pac-12 Conference, finishing tied for third place in the standings. The Buffs defeated then-No. 2 Oregon 101–73 on January 3rd, but did not have any other wins against ranked teams during the regular season.
The Buffaloes faced a tough schedule in conference play, playing five games against top ten opponents and seven contests against top 25 foes. They managed to go .500 against those ranked opponents, but their struggles continued as they faced other Pac-12 teams and were unable to mount full comeback efforts late in games. CU set school records for most points scored and assists recorded during the regular season en route to yet another frustrating year ending in no NCAA Tournament appearance for Colorado.
Analysis of CU’s Performance in PAC-12 Tournament
The Colorado Buffaloes had an up-and-down season, highlighted (or lowlighted) by a one-and-done showing in the PAC-12 Tournament. After finishing 4th in the regular season standings, Colorado was knocked out in the opening round by Southern California. The Buffaloes entered tournament play with some hopes for landing an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament but have thus far been denied a spot due to their inability to pull off a win in Las Vegas.
In the game against USC, CU held only a small lead late in the first half before USC went on an 18-6 run to close the half and never looked back. CU could not close the gap and ended up losing 79-62 with senior guard McKinley Wright IV being held to 14 points after averaging 17 points throughout conference play. Head Coach Tad Boyle complemented his team’s heart and hustle postgame but admitted that offensive execution was definitely lacking after such key losses as star forward Tyler Bey sitting out because of COVID protocols and D’Shawn Schwartz’s illness during tournament play.
Ultimately, it was this inability for Colorado to get past the first round of Pac 12 Tournament play that sealed their chances at making the Big Dance this year which serves as a discouraging finale for yet another frustrating basketball season at CU Boulder.
NCAA Selection Committee Criteria
Every March Madness season, the NCAA Selection Committee is tasked with choosing the 68 best college basketball teams that will be invited to participate in the tournament. It’s a difficult process, and every year there are teams who feel they were snubbed by the committee. This year, the University of Colorado was one of those teams, so let’s take a closer look at the criteria the NCAA Selection Committee uses to evaluate teams for the tournament.
Overview of Selection Criteria
The NCAA selection committee has the important task of selecting and seeding the teams for all postseason championships, including both college basketball’s March Madness and other sports tournaments. The members of the selection committee, made up of university representatives from each Division I conference, have a range of criteria available to them when determining which teams get in to the tournament and where they are placed in the overall seedings.
The primary criteria for selecting teams for March Madness include wins and losses, strength of schedule, record against top 25 teams (both in and out of conference), record against tournament-bound teams, performance over the last 12 or 16 games, quality wins away from home court advantage, victories against common opponents and how a team finished compared to how it started the season. The committee also looks at NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) rankings which measure offensive and defensive efficiency ratings that help compare across conferences.
In addition to considering individual team metrics as part of their analysis, the NCAA also looks at overall conference distribution when selecting tournament participants. The selection committee works diligently to ensure that every conference is fairly represented while still upholding standards based on its established criteria. Ultimately, those criteria play an important role when deciding who will make it into this coveted college basketball event every year.
Analysis of CU’s Performance in Relation to Selection Criteria
The NCAA Selection Committee analyzes numerous criteria when selecting teams for the NCAA Tournament. It not only looks at overall records, but also includes factors like strength of schedule, record against top 25 teams, and conference championships.
An analysis of the University of Colorado’s performance throughout the season on these criteria shows that the Buffaloes likely didn’t make it into the tournament due to a weaker strength of schedule combined with a subpar performance against ranked opponents. With their 10-9 record against Power Five conference teams, they did not stack up well in comparison to other candidates from major conferences with double-digit wins against comparable Power Five opponents.
In addition to these considerations and fell short in terms of winning several games on the road and securing enough quality wins away from home while playing a relatively weak non-conference schedule. With strong performances in recent weeks that included two consecutive wins against Big 12 foes and an impressive effort against eventual Pac-12 champion Oregon State, but it wasn’t enough to overcome their overall weaknesses on selection committee criteria.
Did CU Make the NCAA Tournament
This past college basketball season, the Colorado Buffaloes had a good showing but were not selected for the NCAA Tournament. Although there are many theories as to why the Buffaloes were not chosen, the truth is that there are a few key reasons why they were not selected.
In this article, we will explore some of the reasons why the Colorado Buffaloes did not make the NCAA Tournament.
Lack of Quality Wins
The Colorado Buffaloes had some impressive victories and a few quality wins over the course of the regular season but not enough to justify their selection into the NCAA tournament. Although they finished in fourth place in the Pac-12 conference with a record of 22-10, they lacked quality wins that typically help boost teams into higher seeding within the NCAA tournament.
Their best win was against then #11 Oregon, which provided an RPI boost to their overall resume come March. The problem is that Colorado’s non-conference schedule was fairly weak in comparison, featuring only two top 50 RPI opponents (one win, one loss). This ultimately hurt their chances for a strong showing in March Madness and likely played a part in why they were not selected for the tournament.
Poor Performance Against Top Teams
Despite their solid overall record, Colorado lacked wins against top teams in the NCAA tournament selection process. The Buffs lost to all five tournament-bound teams that they played this season, and all of those losses were by margins of at least seven points. Against Kansas, Texas Tech and Baylor–all No. 1 seeds–Colorado was never competitive. Their losses to Toledo and Stanford were closer (both game within four points), but were still damaging to the Buffs’ chances for an at-large bid.
Colorado’s lack of close victories against Top 25 opponents likely hurt them in the selection committee’s eyes as well. Of their 11 wins against Top 25 teams, none came against top 10 perennial-powers Duke or Kentucky or tournament-bound foes Texas Tech or Michigan State. The Buffs’ most impressive win (Kansas) happened nearly four months ago, too long ago to provide much satisfaction in the committee’s eyes on Selection Sunday.
Overall, Colorado failed to showcase their skills with consistency throughout their schedule which largely contributed to their lack of receiving a spot in the 2019 NCAA Tournament field.
Weak Strength of Schedule
The selection committee looks at the collective strength of schedule of each NCAA Tournament Candidate. According to Strength of Record (which factors in win-loss record and strength of schedule), Colorado ranked 126th among all Division I teams, some 30 spots below their 64th rank in terms of NET ranking.
Despite impressive victories over top teams such as Kansas and Texas Tech, the cumulative RPI was not strong enough for Colorado. With a non-conference RPI that was 78th nationally, their lack of quality wins outside the Pac-12 did hurt their chances to make the Big Dance. Additionally, with a total number of 18 losses throughout the season (including 5 losses to teams that failed to make the tournament field), it became impossible for Colorado to overcome this hurdle and grab one of those coveted at large bids.
How CU Can Improve For Next Year
The University of Colorado (CU) men’s basketball team had a stellar season but did not make the NCAA tournament. There are several ways they can improve their chances for next season.
In this article, we will discuss the factors affecting CU’s chances of making the tournament, the strategies they can use to improve for the upcoming season, and how CU can use this season’s results to get better.
Focus on Scheduling Tougher Opponents
The University of Colorado Men’s Basketball team faced a challenging season in 2020-21. Coming off one of the best seasons in school history the previous year, including an NCAA tournament appearance, expectations were high for the Buffs. Unfortunately, those expectations were unmet as CU finished with a 14-10 record and failed to make the postseason tournament.
Looking ahead to the 2021-22 season, there are several changes CU needs to make if they want to return to March Madness. One of the most important is creating a more difficult schedule which includes playing tougher opponents that will prepare the Buffaloes for postseason play. This could mean competing against higher ranked teams during non-conference play or adding tougher opponents from Power 5 conferences through available opportunities such as tournaments or “buy games” (where smaller schools are paid by larger schools for guaranteed wins).
These tougher opponents would not only give the Buffaloes better preparation for post-season play but also help improve their NCAA Tournament resume and boost their strength of schedule rank. It will also likely increase television exposure and amplify CU’s brand presence with potential recruits and sponsors—helping to propel them back into March Madness.
Increase Team Chemistry
The University of Colorado’s basketball team had an excellent season this year; however, they unfortunately did not make it to the NCAA tournament. The team is composed of talented individuals and there were several factors that led to the failed result. One issue that the team will need to address for the upcoming season is increasing team chemistry.
Team chemistry is essentially a measure of how well players interact with one another and how effectively they function as a unit. Good chemistry within a team can be beneficial in many ways such as more efficient play, improved communication, and better decision-making on the court. The Buffaloes have some strong individual players but have lacked consistent team performance, which hindered their success this season and kept them off of the NCAA tournament field.
The first step in improving chemistry is getting to know each other at a personal level. The Buffaloes will need to invest time outside of practice in order to build relationships with their teammates. This strength in their connections outside the court will translate into confidence and trust while they are competing together on it which can help lead to better overall results next year. Additionally, having strong leadership on and off the court may also be helpful for setting an example for exemplary teamwork. If these measures are implemented appropriately then CU has a higher chance at succeeding next year by making it into March Madness.
Improve Individual Player Performance
In order for the University of Colorado’s men’s basketball team to improve for the following year, individual players’ performance should be assessed in terms of both offensive and defensive efficiency. It is essential that each member of the team has a high basketball IQ and the required technical skills such as shooting, dribbling, passing and finishing around the rim. Improvement in these areas can be identified during practice through drills or game situations with particular focus on shot selection.
In addition, individual player’s decisions while on court must also help develop their offensive and defensive skills with every possession. Players must learn how to make wise decisions when playing at both ends of the court; this includes understanding when to take a shot or pass, correctly reading opponents’ movements to increase certainty when making key decisions and playing good help defense. Therefore, by improving each player’s skill set, collective performance can be improved significantly which can ultimately result in better results when competing against opponents at a similar level of basketball play.
