Colorado knocked off Boise State in the First Four to get to Friday’s matchup with Florida in the first round. The No. 7-seed Gators are a small favorite.
Tristan da Silva scored 20 points for the Buffaloes in a 60-53 win against Boise State on Wednesday. It wasn’t a pretty game. Colorado shot 4-for-15 (26.7 percent) from 3-point range, but limited Boise to 2-for-18 (11.1 percent) from deep. That type of shooting likely won’t be enough to get by Florida.
Florida
Strengths: Florida can score. The team ranked in the top 20 in offensive efficiency in the regular season, according to KenPom. Todd Golden has a pair of bucket-getters in his backcourt — Walter Clayton Jr. and Zyon Pullin — and a number of terrific athletes on the wings — Will Richard, Riley Kugel and Tyrese Samuel. Pullin and Clayton complement each other perfectly in the backcourt — Clayton is more of a sharp-shooter while Pullin is at his best putting it on the floor and getting into the lane.
Weaknesses: As good as the Gators are offensively, they are that bad defensively. They ranked outside the top 80 in defensive efficiency and 314th in defensive turnover rate in the regular season. Here’s where those defensive issues manifest: Not getting stops in the second half. It’s a snowball effect where they start struggling in the halfcourt, and their offense goes down the drain. Compounding this, key shot-blocker Micah Handlogten left the SEC Championship Sunday with a severe (and scary) leg injury.
Outlook: Teams like Kentucky, Illinois, Alabama and Baylor have dominated the “They can score, but can they keep you from scoring?” conversation. But Florida deserves to be in that conversation as well. They have proven this year they can beat anyone — Auburn, Alabama, at Kentucky — and lose to anyone as well — Vanderbilt says hello.
—Rob Dauster
Colorado
Strengths: There is no more valuable player coming out of the Pac-12 than KJ Simpson. He is a dynamic, 6-foot-2 point guard averaging a shade under 20-6-5 while shooting 45 percent from 3. He never leaves the floor, averaging 40 minutes per game during a recent eight-game winning streak that punched their ticket to the dance. And he’s not even the most talented player. Cody Williams, who has battled injuries all year long, is a potential lottery pick. Tristan da Silva is a 6-foot-9 stretch four with 3-point range and defensive switchability. Eddie Lampkin Jr. inhales offensive rebounds.
Weaknesses: The concern with this Colorado group is on the defensive end. The Buffaloes tend to favor lineups that feature Lampkin at the five alongside da Silva and Williams. Neither da Silva or Williams are, at this point in their development, guys who thrive guarding down, but against smaller teams one of them is going to be stuck on a natural wing. Despite his size, Lampkin is not a rim protector — he has five blocks in 34 games this season. Colorado ranks 345th nationally in block rate and in the 290s in steal rate.
Outlook: On Feb. 16, Colorado was 16-9 overall and 7-7 in the Pac-12, coming off a stretch where it lost four of five. It looked like the Buffaloes were on the way to finishing as one of the more disappointing teams in college basketball. And then they won a double-overtime game at USC. Then they beat Utah at home. That sparked an eight-game winning streak that took them all the way to the Pac-12 Tournament title game. When they get rolling, they can be really dangerous. When Simpson is hot, they are lethal.
—Rob Dauster
What: South Region, First Round
Tipoff time: 4:30 p.m. ET Friday
TV: TBS
Location: Indianapolis
Florida vs. Colorado odds
Odds are from BetMGM and update live. Find the best ticket deals on StubHub to see your favorite team.
Expert picks
Model projection: Colorado by 0.5, total 155
See Austin Mock’s best futures bets
Players to watch
Florida
- Zyon Pullin, senior guard, first-team All-SEC
- Walter Clayton Jr., junior guard, second-team All-SEC
Colorado
- KJ Simpson, junior guard, first-team All-Pac 12
- Tristan da Silva, senior forward, second-team All-Pac 12
More NCAA men’s basketball tournament coverage
(Photo of Tristan da Silva: David Becker / Getty Images)
