Tad Boyle believes his team is being too selfish. If that seems like harsh criticism for a team that has hit the 20-assist mark in consecutive games, well, it is. At least it would be, if Boyle was talking about the offense for his Colorado men’s basketball team, which has been difficult to criticize through the Buffaloes’ 5-0 start. As usual, Boyle instead was talking about his team’s defense. While the Buffs are 5-0 for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign, CU’s defense has been far less consistent than its offense. Once again defense likely will be the focus of the week as the Buffs get set for their first road trip of the season with a pair of games at the Acrisure Holiday Classic in Palm Desert, California. CU plays San Francisco in the opening game Thursday (11 a. m. MT, CBS Sports Network) and will play either Nevada or Washington on Friday afternoon. For Boyle, the perceived selfishness on defense comes from players missing their assigned rotations. “We got some selfish players on defense,” Boyle said. “You always think of unselfishness and selfishness on offense, not sharing the ball, not moving the ball. We’ve got some selfish defenders. They’re saying, ‘OK, I’m going to guard my man, but I’m not going to help that guy who’s rolling to the basket.’ And that’s your job to help, and our job is to rotate with a sense of urgency. We gotta fix that, there’s no doubt about it.” Although the Buffs pulled away late to win comfortably against UC Davis on Friday, the Aggies finished with a . 517 field goal percentage, including a . 552 mark after halftime. UC Davis was the third opponent in five games to shoot at least 51% percent against the Buffs. CU’s explosive early-season offense has glossed over those defensive shortcomings. The Buffs have recorded at least 20 assists in each of the past two games. They have scored at least 84 points in all five games, scoring at least 90 in the past four. CU is shooting . 534, reaching at least . 515 in each game, while posting a . 422 mark on 3-pointers. Still, Boyle knows his club will cool down at some point, especially as the Buffs get out of the friendly environs of the Events Center and the competition toughens. With the Buffs out of class for Thanksgiving week, Boyle hopes to use the extra time to once again hone in on his club’s inconsistent defense before departing for California on Tuesday. “No school next week. No class schedule to worry about. You can get in the gym with them, you can get in the film room with them, we can occupy a little more of their time,” Boyle said. “That’s something we have to do on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. And we’re going to do that. We’re going to get better. And now we gotta go on the road for a couple of neutral-court games. “Defense and rebounding travels. There’s no reason to have a bad night on either of those areas.”.
https://www.dailycamera.com/2025/11/23/cu-buffs-mens-basketball/
Search for defensive answers continues for CU Buffs men’s basketball
