Colorado basketball's proved it belongs despite loss to Texas Tech

The Colorado Buffaloes won three games in Big 12 Conference play a year ago, an extraordinarily down year for Tad Boyle's Buffs.

Through three games of conference play this season, the Buffs were two points away from matching their in-conference win total from a season ago. Behind stars Isaiah Johnson and Sebastian Rancik, Colorado has morphed into an offense machine that averages over 80 points a game en route to a 12-4 start. Their play and the team's fight are why, despite a 73-71 loss to No. 14 Texas Tech, the Buffs proved to themselves and the rest of the nation that Colorado men's basketball is back on Saturday night.

Ready for midterms

The Big 12 Conference is nothing short of a powerhouse this season, and while Colorado has looked more capable of competing in the Big 12 this season, it's by no means perfect. The young squad's inexperience was on full display in the middle of their contest against Texas Tech, as the Red Raiders exploited the Buffs' lack of defensive discipline to extend their lead to as much as 24 points.

It was an ugly viewing experience, and the CU Events Center fell dead silent, as if the Buffs were still not ready to compete with the conference's top teams. Then, Johnson happened. The 6-foot-1 point guard, who was ice cold in the first half, got back to his bread and butter of driving into the lane, drawing fouls and knocking down free throws to the tune of 21 second-half points.

The other key to the Buffs' comeback was a shift in their defensive philosophy: they switched to a man-to-man defense and used the Red Raiders' foul trouble to their advantage. Colorado made them one-dimensional late, forcing turnovers they desperately lacked all game.

Slowly, the Red Raiders' lead dwindled and gave the Buffs a chance at earning their first ranked win at home in three years. While they came up just short, the fight and ability to bounce back offensively against some of the nation's best speak volumes about the team's potential.

How we got here

If you have not watched Colorado basketball in a year, you likely don't recognize many, if any, of the names on the current roster. That's no mistake: Boyle went to work, completely rebuilding the roster and turning it into one of the youngest in the conference.

The aforementioned Johnson and key contributor Alon Michaeli are both freshmen who've brought an immediate spark off the bench for the Buffs. Meanwhile, he's gotten quality minutes from sophomores Felix Kossaras and Ranick to bolster the lineup defensively and, in Ranick's case, provide some outside shooting.

One of the most significant additions was Barrington Hargress, a junior transfer from UC Riverside who has become the Buffs' go-to ballhandler. Combine his presence with the steady leadership of Elijah Malone, one of the only remaining Buffs from last season, and you've got a Colorado team that's able to compete in Big 12 Conference play.

Are you for real?

Sitting at No. 76 in the Ken Pom rankings, Colorado is far from a perfect team or a true Big 12 title contender, at least not yet. The Buffs' defense hasn't been where they need it to be, ranking No. 128 nationally, making every game a shootout, which has bitten them several times this season, especially against in-state rival Colorado State.

If the Buffs want to prove they are contenders, it starts with their next matchup and first in-conference road game on Wednesday against the Cincinnati Bearcats, who rank No. 64 in Ken Pom. However, Colorado's next two home games, against Kansas on Jan. 20 and UCF on Jan. 24, will be accurate litmus tests of how far this team can go this season.

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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado basketball shows growth in Big 12 loss to Texas Tech