Colorado Buffaloes National Championship Odds
Few programs in big-time college basketball lack tradition more than the Colorado Buffaloes. Their most revered coach, Sox Walseth, led the Buffs to three NCAA appearances in a career that lasted from 1957 through 1976. His career win percentage at CU was .514. All of which is hardly on the Dean Smith level of legends. Current coach Tad Boyle is the most successful head coach in Colorado’s modern history. He has led the Buffaloes to four NCAA Tournament appearances, although just one since 2015 (2016). But Boyle has a .620 win percentage at Colorado and showed marked improvement for 2020-21. Colorado has been able to take advantage of a relatively weak Pac 12 Conference. The Buffalos are the 5-seed in the East Regional.
2020-21 Colorado Buffaloes at a Glance
National Championship Odds: +7500 (March 15)
On Saturday, March 20, 2021, the Colorado Buffaloes will face the Georgetown Hoyas at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Tipoff time is 12:15 p.m. ET with television coverage on CBS. Colorado opened as a 5-point favorite with the total set for 138.
The Georgetown Hoyas are an upstart team that emerged as the upset winner of the Big East Tournament. The Hoyas are 13-12 straight up, 12-9 against the spread, and 10-11 under the total. Georgetown ranks 170th in the nation for scoring offense and 257th for points allowed.
For the 2020-21 season, the Colorado Buffaloes have a record of 20-7 straight up, 16-11 against the spread, and 9-17-1 under the total. Colorado is ranked 23rd in the country and finished third in the Pac-12 Conference regular season standings. The Buffs were upset in the Pac-12 Conference tournament by the Oregon State Beavers. National metrics show that out of 350 teams, Colorado ranked 116th for scoring offense, 84th for field goal percentage, 54th for 3-point field goal percentage, 1st for free throw percentage, and 200th for offensive rebounds. Defensively the Buffs ranked 25th for points allowed, 71st for field goal percentage against, 128th for 3-point field goal percentage against, and 28th for defensive rebounding.
Colorado did show consistent value this season and covered the spread in three of their final four games. The Buffs stayed under the total in seven of their last eight games.
Colorado was not nationally ranked to start the season and was remained unranked until March 4. The Buffs did have some notable ranked wins this year over the #17 Oregon Ducks, the #19 USC Trojans, and #24 USC Trojans. Their one loss was to the #12 Tennessee Volunteers. Colorado finished well with six wins in their final seven games.
Coach Tad Boyle played against Colorado in the old Big Eight Conference days when he was a Kansas Jayhawks member. He followed Jeff Bzdelik, who was a former head coach of the NBA Denver Nuggets. Boyle started with a bang, leading the Buffs to the NCAA Tournament in his first three seasons and four of the first five. He then struggled from 2017-2019 with a couple of NIT bids. Last year Colorado would have been a bubble team had the pandemic not forced the cancelation of the Big Dance.
Senior guard McKinley Wright IV led the Buffs with 15.5 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game. He has been a regular in all four of his seasons at Colorado and a remarkably consistent one. McKinley has averaged no less than 13 points per game in his four campaigns as a Buff. He was under double digits for scoring in just four games all season. Wright was named first-team All-Pac-12 in his final three seasons at CU. He is one of the best, toughest, and most respected guards in the nation.
Senior forward Jeriah Horne has also been a regular in all four of his seasons at Colorado. He has averaged 10 points per game or better the past three years. This season, Horne had a career best 11.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He scored in double digits in six of his previous six games.
Colorado was an 8.5-point favorite against Oregon State in their Pac-12 Conference matchup. The Buffs had to play catchup all game and fell just a little bit short.
Colorado Buffaloes Seasons (2000)
| SEASON |
RECORD |
NCAA TOURNAMENT RESULT |
| 2019-20 |
21-11 |
Tournament Cancelled |
| 2018-19 |
23-13 |
- |
| 2017-18 |
17-15 |
- |
| 2016-17 |
19-15 |
- |
| 2015-16 |
22-12 |
First Round |
| 2014-15 |
16-18 |
- |
| 2013-14 |
23-12 |
Second Round |
| 2012-13 |
21-12 |
Second Round |
| 2011-12 |
24-12 |
Third Round |
| 2010-11 |
24-14 |
- |
| 2009-10 |
15-16 |
- |
| 2008-09 |
9-22 |
- |
| 2007-08 |
12-20 |
- |
| 2006-07 |
7-20 |
- |
| 2005-06 |
20-10 |
- |
| 2004-05 |
14-16 |
- |
| 2003-04 |
18-11 |
- |
| 2002-03 |
20-12 |
First Round |
| 2001-02 |
15-14 |
- |
| 2000-01 |
15-15 |
- |
NCAA Basketball Teams
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