Cal Men's Basketball: Q+A about the Colorado Game

1. Who is the CU player on offense that Cal fans should know about?

Parker Baruh: Josh Scott. He's played well for the Buffs all year long and is arguably already one of the best post scorers in the Pac-12. He can hurt defense with the jump hook from both sides and is a good offensive rebounder. He can also hit the occasional elbow jumper and runs the floor well for his size. Scott struggles defensively as he still needs to add size to his frame, but when he can hold his own defensively and gets enough touches in the post on offense, Colorado is very hard to beat.

2. Who is the CU player on defense that Cal fans should know about?

Parker Baruh: Spencer Dinwiddie. Dinwiddie has been incredible all year shutting down Baylor's Pierre Jackson, Murray State's Isiah Canaan, and Dayton's Kevin Dillard, three premier guards in the country. He's long and athletic and gets in passing lanes all game forcing turnovers. Both times Dinwiddie saw Cal last year, he bothered Jorge Gutierrez and limited him to five points combined. Dinwiddie will most likely assume the role of guarding Allen Crabbe in what should be a very compelling matchup

3. What does CU have to do to win this one?

Parker Baruh: Colorado has been struggling offensively for a while now and will need to play much better in the half court. If Colorado can get out to an early lead and score in transition and get production out of Josh Scott as well as Spencer Dinwiddie, the Buffs have a good shot at winning.

4. Are there any concerns about Tad Boyle leaving?

Parker Baruh: As of now, I'd say no. Tad Boyle has done amazing things in Colorado, but it doesn't seem likely Boyle will leave anytime soon. He still wants to accomplish more in Boulder and unless a prestigious job opens up, Tad Boyle isn't going anywhere.

5. How much do you hate the conference refs right now?

Parker Baruh: I tend not to blame referees for anything and think if a team is good enough to win, the referees won't matter. Having said that, they have had some pretty terrible calls so far this year.

6. Some of us picked you as a dark horse title contender. What happened? What does your team need to do in order to bring home the Pac-12 crown?

Parker Baruh: Well, they're not going to bring home the conference title crown. They struggle tremendously on the road and if teams can't win on the road, they can't contend for titles. However, I do think they can salvage this rough start they have had this year. The problem with this team is that they really have no bench at all. Also, the offense has looked out of sync and hasn't gotten the consistent efforts they would have liked so far out of Andre Roberson and Askia Booker. In order finish fourth in the Pac-12, which is still realistic, the team will need to improve its offense and limit their turnovers.

7. Where do you see yourselves with regards to the post-season?

Parker Baruh: With regards to the post-season, it still seems very possible that the Buffaloes will be in the field of 68. They had one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country and have some very impressive wins against Baylor, Colorado State, and Murray State. The Pac-12 is also much stronger than it was last year and if Colorado can pick up one win at home against either Oregon or Arizona, and take care of the games they should at home and on the road, they'll likely hear their name on Selection Sunday.