'No sleep till Brooklyn': Colorado vs. No. 15 Miami Game Preview

Buffs and Canes battle in a NYC matinee on Sunday

Chet Strange-USA TODAY Sports

The CU men’s basketball team makes their way to Brooklyn, New York on Sunday for the NABC Brooklyn showcase. The Buffaloes (6-2) take on the 15th-ranked Miami Hurricanes in the neutral site contest.

A blunder for the Hurricanes (7-1), who are riding a two-game winning streak after a 22-point loss to No. 16 Kentucky on Nov. 28. Miami was last year’s March Madness darlings last year with their first-ever Final Four before falling to the Connecticut Huskies. They’re motivated for a return run this season in Jim Larranaga’s 12th season at the ‘U’. This will be the second time this season that Colorado has faced a team in the top 25. The other came in the loss against in-state rival Colorado State Rams, who were ranked 20th at the time.

The NABC Brooklyn showcase will have eight teams playing at the Barclays Center in a one-day event. Tip-off for the Buffs and Hurricanes is Sunday, Dec. 10 at 2pm ET on ESPN 2.

BLOCK OUT IS A MUST

Colorado must win the rebounding battle against Miami, if they want to give themselves their best chance at winning. The Canes are averaging 37.1 boards per game. They’re led by Third Team All-ACC Norchard Omier who is averaging 9.8 boards per game, which is tied for 25th in the nation. Omier has five double-digit rebounding games, including back-to-back games of 13. If the Buffs can get Omier in foul trouble, they should find success on the glass. Not far behind him is Wooga Poplar who averages 5.8 boards per game, but is not a dominant presence when it comes to rebounding the ball. Poplar and Matthew Cleveland are the only other two players to have double-digit rebounding games this season for Miami.

The Buffs have been a dominant force on the glass and have outrebounded every team that they have played against this season. They average 38.3 boards per game and are led by Eddie Lampkin Jr., who averages 7.6 boards per game. Right behind him are J’Vonne Hadley with 6.1 and Tristan da Silva with 5.0. Luke O’Brien led the Buffs in rebounding last season and will be key off the bench for Colorado. Tad Boyle’s team will need to be physical in the paint going against a Miami team that brings plenty of length to the floor.

WIN THE PERIMETER

Miami is a team that is better inside of the arc and in the paint, but there is no doubt about the team’s ability to shoot the three ball. Miami has one of the best shooters from downtown in Poplar, who is shooting 53 percent from beyond the arc. Nearly half of his shots this season have been made threes. Nijel Peck is almost as dangerous as Poplar, shooting over 40 percent from 3-point land. Miami will want to spread the floor and find their touch from long range, especially if CU looks to double team in the paint. The Buffs will also need to go over the top of screens when they are set to prevent three point looks. If a defender goes under a screen, this will give Miami an open look and that is the last thing CU will want to do.

Miami will be just as worried about what Colorado can do when shooting from behind the arc. Both KJ Simpson and Tristan da Silva are shooting 45 percent and Julian Hammond has knocked down 48 percent of his three pointers off the bench. CU has proven that they can knock down threes with the best of them and they might have to show off those shooting skills with the size that Miami has and their ability to defend in the paint.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

MIAMI

Norchard Omier who we talked about being a threat in the paint. On the season, Omier already has five double-doubles and is the second leading scorer on the team. He has scored in double digits in all but one game this season and will be one of the best centers that CU sees all season. For a big man, he is also one of the Hurricanes best free throw shooters with an outstanding 84 percent from the line.

Florida State transfer Matthew Cleveland has been terrific since coming over from the Seminoles. On the season, he is averaging 14.8 points per game and is another player that gets the job done. He is not going to beat you from long range, but he can get to the rim and CU will need to be aware of that.

COLORADO

It’s time to give Cody Williams the reins on this team, as the star freshman continues to shine game in and game out. The McDonald’s All-America has scored 21 points in back-to-back games, and in those two games he is shooting over 66 percent from the floor. He’s also at 62 percent for the season. The kid can ball and he brings length to the Buffs. Williams has great touch around the rim too, which makes him a well-rounded player. He will be the one that will be able to challenge and go at Miami’s defense. The Five-star recruit is showing that he could be a lottery pick like his brother, Jalen, who plays for the was a top pick for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

KJ Simpson continues to show that he is one of the leaders of this Buffs team and will need to be able to knock down the outside shot against Miami. With the Hurricanes being so strong inside, Simpson should get open looks to knock down a few threes. The other great thing about Simpson is he can get to the foul line, and this could pay off dividends, if CU can get Miami in foul trouble. Simpson is CU’s best all-around player, and he will need to play well on both sides on Sunday.

If CU wants to upset the 15th-ranked team in the nation, they will need to have one of their best defensive games of the year. They will need to win the battle in the paint, and they must be physical with Miami. Miami has plenty of length, but if CU can get Miami to go to their bench early, they have a great chance at winning this game and getting themselves back into the top 25.