On Thursday at 5:00 PM PST on Pac-12 Networks, Cal men’s basketball will take on the Colorado Buffaloes up in Boulder. Cal comes into the game at 10-11 overall and 4-4 in the Pac-12 while Colorado comes in at 17-5 overall and 6-3 in the Pac-12.

Last time out: Last Saturday, Cal defeated Oregon State 69-67 at home behind big performances from sophomores Andre Kelly and Matt Bradley.

RECAP: Cal hangs on to beat Oregon State

On Colorado: The Buffaloes are led by junior guard McKinley Wright IV (13.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.2 steals) and junior forward Tyler Bey (13.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.7 rebounds). Wright is one of the top point guards in the Pac-12 while Bey is one of the more versatile forwards in the league. Both guys bring veteran leadership and experience to this Buffaloes team, making them one of the more seasoned teams in the league. Outside of Wright and Bey, the Buffs have some other talented pieces as well in junior forward D’Shawn Schwartz (10.6 points), sophomore forward Evan Battey (9.2 points & 6.4 rebounds), and senior forward Lucas Siewert (8.7 points & 4.7 rebounds).

As a team, the Buffs average 72.2 points per game on 44.0% shooting from the field, 36.9% shooting from 3-point range, and 74.3% shooting from the foul line. They also average a +6.1 rebound margin per game, 13.9 assists, 6.5 steals, 3.2 blocks, and 13.8 turnovers per game. Their opponents are averaging 62.0 points per game on 39.8% shooting from the field, 33.0% shooting from 3-point range, and 72.2% shooting from the foul line.

The Buffs have had a strong season overall and done a good job defending their home court where they are 10-2. However, they’ve had some weird losses like a home loss to Oregon State and a road loss to UCLA. So they’ve been vulnerable at times this year.

Keys to the game: If Cal is to win this game, the first thing they need to do is take care of the ball. On the road, especially in high altitude, it’s easy to get sloppy and turn the ball over. If Cal plays a sloppy game and commits a lot of turnovers, Colorado will make them pay. However, if Cal can take care of the ball and play a relatively clean game, they’ll give themselves an opportunity to steal this game.

Secondly, Matt Bradley needs to have a big night. The old saying in basketball is that your role players play well at home while your stars play well on the road. We’ve seen Cal’s role players like Andre Kelly and Kareem South play well at home while struggling on the road. The one constant for Cal needs to be Bradley. If he can play well and lift up his teammates, Cal just might pull off the upset.

Finally, Cal needs to defend the perimeter. The Buffaloes are a pretty good 3-point shooting team and like to let it fly from deep. Wright (34.8%), Bey (52.6%), Schwartz (38.8%), Siewert (40.2%), and even Maddox Daniels (42.0%) are good 3-point shooters and will test Cal’s perimeter defense early. If Colorado is in a nice rhythm from deep early and often, they’ll cruise to a win. If instead, they’re struggling to make their threes, Cal should be able to keep this game tight and possibly escape with a win.