The Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball team will face the #1 ranked Arizona Wildcats in an NCAA college basketball game that will be streaming online free from McKale Center in Tuscon, Arizona at 9:00 PM ET.
The Wildcats won all 13 of their non-conference games this season, but have yet to suffer a letdown.
If anything, they may be getting better as the season goes along, which could be bad news for the rest of the teams in the Pac-12. The next one they'll face is Colorado, which visits the McKale Center on Thursday night.
"I feel we have a confident team, but in a good way," Arizona coach Sean Miller said. "A lot of players who were part of a big winning streak last year saw how quickly it can leave you if you don't continue to work hard and get better.
So far, Arizona (18-0, 5-0 Pac-12) has been superb.
Long, athletic and versatile, the Wildcats are one of the nation's best defensive teams, ranking among the top 15 in scoring, field goal percentage and 3-point shooting.
Arizona has a plethora of scoring options, with a tough-to-stop combination of players who can score at the rim, off the dribble and from the perimeter.
The Wildcats also like being the team everyone wants to beat.
Since moving atop The Associated Press poll six weeks ago, Arizona has embraced being No. 1, using the perch as dare-you-to-knock-us-off motivation.
"This is our dream; we're living our dream right now," junior guard Nick Johnson said. "Being the No. 1 team in the country and having a target on our backs, it's a challenge we love, and we have to keep working to get better."
Arizona has done a pretty good job of that already.
Since finishing off a 27-game non-conference winning streak with a rout of Northern Arizona on Dec. 23, the Wildcats have been unstoppable in the Pac-12.
Arizona opened with a record-setting win over Washington State, setting McKale Center records for fewest points allowed (25), fewest field goals (nine) and shooting percentage (20).
The Wildcats earned a hard-fought win over Washington, then pulled out a tough road win over UCLA and blew past Southern California.
Arizona's latest victory may have been its best.
Facing their biggest rivals, the Wildcats jumped on Arizona State almost from the opening tip, racing out to a 21-point lead in the first half and cruising to a 91-68 victory.
Arizona showed off its offensive versatility by placing seven players in double figures for the first time since 2004 and held the Sun Devils to a season-low 34 percent shooting.
On the physical side, the Wildcats are big, athletic and versatile.
Johnson has developed into one of the nation's most explosive shooting guards and Gabe York has become Arizona's go-to outside shooter. T.J. McConnell, who sat out last season after transferring from Duquesne, has been the perfect orchestrator with his pass-first mentality and ability to jump into passing lanes for steals.
Freshmen Aaron Gordon and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson also have been big contributors, particularly on the defensive end, where they play with an intelligence and ability beyond their years.
The Wildcats are the nation's No. 1 team, but work like a team that's still trying to get there. Johnson and McConnell have been the unquestioned leaders, but Arizona also has benefited from the maturity of Gordon and Hollis-Jefferson, who have taken nothing for granted despite coming in as heralded recruits.
Arizona won't have to face Colorado leading scorer Spencer Dinwiddie, out for the season due to a torn ACL. The Buffaloes (15-4, 4-2) lost 69-56 to then-No. 25 UCLA in their first game without him last Thursday, but bounced back to rout USC 83-62 on Saturday.
"Spencer is a key aspect of this team," said Scott, who also had seven rebounds. "Without him, it was rough the first game. Tonight, it showed we came together. Tonight is a sign we can win without him and Tre'Shaun Fletcher, who is also out with a knee injury."
Eleven players scored to help the Buffaloes avoid a third straight loss.
Arizona has alternated losses and wins in the last six matchups, taking the most recent 79-69 on March 14 in the Pac-12 tournament. Johnson scored 18 points and went 6 of 7 from the field.
The game will be televised live on ESPN2 and live streamed on www.espn.com
