Buffs basketball has difficult schedule ahead, per latest USA TODAY Sports Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll

There aren’t going to be many easy wins left for Colorado once it gets through Eastern Washington, Milwaukee and CSU Bakersfield. Although the Pac-12 has disappointed so far in non-conference play, it’s still one of the better leagues in the country, and that was proven in this week’s USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, powered by Ferris Mowers.

But before the Pac-12 regular season begins for the Buffs, they must host Kansas, which was No. 7 in Monday’s poll. It wasn’t a pretty showing for Colorado against now-No. 14 Tennessee and the Jayhawks should be an even greater challenge.

The highest Pac-12 team in the poll was, unsurprisingly, No. 4 UCLA. Colorado has already played (and lost) at Pauley, but the Bruins will be in Boulder later this season on Jan. 22.

A few spots below UCLA was Arizona at No. 8. The Buffs and Wildcats will meet in Tuscon on Jan. 13 before the Boulder edition on Feb. 26.

Up next in the Pac-12 was No. 15 USC, which has gotten off to an impressive 8-0 start. Tad Boyle has won seven consecutive games against Andy Enfield but that streak will be tested on Jan. 20 at the CU Events Center. One of the biggest breaks the Buffs have this season is that they don’t play USC on the road.

In total, the Buffs have five future games against four different teams featured in the poll.

Also of note, Colorado State, which CU (fortunately) missed on the Rams’ way to winning the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam, was the unofficial 26th team with 79 votes received.

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