Gameday guide: How to watch, what to know about Oregon basketball vs. Colorado
It's perhaps the biggest game of the season for Colorado men's basketball.
A win would give the Buffs their second Quad 1 victory (1-5) and an excellent chance of sneaking into the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid. A loss likely ends any hopes of making the field without a Pac-12 Tournament title.
Those are the stakes, and they couldn't be much bigger.
Luckily for Colorado coach Tad Boyle's team, the Buffs have won four straight games, and KJ Simpson and Tristan da Silva are playing their best basketball of the season. Oregon, who Colorado beat 86-70 on Jan. 18, is also on the bubble and in dire need of a late-season surge.
Here's a look at what to know about Thursday's game:
What time does Colorado basketball vs. Oregon start?
Date: Thursday, March 7
Start time: 7 p.m. MT
What channel is the Colorado vs. Oregon basketball game on?
The Colorado and Oregon game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
What are the records, rankings?
Colorado enters Thursday's game at 20-9 (11-7 Pac-12) after knocking off Stanford on senior day for its fourth consecutive win. Oregon sits at 19-10 (11-7 Pac-12) after losing to then-No. 6 Arizona on Saturday.
Neither team is ranked in the latest AP poll.
Who are the coaches?
Dana Altman is in his 14th season as Oregon's head coach and is 340-150 (.694) in that span. Tad Boyle is also in his 14th season as Colorado's head coach and is 292-181 (.617) since 2010-11.
Series history
Colorado leads the all-time series 17-12 (6-4 in the last 10 matchups) but is 3-10 on the road at Oregon all-time. The Buffs haven't beaten the Ducks in Eugene since the 2021-22 season.
Stadium information
The game will be at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon. Matthew Knight Arena has a capacity of 12,364.
Who are the top players to watch?
Here are some players for each team who will be key to the game:
OREGON
Jermaine Couisnard: Defending Couisnard will be priority No. 1 for the Buffs on Thursday night. The 6-foot-4 senior dropped a season-high 39 points on 14-for-24 shooting against Arizona over the weekend. Colorado kept Couisnard in check on Jan. 18 as he shot just 3-for-8 from the field for 11 points.
N'Faly Dante: Dante played just 19 minutes against the Buffs earlier this season in what was his second game back after missing more than two months. The 6-foot-11 senior from Mali is back in the swing of things and put together a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double vs. the Wildcats on Saturday.
Jackson Shelstad: Shelstad isn't a freshman anymore, according to Boyle, after playing in 25 games this season for the Ducks. The 6-foot guard leads Oregon in assists (2.9 per game) and his 12.3 points per game rank third on the team.
COLORADO
KJ Simpson: Simpson is on a tear of late, averaging 26.7 points during the Buffs' four-game winning streak. The Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate leads Colorado in points (19.9 per game), assists (4.8), steals (1.8) and 3-point percentage (46.2%).
Tristan da Silva: Like Simpson, da Silva is on a heater, shooting 58% (18-for-31) from the field and 40% (6-for-15) from deep over the last two games. The projected first-round NBA draft pick is averaging 16.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
Eddie Lampkin Jr.: Lampkin Jr. will have his hands full with Dante on both ends and it will be imperative for him to stay out of foul trouble. The 6-foot-11 senior racked up four personal fouls against the Ducks on Jan. 18 and fouled out on Sunday vs. Stanford. He's averaging 10 points on 55.7% shooting and seven rebounds per game.
Follow Colorado Buffaloes sports reporter Scott Procter on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: What channel is Oregon basketball vs. Colorado on?
