Colorado vs. Marquette March Madness Preview and Prediction
In a No. 10 vs. No. 2 matchup in the NCAA Tournament South Region, the Colorado Buffaloes face the Marquette Golden Eagles in second-round action.
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How to Watch Colorado vs. Marquette
When: 12:10 pm ET on Sunday, March 24th
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana
Watch: CBS
Odds for Colorado vs. Marquette
(odds current at time of publish)
Spread: Marquette -4
Total: 146.5
DraftKings Betting Splits | Live College Basketball Odds | Colorado vs. Marquette Matchup
South Region No. 10 Colorado Buffaloes
Colorado struggled with consistency this season, but the Buffaloes are loaded with talent. KJ Simpson is an electric guard for Colorado, as he flirted with averaging 20.0 points per game this season, and he did it on good shooting percentages. On top of that, Simpson is a good passer. Forwards Tristan da Silva and Cody Williams are also fantastic. Da Silva is a versatile scorer and a guy that can take over games. And Williams, the brother of Oklahoma City Thunder wing Jalen Williams, looks like a surefire lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. If that’s not enough, Colorado also has a massive center in Eddie Lampkin Jr., and J’Vonne Hadley is another good guard. There genuinely aren’t many teams that can match the Buffaloes on paper. Colorado was also a top-25 team in adjusted offensive efficiency and top 40 in defensive efficiency, according to Bart Torvik. So, the metrics tell you a different story about Colorado than the team’s seed does. This is also one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the nation.
South Region No. 2 Marquette Golden Eagles
There are a lot of question marks with Marquette entering the tournament. The Golden Eagles are a top 25 team in both offensive and defensive efficiency, so they have the balance required to be a championship team. They also have an outstanding duo in Tyler Kolek, one of the nation’s best pick-and-roll creators, and Oso Ighodaro, a two-way wrecking ball at the center spot. The two are also aided by the scoring punch of junior guard Kam Jones. The problem is that Kolek is banged up heading into the tournament, as he’s dealing with an oblique injury that forced him out of the Big East tournament. If Kolek is healthy, the team is capable of making a deep run. If not, the Golden Eagles will likely get bounced early.
Colorado vs. Marquette Preview & Prediction
Marquette is a top-20 team when it comes to defensive efficiency, but the team is just average in 2P% and 3P% defense. That could give Colorado, a top-25 team in adjusted offensive efficiency, an opening to win. The Buffaloes don’t shoot a lot of 3s, but they’re shooting nearly 40% from deep. So, they’ll bury the outside looks that they get, and there could be a lot of them. The Golden Eagles are 335th in opponent 3-point rate this year. So, KJ Simpson, Tristan da Silva and J’Vonne Hadley need to be ready to shoot. But where Colorado could really hurt Marquette is on the inside. Eddie Lampkin Jr. is 6-foot-11 and 265 pounds and knows how to score around the basket. That could be an issue for a Golden Eagles team with an undersized frontcourt.
Not only are the Buffaloes a top-25 offensive team, they’re also a top-35 team when it comes to adjusted defensive efficiency. And they do a really good job of defending the 3-point line, where opponents are shooting just 31.4% against them. So, you can expect Colorado to bounce back after giving up 100 points in a win over Florida last game. Of course, Marquette has a high-powered offense, with Tyler Kolek running one of the most explosive groups in the nation. And the point guard looked great in his first game back from injury, finishing with 18 points and 11 assists in a win over Western Kentucky. But late in the game, the Buffs have the length and athleticism required to make the Golden Eagles a little uncomfortable.
This just feels like a game that can legitimately go either way. Sure, Colorado might only be a 10-seed, but the team is extremely talented. And Tad Boyle knows how to push the right buttons. That said, this might be a game in which you’re better off taking the points. It could also be one in which you’d rather just root for a lot of points. These teams combined to score 189 points in their first-round games. And both have ways they can hurt one another offensively.
Estimated Score: Marquette 76, Colorado 72
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