BOULDER — Nobody needs to remind the Colorado Buffaloes what's at stake this week.

The No. 18/17 Buffs (20-6 overall, 9-4 Pac-12) play their final two home games of the year this week, beginning with a 7 p.m. game Thursday against USC at the CU Events Center (ESPN2), followed by Saturday's 2 p.m. home finale against UCLA (CBS).

The math says they need a home sweep to remain in the driver's seat for a regular season conference title, something the Buffs haven't won since 1969.

Their coach doesn't disagree.

"They're must wins," CU coach Tad Boyle said after Tuesday's practice. "If we want to compete for a league championship, they're absolute must wins."

The Buffs enter the week tied with Oregon atop the Pac-12 standings, with a half-game lead over Arizona and Arizona State and a full-game lead over USC and UCLA. It means the Buffs will be hosting two teams this week with very real aspirations of moving into the hunt for a title — or at least solidifying a top-four finish in the league, which guarantees a first-round bye in the conference tournament.

None of that is news to the Buffs.

"We have got smart guys, we have veteran guys," Boyle said. "They know what's on the line. They know what position we put ourselves in, they get it. You don't harp on it. You just say, 'Hey guys let's, have no regrets.' That's the biggest thing you want."

Boyle, though, admits to feeling a measure of regret over a couple of games this year that slipped away from Colorado in the final minutes. Had the Buffs held on at home against Oregon State in January or at Oregon last week — games they led with seven minutes to play — they would be in the conference lead.

"I feel regret about those last six minutes against Oregon and I know our players do, too," Boyle said. "Well, let's do something about that. Let's not have regret with the way we come out and play Thursday night."

SENIOR WEEK: Two CU seniors will play their last games in the Events Center this week, guard Shane Gatling and forward Lucas Siewert . Gatling, a junior college transfer, has been on campus for two years while Siewert has been in Boulder for four.

Both have played integral roles for CU this season, with Gatling stepping into a starting spot at midseason and Siewert playing a key role as CU's sixth man.

"We have two seniors we're trying to send out on a positive note," Boyle said. "Shane has been here for two years and Lucas has been here for four … One thing again I think that makes this team special is they really, truly care about each other and I think our players understand. They want to play for Lucas and they want to play for Shane, not only for themselves. They want to play for their teammates."

FIRST LOOK USC: The Trojans have ridden a bit of a roller coaster this year. USC jumped out to a 6-2 start in league play, then lost three in a row — a streak that began with a 78-57 loss to Colorado on its home floor. But they have since bounced back with a pair of wins and are well within reach of the league leaders.

USC boasts a big and talented front line, one Boyle called one of the best in the country. They are led by 6-foot-9 freshman Onyeka Okongwu, a projected first-round NBA Draft pick who is averaging 15.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in conference play. Alongside Okongwu are 6-11 senior Nick Rakocevic (8.77 rebounds per game) and 6-10 freshman Isaiah Mobley (6.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg).

ROAD FINISH: After this week's home games, the Buffs wrap up the regular season with three straight road contests, beginning with a pair in the Bay Area — Feb. 7 at Cal and March 1 at Stanford — before the March 7 season finale at Utah.

CONFERENCE LEADERS: The Buffs are atop the Pac-12 leaderboard in a number of categories in Pac-12 play.

CU is first in the league in offense (72.0 ppg), scoring defense (63.85 ppg), field goal percentage (.456), 3-point shooting percentage (.378) and assists (14.23 apg). The Buffs are also second in free throw percentage (.739) and rebound margin (plus-4.15). On the individual charts in league play, junior point guard McKinley Wright IV leads in assists (6.15 apg), Tyler Bey is second in rebounding (9.17 rpg) and Maddox Daniels is second in 3-point percentage (.444).

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu



