Women’s basketball: No. 12 Utah first of many tests for No. 8 CU Buffs in Pac-12

What the Colorado women’s basketball team has done to this point has been impressive.

The 11-game nonconference slate isn’t what the eighth-ranked Buffaloes came into this season looking to dominate, however.

On Saturday, CU will host No. 12 Utah in the first of many upper-echelon battles during the final season of Pac-12 basketball.

“Because we have so many players that have been through the gauntlet of the Pac-12, I think everyone’s just very refocused,” said CU head coach JR Payne, whose team will hit the court after a nine-day break. “It’s kind of feeling like this is a new season. The first part of the season was great, second part begins now. I’m just excited for what’s going to be such a difficult Pac-12 Conference.”

Although ranked No. 8 nationally, the Buffs are just the third-highest ranked from the conference, behind No. 2 UCLA and No. 6 USC. Stanford, at No. 9, and Utah aren’t far behind. Washington and Washington State are both receiving votes and have been ranked this season. Oregon State is 11-0 and also receiving votes.

To this point in the season, no team in the conference is worse than 8-4.

“Oh, I think it’s the best it’s ever been top to bottom,” Payne said. “I think it’s awesome. It always is intense. It’s always so well-coached and so many talented players and things like that, but it’s even more exciting just being that it’s the last of the Pac-12 seasons, and it’s going to be the best.”

All 12 teams will be in different conferences next year, with CU, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State heading to the Big 12. Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington will go to the Big Ten, while California and Stanford will be in the ACC. Oregon State and Washington State are being added as affiliate members of the West Coast Conference for basketball.

CU hasn’t won a regular season conference title since 1994-95 (Big Eight) and would love to finish the Pac-12 era with a banner.

“We’re really excited (for the Pac-12 season),” center Aaronette Vonleh said. “Preseason is fun. You get to play teams you don’t usually see, but to be able to get back into conference and, it’s kind of the last year of the Pac-12 now, so it’s even more special. We want to end it on an even higher note, like win the last Pac-12 Championship. … That’s like making history.”

That’s not going to be an easy task, however, with so many elite teams in the conference. Four of the Buffs’ first seven conference games are against teams in the top 12.

“It’s gonna be a hard few months because you don’t really get a break and you’re just playing top 10 teams back-to-back-to-back,” guard Kindyll Wetta said. “That’s what we’re here for and that’s what we’re excited to do.”

A year ago, CU was third in the Pac-12 standings, the program’s best regular season conference finish since 2003-04 (third in the Big 12). But guard Jaylyn Sherrod and center Quay Miller both returned for a bonus fifth season (granted by the NCAA because of the COVID-19 pandemic) aiming for more with a strong core group around them.

“We feel like Quay and Jaylyn and some of these guys came back to see how well we could finish during this part of the season,” Payne said. “It wasn’t necessarily about the first part of the season. But I think we’re definitely excited and motivated.”

CU isn’t looking too far ahead, though. The opening game, against Utah, is a significant test right out of the gate.

“I think both teams are really good,” Payne said. “Both teams are very veteran-laden. Both teams are hungry to do well and feel like they have the personnel to go far in the season and so I would expect it to be a really, really fun and tough game.”

In recent years, CU and Utah have split their season series, so it’s a good Pac-12 opener to test the Buffs’ focus.

“I think it does (help) because we do know they’re gonna be a very good team,” Wetta said. “Historically we’ve been win one, lose one with them. It will definitely heighten the level of (the game).”

No. 8 CU Buffs women’s basketball vs. No. 12 Utah Utes

TIPOFF: Saturday, 1 p.m., CU Events Center in Boulder

TV/RADIO: Pac-12 Network/630 AM

RECORDS: Colorado 10-1 (0-0 Pac-12); Utah 10-2 (0-0 Pac-12)

COACHES: Colorado — JR Payne, 8th season (129-94; 230-207 career). Utah — Lynne Roberts, 9th season (149-106; 370-281 career).

KEY PLAYERS: Colorado — G Frida Formann, 5-11, Sr. (15.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.8 spg, .496 FG%, .481 3PT%, 1.000 FT%); C Quay Miller, 6-3, Sr. (10.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg); G Tameiya Sadler, 5-8, Sr. (5.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.5 apg, 2.2 spg); G Jaylyn Sherrod, 5-7, Sr. (13.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 6.0 apg, 2.0 spg, .485 FG%); C Aaronette Vonleh, 6-3, Jr. (15.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.0 apg, .651 FG%); G Kindyll Wetta, 5-9, Jr. (7.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.5 apg, .492 FG%). Utah — F Jenna Johnson, 6-2, Jr. (9.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, .558 FG%); G Kennady McQueen, 5-10, Jr. (9.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.1 apg, .518 FG%, .467 3-PT%); F Alissa Pili, 6-2, Sr. (23.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.3 bpg, .697 FG%, .565 3-PT%); F Reese Ross, 6-1, Fr. (8.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, .627 FG%, .609 3-PT%); G Ines Vieira, 5-6, Jr. (7.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 7.4 apg, 3.3 spg).

NOTES: This is the final Pac-12 opener for both teams, as Colorado and Utah will both join the Big 12 next summer. … CU is 3-9 in Pac-12 openers since joining the conference, including a loss at Utah in last year’s conference opener. … The Buffs are 21-21 all-time against Utah, including 11-8 in Boulder. … This is the first time that CU and Utah are both ranked among the top 25 when squaring off. … CU has held steady at No. 8 for the past four weeks. The Buffs have been in the top 10 for seven straight weeks, the longest stretch for the program since a 16-week run during the 1994-95 season. … Since CU and Utah joined the Pac-12 together in the summer of 2011, the Buffs are 14-11 against the Utes. … Last year, the two teams split their series, with Utah winning in Salt Lake City (85-58 on Dec. 14, 2022) and CU winning in Boulder (77-67 on Jan. 6). … Utah is third in the country in scoring (93.3 points per game), while CU is 15th (84.0). … The Buffs are 66-210 all-time against opponents ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, including 10-48 under Payne. The Buffs are 7-8 in their last 15 games against top 25 teams. … Utah is 5-63 all-time against opponents ranked in the Top 10, with all five wins at home. The highest-ranked team the Utes have ever defeated on the road was No. 15 Oregon State on Dec. 8, 2020. … Utah is 10-54 against ranked opponents under Roberts, including 0-2 this year. … CU’s only loss came against then-No. 10 North Carolina State (now No. 3) in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Nov. 25. … Utah lost at No. 21 Baylor on Nov. 14 and to No. 1 South Carolina on Dec. 10 in Uncasville, Conn.