BOULDER, Colo.听鈥 Arizona tends to draw four-figure crowds for weekend games in major metro areas where it often has a sizable alumni base, and the Wildcats can also just be a magnet wherever they go.
Witness four of the better-geared-out UA fans who sat in the upper rows of the CU Events Center on Saturday: William Murphy is from Tucson, Art Loya is from Dallas, while George and Wendy Mendoza are from Chandler. All became friends in Tucson, with Murphy and Loya going back to kindergarten.
Arizona fans George and Wendy Mendoza (in red, from left) of Chandler met up with Art Loya of Dallas and William Murphy of Tucson to watch Arizona play Colorado in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday, March 7, 2026.
While the four have been to other games this season, they opted to meet in Boulder for the last game of the regular season.
鈥淚 think we just threw a dart on the calendar,鈥 Loya said.
UA fans represent
Even an hour before the game, it was evident once again that Arizona would be well-represented at the CU Events Center. At that point, there was more red and navy in the building than fans wearing CU gear.
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Many stood in the lower seats and watched the Wildcats warm up and, by gametime, roughly a third of the fans inside the CU Events Center appeared to be rooting for UA.
Moment of silence
Colorado held a moment of silence before Saturday鈥檚 game for Buffaloes quarterback Dominiq Ponder, who died nearly a week earlier in a car crash just outside of Boulder, just a day before spring football practices started.
Colorado football coach Deion Sanders left the team to decide whether to practice, according to , but the Buffaloes forged on.
鈥淲e decided as a team Dom wouldn鈥檛 miss a day,鈥 senior safety Ben Finneseth told BuffZone. 鈥淗e would have said, 鈥楲ife鈥檚 gotta move on, we got championships to win, and we still have goals and the clocks are still rolling, the world鈥檚 still going to spin.鈥
鈥淥bviously there was a lot of emotions (Sunday) and a lot of guys breaking down and tearing up, but we gotta keep working. That was the biggest thing. We gotta be there for each other, gotta keep working.鈥
Colorado held a moment of silence for football player Dominiq Ponder, who was killed in a car crash a week before the UA-CU basketball game.
During a news conference Friday, Sanders said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 my understanding as a father, that when we send our kids to college, we send our kids to college to mature, progress, to learn who he or she is. We don鈥檛 send kids to college not to come back, and that鈥檚 the most painful thing that I鈥檓 dealing with."
Although Ponder was a reserve walk-on, Sanders indicated he made a significant impact.
鈥淭his is a walk-on kid that was a bona fide leader. Bona fide leader,鈥 Sanders said. 鈥淩an our quarterback room up until his passing. We鈥檙e going to appreciate it. We鈥檙e going to celebrate it. And focus on the positive things that he brought to us.鈥
Lone Buff senior
Colorado honored only one senior Saturday, and it was a surprise in some respects.
Because Elijah Malone graduated ... two years ago, with a degree in marketing鈥 from Grace College, an NAIA school in Indiana.
But after becoming the small-college player of the year in 2023-24, Malone took advantage of his COVID exception to play at Colorado last season.
He finished last season on a high note, with 14 points in Colorado鈥檚 upset over West Virginia in the Big 12 Tournament, and had a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds against Villlanova in the Crown event at Las Vegas.
This season, he took advantage of a legal ruling allowing a blanket extra year for athletes playing below Division I to spend a second season with the Buffs. However, a shoulder issue has limited him for most of this season. He averaged just 4.2 points and 2.7 rebounds this season
Colorado center Elijah Malone, right, looks to shoot as Arizona center Motiejus Krivas defends in the second half, Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Boulder, Colo.听
鈥淗e鈥檚 given us everything he鈥檚 had. His work ethic has been great,鈥 Colorado coach Tad Boyle told Buffzone. 鈥淗e hasn鈥檛 had the kind of senior year I think that he wanted or expected, or maybe that we wanted or expected. But it鈥檚 not because he鈥檚 not a good kid. You鈥檙e not going to have a higher-character kid in your program than Elijah Malone.鈥
High praise
Before Saturday鈥檚 game, Boyle went a step or two beyond the usual praise opposing coaches give a team before facing them.
鈥淚n my mind, it鈥檚 the best Arizona team in 15 years I鈥檝e competed against them,鈥 Boyle told Buffzone. 鈥淭hirteen years in the Pac-12, this is the second year now in the Big 12, the best Arizona (team). And we鈥檝e played against some really good Arizona teams.鈥
Boyle also gave a shout-out to UA forward Tobe Awaka, whom he coached on the USA鈥檚 U19 team in 2023, saying he鈥檚 the 鈥渆pitome鈥 of the Wildcats.
鈥淭he role he鈥檚 accepted and played, and what he鈥檚 done for that team, the sacrifice, it just tells you what kind of group they鈥檝e got,鈥 Boyle said. 鈥淗e could start for any team in the Big 12.鈥
Rancik out
While Arizona was back at full strength again Saturday, the Buffaloes were playing a second straight game without starting big man Sebastian Rancik.
Colorado instead started Malone, while the Buffs also relied on Alon Michaeli off the bench.
Buffzone wrote that Rancik has drawn comparisons to former CU standout Tristan da Silva, a 2024 NBA first-round draft pick who boasted a similar blend of size and skill set.
鈥淵ou look at the numbers side-by-side as sophomores, Seby鈥檚 ahead of the game,鈥 Boyle said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 not behind Tristan. He鈥檚 ahead of Tristan. Now, will he continue to develop and work on his game? That鈥檚 yet to be seen. But there鈥檚 no question he can get there.鈥
There鈥檚 still Coors
Known as the Coors Events Center from 1990 to 2018 because of a $5 million donation from the Adolph Coors Foundation, CU鈥檚 Events Center no longer includes the name of the nearby brewing giant, a fact that appeared to surprise UA coach Tommy Lloyd on his radio show.
Local brewer Coors is still well-represented at the CU Events Center.
But there鈥檚 still plenty of Coors and Coors Light available for sale inside the building, next to other options such as canned wine, alcoholic seltzers, along with other beers that include Modelo, Shock Top Belgian white and Breckenridge Brewery鈥檚 Juice Drop Hazy IPA.
Cheap drinks for students
While regular fans were asked to pay $13-$14 for a large can of beer or other drink, CU students were offered smaller cans of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for just $2.99.
While regular fans paid betwen $13-$14 for big beer cans at the CU Events Center, students were offered smaller cans for $2.99 before tipoff.
The catch was that the discounted drinks were only sold at a small stand above the student section听鈥 and only up until tipoff.
Lloyd show grows
When Lloyd held his last weekly radio show Thursday, diners spilled all over the courtyard at St. Philips Plaza, in contrast to the shows he held earlier in his UA career inside the adjacent Union Public House.
The show has been mostly held outside for the last two years, switching from Mondays to Thursdays last season because of the Wildcats鈥 move from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 and resulting change in scheduling rhythm.
鈥淲e're getting a little more traction with just being consistent doing the show outside, and on a consistent night,鈥 Lloyd said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been moved around a little bit. But I hope we keep growing the show. It鈥檚 not about me. It鈥檚 about getting people together. It鈥檚 been great.鈥
The show will be held a final time on March 15, Selection Sunday, just before the picks are announced.
Quotable听
"That's a hell of a team. ... I'm not saying it's the most talented team that they've ever had, but I think it might be the best team they've ever had." -- Colorado coach Tad Boyle on Arizona.
The big number
29 鈥 Arizona wins during the regular season, a program record. (The Wildcats won 28 in 1987-88, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2021-22)
Contact sports reporter Bruce Pascoe at bpascoe@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @brucepascoe
Bruce Pascoe
Reporter
