TUCSON, Ariz. -- It's a problem most every highly regarded team has to deal with: The undercard or trap game, perceived to be the secondary game of a two-game road swing.
It caught up to Arizona on the Oregon trip, when the Wildcats lost to Oregon State after winning handily at Oregon -- which figured to be the tougher of the two opponents.
Last year it was the California game on Arizona's Bay Area swing.
Circumstance point to Thursday's game at Colorado -- proceeding Saturday's marquee matchup at No. 13 Utah -- as a potentially perilous outing for the seventh-ranked Wildcats (24-3, 12-2 Pac-12).
But don't think for a moment that the Wildcats aren't aware of the dangers of looking past Colorado.
"It's simple,"junior forward Brandon Ashley said in how to avoid looking ahead. "We've lost three games this year, and all have been on the road and each against teams where we shouldn't have lost those games."
Sophomore Rondae Hollis-Jefferson admitted Arizona might have overlooked certain opponents in the past, but having that knowledge will help them to focus "on the now."
The "now" is Colorado (12-14, 5-9 Pac-12), a team that has run hot and cold while struggling with injuries for most of the season.
Arizona coach Sean Miller said Tuesday there's been no mention of Utah: "That game will take care of itself ... One hundred percent of our efforts are the next game."
Miller pointed to Arizona's recent history with Colorado, which knocked off the Wildcats two years ago in Boulder and nearly beat them in Tucson that same season -- a controversial last-second basket by the Buffs was waved off, and Arizona escaped with a victory in overtime.
"They've always been such a great team," Miller said.
While the Buffs have struggled for most of the season, they've still proven tough to beat at home. Their victims include Stanford (64-56) and UCLA (62-56).
Thursday also will mark the fifth consecutive game all of the Colorado players will be collectively healthy. Four starters have missed a combined 15 games this season.
"There hasn't been a team that has been decimated with injuries more than Colorado has," Miller said.
Center Josh Scott was out for eight games with back problems. Miller projected him to be an all-conference team member. Guard Xavier Johnson was out with an ankle sprain, as was guard Dominique Collier. Scott and Johnson were both out when Arizona beat Colorado 68-54 earlier this year in Tucson.
"It's unfair to judge their team by this year because they haven't been at full strength until now," Miller said. "Because of that our players respect their players. We respect their team."
Reason enough, Miller said, that Colorado "has our undivided attention. It's nothing we really had to talk about. Our total focus is the Colorado game."
The altitude in Boulder makes it a uniquely difficult place to play in the Pac-12. Arizona has won only two of nine matchups there.
"It's exciting to play there, but it's difficult," Miller said.
Miller said at full strength, the Buffs have the ingredients of an NCAA Tournament team, which they've been for the past three season.
"They have some great pieces and some talented players," he said. "They just haven't been that true team we have been accustomed to because of the injuries they've had."
Askia Booker made 11 of 17 shots from the field and scored 30 of Colorado's 54 points in the January loss to Arizona.
"That's a big challenge," said Hollis-Jefferson, speaking about how to stop Booker. "But I'm sure our team is ready for it. We don't want that feeling again. For an individual to do that to us it's kind of embarrassing. For us being a good defensive team, it kind of hurts. We'll have to be a lot more focused to shut him down."
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