Due to factors such as inexperience and, lately, manpower issues, the Colorado men's basketball team is a squad that hits the floor with little margin for error.
Recently, the Buffaloes have erased that thin margin and taken themselves out of the fight within minutes after the opening tip.
Sunday's lopsided loss at Utah — a late Buffs rally turned what had been a 28-point Utes lead into a more palatable 78-69 final score — featured what merely was the latest in a series of game-opening foibles that have played a big part in CU's 1-4 start in Pac-12 Conference play.