Colorado Basketball – November

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Colorado Basketball – November, 2014

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November 29th – Boulder           Colorado 82, Northern Colorado 52

From cubuffs.com … For 20 minutes Saturday afternoon, the Colorado Buffaloes played the kind of basketball head coach Tad Boyle loves to see.

The Buffs rebounded, played defense, took care of the ball, took good shots and played team offense. And although things got a little sloppy in the second half, the 5-1 Buffs still had more than enough in their tank to carve out an 82-52 win over visiting Northern Colorado for their fifth straight win.

This one was over early. The Buffs built a double-digit lead, 17-6, less than seven minutes into the game and steadily added to the margin throughout the half. CU closed the period with a 15-2 run, fueled by six points from Josh Scott and four from Tory Miller, to take a 46-19 lead into the locker room at intermission.

Scott just missed his third double-double of the season, finishing with 18 points and eight rebounds. CU’s Wes Gordon also just missed his first double-double of the season, collecting a game-high 15 rebounds and nine points. George King added 13 points for the Buffs and Josh Fortune finished with nine.

The Buffs’ defense suffocated the Bears in the opening 20 minutes, as UNC managed to score unanswered baskets only twice in the half and never had a larger run than 4-0. CU finished the half with a 24-15 edge in rebounding and held UNC to just 27 percent shooting from the field (9-for-33). The Buffs, meanwhile, shot 53.6 percent from the field in the first half (15-for-28), including 6-for-13 from 3-point range.

The flow of the game changed significantly in the second half, much to Boyle’s chagrin. After a particularly sloppy defensive effort, Boyle called a timeout and wasted no time in delivering a message in the huddle.

Not that the Bears were ever a threat to close the gap. But with just more than nine minutes remaining in the game, the Bears had actually outscored Colorado in the half, 15-13, after a Spencer Mathis dunk.

The Buffs, though, finally woke up long enough to regain control. A Fortune 3-pointer with 5:30 left in the game gave CU a 35-point lead, 73-38, and CU coasted down the stretch.

CU returns to the Events Center on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. matchup against Ft. Lewis College (Pac-12 Networks) before heading to Fort Collins on Sunday for a noon matchup with in-state rival Colorado State (Root).

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November 28th

… CU in the Arena …

CU women fall to Florida in OMNI Classic title game

From cubuffs.com … Omni Classics aren’t supposed to end like this for the Colorado women’s basketball team, but form wasn’t followed Saturday night by Florida.

The Gators took a healthy Thanksgiving weekend bite out of the Buffaloes, rolling to an impressive 83-61 win in the Omni championship game at the Coors Events Center.

“That was a tough game . . . we’re disappointed that we didn’t show up better on our home floor,” CU coach Linda Lappe said. “But give Florida credit; they came out and played really, really hard . . . in the second half they made all the little plays, all the big plays.”

CU (3-2) had won 18 of 27 Omni Classic titles and played in every championship game but three. Meanwhile, Florida (5-1) was making its first appearance in the holiday tournament. But the Gators made themselves at home and methodically turned the night into four quarters of catchup for the Buffs.

Florida held CU to 30 percent shooting from the field (19-of-63) while shooting 44 percent (32-of-72). The Gators outrebounded the Buffs 55-40, forced 26 turnovers and had a commanding 48-22 advantage in the paint.

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Getting to Know: Northern Colorado

From cubuffs.com …

THE GAME: The University of Colorado continues its home stand by hosting the University of Northern Colorado on Sunday, Nov. 29, at 1 p.m. at the Coors Events Center.

WATCH/LISTEN:
TV: Pac-12 Network (Rich Burk, Kevin O’Neill)
Radio: KKZN AM 760 (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Satellite: Sirius 145, XM 197
Watch Online: Pac-12 Now
Listen Online: CUBuffs.com, TuneIn, CU Gameday App
Live Statistics: CUBuffs.com

OPENING TIP: Colorado leads the Pac-12 Conference in free throw percentage at .741.

ABOUT THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 4-1 overall on the young season, coming off an 81-70 win over Air Force on Nov. 25 at the Coors Events Center.

The Buffaloes will play their fourth of five straight home games after coming out even from one of the more challenging starts in recent memory. Colorado opened the season with two games away from the Coors Events Center for the first time since 2003-04.

ABOUT THE BEARS: Northern Colorado is 1-4 overall coming off a 105-85 setback to Omaha on Nov. 25. UNC is averaging 78 points per game while shooting 43 percent from the field and 36 percent from downtown. The Bears are an excellent free throw shooting team, at 79.4 percent through their first five games. UNC is allowing 91 points per game. Opponents have shot 51 percent against the Bears.

UNC’s scoring comes primarily from its back court as the three-guard junior class combo of Cameron Michael, Anthony Johnson and Jordan Wilson have accounted for 56 percent of the Bears’ scoring. Johnson leads the team in scoring at 17.2 points per game and is coming off a career-best 20-point performance against UNO.  Michael, averaging 16.8 points per game, did not play against the Mavericks. Wilson is averaging 13.4 points an outing and is the Bears’ top 3-pointer shooter at 40 percent; hitting 12 of is first 30 attempts. Michael leads the Bears in rebounding (6.3 rpg) and assists (2.8 apg). Sophomore forward Jeremy Verhagen is averaging 9.8 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 59 percent from the field.

B.J. Hill is in his sixth season as the head coach at Northern Colorado with a record of 77-81.

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Tory Miller reprimanded but not suspended for biting incident against Air Force

Press release from the Pac-12 … The Pac-12 has responded to the unsportsmanlike conduct by University of Colorado sophomore forward Tory Miller during last Wednesday’s men’s basketball game against Air Force.

Miller has been reprimanded for his actions in which he bit an opponent during a dead ball situation in the game. After an in-game video review of the incident by the officiating crew, Miller was assessed a Flagrant 2 Dead Ball Technical Foul and ejected from the game.

“All of our student-athletes must adhere to the Pac-12’s Standards of Conduct and Sportsman-ship,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said. “Regardless of Mr. Miller’s frustration and emotion, such behavior is unacceptable and he is being appropriately reprimanded.”

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Statement from Colorado’s Tory Miller:
“I would like to apologize for my actions during the Air Force game. I would like to apologize to Hayden Graham, Air Force, my teammates and fans. It was a heat of the moment thing. I’m an emotional player, but I let my emotions get the best of me. I will use this as a learning experience and focus on helping my teammates and respecting my opponents for the rest of the season and beyond.”

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CU women handle UMass … Florida up next (OMNI Classic title game – 7:30 p.m., Saturday night

From cubuffs.com …  Senior Jamee Swan’s shooting was near-perfect and her Colorado teammates came close in most other areas, pushing the Buffaloes past Massachusetts 90-63 on Friday night and into Saturday night’s championship game of the Omni Classic.

The Buffs’ championship game opponent is Florida, which defeated Ball State 85-79 in Friday night’s first game at the Coors Events Center. Saturday night’s tipoff at the CEC is at 7:30 p.m.

CU (3-1) has won 18 of 27 Omni Classic titles, is 47-10 all-time in the Thanksgiving holiday tournament, and has played in every championship game but three. Florida (4-1) is making its first appearance in the tournament and is 1-1 against CU.

“I thought it was a really good win as one unit,” coach Linda Lappe said after CU had dealt UMass its worst defeat of the season. “We talked about playing solid together, getting rid of individual play, playing as one team.”

Lappe said the Buffs’ offense “was clicking and fast-paced” and while the defense didn’t meet its scoring goal, that was a credit to the Minutewomen. “We have to make (defense) more consistent, have more active hands and we could have moved our feet better . . . but the mentality was there.”

Hitting seven of her eight field goal attempts and 9 of 11 free throws, Swan led all scorers with 23 points. She got scoring help from freshman guard Alexis Robinson (21) and junior Haley Smith (15). Robinson’s total was a career high.

… Continue reading story here …

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November 27th

… CU in the Arena …

CU women’s basketball hosts OMNI Classic

From cubuffs.com …

THE GAME: The University of Colorado hosts the 29th Annual Omni Hotels Classic, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 27-28, at the Coors Events Center.

Friday, Nov. 27
Ball State vs. Florida, 5 p.m.
UMass at Colorado, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 28
Consolation, 5 p.m.
Championship, 7:30 p.m.

BROADCAST: Colorado’s games of the Omni Classic will air live on KKZN 760 AM. Cory Lopez will have the call with Carol Callan of USA Basketball providing the color commentary. A free live video stream will be available through Colorado’s Pac-12.com video player. All CU women’s basketball home games that are not televised will be available through Pac-12.com at this link:
http://pac-12.com/videos/university-colorado

ABOUT THE BUFFS: Colorado opened the season with two straight wins and then fell in a tough road game against then-No. 13 Kentucky last weekend by an 86-61 final score. The Buffaloes will look to rebound and get back in the win column this weekend as they host the two-day Omni Classic.

Freshman Kennedy Leonard has made quite the impact for the Buffaloes in such a short amount of time. She enters the weekend as Colorado’s leading scoring, averaging 13.7 points per game and has also dished out a team-leading 22 assists over three games at the starting point-guard position.

In her final year playing in a Buffs’ uniform, senior Jamee Swan has been consistent with her play over the firs tthree games of the season. Swan is averaging a team-best 7.3 rebounds per game, while averaging 13 points in each game. She also has a team-leading six blocks on the season.

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November 25th – Boulder           Colorado 81, Air Force 70

From cubuffs.com … Tad Boyle’s Colorado Buffaloes did exactly what good teams are supposed to do against an overmatched nonconference foe Wednesday night at the Coors Events Center.

The Buffs built a big lead in the first half, kept the pressure on in the second and won handily, collecting an 81-70 win over visiting Air Force.

It was the 4-1 Buffs’ fourth straight win after a season-opening loss, and CU’s sixth in a row over the Falcons.

Colorado dominated the game in virtually every facet. CU had three players in double-figure scoring, led by 21 from Josh Scott and 18 from Josh Fortune.  George King, CU’s leading scorer in each of the Buffs’ first four games, added 14 as CU overcame a slow start to build a 16-point lead by intermission, an edge that grew to as much as 26 and never dipped below double digits for the entirety of the second half.

The Buffs also outrebounded the Falcons, 38-31, and shot 52 percent from the floor, including a 13-for-25 night from 3-point range. Wesley Gordon led CU with eight rebounds, followed by Scott with seven and Fortune with six. The 13 treys were the most by CU since a January 2006 game against Missouri.

“Overall I’m pretty pleased with the way our guys played,” Boyle said. “We could still be a more consistent team. One of the challenges we laid out was to play 40 minutes of Colorado basketball … and I thought we played about 37 minutes. Consistency is something we’re going to really try to talk about. This time of the season, our standards are set pretty high.”

… Continue reading story here …

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TIP INS

Colorado: Josh Scott had seven rebounds and boosted his career total to 736, moving ahead of Vince Kelley (730) for sixth on Colorado’s all-time list.

UP NEXT

Colorado: Hosts Northern Colorado on Sunday (1:00 p.m., Pac-12 Networks).

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November 24th

… CU in the Arena …

Getting to Know: Air Force

Falcons’ 2014-15 record: 14-17 (6-12 in Mountain West play), including a 68-53 loss to Colorado which included a 25-0 run by the Buffs in the first half.

From cubuffs.com … The 3-1 Falcons bring a three-game win streak into Wednesday’s contest. After dropping the season opener at Southern Illinois, Air Force rebounded to win home games against Tennessee Tech, Mississippi Valley State and Robert Morris. Sophomore guard Trevor Lyons leads Air Force in scoring at 17.3 points per game, and he’s also the team leader in steals with 13. Junior forward Hayden Graham tops the Falcons in rebounds (9.5 rpg) and assists (4.8 apg) while averaging 16.0 points per game.

The Buffs have two more home games directly ahead after Wednesday’s game. They host Northern Colorado on Sunday (1 p.m.) and Fort Lewis on Dec. 2 (6 p.m.) before taking a short road trip to Fort Collins on Dec. 6 for a noon game with Colorado State.

Wednesday’s game will be the 25th meeting between CU and Air Force, with the Buffaloes holding a 21-3 series lead. The Buffaloes have won five straight in the series, including a 68-53 decision in Boulder last year. Colorado has won 10 of 11 all-time meetings in Boulder. The lone Air Force win in Boulder was also its last win in the series, 84-46, on Nov. 18, 2006.

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Detroit Pistons to retire the jersey of Chauncey Billups

From cubuffs.com … The Detroit Pistons will honor and retire jersey No. 1 worn by former Colorado Buffaloes All-American Chauncey Billups, the club announced on Monday.

Billups will be honored during a halftime ceremony on Wednesday, Feburary 10, at the Palace of Auburn Hills; fittingly against his hometown team, the Denver Nuggets.

The Pistons will also honor and retire the No. 3 jersey of Billups’ teammate Ben Wallace on Jan. 16 against Golden State. The duo helped Detroit to the 2003-04 NBA Championship and back-to-back Eastern Conference titles in 2004 and ’05.

“Our franchise has an extraordinary history and it’s important that we recognize the players who not only achieved great things, but also helped define what it means to be a Piston,” said Pistons Owner Tom Gores in a team release. “Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace are legends in Detroit and we are excited to honor their success.”

Billups was the 2004 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player highlighting a fantastic eight-year run with the Pistons. He was a three-time NBA All-Star with Detroit, All-NBA Second Team in 2006, All-NBA Third Team in 2007 and All-NBA Defensive Second Team in 2005 and ’06. Billups averaged 16.5 points. 6.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds during his Pistons career.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by the Detroit Pistons organization in this manner,” said Billups in a team release. “This is a franchise with great history and tradition. To be recognized amongst the all-time great players in team history is special and I look forward to celebrating the achievements, memories and great times we shared together.”

Billups was inducted into the Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame on Nov. 5. A first-team All-American and unanimous All-Big 12 performer as a sophomore in 1996-97, he led the Buffaloes to a 22-10 record, a second place finish in the inaugural season of the Big 12, and CU’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 28 years.�� He averaged 18.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 55 games before declaring for the NBA Draft, where he was the highest Buffalo every drafted (third overall) and went on to play 17 seasons in the league.

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November 23rd

… CU in the Arena …

Tad Boyle: “If I am going to have to shame them into playing defense, I’ll shame them into playing defense”

From cubuffs.com …  One day after Tad Boyle delivered a harsh critique of his team’s defensive performance, the Buffs put together what Boyle called “one of our best practices of the year.”

Sunday afternoon, Boyle was not happy after the Buffs squeaked out an 87-82 come-from-behind win over visiting Nebraska-Omaha. Boyle was particularly incensed at the Buffs’ perimeter defense, which yielded 17 layups and allowed the visitors to shoot 47 percent from the field.

Monday morning, though, the Buffs were back on the practice floor at the Coors Events Center, and much of that time was devoted to defense.

“Great practice,” Boyle said. “The guys came in here today, recognized what they needed to work on and responded with a great practice and a great attitude. It’s one of the reasons I love this team.”

In four games this year, the 3-1 Buffs have limited an opponent to less than 40 percent shooting from the floor just once, in an 85-63 win over Portland. Even then, the Pilots shot nearly 46 percent in the first half before CU’s defense put on the clamps after intermission.

Omaha hit 47 percent of its field goal tries in Sunday’s game.

“We’re going to keep harping on it,” Boyle said. “If I have to shame them into playing defense, I’ll shame them into playing defense. But the bottom line is we have to have a collective pride. That has to be our identity.”

… Continue reading story here …

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November 21st – Colorado 87, Nebraska-Omaha 82

From cubuffs.com … The Colorado Buffaloes overcame a lethargic first half, overtook Omaha, then had to hold on desperately for an 87-82 win on Sunday afternoon at the Coors Events Center.

Trailing by as many as 13 points early in the second half, the Buffs (3-1) rode the late production of forwards George King and Tre’Shaun Fletcher to their second victory in a five-game home stand.

The Mavericks pulled to within three points (83-80) in the final minute on back-to-back 3-pointers by Devin Patterson. But the Buffs didn’t cave, hitting 10-of-10 free throws down the stretch.

CU (3-1) had five players in double figures, led by King’s 16 while Fletcher added 15. Josh Scott (14 points, 12 rebounds), Wes Gordon (12 points, 7 rebounds) and Dom Collier (13 points) rounded out the Buffs in double digits. Collier connected on six-of-six free throws in the final two minutes.

Patterson was the game’s high scorer with 19 points. Four other players also were in double figures for Omaha (2-2).

… The Buffs needed a fast second-half start – and didn’t get it. The Mavericks scored the half’s first seven points, five by 6-8 Jake White, and took their largest lead of the afternoon – 45-32 – before the Buffs might have realized real trouble was brewing.

Their solution: Defense like they should have been playing for the first 20 minutes that keyed an 11-2 run and brought them to within four points (47-43) with 15:46 to play.

Scott, who hit his only two first-half shots and both of his free throw attempts, got back-to-back baskets in the run and Tory Miller capped it with one of two free throws.

The Buffs finally caught the Mavericks at 53-53 on a pair of Scott free throws that capped a 10-4 surge with 11:47 remaining. King, who scored only two first-half points, hit six straight during the run.

Omaha held the lead until Fletcher hit a foul line jumper at the 9:50 mark to push the Buffs up 57-55 – CU’s first lead since 17-15.

After two one-and-one Omaha misses, Fletcher drained a 3-pointer as the clock shot ticked to two, giving CU a five-point advantage (60-55) with 8:11 left.

And it quickly became “Tre Time.” He followed his trey with both ends of a one-and-one, then another trey from the right wing, putting the Buffs ahead 65-57. A King floater just inside the left key gave CU its first double-digit lead of the afternoon – 67-57 – with 6 1/2 minutes to play.

But the Mavericks weren’t in a rollover mood.

CU returns to the CEC on Wednesday night to play Air Force (7 p.m., Pac-12 Networks).

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November 20th

… CU in the Arena …

Getting to Know: Nebraska-Omaha … Sunday, noon, MT (Pac-12 Networks) … KOA 850 AM radio … Sirius Radio 212; XM 197

Mavericks’ 2014-15 Record: 12-17, including a 5-11 record in Summit League play.

Mavericks’ 2015-16 record: From cubuffs.com … Omaha is 2-1 overall having won two straight since dropping its season opener 60-59 to UC Santa Barbara. This will be the first road game for the Mavericks. Omaha is coming off a 95-89 overtime win over UMKC on Nov. 17. The Mavericks are averaging 86 points overall and 99.5 points in their last two outings. Omaha is shooting 45 percent from the field and 72 percent from the free throw line. The Mavericks have outrebounded their opponent by 5.3 boards per game so far and have collected 31 steals in three outings. Omaha is a member of the Summit League and, now in its fifth year of NCAA Division I, is eligible for NCAA postseason play for the first time in 2015-16.

Coach: Derrin Hansen is in his 11th season as the head coach of Omaha with a record of 163-139.

Series: This will be the first meeting between Colorado and Omaha. The Buffaloes have a limited history with the Summit League having only played two of its current members, Denver and South Dakota State, and all but eight of Colorado’s 82 meetings with the Pioneers came before 1947 when the two schools were Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and Mountain States Conference rivals. Sunday’s game will mark Omaha’s first against a school from the Pac-12 Conference.

Players to watch: Sophomore forward Tre’Shawn Thurman leads Omaha at 14.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while hitting 62 percent from the field. Thurman is coming off a solid double-double against UMKC netting 30 points on 11-of-16 shooting with 11 rebounds. Senior guard Devin Patterson is averaging 12.0 points and has a team-best seven steals. Junior guard Tra-Deon Hollins is dishing out 4.3 assists an outing while averaging 6.7 points and 3.3 rebounds. Senior forward Jake White is averaging 11.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest.

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CU/Portland game story / locker room quotes

From cubuffs.com … Three games and two wins into a basketball season might be too early to fret about handling success, but that’s one of Tad Boyle’s observations about his Colorado Buffaloes.

He saw his team falter at times Friday night in its 85-63 home-opening rout of Portland at the Coors Events Center, and he laid partial blame for the erratic play on perhaps the Buffs feeling too good about themselves too soon.

… Not only is Boyle seeing a bigger picture, he’s seeing a different CU team – different from any he’s had in his previous five seasons in Boulder.

“This is an entirely different team from any year here,” he said. “This team can be great, but this team needs everyone to be great. (It) has the highest upside of any we’ve had here, but it’s not going to happen overnight.”

And, he added, “It’s got to be a 40-minute thing, not a 20-minute thing.”

CU (2-1) left its third game with plenty to improve on. The Buffs committed 18 turnovers but balanced that with 19 assists on 29 made field goals, with Boyle really liking the assist total. After an erratic first 20 minutes they opened the second half with a 20-7 run to push aside the Pilots (1-2).

“I’m not sure this team is a team that’s learned to handle success,” Boyle said. “We have to understand we’re playing with and for each other.”

… Continue reading story here …

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November 20th – Boulder          Colorado 85, Portland 63

Buffs use a 20-3 run early in the second half to pull away from Pilots

Tre’Shaun Fletcher went for a career-high 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting, leading Colorado to a 85-63 win over Portland. Josh Fortune also had a big game, with 17 points and 14 rebounds. George King again led the Buffs, posting 18 points, with Josh Scott finishing with 13 points, including seven in a row early in the second half as the Buffs went on a 20-3 run to turn a close game into a rout.

The Buffs used a myriad of combinations in the first half against the Pilots, with ten different players seeing playing time. The Buffs moved out to a nine point lead, at 42-33, just before the break, but a turnover allowed Portland to score at the buzzer, making it a 42-35 game at halftime.

Two more Colorado turnovers to open the second half led to two more Portland baskets, and, with 90 seconds gone in the second half, the score was 42-39, and the Buff turnover count was up to 11. The Buffs then got their act together, going on a 20-3 run to end the threat. After a Dominique Collier three-pointer, Josh Scott, held to four points (and zero rebounds) in the first half, went on a personal 7-0 run to push the lead to 52-39 with 16:32 to play … and the Pilots never got inside of double digits the remainder of the game.

… Up next for Colorado: Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks (2-1), Sunday, noon, Pac-12 Networks …

… Coming Saturday … Locker room quotes, Game Notes, and “Getting to Know: Nebraska-Omaha” …

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November 19th

… CU in the Arena …

Getting to Know: Portland … Friday, 7:00 p.m., MT (Pac-12 Networks) … KOA 850 AM radio … Sirius Radio 83; XM 201

Pilots’ 2014-15 Record: 17-16, including competitive games against Oregon State (58-65, OT) and UNLV (73-75, OT). The Pilots were invited to play in the CIT, losing in the first round to Sacramento State (the same Hornets team which knocked off Arizona State last weekend).

Pilots’ 2015-16 record: 1-1, with a 98-81 win over Oregon Tech and 79-66 loss to UC-Davis.

Coach: Eric Reveno, 10th season, 129-159 overall

Series: The two teams have never played before. Colorado has a 33-17 record against teams from the West Coast Conference, with the bulk of those games coming against BYU (16-6, CU). Tad Boyle is 2-1 all-time against Portland, with all three of those games coming when he was the coach at Northern Colorado. Reveno has never faced Colorado as a head coach.

Players to watch: Portland has hit 25 three-pointers in their first two games, so look for the Pilots to come out letting it fly. Senior guard Bryce Pressley is averaging 20.0-points per game to go with 7.0 rebounds. Junior point guard Alec Wintering is a preseason All-WCC selection, and is averaging 11.0-points and 8.5 assists in the first two games of the season.

Notes worth noting:

– Sophomore George King has as many points in his first two games of this season (41) as he did in all of his freshman campaign (2013-14);

– Colorado is 88-24 all-time in home openers, including a perfect 5-0 by Tad Boyle;

– The Buffs return to action this Sunday with their second of five consecutive home games, taking on Omaha (noon, MT, Pac-12 Networks).

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CU women roll past UNC

From cubuffs.com … – Linda Lappe confessed early on that she’s not much into milestones. So truth be told, win No. 100 as Colorado’s head women’s basketball coach might not seem that much more memorable than win No. 1.

Lappe’s big takeaway on Thursday night was how her Buffaloes went about their 63-41 rout of Northern Colorado.

If the Bears weren’t shot down, they were most certainly shut down. Lappe loves defense, which made this her kind of night at the Coors Events Center.

“I loved our defense, it really does get me fired up,” she said after watching the Buffs hold the Bears to 15 first-half points and 22.6 percent field goal shooting (14-of-62) for the night.

Continued Lappe, who is now 100-69 in six seasons at CU and 150-105 overall as a head coach: “I love how hard our players played, how they were active, how they moved their feet and helped out. We did a nice job of not letting Northern Colorado ever get started.”

The Buffs (2-0) never trailed and led the Bears (2-1) by as many as 27 points (61-34) with 3:35 to play. CU’s second win was the flip side of its first; in a 92-81 romp past Loyola Marymount last Saturday the Buffs were an efficient offensive machine, with five players scoring in double figures.

Three CU players – Haley Smith with 15, Jamee Swan with 13 and Zoe Beard-Fails with 12 – hit double digits against UNC. Swan added 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season and 11th of her career. Beard was one rebound short of a double-double, with her nine boards a career high.

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November 17th – GAMEDAY!

… CU in the Arena …

Colorado takes down Auburn, 91-84, behind 27 points from George King

From cubuffs.com … Colorado basketball fans who wondered where the Buffs’ offense would come from this year — aside from big man Josh Scott — received their answer Tuesday afternoon.

Welcome back, George King.

CU’s sophomore, who took a redshirt year last season after playing sparingly as a freshman, scored 27 points to go along with Scott’s 24 to lift the Buffs to a come-from-behind 91-84 win at Auburn.

The victory evened the Buffs’ record to 1-1, setting the stage nicely for Friday night’s home opener vs. Portland (7 p.m., Pac-12 Networks).

King earned his first start as a Buff on the heels of a 14-point, six-rebound effort in the Buffs’ season opening loss to Iowa State. Odds are, he earned another one with his game Tuesday.

“That’s why I believe in redshirting,” CU head coach Tad Boyle said after the game. “He’s improved. He spent a lot of time working on his game. Now we get him three more years … I hope.”

King, who also had seven rebounds, was by no means the only standout for the Buffs, who rallied from a 44-29 deficit late in the first half to take control in the second and collect the win.

Scott proved his poor shooting night in the season-opening loss to Iowa State was an aberration, hitting eight of his 10 field goal attempts and eight of his 10 free throws for his 24 points. The CU senior forward also had nine rebounds, three blocks and a pair of assists.

Sophomore point guard Dominique Collier, meanwhile, had eight points, five assists and a steal; and shooting guard Josh Fortune came off the bench to score 11 points, including a big 3-pointer in a 7-0 run midway through the second half that gave the Buffs a 66-60 lead, one they would never relinquish.

… Friday night’s home opener against Portland will the first of five consecutive home games for CU, with Nebraska-Omaha, Air Force, Northern Colorado and Fort Lewis also on the docket. CU then travels to Colorado State on Dec. 6 for a noon contest.

“We’ve still got a long ways to go,” Boyle said. “But hopefully, this will be one of those games that will mean something at the end of the season.”

CU officials announced Tuesday that $10 tickets will be available for Friday’s home opener.

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CU at Auburn (1:00 p.m., MT, ESPN) … Buffs looking for win No. 1

From cubuffs.com … Silver linings?

There’s no such thing in the Colorado men’s basketball locker room. Four days after dropping a narrow 68-62 decision to seventh-ranked Iowa State in their season opener, the Buffs head to Auburn today for a nationally televised matinee performance (1 p.m., ESPN) with just one goal in mind.

“I don’t think any of us look at anything from the Iowa State game as a silver lining,” CU big man Josh Scott said after Sunday’s practice. “I think we fought, I think we played hard —  but that’s stuff we’re supposed to do. I think we’re all of a mindset that we needed to get a ‘W.’ It’s all about getting a victory and we didn’t do that.

“Now we get another game and another chance.”

The Buffs are familiar with the Bruce Pearl-coached Tigers. Just a year ago, Auburn visited Boulder as part of the ESPN College Hoops Tip-off Marathon, and CU walked away with a 90-59 win in a game that started at 11 p.m.

This year, the Buffs are returning the favor and traveling to Auburn, once again as part of the ESPN Marathon, but at a much more reasonable hour.

The Tigers opened their season with a 75-74 win over UAB — virtually the same UAB team that notched an NCAA Tournament upset win over Iowa State a year ago.

“Auburn’s much improved,” CU head coach Tad Boyle said. “Very athletic. They play extremely hard with a lot of energy and passion. They’re much much better than they were last year.”

Indeed, the Tigers have added three new players — T. J. Dunans, Tyler Harris and Kareem Canty — and they combined for 51 points in the win over UAB.

… Continue reading story here …

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November 16th

… CU in the Arena …

Getting to Know: Auburn … Tuesday, 1:00 p.m., MT (ESPN) … KOA 850 AM radio … Sirius Radio 145; XM 201

Tigers’ 2014-15 Record: 15-20, including a 90-59 loss to Colorado

Tigers’ 2015-16 record: 1-0, a 75-74 win over UAB (the same team which upset Iowa State in the NCAA tournament last year). From the recap from auburntigers.com:

Welcome to Auburn basketball T. J. Dunans, Tyler Harris and Kareem Canty.  And Auburn can thank TJ Lang’s clutch 3-pointer with 16.3 seconds left, too.

The three newcomers combined for 51 points, and Lang’s shot gave the Tigers the lead to send Auburn past UAB 75-74 Friday night in a rocking, and standing-room-only, Auburn Arena in the season-opener for both teams.

“I told my teammates, let’s give them a show,” said Canty, who just did that with a team-high 20 points.

UAB’s last gasp with turned away with a Horace Spencer block with 1.8 seconds remaining. The crowd roared.

“We had a great college basketball environment tonight. Our crowd delivered. The crowd was phenomenal,” said coach Bruce Pearl.

—

Coach: Bruce Pearl, 2nd year at Auburn … 463-145 (21st year)

Series: CU leads the series 2-0, including a 78-72 win in the 1996-97 season.

From last year’s game, from cubuffs.com … When the clock struck midnight at the Coors Events Center, Auburn was still in the game. A bizarre hour later, the Tigers weren’t close. Say good night, good morning or goodbye.

A 24-0 run midway through Tuesday morning’s second half carried the Colorado Buffaloes to a convincing 90-59 victory in the wee hours of ESPN’s Tip-off Marathon.

Buffs coach Tad Boyle had implored CU students to turn out for the 11 p.m. tip. They listened and they were heard. Turning out en masse, they rocked the Events Center on an uncommon night/early morning of college hoops.

Players to watch … The likely starting lineup:

F 5 Cinmeon Bowers 6-7 250 Sr.

F 12 Tyler Harris 6-10 228

F 25 Jordon Granger 6-8 220 Sr.

G 1 Kareem Canty 6-1 185 Jr.

G 44 New Williams 6-2 170 Fr.

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November 13th

… CU in the Arena …

No. 7 Iowa State 68, Colorado 62

From cubuffs.com … When he agreed to play a top 10 team in the season opener, Colorado basketball coach Tad Boyle said he did so because he wanted to get some answers early in the season about his team.

Boyle got some answers Friday afternoon. Matched against No. 7 Iowa State, the Buffs played the Cyclones tough down to the end before finally dropping a 68-62 decision at the Sanford Pentagon.

“I love this team,” Boyle said after the game. “Our guys battled. I know this group is going to be a resilient bunch. But in the end, we’re not interested in just being in the game late. We want to win these.”

The Buffs trailed 30-25 af the half, one that saw both teams put together mini-runs, and neither squad ever build a bigger lead than five

But after CU’s Josh Scott scored the first bucket of the second half, the Cyclones caught fire and raced to a 14-point lead, 43-29, with 13:21 left in the game. The Cyclones fueled the run off turnovers — the Buffs committed 18 miscues on the night — and a powerful inside game for which the Buffs had no answer.

“We’ve got to be smarter with the ball,” Boyle said. “Our defense wasn’t what it needs to be and our rebounding wasn’t what it needs to be.”

—

Colorado stayed with No. 7 Iowa State throughout the game, but could never quite claw its all the way back, falling 68-62 to the Cyclones at a “neutral site” game in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

George King led the Buffs with 14 points, while Josh Scott posted a double-double, with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Dominique Collier was the other Buff in double figures, with 13 points, including 3-of-5 from three-point range.

All-American candidate Georges Niang led Iowa State with 17 points, which had four of its five starters finish in double figures.

The Cyclones had 43 rebounds to 38 for the Buffs. Colorado hit 39% of its three-point attempts (9-of-23), but was only 23-of-63 (36.5%) overall.

Starting lineup for Colorado … Josh Scott, F, Sr. – 6’10”, 245 … Wesley Gordon, F, Jr. – 6-9, 220 … Tre’Shaun Fletcher, G/F, Jr. – 6’7″, 205 … Dominique Collier, G, So., 190 … Josh Fortune, G, Jr., 200.

—

Getting to Know: No. 7 Iowa State … Friday, 3:00 p.m., MT (ESPN2) … Sanford Pentagon, Sioux Falls, South Dakota … KKZN AM 760 radio … Sirius Radio 145; XM 201

Cyclones’ 2014-15 Record:  25-9, claiming their second straight Big 12 championship. A No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, Iowa State was upset in their first game, falling 60-59 to No. 14 seed UAB. Iowa State enters the 2015-16 season as the No. 7 team in the Associated Press preseason poll.

Coach: Steve Prohm, in his first game at Iowa State, coming to Ames from Murray State. Prohm led the Racers to a four-year record of 104-29, and was twice named Ohio Valley Coach of the Year.

Series: Iowa State leads the all-time series, 77-70. The teams haven’t played since Colorado joined the Pac-12, but the Buffs won three of the last four games in the series, and Tad Boyle went 2-1 against the Cyclones in his first season at Colorado (2010-11).

Players to watch … Senior forward Georges Niang is an AP preseason All-American, coming off a season where he averaged 15.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. Junior Monte Morris is the point guard, averaging 11.9 points and 5.9 assists per game. The Cyclones also return Jameel McKay, the reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

—

… CU Liner Notes …

– Colorado is 78-34 all-time in season openers, but the Buffs usually open at home against lesser competition. The game in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will mark just the sixth time CU has opened on the road in the past 35 seasons.

– Tad Boyle is 4-1 in season openers, with the only loss coming against No. 25 Baylor, 72-60, in the 2013-14 opener in Dallas.

– The Buffs will be looking to end an eight-game losing streak against ranked opponents, with the last win coming over No. 10 Oregon on January 5, 2014. Tad Boyle is 11-19 against ranked opponents … by far the best mark all-time amongst CU coaches.

– Senior Josh Scott will be climbing up the career charts this season. Scott opens the 2015-16 campaign ranked 10th all-time in rebounding (692), 11th in free throws (358), and 20th in scoring (1,186).

—

… Getting to know the new guys …

Providence transfer Josh Fortune has sat out his NCAA-mandated year and will help fi ll the scoring void left behind by Booker. Fortune averaged 8.4 points in 2013-14 helping the Friars to the Big East Tournament Championship.

Sophomore George King used his redshirt year in 2014-15 to get stronger and work on his game. He will be a valuable asset along with Fletcher on the wing.

CU hopes to enjoy a foreign connection this year with a pair of newcomers. Sophomore forward Kenan Guzonjic, from Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, is a big body at 6-8, 245, and can step out to hit the outside shot.

Freshman guard Thomas Akyazili, from Antwerp, Belgium, has a wealth of international experience with his country’s U18 & U20 teams. Akyazili was the youngest member of Belgium’s U20 European Championship team this summer and averaged 7.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 10 games.

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November 12th

… CU in the Arena …

Tad Boyle: “It’ll tell us right away what our weaknesses are and what our strengths are”

From cubuffs.com … The norm in college basketball is to start your season with a few cupcakes at home, build a little confidence and then test the waters against a good team or two.

Tad Boyle’s Colorado Buffaloes are eschewing the norm this year. Instead of the “cupcakes-then-test-the-waters” formula, they’re jumping directly into the deep end by facing seventh-ranked Iowa State — possibly the best team the Buffs will see for the entirety of the regular season.

Tipoff for Friday’s nationally televised opener at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls is set for 3 p.m. (ESPN2), the first of a two-game road trip. After the ISU game, the Buffs will head to Auburn for a 1 p.m. game Tuesday (ESPN).

 “It’ll tell us right away what our weaknesses are and what our strengths are,” said Boyle, who is entering his sixth season at CU. “We will find that out.”

What we already know is it’s one of the more ambitious season openers in CU history. The Cyclones are the highest-ranked non-conference opponent the Buffs have faced since they took on No. 4 Kentucky in the 1998 Puerto Rico shootout.

What Boyle wants to know is if his team has corrected the problems that led to last season’s 16-18 finish, the first losing season in his CU career. The Buffs spent much of their preseason concentrating on improving their defense and rebounding, two areas in which they were lacking last season, and the Cyclones should provide an immediate measuring stick.

“If you play a team that is not as strong and you overpower them physically and with talent, you don’t know those answers,” Boyle said. “You don’t know those answers until you’ve been tested, and we’re going to be tested. So we’ll find out, win or lose.”

After roughly six weeks of practice, Boyle said he’s pleased with how his team has progressed.

“I love this team,” Boyle said. “I love coaching them every day. I like our chemistry, I like our toughness, and I’m really pleased with where we are now. That being said, we play a pretty good team on Friday. But I really like where this team is mentally and physically. We’ve had about 25 practices now and we’ve come a long way. I’m really pleased.”

… Continue reading story here …

—

Other Buff stories …

– “CU Hoops: Dom Collier gears up for season opener, unsure if he will start” … from BSN Denver

– “CU men’s basketball: Tipoff finally arrives for Buffs” … from the Daily Camera

—

Buffs need to stop Iowa State’s Georges Niang

From the Ames Tribune … Georges Niang is one of the best college basketball players in the country.

Ask just about anyone, as seemingly every publication of note names him an All-American, either on the first- or second-team.

Just don’t ask Niang.“I don’t know why,” he said. “I really don’t.

“I’m not that tremendous.”

Of course, Niang doesn’t really believe that, but his unabashed self-deprecating brand of humor is just another thing that makes him unique among college hoops’ best. It’s his game, though, that is really one of a kind.

“I have never coached a guy like him before,” first-year ISU coach Steve Prohm said.

… For his career, Niang has 1,510 points, 496 rebounds and 304 assists.

If he keeps his per-game career averages, he’ll pass Hoiberg for third all-time in scoring at ISU and move into the top-15 in rebounding and top-10 in assists in school history.

“Georges is going down as one of the all-time greatest players at Iowa State,” ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla said, “one of the most beloved figures there to ever play. What I would expect of Georges is a continuation of what he’s done for three years, but figure out ways he can continue to improve.“Defensively, staying out of foul trouble, more consistency but by in large, I think Georges needs to continue on the path that he’s on. I think he’s going to end up as one of the all-time greatest players to ever play there.”

So here Niang sits at the precipice of the season, on arguably the best team ISU ever to enter a season and history in his sight, from both a personal and team perspective.“I think of pressure as a privilege,” Niang said, “but, to be honest, I wouldn’t be in this situation if it wasn’t for coach Hoiberg and my teammates that really just instill confidence in me with giving me the ball to make plays or them spacing out for me to make the extra pass to them to knock down a shot and really make me look (good)”.

… Continue reading story here …

—–

November 11th

… CU in the Arena …

CU men’s basketball signs two to National Letters of Intent

From cubuffs.com … Tad Boyle knows what he’s looking for when it comes to perimeter players that can compete in the fast-paced Pac-12 Conference: versatility; and the sixth year University of Colorado head coach is pleased in the future of that position for the Buffaloes.

Deleon Brown and Bryce Peters have signed National Letters of Intent to continue their education and play basketball at Colorado, Boyle announced on Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA early signing period.

Both Brown and Peters are 6-foot, 4-inch guards that can play and defend multiple positions. Brown is a left-handed combo guard that is competing for national prep power Brewster (N.H.) Academy this year. Peters, a prolific scorer, is entering his senior season at Damien High School in La Verne, Calif., the defending CIF Division III State Champions.

“These guys are both very dynamic players,” Boyle said. “They can both pass; they can both shoot. They’ve got point guard skills but you can play them off the ball. With guards, and perimeter players in general, versatility is the key.”

–

Brown, a native of Grand Rapids, Mich., is a 2015 graduate of Grand Rapids Christian High School where he was a three-year all-state player and a 2015 Mr. Michigan Basketball Top 10 candidate by MLive.com. He averaged 18.8 points and helped the Eagles to the district semifinals as a senior.

“He’s a terrific player,” Boyle said. “He can score the ball; an extremely fast, high level athlete. He’s got a great pull up jump shot, can shoot from three, and get it to the rim. He’s a guy that’s really going to help us.”

Deleon Brown’s Rivals bio

–

A native of La Puente, Calif., Peters averaged 14.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists as a junior earning All-Baseline League honors. He scored 12 points, had eight rebounds and dished out three assists in Damien’s state final win over Campolindo High School last March.  Peters had 18 points and four assists in the Spartans’ semifinal win over top-seeded Cathedral.

“Bryce can score the ball in a lot of different ways,” Boyle said. “He’s fearless; he exerts his will on the game. There’s an aggressiveness about him especially offensively that’s going to allow him to make plays and I think he could have an impact right away.”

Bryce Peters Rivals bio

… Continue reading story here …

—–

November 10th

… CU in the Arena …

CU men’s basketball previews

– “Men’s basketball position previews: Guards” … from the CU Independent

– “CU men’s basketball: George King excited to contribute” … from the Daily Camera

—

– “CU men’s basketball: Buffs eager to erase losing taste in 2015-16” … from the Daily Camera

The opening … After seeing a season go sideways for the first time in what previously had been an upwardly mobile tenure at the University of Colorado, Tad Boyle was more than ready to turn the page.

The leader of the CU men’s basketball program occasionally points out that his first season as a collegiate head coach ended with a 4-24 mark, yet that blip occurred nearly a decade with ago with a Northern Colorado program that Boyle led to a school-record 25 wins just three seasons later.

That rising star didn’t dim with Boyle’s move to CU. While his first four seasons certainly contained various peaks and valleys, all of them featured at least 21 wins per season — a run highlighted in 2012 with a Pac-12 Conference tournament championship and the program’s first NCAA tournament win in 15 years.

Then came last year’s 16-18 train wreck, when a season of high expectations was leveled by injuries and an erosion of team chemistry. As soon as it was over, Boyle wanted no part of reflections or evaluations. He immediately wanted the Buffs to get in the gym to work toward an improved 2015-16.

—

– “Pac-12 Basketball preview: Know Your Nemesis – Colorado” … from azdesertswarm.com … Which includes the following:

The Prediction…

I do think Colorado will be improved over last season but the conference is deeper than people realize this season. Josh Scott is a legit big man and can score inside but I worry about their guards offensively. I got ’em at 9-9 in the conference, 7th place, and just a little bit short of an NCAA tournament bid.

—–

November 9th

… CU in the Arena …

Neill Woelk takes a look at CU’s first month of practice

From cubuffs.com … With a month of practice in the books and the season opener just days away, the Colorado men’s basketball team is getting closer to crunch time.

The Buffaloes won’t have the luxury of easing into the season.

First up on their schedule is a nationally televised Nov. 13 date in Sioux Falls, S.D., with Iowa State (3 p.m., ESPN2). The Cyclones debuted Monday as the nation’s seventh-ranked team in the Associated Press press preseason poll.

Four days later, the Buffs will play at Auburn in a 1 p.m. game (ESPN), followed by their Nov. 20 home opener against Portland (Pac-12 Networks), the first game in a 13-day, five-game homestand that includes a Nov. 25 game against Air Force.

Other notable games on the nonconference portion of the schedule include a Dec. 6 game at Colorado State and a Dec. 22-23 tournament in Las Vegas, when the Buffs face Penn State and either Kent State or SMU.

The outlook thus far? Cautious optimism. The Buffs will be strong up front and improved on the wings, with point guard still a work in progress.

Here are a few notes, quotes and observations after the first month of practice:

… Continue reading story here …

—–

November 2nd

… CU in the Arena …

Three Pac-12 teams in Associated Press preseason poll

Arizona, Cal, and Utah made the list, along with CU’s opening game opponent, Iowa State, in at No. 7

Others receiving votes: Oregon 116, SMU 112, West Virginia 84, Texas A&M 72, Cincinnati 63, Miami (FL) 48, Louisville 46, Georgetown 23, NC State 19, Texas 18, Florida State 18, Rhode Island 17, Dayton 12, Xavier 12, Providence 10, Iowa 6, BYU 5, Valparaiso 5, Boise State 4, Old Dominion 3, San Diego State 2, UCLA 2, Oklahoma State 2, Yale 1, UC Irvine 1, Iona 1, Central Michigan 1

—

Four former Buffs on NBA opening night rosters

From cubuffs.com … While the Colorado men’s basketball team is now less than two weeks from its first game of the 2015-16 season (vs. Iowa State in South Dakota on Nov. 13), four Buffs alumni got their season started over the weekend in the NBA, and they’ve experienced varying degrees of success through the first week of the season.

Alec Burks is in his fifth year with the Utah Jazz. He’s working back into shape after a shoulder injury cost him much of last season, but he’ll be a key part of Utah’s wing rotation this season. Thus far, Burks is scoring 14.3 points and grabbing 4.7 rebounds per game on 46 percent shooting.

Andre Roberson, the third-year shooting guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, is a starter to start of this season. Two-guard was the one real question mark in the Thunder’s starting lineup going into this season, and Roberson got the nod because he’s one of Oklahoma City’s best wing defenders, and he doesn’t need the ball on offense.

Chris Copeland is a fourth-year forward for the Milwaukee Bucks, and he’s carved out a niche for himself in the NBA as a good shooting big off the bench. Copeland has shot 38 percent from deep in his career, and he’s hitting a ridiculous 55 percent of his threes so far this year.

The last Buff in the NBA is second-year point guard Spencer Dinwiddie with the Detroit Pistons. Dinwiddie hasn’t played yet this season, but last year he averaged four points and three assists per game.

Finally, another Colorado alum got one step closer to the league last weekend. Guard Askia Booker was the 11th overall pick in the NBA D-League draft. He was taken by the Maine Red Claws and traded immediately to the Bakersfield Jam, who are affiliated with the Phoenix Suns.

… Continue reading story here …

—–

October 21st

… CU in the Arena …

CU Media Day news and notes

From cubuffs.com …

New rules for 2015-16 designed to improve the pace of play include:

— Reducing the shot clock to 30 seconds. The shot clock was last reduced for the 1993-94 season, when it was reduced from 45 seconds to 35 seconds.

— One fewer team timeout in the second half.

— Only players can call timeout when the ball is live.

… More Time for Tory Miller … Don’t be surprised to see sophomore big man Tory Miller pick up significantly more playing time this year. Miller, who averaged just 8 minutes per game last year, still averaged 3.0 points and 2.2 rebounds.

“Tory is probably our most improved player, quite frankly, given the first few weeks of practice that I’ve seen,” Boyle said. “He’s made great strides, not only with his body, but with his mindset as well. He’s not the finished product yet but he’s made great strides.”

The 6-foot-9 Miller, listed at 255 pounds a year ago, is still listed at 255, but has obviously redistributed the weight to a much more well-defined upper body.

… No timeline for Xavier Johnson’s return … Boyle said there’s no timeline yet on when — or if — injured forward Xavier Johnson will return this year. Johnson underwent surgery in June to repair a torn Achilles tendon, and Boyle said the best-case scenario would be mid- to late-December return.

“I’m not going to sit here and say he’s coming back and I’m not going to sit here and say he’s not coming back, because I don’t know that,” Boyle said. “You hope for the best, which is he comes back as soon as possible and helps this team win; you prepare for the worst, which is he’s not coming back this year and he’ll come back for his fifth year.”

Boyle said it will be up to Johnson and team doctors to ultimately make the call, which is still probably at least two months away.

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October 15th

… CU in the Arena …

 USA Today Coaches preseason coaches poll

Arizona is the highest-ranked Pac-12 team, at No. 10, followed by California at No. 14 and UCLA at No. 16.

CU’s opening game opponent, Iowa State, is ranked No. 7 in the nation.

—

Colorado picked to finish seventh by Pac-12 media

From the Pac-12 … The ARIZONA Wildcats are picked to finish first in the 2015-16 Pac-12 Conference men’s basketball race, according to a poll of media members who cover Pac-12 men’s basketball.

Arizona, led by senior Kaleb Tarczewski (9.3 ppg/5.2 rpg), secured the top spot in the poll for the fourth-straight year and received 18 first-place votes. CALIFORNIA picked up nine first-place votes and finished in the second spot just 18 points ahead of UTAH at No. 3. The Bears return the league’s top backcourt with senior Tyrone Wallace (17.1 ppg/7.1 rpg) and junior Jordan Mathews (13.6 ppg/3.4 rpg) and welcome in one of the top recruiting classes in the country. The Utes, who grabbed seven first-place votes, return four starters from the 2014-15 squad, including senior guard Brandon Taylor (10.6 ppg/3.3 apg) and sophomore forward Jakob Poeltl (9.1 ppg/6.8 rpg), one of the Pac-12’s best big men.

OREGON, the runner-up finishers at the 2015 Pac-12 Tournament, were picked to finish fourth in the poll, followed by UCLA at fifth, after it advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2014-15. The Ducks and Bruins picked up one first-place vote each. OREGON STATE rounded out the top half of the poll, weighing in at sixth while COLORADO came in at seventh.

ARIZONA STATE is tabbed at eighth, followed by STANFORD at ninth and USC at 10th. WASHINGTON was picked to finish 11th, while WASHINGTON STATE rounds out the poll at 12th.

Media have correctly picked the Conference winner 14 times in 23 tries. Arizona has correctly been selected in nine of the previous 13 times it has been slated to capture the league crown.

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October 13th

… CU in the Arena …

CBS Sports has rated all 351 Division 1 teams. Colorado is ranked No. 67 in the nation, No. 7 in the Pac-12.

The full rankings can be found here.

The Pac-12:

14. California: Will have one of the best starting fives in the country. Your names to know: Freshman forward Jaylen Brown; senior guard Tyrone Wallace; junior guard Jabari Bird; freshman forward Ivan Rabb; junior guard Jordan Mathews.

15. Arizona: The Wildcats have a lot of size up front with Kaleb Tarczewski, Ryan Anderson, Ray Smith and Chance Comanche. Gabe York is now the veteran leader in the backcourt. Wouldn’t shock us if he wins three games for the Cats on buzzer-beaters this season.

18. Utah: Lose an outstanding player in Delon Wright, but let’s not forget that Brandon Taylor will run the show well at the point this season. And Jakob Poeltl has lottery potential.

23. Oregon: The Ducks do have to replace Pac-12 Player of the Year Joseph Young, but they bring in Dylan Ennis and Tyler Dorsey to do that. It’ll be a deeper team this year after having a young team last year, and one that will have a shot to compete in the league.

51. UCLA: Coming off of back-to-back Sweet 16 years, UCLA looks to be in solid hands. But they do need to replace their leader in Norman Powell as well as Kevon Looney. I’d look for a more inside-out attack this year, as Tony Parker really came on at the end of last season and Thomas Welsh has a solid summer with the U19 team.

54. Oregon State: Maybe this is the Beavers’ year? They return most of a team that went 15-2 at home last season, plus add maybe the best recruiting class in the program’s history. The defense will be excellent again, the key will be finding efficient offense to make winning road games more doable.

67. Colorado: Tad Boyle still has Josh Scott and the two Xaviers — Johnson and Talton. We find it very unlikely the Buffs put up back-to-back sub-.500 seasons.

69. Stanford: What do we think the Cardinal will be in a tough Pac-12 and without Chasson Randle, Anthony Brown and Stefan Nastic? We think the Cardinal will be in the NIT. And news this week about the indefinite loss of Marcus Allen (stress fracture) isn’t helping.

88. Arizona State: Knowing how good Bobby Hurley is, we acknowledge we’re buying low on the Sun Devils right now. Looking at the roster, which includes four open spots by way of transfers, it doesn’t seem like Hurley should expect a blazing start.

89. USC: Andy Enfield should feel the bump in year No. 3. Katin Reinhardt, Nikola Jovanovic and Elijah Stewart could bloom for the Trojans in a competitive Pac-12. NCAA Tournament is too high a bar, but the Trojans will easily make the NIT.

156. Washington State: Went 13-18 last season but in theory should see a much better team on the defensive end. Not the worst team in the Pac-12!

167. Washington: The Huskies are the biggest question mark in the Pac-12, with what amounts to a brand new roster around Andrew Andrews due to transfers, dismissals and graduations. Dejounte Murray and Noah Dickerson are the newcomers to watch in this transition year.

—–

October 12th

… CU in the Arena …

CBS Sports … Josh Scott the No. 46 player in the nation

CBS Sports has posted its list of the top 100 college basketball players in the nation. CU’s Josh Scott comes in at No. 46 on their list.

The full list can be found here. Only four Pac-12 players were listed above Scott … 11. Jaylen Brown, Cal … 14. Jakob Poeltl, Utah … 24. Tyrone Wallace, Cal … and 38. Gary Payton II, Oregon State.

As to Scott, here is what they had to say:

46. JOSH SCOTT, Colorado

Scott struggled last year with a back injury, but when he’s healthy he’s one of the better big men in America. He’s a tremendous rebounder, and can score from either block. He’ll need a big season to take Colorado back to the tournament.

—

Josh Fortune ready to play after long wait

From cubuffs.com … The longest basketball season — and ensuing offseason — in Josh Fortune’s life is nearly over.

Friday morning, Fortune will officially begin his second year of practice with the Colorado Buffaloes in anticipation of finally playing his first game in a CU uniform.

That moment can’t come soon enough for the Providence transfer.

“I’ve been thinking about that first game for the longest time,” Fortune said earlier this week. “I can’t wait to play in an atmosphere with a crowd again, against an opponent, with something on the line.”

The 6-foot-5, 205-pound Fortune is well acquainted with playing with something on the line.

The last time Fortune played in an organized game, he was the starting guard for Providence in an opening-round NCAA Tournament game against North Carolina at the end of the 2013-14 season. He started all 35 games for the Friars that year, averaging 8.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. His best game came at the most opportune of moments: a 24-point effort  in a 79-74 win over St. John’s, a victory that started a three-game Big East tourney title run for the Friars and an NCAA tourney berth.

But soon after Providence’s season ended with a loss to the Tar Heels, Fortune decided to transfer. Several months later, he announced he would enroll at Colorado.

… Continue reading story here …

—–

October 2nd

… CU in the Arena …

CU men open fall hoops practices

From cubuffs.com … Colorado basketball coach Tad Boyle has promised not to dwell on last season’s disappointing performance.

But that doesn’t mean the CU’s sixth-year head coach isn’t going to occasionally remind his team of last year’s 16-18 finish — and what it will take to make sure this year doesn’t yield a repeat performance, when the Buffs stumbled to their first losing season under Boyle and finished in a tie for seventh in Pac-12 conference play.

Boyle’s Buffs officially opened their season Friday with the first practice of the year, bright and early at the Coors Events Center. Boyle had his team on the floor for about 2 hours and 15 minutes, and there was little — if any — time spent looking in the rearview mirror.

Instead, the Buffs began the process of installing some new wrinkles offensively and defensively, as well as reinforcing the tenets that produced success in Boyle’s first four years in Boulder: defense, rebounding and taking care of the basketball.

“I’m not going to harp or dwell on last year,” Boyle said after practice. “But I do think we need to use it as a motivational factor and a basis for understanding what our standards are. … The body of work was not good and not what we wanted. These guys know that and they understand that. I think we’re going to use it as a reminder that we’re not interested in that — we want to go back to competing for championships and NCAA Tournament bids.”

Boyle and his staff welcomed a nice blend of returnees and newcomers to the opening practice.

“I was pleased,” Boyle said of the first workout. “The energy level was good, the mental part of it — guys were really in tune. They were coachable. For the most part, they did a great job absorbing what we’re doing”.

… Continue reading story here …

TIDBITS: Newcomer Kenan Guzonjic, a 6-8, 240-pound from Sarajevo by way of Midland Junior College, was plenty active in Friday’s workout, and should provide some frontline relief for Josh Scott and Wesley Gordon. … Belgian freshman Thomas Akyazili showed good “court sense,” and could end up seeing playing time at both guard spots. … Sophomore Tory Miller is another player who appears to have benefitted from a year in the weight room. Miller hasn’t gained weight, but his upper body is much more defined.

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September 15th

… CU in the Arena …

In a not-unrelated note … CU loses a commitment from Cameron Satterwhite

From the Daily Camera … Cameron Satterwhite has his sights set on joining a Division I basketball program for the 2016-17 season, despite the severe knee injury that will rob the Arizona standout of his senior high school season.

In the end, that dream didn’t mesh with the vision Satterwhite said he was given from the CU coaching staff.

A dynamic scorer who gave his verbal commitment to CU last winter, Satterwhite decided over the weekend to open his recruiting once again. According to Satterwhite, CU head coach Tad Boyle wanted him to spend a year at a prep school to fully recover from a torn ACL he suffered in July.

It was a request Satterwhite didn’t agree with.

“Coach really wanted me to rehab my knee and start a year later,” Satterwhite said. “If I was going to miss all of the 2016 season, I’d want to redshirt and be on a college campus to do that.”

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September 14th

… CU in the Arena …

Colorado picks up its second commit from the Recruiting Class of 2016

Colorado has picked up a point-guard from the Class of 2016, Bryce Peters from La Verne, California. Rivals, Scout and ESPN all have Peters rated as a three-star prospect. Scout lists Peters as the No. 25 point guard in the nation; the third-best point guard in the west. Rivals bio  Scout bio

Peters had offers from all over the nation, including Arizona State from the Pac-12. Other schools which had offered Peters include UNLV, Wyoming, UTEP, Pepperdine, Fresno State and Nevada.

Peters is 6’3″, 190-pounds, and plays for Damien high school, where last season he played in 17 games, averaging 14.3 points per game, 3.1 assists, and 1.2 steals. Dealing with injuries, Peters played in only about half of the games for the Spartans, who went 29-5 last season, ranked by MaxPreps as the number seven school in California, and the No. 29 school in the nation.

Some details on Peters from ScoutHoops.com … The 2016 prospect is one of the West Coast’s top scorers in his class and possesses the upside to be a productive player in Boulder. An athletic wing with a good frame, Peters has made pretty steady progress over the last couple of years. He’s a pretty consistent performer who typically plays hard on both ends of the court.

Peters’ best weapon is his pull-up jumper, something he can knock down from both three and midrange, while he’s also capable of attacking the basket and finishing above the rim. Not just a scorer, Peters is also a very capable player on the defensive end, where his quick feet and motor help him stay in front of his defender and pick off errant passes, leading to fastbreaks the other way.

… Peters’ size, athleticism, scoring ability and motor give him the chance to be a player who makes an impact in the Pac-12.

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Here is a YouTube video showing a few of Peters’ dunks:

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September 10th

… CU in the Arena …

CU men’s basketball schedule finalized

From cubuffs.com … The 2015-16 Pac-12 Conference men’s basketball schedule and the University of Colorado’s television lineup was announced by the league office on Thursday.

Colorado will have 30 televised games during the regular season which includes the entire Pac-12 schedule. The Buffaloes will have 18 games on the Pac-12 Network, seven on the ESPN Family of Networks, five on Fox Sports 1 and one on ROOT Sports.

A balanced Pac-12 schedule awaits the Buffaloes. Aside from one three-game home stand, Colorado will alternate each week with two games at home, two on the road.

“The Pac-12 schedule is always demanding, and I believe the league is as well balanced this year, as it has been since we joined the conference four years ago,” head coach Tad Boyle said. “We’re excited about the season ahead and the opportunities that await us.”

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Tags: Bryce Peters
This post, about the Colorado Basketball game, from the 2015 Season, is filed under Article.
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