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Colorado Basketball
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December 1st
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs ready for Saturday morning showdown against Colorado State
From CUBuffs.com … As much as Colorado coach Tad Boyle would love to see his Buffs get up and down the Moby Arena floor in a hurry Saturday, it’s not what he is expecting to transpire.
Rather, when the 6-0 Buffs and 3-4 Colorado State tip it off at 11 a.m. (AT&T SportsNet), Boyle expects a much slower pace. That’s the kind of game Larry Eustachy’s Rams love to play, and they will no doubt try to engage the Buffs in a halfcourt battle.
“We have to be able to execute in halfcourt,” Boyle said. “It’s much easier to slow the game down than it is to speed it up. Hopefully if we’re getting stops we can run and get in transition a little bit, but we have to be ready for a knock-down, drag-out, grind-it-out game.”
The Buffs have been there before with the Rams, with differing degrees of success. Two years ago, they survived a hot-shooting Rams team in the first half and overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to collect an 88-77 win in Fort Collins.
But last year, the Buffs put forth what Boyle termed a “god-awful” offensive performance and dropped a 72-58 decision in Boulder, despite holding a plus-nine rebound advantage and holding CSU to just 38.5 percent shooting from the field.
The difference in that game was Colorado’s shooting. CU hit just 32.2 percent of its shots (19-for-59), which included a 3-for-19 effort from 3-point range.
“CSU will bait you into early ‘threes’,” Boyle said. “They want you to shoot the ball early in the shot clock. They showed great patience against us offensively. … We told our guys we can’t settle for early 3s. That’s what they want. If you take those early 3s and they don’t go in, it’s a tough deal.”
… Continue reading story here …
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November 30th
… CU in the Arena …
CU Game Notes – CU at CSU
(Sat., 11:00 a.m., MT, TV: AT&T Sports Net Rocky Mtn., Radio: 850 AM, KOA)
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado is 6-0 for the first time in five years after an 81-69 win over Air Force on Nov. 26.
The Buffaloes returned home after claiming the 2017 Paradise Jam Tournament title in Lynchburg, Va. The Buffaloes edged Quinnipiac 70-69 in the first round on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by McKinley Wright IV, then went on to defeat Drake (86-81) and Mercer (79-70) for their seventh all-time preseason tournament crown.
Colorado is averaging 78.5 points over its first six games while shooting a solid 49 percent from the field. Overall the Buffaloes have been balanced in scoring with three players averaging double-figures and six averaging between six and 16 points an outing. Defensively, Colorado is allowing 67 points per game while holding opponents to just under 40 percent shooting and 32 percent from 3-point range.
Colorado currently tops the Pac-12 Conference in rebounding margin (+9.5) and ranks second in rebounding defense (30.0 rpg). The Buffaloes are also third in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (67.0 ppg) and field goal percentage while ranking fourth in field goal percentage defense and 3-point defense.
Colorado improved its free throw accuracy to 72.2 percent after a stellar 19 of 20 performance against Air Force. That effort was Colorado’s best since its school record 26 of 26 game against Georgia on Dec. 28, 2013. The Buffaloes have rebounded from their opening night 11 of 25 result from the line against UNC to make 93 of 119 over the last five games (.782).
START AMONG ALL-TIME BESTS: Colorado is 6-0 for just the 11th time in team history (115th season) and it ties for the seventh best start overall. The Buffaloes are 6-0 for the first time since the 2012-13 squad also started the season at 6-0.
THE RAMS: Colorado State is 3-4 overall after a 77-67 setback at Missouri State on Nov. 28. The Rams are a perfect 3-0 at home however, including a 72-60 win over Northwestern State on Nov. 24. CSU is averaging 70.4 points per game while shooting 41 percent from the field and 72 percent from the foul line.
Defensively the Rams give up 76 points per game while allowing 45 percent shooting. Junior guard Prentiss Nixon leads Colorado State at 15.8 points per game and is the team’s top 3-point shooter with 16 through his first six games. The Rams have two solid front court rebounders, combining for nearly 19 boards per game. Senior forward Che Bob tops the Rams at 9.7 rebounds per game while ranking second on the team in scoring at 12.9 per contest. Sophomore post Nico Carvacho is averaging 9.0 rebounds per game and tops CSU in assists with 17. Forward Deion James and guard J.D. Paige are both averaging 10.7 points per game.
Larry Eustachy is in his sixth season at Colorado State with a record of 114-64. He is in his 27th overall season as a collegiate head coach with a record of 516-322.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 128th meeting between Colorado and Colorado State with the Buffaloes holding a commanding 89-38 lead. Colorado’s 89 wins over CSU are the most against any one team in program history.
The road team has won the last four meetings in this series as the Buffaloes carry a two-game win streak in Fort Collins into this game. Colorado is 37-27 all-time in Fort Collins.
Tad Boyle is 6-5 against Colorado State as a head coach; 4-3 with Colorado and 2-2 while at Northern Colorado. Larry Eustachy is 8-8 all-time against Colorado; 2-3 with Colorado State and 6-5 while at Iowa State (1998-03).
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November 29th
… CU in the Arena …
Tad Boyle post-practice talk with media (Wed.)
From YouTube, courtesy of CUSportsNation.com:
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Up next for Buffs – Saturday trip to Ft. Collins to face Colorado State
… Related … “After fast start, CU hoops sets sights on Colorado State” … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Just a few minutes into his postgame press conference following Sunday’s win over Air Force, Colorado coach Tad Boyle needed no reminder about who was next on the Buffs’ schedule.
Boyle didn’t even need to be prompted to discuss the game. Less than two minutes into his opening statement, CU’s head coach made clear what next on the Buffs’ agenda.
“We need to keep taking care of business, but we need to keep getting better,” Boyle said after the Buffs’ 81-69 win. “Next Saturday at 11 a.m. we’d better be ready to play because Colorado State will be a great challenge for us.”
Indeed, Saturday’s game at Moby Arena will be a good test for Boyle’s young team. Not only will it be the Buffs’ first true road game of the season, it will come in what will no doubt be a hostile environment.
“You’d better have your hard hat on,” Boyle said of playing at Moby. “Nothing is going to be given to you. We have to go in there and earn everything we get. They don’t like us up there. We know that. We respect everybody, we fear nobody.”
… Continue reading story here …
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November 27th
… CU in the Arena …
No. 2 Arizona falls out of polls after 0-3 tournament week
From tucson.com … Arizona became the first team in 31 years to drop from No. 2 all the way out of the Associated Press Top 25 poll the next week after a disastrous trip to the Bahamas, breaking a string of 100 straight appearances.
The Wildcats had been ranked in every AP Top 25 poll, counting preseason and weekly polls, since the beginning of the 2012-13 season. The AP poll does not rank during or after the NCAA Tournament, so it has 19 or 20 polls per season counting the preseason.
Arizona also fell out of the USA Today coaches Top 25 poll, after the Wildcats were ranked No. 4 in that one last week. They had been ranked in 105 straight coaches polls, which do release postseason rankings, also dating back to the 2012-13 preseason.
But this week, Arizona (3-3) was bounced after losing a trio of stunners, to North Carolina State, SMU and Purdue to finish last in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. Purdue also fell out of the poll after the Boilermakers, ranked No. 18 going into the Battle 4 Atlantis, lost twice before beating Arizona.
… Continue reading story here …
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… CU in the Arena …
George King leads Buffs to 81-69 victory over Air Force
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s George King scored 25 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for his eighth career double-double Sunday to lead the Buffs to an 81-69 win over Air Force at the Coors Events Center.
The Buffs overcame a hot-shooting Falcons team to collect their sixth straight win to start the season while AFA dropped to 3-2. The 6-0 start matches Colorado’s best beginning of a season since 2012-13, when CU also jumped out to a 6-0 start.
Freshman McKinley Wright added 19 points and five rebounds as the Buffs finished with a commanding 41-21 edge on the boards to overcome an 11-for-26 night by the Falcons from 3-point range.
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After a first half that featured 11 lead changes and finished with Colorado trailing by one, 34-33, the Buffs finally took the lead for good early in the second half on a Dominique Collier basket and free throw.
But, while the Buffs built their lead to as much as nine at several different junctures, they could never completely pull away from the Falcons, who stayed in the game with some outstanding 3-point shooting.
AFA finally cooled off in the final eight minutes and Colorado eventually pushed the lead to double digits on a King 3-pointer at the 3:16 mark of the second half. The Buffs then held Air Force at bay down the stretch to push their win streak to six.
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NEXT UP: The Buffs travel to Fort Collins on Saturday for an 11 a.m. meeting with in-state rival Colorado State at Moby Gym.
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November 25th
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs looking for first 6-0 start since 2012-13
From CUBuffs.com … Not since the 2012-13 season have the Colorado Buffaloes opened the year with six straight wins.
Sunday, Tad Boyle‘s current Buffs will try to match that start when they play host to 3-1 Air Force in a matinee performance at the Coors Events Center (2 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
The 5-0 Buffs are coming off a Paradise Jam tourney championship last week that saw them win three games in three days in three very different ways: a buzzer-beater that culminated a 13-point rally in the final four minutes against Quinnipiac, a down-the-stretch regrouping after a 17-point lead had been cut to one by Drake, and a solid beginning-to-end effort against a good Mercer team in the tournament finale.
Now, a team picked to finish ninth in the Pac-12 has found itself with a heady No. 27 national RPI in the latest CBS Sports computer rankings.
Of course, those early rankings don’t mean a whole lot in the big picture — but they still give the Buffs a nice early season lift, and history suggests it is easier to maintain a top-100 RPI than it is to climb into the top 100 after a slow start.
Thus far, the Buffs have followed the two main cornerstones of Boyle’s foundational demands: rebounding and defense. Colorado has outrebounded its opponents by more than seven boards per game (39.0-31.8) while holding opponents to under 40 percent shooting (.393).
… Continue reading story here …
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Getting to Know: Air Force
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado is 5-0 for the first time in five years after claiming the 2017 Paradise Jam Tournament title in Lynchburg, Va. The Buffaloes edged Quinnipiac 70-69 in the first round on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by McKinley Wright IV, then went on to defeat Drake (86-81) and Mercer (79-70) for their seventh all-time
preseason tournament crown.
Colorado is averaging 78 points over its first five games while shooting a solid 49 percent from the field. Overall the Buffaloes have been balanced in scoring with three players averaging double-figures and six averaging between seven and 15 points an outing. Defensively, Colorado is allowing 67 points per game while holding opponents to 39 percent shooting and under 30 percent from 3-point range.
… Air Force is 3-1 overall after opening the season with a four-game home stand as part of the Men Against Breast
Cancer Showcase. The Falcons won their first three before dropping an 83-71 decision to Pacific on Nov. 21.
Offensively, Air Force averages 72 points per game and has shot just 39 percent from the field. The Falcons are extremely good from the free throw line, hitting 83 percent (82 of 99). On the defensive side, the Falcons held their first four opponents to 67 points on 45 percent shooting. Their opponents have given up the ball at a rate of 16 per
game while the Falcons average just under seven steals a contest.
Junior forward Ryan Manning tops Air Force in scoring, leading the squad at 12.8 points per game. Junior guard Pervis Louder had 13 points in the season opener against Texas State, but has missed the last three games with an injury. Senior guard Trevor Lyons leads Air Force in assists (3.8 apg) and rebounds (5.8 rpg) while ranking third in scoring (12.0 ppg).
Air Force, which finished 12-21 last season, was picked to finish last in the Mountain West Conference race.
Dave Pilipovich is in his sixth season as Air Force’s head coach with a record of 75-95.
SERIES RECORD: This will be the 27th meeting between Colorado and Air Force with the Buffaloes holding a commanding 23-3 series lead. Colorado has won the last seven, including a 75-68 decision at Air Force last season. The Falcons’ last win in the series came in Boulder, 84-46, on Nov. 18, 2006. The Buffaloes hold an all-time 11-2 mark against Air Force in Boulder.
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November 21st
… CU in the Arena …
CU’s 5-0 start a pleasant surprise
From CUBuffs.com … “It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit.” — Legendary coach John Wooden
BOULDER — Anyone who watched Tad Boyle‘s Colorado Buffaloes over the weekend knows exactly what John Wooden was talking about.
The Buffs wanted to win. Everything else was secondary. The result was three wins in three days and a Paradise Jam championship that saw a half-dozen Buffs — at least — deliver critical contributions in crucial moments.
“This is a together group,” Boyle said after Sunday night’s 79-70 win over Mercer in the tournament championship game improved Colorado’s record to 5-0. “They’re a team. They’re not caring about themselves, there’s no hidden agendas. If we can maintain that, we can play with anybody in the country. It’s one game at a time, but I really like this team.”
Indeed, if there was one takeaway from the Buffs’ weekend, it is that this team truly enjoys playing together. Winning, it appears, seems to be far more important than individual accolades — not something that was readily apparent just a year ago.
But what is surprising about these Buffs is that this is not a big group of close-knit upperclassmen who grew up together in the program.
Rather, it is a mishmash of newcomers (four scholarship freshmen on the active roster), a couple of redshirt freshmen, two sophomores, a junior transfer and four seniors.
… Continue reading story here …
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November 19th
… CU in the Arena …
CU tops Mercer to claim Paradise Jam preseason tournament title
From CUBuffs.com … A tournament that started Friday with a heart-stopping buzzer-beater for a win culminated Sunday with a championship, as the Colorado Buffaloes carved out a 79-70 win over Mercer in the Paradise Jam title game.
George King, named to the tourney’s All-Star team, scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Buffs to their third win in three nights as CU improved to 5-0 for the season. Namon Wright and Deleon Brown each added 13 points and Buffs freshman point guard McKinley Wright IV cemented his tournament Most Valuable Player award with 11 points, seven assists and four rebounds.
“These guys have unbelievable heart,” head coach Tad Boyle said. “This guy (McKinley Wright) saved our bacon on Friday night and these guys have responded the next two games with unbelievable heart and desire. I’ve said I love this team’s spirit from Day 1 and they showed it this weekend.”
The Buffs indeed improved each day in the tournament. After erasing a 13-point deficit in the final four minutes Friday against Quinnipiac for a 70-69 win — capped by a McKinley Wright 3-pointer at the buzzer — they survived a Drake rally Saturday to claim an 86-81 semifinal win.
Sunday, they took the lead over Mercer for good with seven minutes to go in the first half and never trailed again.
“They’ve got toughness, we’ve got talent and we’re going to get better,” Boyle said of a team that includes four true freshmen, two redshirt freshmen and just three scholarship seniors. “We’re just scratching the surface in terms of where we can be. This group’s got a big-time upside. They have hearts and they’re together. You can win championships when you have that.”
The championship is CU’s first preseason title since winning the Charleston Classic in 2012 and the 5-0 start is the Buffs’ best since a 6-0 start that same season.
… Continue reading story here …
NEXT UP: The Buffs return home next Sunday (Nov. 26) for a 2 p.m. game vs. Air Force at the Coors Events Center.
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November 18th
… CU in the Arena …
CU handles Drake, 86-81, advances to finals of Paradise Jam tournament
Related … “CU hoops shares the wealth in Paradise Jam semifinal win against Drake” … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … One night after a furious comeback produced a buzzer-beating win over Quinnipiac, the Colorado Buffaloes withstood an opponent’s rally to claim an 86-81 win over Drake on Saturday in the Paradise Jam semifinals.
The Buffs led by as many as 17 points the second half, but saw that lead whittled down to one before rebuilding their lead down the stretch.
Now 4-0, Colorado will meet 4-1 Mercer, a 78-59 winner over Drexel, in Sunday’s 6:30 p.m. championship game.
CU freshman McKinley Wright IV just missed his first collegiate double-double, finishing with 21 points, nine assists and five rebounds. Junior Namon Wright added 19 points and three rebounds and senior George King added 14 points and seven rebounds.
Reed Timmer led Drake with 28 points, including a 16-for-18 night from the free throw line.
“Last night we didn’t panic when we were down,” head coach Tad Boyle said of his Buffs, who overcame a 13-point deficit in the final four minutes against Quinnipiac to collect a 70-69 win. “Tonight we were up and they made a run and we didn’t panic. We staved them off and I’m really proud of this team.”
… Continue reading story here …
NEXT UP: The Buffs meet Mercer in a 6:30 p.m. game Sunday for the Paradise Jam championship. In other games Saturday, Mercer beat Drexel 78-59, Wake Forest beat Quinnipiac 72-55 and Houston beat Liberty, 68-66.
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Buffs can use comeback win as a springboard for a better season
From the Daily Camera … Last year, the Colorado men’s basketball team generally utilized a lineup that featured four fifth-year seniors and a fourth-year junior.
This year, the Buffaloes’ active roster includes four true freshmen, two redshirt freshman, and a junior who owns ample big-game experience, yet who nonetheless is coming off major foot surgery. Through three games, it hasn’t been uncommon to see three freshmen on the floor at the same time.
So which group would be less likely to buckle under pressure? The youngsters, naturally.
One of the biggest takeaways from one of the most stirring comebacks in the program’s history Friday night against Quinnipiac was the glaring difference between the composure displayed by this year’s new-look Buffs compared to the frequent late-game dysfunction that was all too common for CU during the 2016-17 season.
Those veterans last year faltered late in nonconference losses against Colorado State and BYU, and it got even worse during an 0-7 start in the Pac-12 Conference. That run included a pair of overtime losses, a one-point loss at Arizona State, and a three-point loss at home against USC. In several of those contests, the Buffs held leads in the final minute but still failed to secure victories.
… Continue reading story here …
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November 17th
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs need late rally and a buzzer-beater to defeat Quinnipiac
… Related … “Wright’s buzzer-beater lifts Colorado past Quinnipiac, 70-69” … from ESPN
… Buffs down 13 with four minutes to play … Bobcats miss three free throws in final nine seconds …
From CUBuffs.com … Freshman McKinley Wright IV hit two 3-pointers in the final 16 seconds of the game Friday night, including one at the buzzer, to lift Colorado to a come-from-behind 70-69 win over Quinnipiac in the first round of the Paradise Jam.
Wright’s shot capped a rally that saw the Buffs erase a 13-point second-half deficit as CU improved to 3-0 on the season.
Wright finished with 21 points and Namon Wright added 16. Cameron Young scored 26 for Quinnipiac.
After leading by as many as nine in the first half and still leading by three at the half, 32-29, the Buffs went cold after halftime while the Bobcats reversed their first-half shooting woes.
Paced by four 3-point buckets in the first six minutes of the second half, QU outscored Colorado 17-8 in that span to take a 46-40 lead. The Buffs managed to cut the deficit back to three, 48-45, at the midway point of the half on a Namon Wright layup, but the Bobcats put together a 12-2 run to take a 60-47 lead with just more than four minutes to play.
But the Buffs never quit. A Lucas Siewert 3-pointer with 1:57 to go pulled the Buffs back to within five. Wright hit a 3-pointer to pull CU to within one, 68-67, with 16 seconds to go and the Bobcats then made just one of four free throws in the next nine seconds. Wright grabbed the rebound of the last miss, raced down the floor and hit the game winner just as the buzzer went off.
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November 16th
… CU in the Arena …
Getting to Know: Quinnipiac
Tip-off Friday 4:00 p.m., MT, Radio: 760 AM … Watch online: FloHoops.com
— Colorado is 2-0 for the third time in four years after opening the season with home wins over Northern Colorado (66-51) and Denver (89-62).
— The Buffaloes have spread the wealth early with four players averaging double-digits and those four separated by just three total points.
— Senior George King and freshman McKinley Wright IV have scored in double figures both games and lead the team at 11.5 and 11.0 points per game respectively. Against Denver, Colorado had 12 players score, 10 had at least two rebounds, eight had an assist and six had a made 3-point field goal.
— Quinnipiac is 1-1 overall splitting in its first two home games of the season. The Bobcats defeated Dartmouth 78-77 in the opener on Nov. 11 and fell to Brown, 79-72, on Nov. 13.
— Quinnipiac is shooting 44 percent from the field and 39 percent from 3-point range. Defensively, the Bobcats have allowed 78 points per game on 42 percent shooting. QU has 15 blocked shots in the first two games.
— Senior forward Chaise Daniels is averaging 19.5 points over the first two contests, shooting 58 percent from the floor. He already has six blocks on the season and is averaging 5.5 rebounds per game. Senior guard Isaiah Washington is averaging 13 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Washington is a graduate transfer from Penn State and was on the Nittany Lions team that Colorado defeated in Las Vegas in November, 2015, but played only a couple minutes with no stats. Freshman guard Rich Kelly is averaging 12.5 points and 8.5 assists per game.
— Quinnipiac was 10-21 in 2016-17, tying for eighth place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
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Game Story …
From CUBuffs.com … After opening the season with two games at the Coors Events Center, Tad Boyle‘s Colorado Buffaloes will get a taste — a very big taste — of life away from home this weekend.
Beginning Friday, the Buffs will play three games in three days in the Paradise Jam in Lynchburg, Va. The tournament, originally scheduled to be played in the U.S. Virgin Islands, was moved to the campus of Liberty University after Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria struck the islands in September.
The 2-0 Buffs open play Friday afternoon with a 4 p.m. game with Quinnipiac. Colorado will then play either Drake or Wake Forest on Saturday, followed by a Sunday game against one of the remaining four teams: Mercer, Drexel, Liberty or Houston.
The entire tournament will be broadcast by FloHoops, a subscription-service provider.
Boyle likes the challenge the tournament will provide his young team, especially that of having to prepare and learn game plans for three different teams in such a short period of time.
“We have to make sure our guys are dialed in to what we want to do,” Boyle said. “That’s going to be a test for us, especially with this young group. The game plan changes and we have to adjust. Quinnipiac is going to be different than Drake or Wake Forest. And then whoever we play that third day … it will be another opportunity for our guys with really quick turnarounds.”
While the Buffs do have four scholarship freshmen on the active roster — and two more redshirt freshmen — they also have a handful of seniors who should be able to help the youngsters make the necessary adjustment.
“What helps is a love for the game,” senior George King said. “I want to play all the time. Obviously you have to take care of your body when doing that, but I want to play all the time. The toughest part is going from team to team in three nights. … It will be very pivotal for the freshmen to really understand how important it is to be elite in our concentration and effort.”
… Continue reading story here …
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November 14th
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs dominate boards, pull away from out-manned DU to open season 2-0
… Related … “Defensive surge after halftime pushes CU basketball past Denver Pioneers” … From the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Dominant rebounding and a strong perimeter game added up to Colorado’s second win of the season Tuesday night as the Buffs dealt visiting Denver an 89-62 defeat at the Coors Events Center.
CU junior Namon Wright led the Buffs with 14 points, sophomore Deleon Brown scored 13 off the bench and freshman McKinley Wright IV added 12 in his second start for Colorado. George King chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds as Colorado improved to 2-0 while Denver fell to 0-2.
The Buffs dominated the Pioneers on the boards, finishing with a 46-23 rebounding edge, while also limiting the Pioneers to just 42 percent shooting (24-for-57) from the floor. But the Buffs didn’t put the game away until midway through the second half, when they pushed the lead to double digits and never let the Pioneers back in the game after that.
“I like this team and I like our upside,” head coach Tad Boyle said. “Right now we’re functioning probably on a scale of 1 to 10, probably around a six, and that’s exciting. … This is going to be a fun team to watch”
Tuesday night’s game also marked the return of Rodney Billups to the Coors Events Center. Now in his second year as DU’s head coach, Billups served on Boyle’s staff for six years.
… Continue reading story here …
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Game Notes …
— Colorado doubled up Denver on the boards 46-23. That plus-23 margin is Colorado’s best since outrebounding Fort Lewis by the exact same count (46-23) on Dec. 2 2015.
— Colorado improves to 58-25 all-time against Denver, winning seven straight and eight of the last nine. Denver’s last win in this series was in 1964.
— The Buffaloes have won 18 of their last 19 non-conference regular season games at the Coors Events Center. Overall, Colorado has won 23 of its last 27 and 33 of its last 38 at Coors (all games).
— Colorado had 12 players score, 10 had 2+ rebounds, eight had an assist and six had a made 3-point field goal.
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NEXT UP: The Buffs head to Lynchburg, Va., to take part in the Paradise Jam at Liberty University. The Buffs will play three games in three days, beginning with a 4 p.m. matchup Friday vs. Quinnipiac.
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November 13th
… CU in the Arena …
CU taking on Denver University Tuesday night
… Related … “DU’s Rodney Billups, Ricardo Patton return to Coors Events Center” … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … It’s not often that Colorado coach Tad Boyle leaves a scheduling decision up to an opposing coach.
But then, it’s not often that the opposing coach is one of Boyle’s former assistants who has set up shop just down the road.
That will be the case Tuesday when the 0-1 Denver Pioneers, coached by former Boyle aide Rodney Billups, pay a visit to the Coors Events Center for a 7 p.m. meeting with the 1-0 Buffaloes.
“We’re playing DU because of Rodney Billups,” Boyle said Monday morning. “I told him we’ll play this game if you want to play this game. … I think he felt it was good for his program this year so we’re playing it. The same will be true next year. If he wants to play, we’ll honor that because I do respect him, because I want to help him in any way that I can.”
Billups, who also played at DU, is in his second year at the helm with the Pioneers after a six-year stint as an assistant under Boyle.
He isn’t, however, the only CU connection on the Pioneers’ staff. One of Billups’ assistant coaches, Ricardo Patton, served as Colorado’s head coach for 11 years, including two seasons that produced NCAA Tournament appearances. And, Billups’ director of operations, Dwight Thorne II, played four years for the Buffs, including one under Patton.
“Obviously I’m always pulling for Rodney and his staff,” Boyle said. “He also has Ricardo Patton on his staff, who was the head coach here for many years, and I’m always pulling for those guys. (But) when the ball goes up, all that stuff goes out the window.”
Indeed, friendship — even close friendship — has its limits. With Tuesday night’s game serving as the latest chance for Boyle to accelerate the learning curve for his young team, his hopes for Billups’ success will no doubt be taking a one-night hiatus. His main focus will be on seeing whether a team that includes four true scholarship freshmen can take another step in the development process.
“We’re expecting them and challenging them to elite-level effort and elite-level concentration,” Boyle said. “If you get those two things early in the year, usually good things happen. We’re going to have to eventually get to elite-level execution. But right now give me elite-level effort and elite-level concentration, I’ll take it. We’ll work on the execution as we go along.”
… Continue reading story here …
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Preview: Colorado v. Denver University …. Tuesday, 7:00 p.m., Pac-12 Mountain, 850 KOA radio
Game Notes …
— Colorado secured a win in its 10th straight home opener with a 66-51 decision over Northern Colorado on Nov. 10;
— Six players made their Colorado debuts against UNC. The Buffaloes have nine players on their roster (eight active) that had never played a minute in a Colorado uniform in a regular season game;
— Colorado’s three senior regulars – George King, Tory Miller-Stewart and Dominique Collier – have combined for 282 career games and 128 starts. The other 12 players on the roster (11 active) have a combined eight starts and 88 career games. Out of those 88 games, 17 of those belong to senior walk-on Josh Repine accounting for a total of 21 career minutes played.
— The book on DU … Denver opened its season on Nov. 12 with an 83-69 home loss to UC Irvine. Senior post Daniel Amigo had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Joe Rosga had a team-high 15 points and three assists. Amigo led Denver last year at 15.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game earning All-Summit League Second Team honors. Rosga was honorable mention All-Summit League averaging 15.3 points and 3.2 assists per game. He led the Pioneers in 3-point shooting a year ago, hitting 44 percent (74-167). Senior guard Jake Pemberton was third in the Summit League in assists in 2016-17 at 4.4 per game, led the Pioneers in steals (1.4 spg) and ranked fourth in scoring at 9.2 an outing.
— Denver was picked to finish fifth in the Preseason Summit League poll. Amigo was a Preseason All-Summit First Team selection while Rosga was a second team pick.
— Series history … This will be the 83rd meeting between Colorado and Denver with the Buffaloes holding a 57-25 all-time lead. It’s a series that dates back nearly 115 years to a 57-14 CU win in Denver on Jan. 29, 1903. Colorado and Denver met almost every year from 1913-47, but this will be just the ninth meeting since the 1947-48 season. The Buffaloes have won seven of the last eight and six-straight. The two teams last met in Denver on Nov. 28, 2007, a 54-44 Colorado victory. Denver’s last win in the series was an 84-73 decision on Dec. 4, 1964.
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November 10th
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs open season with hard-fought win over Northern Colorado
… Related … “Defense, rebounding propels CU men’s basketball in opening win against UNC” … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado seniors George King and Tory Miller-Stewart did what seniors are supposed to do Friday night.
CU freshman McKinley Wright IV did what Buffs fans were hoping he would do — and the combination of all three led the Buffs to a season-opening 66-51 win over Northern Colorado at the Coors Events Center.
After missing most of the first half with two fouls, King led the Buffs with 12 points — all in the second half — and nine rebounds. Miller-Stewart added 11 points and five rebounds while Wright added 10 points, four rebounds and three assists in his first game as a Buff.
All three were instrumental in a 12-0 run midway through the second half that broke open a tight game and helped Tad Boyle‘s crew to the double-digit win.
Andre Spight led UNC with 19 points, but was just 3-for-16 from 3-point range, part of a 6-for-37 night from long distance for the Bears.
“I can breathe a sigh of relief,” said Boyle, who grew up in Greeley and began his college head coaching career with the Bears. “I was a little nervous about this game, I’m not going to lie. … But I thought our players really responded to the challenges we gave them with game planning, as well as their effort and focus. This is a good win.”
… Continue reading story here …
… Up next … Buffs take on Denver University (and former assistant coach Rodney Billups), Tuesday, 7:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks
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November 9th
… CU in the Arena …
Northern Colorado – A tougher than expected opening night opponent
... Bears stayed with CSU in an exhibition game last week, falling 83-79 …
… Related … “Big challenge awaits CU men’s basketball in season-opener against UNC” … from the Daily Camera
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado basketball coach Tad Boyle isn’t exactly overjoyed with the guy who approved the Buffs’ schedule this season.
Problem is, it’s Boyle who is in charge of such things — and now his Buffs face a 6 p.m. season opener Friday against a seasoned Northern Colorado squad at the Coors Events Center.
“Not a very good schedule from my end,” Boyle said only half-jokingly Thursday morning. “I’d rather be playing some directional school from someplace nobody’s ever heard of.”
But truth is, the game is not the picture-perfect opener for a young team that has nine players — including six true freshmen — who have yet to suit up in an official game for Colorado.
They will be facing a veteran, talented Bears lineup that includes three seniors who all redshirted last season while UNC served a self-imposed postseason ban. Now those seniors are back in uniform, and they showed their potential last week in an 83-79 exhibition loss at Colorado State, a game that was a two-point affair in the final minute.
“It will certainly a good barometer for where we’re at,” Boyle said. “I know our guys will be ready. The Buffs will be ready. … We have to exert our will. We’re playing at home and hopefully we can get the crowd involved and play with great energy and get them behind us as well.”
… Continue reading story here …
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November 8th
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs sign two guards to National Letters of Intent
From CUBuffs.com … Every year in recruiting there are the standard checklists for the University of Colorado men’s basketball program.
Recruit based on the program’s needs…Check
Get the top player in the state of Colorado…Check
Once Colorado is taken care of, scour the basketball hotbeds in Texas and California…check.
Tad Boyle and his staff took care of all three as Daylen Kountz and Elijah Parquet signed their National Letters of Intent to attend and play basketball at Colorado in 2018-19. Boyle made the announcement Wednesday, the first day of the early NCAA signing period.
Kountz is a 6-foot, 4-inch, 180-pound guard from Denver’s East High School. Parquet is a 6-3 185-pound combo guard out of West Brook High School in Beaumont, Texas. That duo will fill right in for outgoing senior guards Dominique Collier and George King.
“They’re both very athletic guys with great speed, great quickness,” Boyle said. “They’re both very good shooters from the perimeter and they can put the ball on the floor and attack the basket. They’ll be great additions to our program.”
… Continue reading story here …
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Bracketology – Only four Pac-12 teams making the NCAA tournament
If the preseason projections are to be believed, there are only four teams from the Pac-12 who are destined to make the NCAA tournament next March.
ESPN’s bracket can be found here … Seeds: No. 1 Arizona … No. 3 USC … No. 6 UCLA … No. 8 Oregon … Stanford “next four out’
CBS bracket can be found here … Seeds: No. 1 Arizona … No. 3 USC … No. 6 UCLA … No. 10 Oregon … Stanford “first four out”
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Tad Boyle: “We’re not a very good defensive team”
From the Daily Camera … After generally getting dominated by SMU in a closed scrimmage Saturday, Boyle officially is concerned about his team’s ability to defend and rebound going into the opener against Northern Colorado. A team as young as the Buffs can be expected to battle more than a few flaws at the beginning of the season, yet for a program that generally has highlighted defense and rebounding as its most basic tenets, these particular shortcomings are problematic.
“We’re not a very good rebounding team, and we’re not a very good defensive team. And those are the two things we like to hang our hat on,” Boyle said. “We did some good things (against SMU) but we have to guard the ball better, and that’s really going to be true Friday night. And we have to guard the 3-point line better. We didn’t do either one of those things against SMU very well, and they really beat us on the boards badly.”
… Continue reading story here …
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Three UCLA players arrested for shoplifting in China
From ESPN … Three UCLA men’s basketball players — including LiAngelo Ball, the younger brother of Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball — were released on bail early Wednesday morning in Hangzhou, China, after being arrested for allegedly shoplifting Tuesday afternoon, a source told ESPN.
The three players, a group that also includes freshmen Cody Riley and Jalen Hill, were questioned about allegedly stealing sunglasses from a Louis Vuitton store next to the team’s hotel in Hangzhou, where the Bruins had been staying before leaving for Shanghai on Wednesday.
“The players were treated with the utmost respect, kindness and professionalism at all times by the Hangzhou police,” the source, who had firsthand knowledge of the release, told ESPN. “The players questioned were respectful at all times. None of this was confrontational.”
Police arrived early Tuesday morning at the Hyatt Regency in Hangzhou, where both UCLA and Georgia Tech were staying ahead of their Friday matchup in Shanghai, and questioned three players from each team. Team representatives and interpreters were with the players during that time, according to a source.
Afterward, Ball, Riley and Hill were taken to the police station in Hangzhou, where they were kept for a number of hours. UCLA representatives, including coach Steve Alford, were at the police station along with the players.
Ball, Riley and Hill were released around 4 a.m. Wednesday and were staying at a luxury hotel in Hangzhou along with a UCLA representative, according to a source. They are being required by Hangzhou police to remain at the hotel until the legal process is over, the source said.
… Continue reading story here …
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November 1st
… CU in the Arena …
Two teams from Pac-12 in Associated Press preseason top ten
From CBS Sports …
| 1. Duke |
| 2. Michigan State |
| 3. Arizona |
| 4. Kansas |
| 5. Kentucky |
| 6. Villanova |
| 7. Wichita State |
| 8. Florida |
| 9. North Carolina |
| 10. Southern California |
| 11. West Virginia |
| 12. Cincinnati |
| 13. Miami (Fla.) |
| 14. Notre Dame |
| 15. Minnesota |
| 16. Louisville |
| 17. Xavier |
| 18. Gonzaga |
| 19. Northwestern |
| 20. Purdue |
| 21. UCLA |
| 22. St. Mary’s |
| 23. Seton Hall |
| 24. Baylor |
| 25. Texas A&M |
Others Receiving Votes: Alabama (0-0) 86; Virginia (0-0) 57; Rhode Island (0-0) 49; TCU (0-0) 46; Providence (0-0) 34; Missouri (0-0) 19; Virginia Tech (0-0) 16; Wisconsin (0-0) 14; Butler (0-0) 13; Texas (0-0) 10; Maryland (0-0) 7; Nevada (0-0) 7; Oklahoma (0-0) 7; Michigan (0-0) 6; Dayton (0-0) 5; Middle Tennessee (0-0) 4; Ball State (0-0) 4; SMU (0-0) 3; Oakland (0-0) 2; Oregon (0-0) 2; Harvard (0-0) 1; South Carolina (0-0) 1; UCF (0-0) 1
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October 31st
… CU in the Arena …
Buffs overcome sluggish first half to top Colorado Mines, 78-52, in exhibition
From CUBuffs.com … If exhibition games were meant for experimentation, Colorado coach Tad Boyle got his money’s worth out of Monday night’s game with Colorado Mines.
Boyle mixed and matched his lineup combinations all night, getting a good look at his freshmen as well as his returnees in a 78-52 win over Mines at the Coors Events Center.
CU senior George King led Colorado with 13 points, and he also added four rebounds and a pair of assists. Freshman point guard McKinley Wright and senior post Tory Miller-Stewart each added nine points for the Buffs while Namon Wright and Dominique Collier had eight points each.
HOW IT HAPPENED: After holding a narrow three-point lead at the half, 32-29, the Buffs slowly pulled away after intermission to provide the final margin.
“A little ugly out there would be a fair statement, especially in the first half,” said Boyle, who has always preferred closed scrimmages to exhibition games. “But in the second half some things started to come together and we wore them down a little bit.”
Boyle used 13 different players in the game, with 11 getting at least 13 minutes of playing time.
“We need to get a little bit more cohesiveness in terms of rotation and we will,” Boyle said. “(Tonight) was just more, ‘Here’s your three minutes, let’s see what you can do.’ I told them before we took the court that everybody’s going to play. Don’t count the time, make the time count.”
… Continue reading story here …
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20 Replies to “Colorado Basketball – November, 2017”
looks like the Buffs only missed one free throw. Keep it goin guys. Free throws could be the difference in more than a few games
All I know is that sweating, on the court walking, stinkn whiner, (THAT SHOT WAS GOOD AND YOU KNOW IT) PHONY CHEATING RAT-EYED PEE-BALL and his team babies lost two days in a row………….
OVERRATTED OVERRATTED
Make that three.
Yehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Buffs
The young portion of the Buffs BB teams (both men and women) are gonna move both these programs up to the next level.
Women coach is outstanding
Men coach is pretty dang good too (He apparently moved out of BB strategy of the sixties)
Buffs
Agree VK – especially the women’s coach. Would like to have seen what she could have done with some of the talent that rolled through here the last few years (decades?).
the Quinnipac game reminded me of the time the Buffs got bounced in the dance by Baylor and their little dweeb who was pathetic at every facet of the game except hitting threes.
Not a big fan of the three. It reduces the team work and other skill portions of the game. Still whether its 2 or a 3 you gotta guard it.
Quinnipiac game ended just the way Booker ended it vs. Arizona not so long ago. Great finish Buffs.
Wow…….lotta sensitivity going on around here.
When the Buffs are bad………..The Buff fans are mad ……….not sad……….and then there is TAD
A win is a Win………..But almost a loss………….Didn’t pay the $9 to watch it on some slow ol internet connection. This game was one of the few CBB games not on some type of TV Couldn’t even get them on the euro sites that swipe the signals.
Lucky stuff going on at the end. Buffs deserve some lucky stuff.
Buffs.
Maybe some lucky stuff for some Buffs tonight. A little salt in the wound eh?
Last game? Really.
This is the most important game of the season. It is worth 12 extra practices. go get it please.
Okay then be clear here.
This team is not your “Normal Tad-Team”
I could go through the roster, but suffice to say, this is across the board the most athletic team Tad has ever had. And the Ol guys are pretty dang good. But they do no compare to this freshman class (real and redshirt). Not close.
Now up to Tad.
Hey they even played some zone. Nice.
Tad has made the jump. HOPEFULLY it will continue.
In game management
Rigid substituion rules (His) Get rid of them.
Time out management. Never been his strength.
But I must say “I have become a believer in Tad
Buffs.
Note: I will never be a believer in Lindy
Note 2: My belief in MickeyMac is dwindling.
What is really good is that qunnipecker game wasn’t on TV.
Oh well back to the drawing board.
Buffs
Please stop replying to yourself in a different name.
If you keep pretending that you are two (or three) different posters, I’m going to start deleting them.
Thanks
Thanks Stu.
Thanks Billy.
I been meaning to ask ya. How did that CB from the Buffs who went to NO work out down there. As I recall you ragged him pretty hard.
Just goes to show, you don’t know.
But I do.
Smiling Billy,
Buffs
Well there is some sweet revisionist history for ya. You ragged on Kenneth all the time. Even though you “never” disparage the players, right? Unless it is the coach’s kid, that is. And your great eye for o line talent always wondered why Callahan wasn’t a starter. Had to be bad coaching… or bad footwork and mid level o line talent.
Go Buffs.
Sorry erica,
Never ragged on him. Use to harass Billy cause he just pounded him. As usual your facts are wrong. Coaches kid? Nope, never did.
Your cheerleading act is rough.
Former CU head coach Ricardo Patton is an assistant coach at DU under former CU assistant coach Rodney Billups? What a strange world
nah
its the same ol who ya know good ol boy world. The sad thing is Patton hasnt found something else to do albeit DU has plenty of money and might pay assistants well
Tad has complained about the rebounding in the SMU scrimmage but he also appears to be stocking up with his recruiting in case the NCAA creates a 6’3″ and under league
Hmmmm, the two PAC 12 teams being investigated by the FBI are in the top 10? But Battey can’t play? Seems like the NCAA has its priorities all screwed up. Miller and Enright keep their mouths shut and keep cheating and keep getting rewarded for it. Very discouraging. If anyone believes that Miller or Enright didn’t know what was happening in their own programs, then they’re fooling themselves. Especially USC. They have no history of basketball success, and now all of a sudden they’re in the top 10 at the same time they’re being investigated by the FBI?
Agree, and I ask, if the FBI has enough to arrest the assistants, then how are those players they recruited still eligible or have their scholarships even? Those players knew what they were doing was wrong, they should lose their scholarships and all their college eligibility.