Colorado Basketball – September/October, 2019

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Colorado Basketball

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October 31st

… CU in the Arena … 

CBS: Teams which will crack the national rankings this season (including Colorado)

From CBS Sports … Ranking college basketball teams is an inexact science, and yet every week during the college basketball season, we react and discuss them. We debate quality wins, strength of schedule, NCAA Tournament seeding ramifications. Then we debate them some more. The reality is that there is no perfect way to rank college basketball teams.

And so every year, teams begin the season unranked and, inevitably, work their way into the rankings. Since the NCAA Tournament field expanded in 1985, four teams have even started the season unranked and gone on to win the national championship, according to the NCAA. That’s why, despite the obvious chatter about ranked teams, an eye should be kept on the field, too. Teams often come from nowhere into the limelight unexpectedly. We’re here to make sure you’re not the one who gets caught off guard with five teams not ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 who could fit that profile.

• 2018-19 record: 23-13
• National title odds: 100-1

In our preseason predictions, the CBS panel of hoops experts came to an agreement: Colorado is a top four team in the Pac-12 this season. The Buffaloes return their top six scorers from last year’s team and have a clean bill of health for McKinley Wright IV, who dealt with a nagging shoulder injury most of last season. We have yet to see the ceiling of this team, but with Wright IV at full strength and Tyler Bey expected to make another leap, it’s a safe bet to think this team, when healthy, can give any Pac-12 team on any night a run for its money.

… Read full list here …

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October 28th

… CU in the Arena … 

CU picks up a 7’0″ center commitment from the Class of 2021, Lawson Lovering

Just the facts … Lovering is a 7’0″, 210-pound center from Cheyenne, Wyoming Rivals bio  247 Sports bio

What others say about Lovering … Lovering is rated as a three-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports. According to Rivals, Lovering is the No. 30 center in the nation from the Recruiting Class of 2021. At 247 Sports, Lovering is also considered to be the No. 30 center in the country, the No. 1 player overall out of the state of Wyoming, and the 226 overall prospect in the country.

Lovering had other offers from … one other Power-Five school, Baylor. Lovering also had a number of offers from Mountain West schools, including Boise State, Wyoming, Colorado State, San Diego State, and Nevada.

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October 26th

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs open season with a 87-56 exhibition win over Tad Boyle’s son’s Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens

From CUBuffs.com … Tad Boyle’s Colorado Buffaloes did what good teams are supposed to do in a Saturday exhibition, dominating Division III Pomona-Pitzer 87-56 at the CU Events Center.

Thanks to some hot shooting and solid defense, the Buffs jumped out to a big early lead and cruised to the win. The Buffs led by 17 midway through the first half, 27-10, and pushed the margin to 52-25 by halftime.

Boyle used 11 players in the first half and continued to substitute liberally in the second, with 14 Colorado players seeing the floor by game’s end.

HOW IT HAPPENED: The Buffs’ post players were especially dominant against the Sagehens from the beginning. CU’s 6-foot-8, 262-pound Evan Battey scored nine of Colorado’s first 11 points as the Buffs jumped out to an 11-2 lead. D’Shawn Schwartz then added a steal and dunk and another basket to push the lead into double digits, 15-4, and the Buffs steadily built on the lead for much of the rest of the game.

… Continue reading story here …

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October 23rd

… CU in the Arena … 

Athlon: CU to win the Pac-12; earn a Sweet Sixteen berth

From Athlon Sports …During the final two months of last season, Colorado went 12–4 and reached the quarterfinals of the NIT. Every player who saw the court during that stretch is back, and two of them — Tyler Bey and McKinley Wright IV — were first-team All-Pac-12 performers.

Coach Tad Boyle, in his 10th season, has spent the past two years rebuilding his team and leaning on youth. Now that they’ve grown up, the Buffs’ expectations are higher than they’ve been in a long time.

“Obviously our expectations, both internally and externally, are higher,” Boyle says. “We certainly expect to be in the NCAA Tournament and we expect to hopefully advance in that tournament. I want to continue to improve and get better every day. If we do that in the fall and we do that during the season, everything else will take care of itself.”

Final Analysis

Injuries and suspensions left a thin rotation last year, but this might be the deepest team Boyle has had in Boulder. “Practices are going to be competitive,” he says. “[Last year] everybody knew they were going to play. This year, if you’re not producing, I’m going to have other options to go to. It’ll put a little bit of a premium on production.”

With experience and depth, the Buffs expect to get plenty of production from their lineup. The core of this team is entering its third year together, and there are aspirations for playing in the NCAA Tournament and also for challenging for the program’s first league title since 1969.

Postseason Prediction: Sweet 16
Pac-12 Prediction: 1st

… Read full preview here …

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October 22nd

… CU in the Arena … 

CBS Sports ranks every team in basketball (CU in at No. 31)

From CBS Sports … I don’t run from my issues, I embrace them. Yes, I have a problem. Every October, as my family has come to expect and dread, I can’t stop ranking college basketball teams. As in, every single one of them. Three-hundred-and-fifty-freaking-three. I consult the data, check rosters, check in with coaches, rank and re-rank and then re-rank another 50-or-so times. It’s wacko. I love it.

So here I am again for you, college hoops fan, to help guide you along the way of the 2019-20 season. While there are ever-valuable metrics out there that have assorted all 353 teams in college basketball, this is the only place you’ll find all 353 in order based on fallible human research and inner-monologue doubt — with written capsules for each, in an easily readable and reliable location!

And I always take a few chances. With so many teams, accurate predictions for 32 leagues is impossible. So you’ll find a few schools slotted well higher or lower than they’re positioned elsewhere. I spent the past month building this, and since this ranking is already long enough, I won’t waste any more of your time. Enjoy the annual 1-353 rankings, then come find me on Twitter (@MattNorlander) and we’ll chat about it.

The Pac-12 … 

• No. 16 – Oregon
• No. 21 – Arizona
• No. 31 – Colorado … Ninety-five percent of the team’s scoring is back from last season. Credit to Tad Boyle for building such a strong roster and continually cultivating NBA talent. He wants McKinley Wright IV for two more seasons, of course, but I can’t see how that happens. Wright should be in the mix for Pac-12 Player of the Year and can be the guiding force to getting Colorado its best NCAA tourney seed ever under Boyle. (Their highest is a No. 8 seed.)
• No. 43 – Washington
• No. 63 – USC
• No. 64 – Arizona State
• No. 78 – Oregon State
• No. 80 – UCLA
• No. 91 – Utah
• No. 105 – Stanford
• No. 138 – California
• No. 163 – Washington State
• No. 189 – Colorado State

… Read full list here …

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October 21st

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs just miss making history – come in at No. 27 in AP preseason poll 

… Colorado has only been ranked in the AP preseason poll once in school history, and that was for the 1969-70 season … 

From ESPN … There isn’t much Michigan State has yet to accomplish under Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo, from Big Ten titles and Final Four trips to winning a national championship.

The Spartans can add another milestone to the list: They are No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball preseason poll for the first time in program history.

The Spartans were the overwhelming choice with their veteran returnees, led by star Cassius Winston. They topped 60 of 65 ballots in voting results released Monday, easily outdistancing No. 2 Kentucky and No. 3 Kansas as the only other teams to receive first-place votes.

Duke was fourth, followed by Louisville, Florida, Maryland, Gonzaga, North Carolina and Villanova to round out the top 10.

Conference watch

The Atlantic Coast, Big Ten and Southeastern conferences each had four ranked teams to lead all leagues.

The ACC ended last season with four top-10 teams, then picked back up with four teams all ranked in the top 11.

No. 18 Ohio State and No. 23 Purdue joined Michigan State and Maryland for the Big Ten’s quartet, while the SEC had No. 22 LSU and No. 24 Auburn — fresh off its Final Four run — joining Kentucky and Florida.

The Big 12 (three), Big East (three), Pac-12 (two) and West Coast Conference (two) also had multiple ranked teams.

The watch list

The Pac-12 could quickly add to its total with Washington and Colorado as the top vote-getters among unranked teams. Washington twice appeared in last season’s poll at No. 25. But it’s been a much longer wait for the Buffaloes, who haven’t cracked the poll since January 2014 but have five starters back and are picked to finish second in the Pac-12 behind No. 15 Oregon.

1. Michigan St. (60)
2. Kentucky (2)
3. Kansas (3)
4. Duke
5. Louisville
6. Florida
7. Maryland
8. Gonzaga
9. North Carolina
10. Villanova
11. Virginia
12. Seton Hall
13. Texas Tech
14. Memphis
15. Oregon
16. Baylor
17. Utah St.
18. Ohio St.
19. Xavier
20. Saint Mary’s (Cal.)
21. Arizona
22. LSU
23. Purdue
24. Auburn
25. VCU

Others receiving votes … Washington 164, Colorado 152, Tennessee 78, Marquette 68, Florida St. 36, Davidson 34, Harvard 24, Illinois 14, Missouri 13, Mississippi St. 12, Georgetown 11, Houston 11, Cincinnati 8, Notre Dame 7, Creighton 4, N.C. State 3, Syracuse 3, Alabama 2, Liberty 2, Michigan 2, Southern Cal 2, Vermont 2, Colgate 1, Dayton 1, Providence 1.

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October 16th

… CU in the Arena … 

Tad Boyle – Buffs embracing expectations

From CUBuffs.com … From Tad Boyle’s perspective, it’s no surprise his Colorado Buffaloes are being picked as a Pac-12 title contender and a potential top 25 team.

Boyle’s Buffs finished last season on a strong note, they have virtually everyone back — including a pair of first-team all-conference performers — and they are now a talented, veteran-laden team that should be significantly better than last year’s 23-13 squad that advanced to the Pac-12 tournament semifinals and the third round of the NIT.

Thus, the lofty expectations hovering over the Buffs as they enter Boyle’s 10th season are no surprise. The key, Boyle said, will be for the Buffs to pick up where they left off last season rather than starting from scratch.

“Last year’s team really improved as the season went on,” Boyle said at Tuesday’s CU Media Day. “We got hot at the end and played well down the stretch. It is important that we understand where we were at the end of the last year … This is a team where we can take off where we left off. If we do that and use that as a starting point and continue to get better from there, that is where the excitement comes.”

That preseason excitement is the kind that hasn’t accompanied a CU basketball team for years. Boyle’s Buffs were picked second in the Pac-12 preseason media poll — just a few points behind predicted champion Oregon — and they are regularly being mentioned in national preseason rankings.

… Continue reading story here …

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October 14th

… CU in the Arena … 

McKinley Wright named to Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award watch list

From CUBuffs.com … University of Colorado junior guard McKinley Wright IV has been named to the watch list for the 2020 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, announced Monday by The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Named after Class of 1971 Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy, the annual honor now in its 17th year recognizes the top point guards in Division I men’s college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.

An All-Pac-12 Conference selection, Wright averaged 13.0 points, 4.8 assists and 1.1 steals for the Buffaloes as a sophomore in 2018-19. He led the Buffaloes in assists, steals and 3-point percentage (.365), while ranking second in scoring, field goal shooting (.494) and free throw percentage (.807) and third in rebounding (4.9 rpg).

On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Wright was third in assists, eighth in free throw percentage, 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5), 12th in field goal percentage and 17th in scoring. His field goal shooting was the second-best among back court players in the Pac-12.

Wright was recently selected to the 2019-20 Preseason All-Pac-12 First Team voted on by members of the media. He is Colorado’s active career leader in points (910) and assists (342) and enters the season ninth in career assists and 41st in points, well on pace to become the 35th player in history to reach the 1,000-point plateau.

New to the award this season is Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2020 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Cousy and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2020 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s in Los Angeles, Calif., on Friday, April 10, 2020, along with the other four members of the Men’s Starting Five.

… Continue reading story here …

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October 11th

… CU in the Arena …

Evan Battey: “I come to practice every day with a smile on my face”

From the Daily Camera … Evan Battey is smiling frequently these days.

And that’s saying something. Because even when his immediate outlook was bleak, and even when that smile was marred by the effects of a potentially career-ending medical issue two years ago, Battey still always seemed to smile often.

Part of Battey’s joy is about what the Colorado men’s basketball is hoping to accomplish this season. Earlier this week, the Buffaloes were picked second in the Pac-12 Conference’s annual preseason media poll, adding tangible credence to CU’s goals of competing for a league title and reaching the NCAA Tournament.

Yet much of Battey’s joy also springs from within. On the heels of two adversity-filled years on a personal front, Battey was one of several CU players who came on strong during a late surge that saw the Buffs reach the semifinals of the Pac-12 tournament and the quarterfinals of the NIT. It was a turning of the corner the 6-foot-8 forward expects to continue this season.

“I come to practice every day with a smile on my face. Last year I was thankful, but last year my attitude wasn’t as good as it is this year. Everything we do, I have a smile on my face and I’m looking forward to it. You have to do it anyway, so you might as well have fun doing it.”

… Continue reading story here …

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October 8th

… CU in the Arena …

CU edged out in Pac-12 Media poll by Oregon (both teams receive nine first place votes); McKinley Wright and Tyler Bey First Team All-Pac-12

Press Release from the Pac-12 … In one of the closest votes in Conference preseason poll history, OREGON edged COLORADO as the favorite to win the 2019-20 Pac-12 Men’s Basketball title in a vote of 27 media members who cover the league.

Though both programs received nine first-place votes, the defending Pac-12 Tournament champion Ducks amassed 291 points to earn favorite status for the second consecutive season and third time in the past four years. The Buffaloes, who totaled 288 points, slotted second for their highest preseason standing in the program’s nine-year Pac-12 history.

It marked only the second time in the league’s preseason poll history that two teams received the same number of first-place votes (1988-89). The three points separating the two teams were the fourth-fewest in 36 seasons of Conference preseason polling.

Defending regular-season champion WASHINGTON was picked third for the second year in a row, collecting 273 points and six first-place votes. ARIZONA received a pair of first-place nods and 263 points to come in fourth, while USC earned the final first-place vote and 198 points to place fifth. The five teams to receive first-place votes tied for the most in preseason poll history (2015-16, 1985-86).

ARIZONA STATE rounded out the top half of the preseason poll in sixth for the third straight year. OREGON STATE, UCLA, UTAH, STANFORD, WASHINGTON STATE and CALIFORNIA completed the predicted order of finish.

Media have correctly picked the Conference winner 16 times in 30 tries, while the winner has been accurately chosen in 20 of the 35 all-time preseason votes.

Five Pac-12 teams – Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, USC and Washington – appear on several national media outlets’ early top 25 rankings for the 2019-20 campaign.

Four All-Conference selections, two All-Freshmen Team performers and an All-Defensive Team honoree from last season are slated to return to the league for 2019-20. Additionally, four NBA Draft early-entry candidates elected to return to Pac-12 programs, highlighted by First Team All-Conference pick Tres Tinkle (Oregon State), All-Rookie Team member CJ Elleby (WASHINGTON STATE) and reigning Pac-12 Tournament Most Valuable Player Payton Pritchard (Oregon).

Pac-12 programs also boast five of the top 40 recruiting classes in the country according to 247Sports, including three in the top 10 (Arizona, USC, Washington). The Conference will welcome five 2019 McDonald’s All-Americans – Nico Mannion & Josh Green, Arizona; Isaiah Mobley, USC; Jaden McDaniels & Isaiah Stewart, Washington – which equals the most ever for the league (2006, 2012).

For the first time since 2014-15, three head coaches will make their Pac-12 debuts this season in California’s Mark Fox, UCLA’s Mick Cronin and Washington State’s Kyle Smith. The trio has averaged 20.9 wins and combined for 16 NCAA Tournament appearances and 27 total postseasons in 39 years of head coaching experience.

The Pac-12 regular season tips off with seven games on Tuesday, Nov. 5, the first official contest pitting preseason favorite Oregon against Fresno State on Pac-12 Networks at 6 p.m. PT. Opening week will also feature the fifth annual Pac-12 China Game between Arizona State and Colorado on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. PT on Friday, Nov. 8, as well as a pair of early power conference showdowns with Washington facing Baylor in the Armed Forces Classic on Nov. 8 and Arizona hosting Illinois on Sunday, Nov. 10.

Pac-12 regular-season play begins on Thursday, Jan. 2 and culminates March 11-14 with the 2020 Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

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The inaugural Pac-12 Men’s Basketball preseason All-Conference Teams, as selected by media who cover the league, were unveiled ahead of the Pac-12’s annual Media Day on Tuesday.

COLORADO and WASHINGTON led with a pair of first team selections apiece while ARIZONA, OREGON and OREGON STATE were all represented twice across the first and second teams.

2018-19 Pac-12 First Team All-Conference performers Tyler Bey and McKinley Wright IV of Colorado and Tres Tinkle of Oregon State, as well as reigning Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player Payton Pritchard, headlined the First Team.

All five of the league’s record-tying five incoming McDonald’s All-Americans earned recognition with Washington’s Jaden McDaniels and Isaiah Stewart landing on the first team, Arizona’s Nico Mannion on first team and Josh Green on second team, and USC’s Isaiah Mobley with honorable mention status. Additionally, Oregon freshmen N’Faly Dante (second team) and C.J. Walker (honorable mention) were also recognized.

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September 28th

… CU in the Arena … 

Lindy’s: “CU in March” – Buffs picked to win Pac-12; ranked as the No. 16 team in the nation

From Lindy’s preseason magazine …

… National picks … 16. Colorado …

The Good: This is one the Twitter trolls will latch on to. What a joke, picking CU to win the Pac-12 despite more obviously talented teams in Arizona, Washington, UCLA and USC. OK, yeah … this team lacks sex appeal but is high on producers your local talk-radio guy has never heard of: Tyler Bey, McKinley Wright, Evan Battey, D’Shawn Schwartz. That’s the core of a team that started last season 11-9, but played its way to the bubble and wrapped it 23-13 after two wins in the NIT.

The Bad: Colorado’s best Pac-12 finish is 11-8 … which isn’t going to win this thing, so in order to justify the ranking, they’ll have to have their best season in forever. Calling outlier performances is a tough business.

Our Call: This is a team ready to get after it from Day One, and we’ve yet to mention that Tad Boyle is as steady as coaches come. So, yes, roll your eyes if you will … but please do check back in March.

… Picking the Pac-12 … Surprised? Well, We’ll CU in March … 

… Alright, then … who is our choice to finish atop the 2019-20 Pac-12 standings?

Why, of course, a program that hasn’t won a conference regular-season championship since 1969, when its school was a member of what is now known as the Big 12, but then just had eight members, so you do the mental math.

“Colorado has everyone back and Coach (Tad) Boyle does a real good job with them,” said (Washington coach Mike) Hopkins. “They’re a solid (preseason) choice”.

The Buffaloes – who captured the Pac-12 tournament title in 2012 and last played in the NCAA tourney four years later – were a collective 12-4 in February and March, losing by five points to Washington in the Pac-12 Tourney semis and at eventual champion Texas in a third-round NIT game.

But can all of those returnees, led by all-conference point guard McKinley Wright, withstand the January-March runs that Washington, Arizona and USC (with a collective six McDonald’s All-American alumni added to their rosters), UCLA, Arizona State and – of course – Dana Altman’s always rapidly improving crew at Oregon will make?

We shall see what we shall see.

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September 27th

… CU in the Arena … 

*Video: Tad Boyle meets with media after first practice*

From YouTube, courtesy of CUSportsNation:

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McKinley Wright talks with media after first practice of the 2019-20 season:

From YouTube, courtesy of CUSportsNation:

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September 25th

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs open practice Friday amid high expectations

From CUBuffs.com … When Tad Boyle meets with the Colorado men’s basketball team prior to their first practice of the season — set for Friday — he will have one question for his players.

“I’m going to ask everybody to raise their hand who’s played in an NCAA Tournament,” Boyle said recently.

Of course, Boyle knows the answer. CU’s last NCAA  experience came in 2016. No one on the Buffs’ current roster has played in the NCAA’s annual postseason party. Thus, while Boyle’s team will enter this year with perhaps the highest expectations of any CU team in years, his message will be a simple one.

These Buffs haven’t proven anything yet.

“I’m going to challenge these guys every day, that’s what we’re fighting for, that’s what we’re expecting of ourselves,” Boyle said. “In order to do that, we’d better be taking care of business on a day-to-day basis. Just reinforcing that the confidence is there, but we have to keep that hunger and humbleness. We’ve got nothing to be cocky about. It’s just chatter. Whether they pick us 12th or 11th like they did last year, or wherever they pick us this year is irrelevant. It’s day to day.”

Still, it’s no secret that Boyle’s 10th team in Boulder is expected to be his best — and maybe the best CU team since Chauncey Billups led the Buffs to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 1997. The Buffs are already being included in a number of preseason top 25 and top 30 rankings, including a No. 24 spot in ESPN’s preseason list.

… Continue reading story here …

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September 24th

… CU in the Arena … 

CU makes ESPN preseason Top 25 (one of four teams from the Pac-12)

From ESPN … Despite the headline, it’s no longer Way-Too-Early. College basketball games start in less than two months, and practices begin in less than two weeks — meaning the season is basically here. We’ve done monthly Way-Too-Early Preseason Top 25 rankings since the night Virginia beat Texas Tech in Minneapolis to win the national championship, but now it’s real.

So this is going to operate as the Top 25 until the next update … after the season begins. Feels good to say that.

There shouldn’t be a surprise at the top. Michigan State was in the No. 1 spot in the initial iteration of these rankings, and the Spartans did nothing to fall. While the teams directly behind them — Kansas and Kentucky — had offseasons filled with comings and goings, Tom Izzo’s group essentially stood still. Nick Ward did leave, but Cassius Winston stuck around and that’s pretty much all that mattered.

Barring a stunning change between now and the Champions Classic on Nov. 5 — only 54 days away! — Michigan State will start the season as the near-consensus No. 1 team in college basketball.

From the Pac-12 … 

• No. 7 – Oregon
• No. 18 – Arizona
• No. 23 – Washington

No. 24 – Colorado … There are other Pac-12 teams with more hype entering the season, but Colorado might get off to the hottest start of anyone in the league. There are no transfers to blend in or slew of freshmen to get acclimated; the Buffaloes return all five starters and every rotation player from a season ago. They won 12 of their final 15 games last season and were outstanding defensively down the stretch. McKinley Wright is one of the more underrated point guards nationally, and Tyler Bey is a double-double machine who took his game to a new level late in the season. Shane Gatling, D’Shawn Schwartz, Lucas Siewert and Evan Battey are also all back. Tad Boyle and the Buffaloes haven’t been to the NCAA tournament since 2016 and haven’t won a tourney game since 2012; both streaks should end this season.

… Read full story here …

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September 23rd

… CU in the Arena … 

Kansas and coach Bill Self hit with accusations of three Level I (most serious) violations by NCAA

Note … CU scheduled to play at Kansas on December 7th … 

From CBS Sports … The University of Kansas basketball program received a notice of allegations from the NCAA on Monday detailing multiple major violations, according to a report from Yahoo Sports and confirmed by a source to CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish. Kansas is accused of committing three Level I violations — the most severe in the NCAA rulebook — and a responsibility charge against Hall of Fame coach Bill Self and a lack of institutional control.

Yahoo also reports that several Level II violations levied against the football program are also included dating back to the previous coaching regime under David Beaty. Those violations are less serious in nature and reportedly include charges of allowing an extra coach to work during practice.

Kansas’ alleged violations in basketball stem from the FBI’s recent investigation into the sport related to corruption and bribery. The probe roped in Kansas when T.J. Gassnola, a former Adidas consultant, testified about his involvement in funneling money to the mother of former KU basketball player Billy Preston and to the guardian of current KU basketball player Silvio De Sousa. Last week reports surfaced indicating an NOA — with major rules violations allegations — was likely imminent for the program.

CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd reported this spring that NCAA investigators were sent to Kansas to look into both the football and basketball programs. In June, Dodd reported that at least six schools would be hit with Level I violations as the FBI’s investigation continues to reverberate throughout the college basketball landscape.

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September 20th

… CU in the Arena … 

Tad Boyle picks up a commitment from the highest-rated prospect in Colorado

Dominique Clifford – SG

Just the facts … Committed September 20th … Clifford is a 6’5″, 170-pound shooting guard from the Vanguard School in Colorado Springs, Colorado Rivals bio 247 Sports bio

What others have to say about Clifford … Clifford is rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals, but a four-star prospect by 247 Sports. Rivals has Clifford as the No. 44 shooting guard in the nation, while 247 Sports rates Clifford as the No. 1 overall prospect out of the state of Colorado, the No. 14 shooting guard in the country, and the No. 83 overall prospect in the country.

Clifford had other offers from … ten schools, including Stanford and Washington State from the Pac-12. Other schools who offered Clifford include CSU, Wyoming, and Air Force.

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September 12th

… CU in the Arena … 

CU announces its full 2019-20 schedule

… Here is a link to the full schedule … And another link to the full Pac-12 schedule …

From CUBuffs.com … The University of Colorado will play prominent games in prominent slots throughout the 2019-20 men’s basketball season as its schedule with times and television assignments was announced Thursday by the Pac-12 Conference.

Coming off a 23-win season and with over 90 percent of their roster production returning, the Buffaloes will play 12 games against teams that advanced to the postseason 2019 – eight of those coming in the nonconference schedule alone. Colorado will play eight games against five different 2019 NCAA Tournament teams, highlighted by home contests with Oregon and Washington and a road tilt with long-time rival Kansas.

The Buffaloes will be showcased to a national audience all-season long and in some prime locations. Colorado has 11 games scheduled for the ESPN Family of Networks, 11 on the Pac-12 Network and three on FS1.

In addition, the Buffaloes will be front-and-center for a pair of traditional over-the-air broadcasts. Colorado travels to Arizona on Saturday, Jan. 18, for a 12:30 p.m. tip on FOX. One month later, CBS comes to town for Senior Day as the Buffaloes host UCLA on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 2 p.m. It will be the first time an over-the-air network has come to Boulder for national broadcast of a men’s basketball game since ABC aired the Colorado-Kansas matchup on Jan. 17, 2009.

Times and television for two games will be released at a later date: at Kansas on Saturday, Dec. 7, and Dayton, in Chicago, on Saturday, Dec. 21.

Colorado will open the 2019-20 regular season with a nonconference game against Arizona State in Shanghai, in the Pac-12 China Game. The game will be played on Friday, Nov. 8, at 8:30 p.m. MT – 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, locally in Shanghai – on ESPN2.

… Continue reading story here …

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September 1st

… CU in the Arena … 

CU picks up a four-star guard, Keeshawn Barthelemy, who will red-shirt in 2019-20

From the Daily Camera … Tad Boyle has grown accustomed to meeting young basketball players intent on reaping instant rewards in college basketball.

That’s not at a knock on the future stars of today. The game always changes. Yet it remains a stark departure from the developmental long view common when Boyle was a player more than 30 years ago, or even when he began his Colorado coaching tenure a decade ago.

So when Canadian guard Keeshawn Barthelemy informed Boyle he not only was willing to reclassify into the 2019 recruiting class, but was willing to take a redshirt season in order to prepare for basketball at the Pac-12 Conference level, the match between player and program became a perfect fit.

After a whirlwind of activity in recent weeks, CU has officially landed Barthelemy, a four-star, 6-foot-2 guard out of Ontario. The plan is for Barthelemy to redshirt during the 2019-20 season with an eye on contributing immediately in 2020-21.

… Continue reading story here …

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August 15th

… CU in the Arena … 

McKinley Wright one of the “21 most entertaining college basketball players to look for next season”

From NCAA.com … Zion Williamson entertained every night and nearly every possession of the 2018-19 college basketball season. He wasn’t the only show, but he was the one who drew the most attention.

I could go in a variety of directions here for the most entertaining players for the 2019-20 season. And the definition of entertainment isn’t limited to dunks and blocked shots. Players who will dazzle in a variety of ways or even those who can stuff the stat sheet in high volume provide plenty of interest.

Here’s my list of the 21 most entertaining players who will fill the Zion-sized vacuum this upcoming season.

Isaiah Stewart, Washington: Stewart will be an active, disruptive presence in the Huskies’ zone. He will be flying around the basket at both ends of the court. Washington will be worth staying up late to watch throughout the season.

McKinley Wright IV, Colorado: If you love watching a player get down the court as fast as anyone, then Wright is your attraction. He should lead the Buffaloes to the NCAA tournament and along the way entertain with his ability to push, push, push the basketball.

… Read full list here …

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August 2nd

… CU in the Arena … 

CBS Bracketology: CU a No. 9 seed

From CBS Sports … It’s a tradition like no other. The Bracketology pre-preseason NCAA Tournament bracket projection is now posted. Yes, it is early, but we don’t let little things like a calendar stop us. That is why we call it a pre-preseason bracket. We also do not have breaking news – like revealing the still secret NET formula – standing in our way.

You will see some very familiar names at the top of this bracket. Michigan State is the overall No. 1 seed, followed by Duke, Kentucky and Kansas.

From the Pac-12 … 

— Arizona – No. 4 seed

— Colorado — No. 9 seed (v. No. 8 seed Iowa State)

— Oregon — No. 9 seed

— Washington – No. 10 seed

— Arizona State … First Four Out

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July 23rd

… CU in the Arena … 

Sports Illustrated Pac-12 Summer Power rankings: CU No. 1

From Sports Illustrated … As the midpoint of college basketball’s offseason approaches, it’s time to check in on every major conference. Every team in the country has questions at this point of the summer, some more pressing than others. So in addition to power ranking each league, we’ll be asking some burning questions about the conference that won’t be answered until tip-off.

1. Colorado: Surprised? You shouldn’t be. While other schools that are expected to contend atop the conference have lots of incoming talent, the Buffs return every major player from a team that was among the Pac-12’s hottest to end last season.

2. Arizona: After a catastrophic 2018-19 campaign, Sean Miller has reloaded the roster. Nico Mannion headlines a top-five recruiting class tasked with bringing the Wildcats back to their usual place among the Pac-12’s best.

3. Oregon: The Ducks are primed to do damage once again in March. But when Dana Altman has to integrate several new pieces into his system, it often takes a while for them to all gel.

But seriously… why is Colorado in the top spot?

From February on, Colorado won 10 of its 13 games in the Pac-12, with two of those losses coming to first-place Washington. The young Buffs (320th in experience, per KenPom) had turned a corner, and quickly became one of the most frightening teams in the league. Juniors McKinley Wright and Tyler Bey are two of the three first-team All-Pac-12 players back for this campaign (with Oregon State’s Tres Tinkle being the other), and each can take over a game by himself. Colorado also has plenty of size, whether it’s stretch forward Lucas Siewert or more traditional bigs Evan Battey and Dallas Walton (who missed all of 2018-19 with a torn ACL). Shane Gatling and D’Shawn Schwartz combined for 18.9 ppg last season, and if either guard can emerge as a legitimate third scoring option game in and game out, this will be a tough team to beat.

While other Pac-12 teams have a higher ceiling than the Buffaloes, none can match their floor thanks to a huge advantage in returning production. Arizona or Oregon could be more popular picks to advance further in brackets when March rolls around, but I think Colorado is the safest pick to win the regular season title. Having KenPom’s second-highest home-court advantage in all of college basketball certainly helps.

… Continue reading story here …

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Tags: Dominique Clifford, Evan Battey, Keeshawn Barthelemy, Lawson Lovering, McKinley Wright, Tyler Bey
This post, about the Colorado Basketball game, from the 2019 Season, is filed under Article.
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