Colorado Basketball, August – October, 2021

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Colorado Basketball

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October 31st 

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs close out exhibition season with troubling blowout loss to Nebraska

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado men’s basketball looked forward to its exhibition against Nebraska to gauge where the young Buffaloes were at this point of the preseason and what needed to be worked on. The short answers – a long way to go and little bit of everything.

Nebraska used a barrage of 3-pointers as Colorado struggled on both ends of the court during an 82-67 Huskers win in a charity exhibition men’s basketball game Sunday at Pinnacle Arena.

Sophomore Nique Clifford led Colorado with 12 points and eight rebounds, sharing the team lead in both categories. Keeshawn Barthelemy had 12 points while Luke O’Brien pitched in 11. Evan Battey had eight rebounds.

Bryce McGowens led Nebraska with 15 points. Derrick Walker had 12 points and six rebounds.

Nebraska drained 12 3-pointers and hit 44 percent from long range. Colorado struggled to defend the outside shot early, leaving the Huskers with wide open looks.

“They were shooting at a high clip,” Clifford said. “We talked before the game and knew they had a lot of shooters and guys that were scorers; they could drive or shoot. Coach talked about it after the game that we have to be able to guard people that can shoot and drive.”

Meanwhile, Colorado continued its exhibition season struggle from the 3-point arc. The Buffaloes missed their first eight attempts and finished 3 of 19. Colorado was 2 of 17 in its exhibition against Mines.

… Continue reading story here …

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October 28th

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs roll to 78-48 exhibition win over Colorado School of Mines

… Up next … An exhibition game at Nebraska … Sunday, October 31st, 10:00 a.m., MT … 

From CUBuffs.com … Fans are back, and no one is more thrilled about it than the Colorado men’s basketball team.

Playing in front of a CU Events Center crowd without limitations for the first time since February 2020, the Buffaloes rolled to a 78-48 exhibition win over NCAA Division II power Colorado School of Mines on Wednesday.

Eleven Buffaloes scored in the win led by 12 points from freshman K.J. Simpson. Classmate Lawson Lovering, nearly had a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. Senior Evan Battey pitched in 10 points.

Mines, ranked No. 5 in the NABC Division II preseason coaches poll, was led by Ben Boone’s 11 points. Kobi Betts had 10 points and five rebounds.

The announced crowd of 2,406, while just over 20 percent capacity, was modest for an exhibition but a wonderful sight for a team that saw only a handful of home games last year with a limited number of friends and family capped at 100.

“It was great to have the fans back,” Colorado head coach Tad Boyle said. “Nobody appreciated them more than our players. We’ve all missed them. This was an exhibition — it wasn’t televised, it wasn’t on the radio. Hopefully against Montana State (for the first regular season game), we can have this place rocking and rolling.”

There were some jitters, understandably, for a group – aside from seniors Battey and Elijah Parquet – that haven’t played in front of a collegiate crowd. Colorado struggled offensively from the outside – only 2 of 17 from 3-point range – but the Buffaloes evened it out with a solid defensive performance.

Colorado outrebounded the Orediggers by 20 (56-36) and forced 15 turnovers. Mines shot just 28 percent for the game

… Continue reading story here …

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October 26th

… CU in the Arena … 

Neill Woelk: CU storylines to watch this season

From CUBuffs.com … With the Colorado men’s basketball season opener now just two weeks away — and the exhibition opener vs. Colorado Mines set Wednesday at the CU Events Center (7 p.m.) — coach Tad Boyle is anxious to get his Buffaloes on the floor and see them play against someone other than themselves.

Boyle normally likes to play closed scrimmages to prepare for the regular season. Those workouts offer coaches more of a chance to work with players and set up specific situations, and they usually entail much more than 40 minutes of playing time.

But with just two players on the roster who have played in front of college crowds, Boyle opted to go the exhibition route this year. After Wednesday, the Buffs will play at Nebraska on Sunday in a 10 a.m. exhibition, a series that will see the Huskers pay a visit to Boulder next fall.

Then comes the Nov. 9 season opener against Montana State at home.

Boyle has a highly talented but mostly untested group this year. While he has a pair of key veteran leaders in big man Evan Battey and guard Elijah Parquet, only one other player on the roster who has started even one college game is point guard Keeshawn Barthelemy.

The situation will place a big emphasis on growth and development in the non-conference schedule, a process Boyle wants to accelerate as much as possible.

Here are five key storylines to watch as the Buffs’ season begins to unfold:

1. Development of sophomores Jabari Walker and Tristan da Silva. These two ultra-talented youngsters will be critical to Colorado’s success this year. Both had flashes of outstanding play last year; the key this year will be for each to bring consistency to the table.

Walker is a big (6-foot-8, 200 pounds), athletic forward who can score at the rim, rebound, shoot from the outside and defend. He averaged 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds last season in barely 14 minutes a game — highly productive numbers. He had moments when he looked like an all-conference player.

But his biggest issue was foul trouble, as he more than once found himself on the bench with two (or three) fouls after only a few minutes on the floor.

Da Silva (also 6-8, 200 pounds) is a smooth, versatile player who can play multiple positions. He can also rebound, shoot and defend, and his versatility will give Boyle the opportunity to use a variety of combinations with him on the floor.

Both players last year had the benefit of being unknowns. That won’t be the case this year, particularly for Walker. Both will be on everyone’s scouting report, and they will have to work for every shot they get.

… Continue reading story here …

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Buffs open with an exhibition game Wednesday v. Colorado Mines (psst: Mines not a pushover)

From the Daily Camera … For four weeks, the new-look Colorado men’s basketball team has gotten to know one another a little more deeply while pummeling each other at practice.

Finally, the Buffaloes have a chance to put their learning curve to the test against outside competition. On Wednesday night, CU unofficially tips off the 2021-22 campaign with an exhibition game against Division II power Colorado Mines (7 p.m.).

Regardless of exactly how many seats are filled at the CU Events Center, it is certain to be the biggest home crowd enjoyed by any of the Buffs, outside seniors Evan Battey and Elijah Parquet, given last year’s COVID season.

The Buffs continue the exhibition slate on Sunday morning in a charity match at Nebraska and do not open the regular season for another two weeks, tipping off on Nov. 9 against Montana State. But with the glut of sophomores and true freshmen looking to break into the rotation for the first time, head coach Tad Boyle is eager to see how the youngsters respond against competition far superior to what they faced during the program’s four-game exhibition trip to Costa Rica in August.

TIPOFF: Wednesday, 7 p.m., CU Events Center.

BROADCAST: None.

NOTES: Mines was the No. 1-ranked Division II team in the nation for six weeks last season and reached the Elite Eight for the second time in program history…Mines was ranked fifth in the NABC preseason Division II poll released on Tuesday…The Orediggers and CU last met for an exhibition game three years ago ahead of the 2018-19 season. Mines held a 33-27 halftime lead in that game before the McKinley Wright IV and Tyler Bey-led Buffs pulled away for a 66-57 win.

… Continue reading story here …

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October 20th 

… CU in the Arena … 

CU receiving votes in preseason AP Top 25 poll

From CBS Sports … With only a few weeks until the start of the college basketball season, the preseason AP Top 25 was released on Monday with a familiar face sitting atop the rankings. The Gonzaga Bulldogs earned 55 first-place votes to wear the badge as the preseason No. 1 team for a second consecutive season, edging a handful of college bluebloods at the top.

Gonzaga was the preseason No. 1 a year ago and retained that ranking throughout the entire season, including the final rankings, which came before its eventual loss to Baylor in the national championship game. It is coming off a near-perfect season in which it went 31-1. The Bulldogs lost two stars to the NBA Draft’s first round — Corey Kispert and Jalen Suggs — but return potential preseason player of the year Drew Timme and enrolled consensus No. 1 overall prospect Chet Holmgren to reload ahead of this season.

UCLA, Kansas, Villanova and Texas round out the preseason poll’s top five. Reigning national champion Baylor comes in at No. 8 in the preseason rankings behind Michigan and Purdue and ahead of Duke and Kentucky, which rounds out the top 10.

Others receiving votes: Michigan State 87, Indiana 41, USC 30, Arizona 26, Virginia Tech 25, Oklahoma State 25, Xavier 22, Texas Tech 17, Richmond 13, Rutgers 11, Colorado State 11, LSU 7, Belmont 7, San Diego State 5, St. John’s 5, Mississippi State 5, Syracuse 5, Drake 4, Colorado 4, BYU 3, Notre Dame 3, Louisville 3

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October 19th

… CU in the Arena …

**Video: Tad Boyle Media Day Press Conference** – “This is a talented group of young players”

From BuffsTV … “Hard to believe it’s beginning of year 12 for our staff here, but I’m as excited about Colorado basketball today as I was when I was hired here May of 2010. So anyway, I’m excited about this team. We’re going to have a young team, a very unusual team in terms of our makeup, with two seniors, and 10 underclassmen. Obviously, our walk-ons are a big, big part of our program. Benan Ersek and Will Loughlin are our two walk-on seniors but Evan (Battey) and Eli (Parquet) are the scholarship guys that we’re going to rely on a lot this year, those four kids and then, we’ve got 10 of our 12 scholarship players that have never played in front of a college crowd. And that’s a lot. So obviously, the sophomores last year with COVID didn’t get a chance to play in front of fans. They’re going to get that opportunity this year, thank goodness, and as our freshmen are, so this is going to be a team that’s going to be a work in progress. We will not be at our best on November 9th. I’m hopeful we’ll be better than we were today in practice and the way we’ve been here the last week or so. This is a talented, talented group of young players that we’re going to have to get to grow up quickly as this season unfolds so there’s going to be some adversity, some headwinds, that’ll hit us, and that’s what we’re going to rely on our leadership with Evan and Eli and Benan and Will to help us get through that but excited about the program and where we’re at and certainly where we’re going.”

On the recruiting the last few years and why people should play here:

“In the landscape of college basketball, with the transfer portal that we’re all aware of, it’s been well documented, it’s here, here to stay, the genie’s not going back in the bottle. We are a recruit and develop program. You look at the 12 guys on our roster, they were all recruited as freshmen and they’ve developed. You look at Eli’s development, you look at Evan’s development. The sophomores turning the page from their freshman year to sophomore. Their ability to step up and every kid has their own kind of path that they have to lead. When we recruit, we have to evaluate guys that are not going to duck out of this program at the first sign of adversity, because it’s going to hit us. If we got guys looking for the transfer portal we have not recruited the right guys, and it’s something we talk about in recruiting. It’s something that we, we face head on, we’re not shying away from it. It doesn’t mean we won’t lose anybody to transfer portal, it just means we want guys that are here that want to be Buffaloes, that want to be Evan Battey and Eli Parquet someday. The thing about those two kids is they’re Buffs through and through. They own this program, they’re what I want all of our freshmen and sophomores to achieve to be, and if we can accomplish that goal, with the majority of them, this program will continue to ascend and compete for championships and have success. I said it again, I got the job 11 years ago and I talked then about becoming a national program and sustaining it. That’s what we’ve tried to do and I think we’ve done it in many respects, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. We still need to get that second week in the NCAA Tournament and we know that, not shying away from that. That’s something we talked about as well: let’s take time and take the next step. Now, this year’s team, we’ll see. I think the foundation is laid for the immediate future Colorado basketball but I want the future to be now. I want the future to be next year and we’re approaching this season with that goal in mind.”

On asking season-ticket holders not to sell their Kansas tickets to Kansas fans:

“Well the genesis is look, I coached in the building my first year when we were in the Big 12 before we kind of established ourselves, where there were more Kansas fans in the building than should have been. And I also coached in a game a few years ago, this is when we beat them and there were some Kansas fans – there’s gonna be some Kansas fans here we know that – but it was 98 percent Buff fans, and it helped us win a game. I want our season ticket holders to understand number one, we’re making a commitment to you to allow you to buy extra tickets to those games to make sure that they get in Buffalo’s hands with your friend and neighbor or whatever. We’re asking and begging and pleading not to put them on Stubhub and sell them to Jayhawk fans. Now whether they’ll do that or not, we’ll see. But one of the most embarrassing moments of my tenure here as a college football fan was when Nebraska had 55 percent of the stadium when we played them a few years ago. That was embarrassing to me. It was embarrassing to all of us. I don’t want that to happen. Look it’s nothing against Kansas, it’s my alma mater but I’m a Buffalo and I coach the Buffaloes and I want the Buffaloes to win that game and I want the Buffaloes to have a great home court advantage. That’s gonna be hard enough game. You know as a coach and players, I just asked our fans to join in the fight.”

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October 14th

… CU in the Arena … 

CBS 1-358 rankings: CU 6th in the Pac-12, but only No. 62 overall

From CBS Sports … The 2021-22 college basketball season is going to provide us with unique freshman talent, a re-emergence of blueblood powerhouses, the best parade of big men the sport’s seen in a decade, a Gonzaga team that’s good enough to finish what last year’s group couldn’t, the send-off season of Mike Krzyzewski, the first FULL season of games in two years, a stream of surprises and another 200-or-so fun storylines that will emerge over the next six months.

But before we can get to that, we’ve got to wrap up the business at hand. It’s time to take the cover off the top of my rankings. Below you will find the 68 projected best teams in men’s college basketball in 2021-22.

Here you’ll find the Final Four big boys, the NCAA Tournament long shots, the inevitably disappointing No. 8 seeds, the mid-major party-crashers, the under-the-radar Sweet 16 chasers, the sleepers, favorites, well-kept secrets and don’t-over-look-them treasures … all just waiting to be watched in this glorious, cosmic-gumbo of a season ahead.

The Pac-12 … 

• No 6. …  UCLA: Here’s my other mildly contrarian take in the top 10. You’re unlikely to see the Bruins this low anywhere else. But allow me to ask: Is it so irrational to put a team No. 6 in the preseason (still fairly high!) when that team was No. 45 at the start of the NCAA Tournament? I don’t discount the Final Four sprint; it’s why I’ve got UCLA so high, plus the fact Mick Cronin brings almost everyone back from that same squad that needed OT to get past Michigan State in the First Four. I’m a believer in the Bruins, but I’m going to push back on the groupthink that this will be a top-three school. It’s obviously possible, but just as possible is the potential for UCLA — a No. 11 seed last season — to impressively settle on the 2- or 3-line come Selection Sunday.
• No. 12 … Oregon: According to research conducted by media outlet Athletic Director U, Dana Altman gets more mileage out of his transfers than any other coach. And it’s not that close. So even though the Ducks don’t return Chris Duarte and Eugene Omoruyi, well, say hello to De’Vion Harmon (Oklahoma), Quincy Guerrier (Syracuse) and Jacob Young (Rutgers).
• No. 21 … USC: Andy Enfield has a chance to prove he doesn’t need a top-three NBA pick to coach a top-25 team. Evan Mobley is gone but his brother, Isaiah, decided to come back. Isaiah has a great opportunity to hone his craft and turn himself into a pro in the next six months. He should be First Team All-Pac-12. Mobley will again team up with Ethan Anderson and Drew Peterson on a team that reached the Elite Eight.
• No. 29 … Arizona
• No. 52 … Washington State
• No. 62 … Colorado: If I gave you 12 guesses as to which school has the No. 1 incoming class in the Pac-12, would you dare think Colorado was even in the top six? Guess what: It’s No. 1. The Buffs have the No. 13 overall incoming class, led by C Lawson Lovering. So the future is bright. But the immediate future will probably spell NIT, given that one of the 10 best players in school history, McKinley Wright IV, now plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves. (Also, CU lost one of those incoming freshmen for the year because of hip surgery.) Evan Battey, the big man with the big heart, will be the spiritual center for the Buffs.
• No. 73 … Stanford
• No. 78 … Oregon State
• No. 82 … Arizona State
• No. 94 … Washington
• No. 103 … Utah
• No. 119 … California

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Tad Boyle: “We expect to be an NCAA Tournament team year in and year out”

From CUBuffs.com … If the Colorado Buffaloes are going to live up to the foundational standards established by head coach Tad Boyle this year, the key will be a rapid maturation process.

Time will be of the essence.

“We’re in great shape leadership wise,” Boyle said at Wednesday’s Pac-12 Media Day. “Now it’s time for our young guys to grow up — and we’d better grow up quickly.”

The Buffs are indeed young this year. Of the 12 scholarship players on the roster, only two — seniors Evan Battey and Elijah Parquet — have started more than one game in their college careers. Battey and Parquet are also the only players on the roster who have played a season in front of “normal crowds,” with the others getting their experience during last year’s Covid-impacted year.

The roster also includes five true freshmen and a handful of players who received some relatively significant playing time last season. That group — Keeshawn Barthelemy, Jabari Walker and Tristan da Silva — will be expected to up their game significantly if the Buffs are to meet the standards Boyle has set forth.

But Boyle won’t be using youth as an excuse. In the wake of a third-place finish in the Pac-12 regular season, a conference tournament final appearance and a first-round win in the NCAA Tournament last season, Boyle made it clear he isn’t expecting a step back — no matter how young his team might be.

“I remember distinctly our team meeting last spring when the seniors were gone,” Boyle said with a chuckle. “It was a pretty barren room —  Evan and Eli and Keeshawn and a few other guys. The challenge that we laid at their feet was that our program has set some standards for itself now. We expect to be an NCAA Tournament team year in and year out. We expect to be in the upper half of the league and hopefully competing for a championship.”‘

Now, Boyle said, the Buffs must set their sights on bumping those standards up another notch.

“Winning (multiple games in the tournament) is the next step for us,” Boyle said. “Getting to a Sweet 16, an Elite Eight, hopefully a Final Four someday. That’s the next step for this program.”

… Continue reading story here …

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October 13th 

… CU in the Arena … 

Pac-12 Media Poll: Buffs picked to finish 6th; Evan Battey a first-team All-Pac-12 pick

From the Pac-12 … Coming off a trip to the 2021 NCAA Final Four, UCLA is a near-unanimous choice to win the 2021-22 Pac-12 Men’s Basketball title in a vote of 34 media members who cover the league.

The Bruins, who return five starters and all significant contributors from last season’s NCAA semifinal run, received 32-of-34 first-place votes to top the preseason media poll for the second straight season.

Two-time defending regular-season champion Oregon received the two other first-place votes to finish second in the prediction. It marks the seventh consecutive polling the Ducks are picked inside the top 4.

2021 NCAA Elite Eight participant USC comes in third to match its second-best preseason ranking, bettered only by the Trojans’ runner-up pick in 2017-18.

Fellow Elite Eight qualifier and reigning Pac-12 Tournament champion Oregon State tied with Arizona for fourth. For the Beavers, it is their best preseason position since 1992-93 (3rd).

Colorado rounds out the top half of the poll. Arizona State, Washington State, Stanford, Utah, Washington and California complete the predicted order of finish.

The 2020-21 season saw the Pac-12 land a league-record five teams in the final USA TODAY Coaches poll and finish third in the final KenPom.com conference rankings following a 2021 NCAA Tournament in which four league programs advanced to the Sweet 16, three to the Elite Eight and UCLA reached the Final Four to help the Conference match its all-time mark of 13 NCAA Tourney victories.

Media have correctly picked the Conference winner 17 times in 32 tries, including five times in the Pac-12 era (since 2011-12), while the winner has been accurately chosen in 21 of the 37 all-time preseason votes.

2021-22 Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Preseason Media All-Conference Teams

FIRST TEAM

SECOND TEAM

HONORABLE MENTION (received votes from eight-or-more members of the media): Efe Abogidi (So., WSU); Daejon Davis (Gr., WASH); Jaiden Delaire (Sr., STAN); Harrison Ingram (Fr., STAN); Jabari Walker (So., COLO); Peyton Watson (Fr., UCLA).

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October 12th

… CU in the Arena … 

(Free) Black-and-Gold scrimmage Saturday before the Arizona game

From CUBuffs.com … The University of Colorado men’s basketball team will hold an open Black and Gold scrimmage on Saturday, Oct. 16, at 10:30 a.m. at the CU Events Center.

Admission is free to the public. Doors on the upper concourse will open at 9:45 a.m. The Buffaloes will run practice drills for the first 45 minutes of the practice with the scrimmage beginning at 10:30 a.m.

Colorado’s football team hosts Arizona at 1:30 p.m. at Folsom Field. All campus lots will be set up for football parking, so fans must either have a permit or use the game day paid parking options.

Masks are required inside the CU Events Center for all fans 2-years old and over, regardless of vaccination status.

Secure your seats for what promises to be another exciting season of CU Buffs basketball.  Season tickets start at only $240 per seat for reserved seating and includes all 18 home games highlighted by visits from Tennessee, Kansas and a loaded Pac-12 slate.  Get your season tickets today by clicking here https://buffs.me/3mdKi4z or by calling 303-492-8282.

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October 8th

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs in search of rebounders: “I think it’s a collective effort”

From the Daily Camera … It’s no secret rebounding is one of the pillars Tad Boyle has leaned heavily upon throughout his Colorado tenure as he goes into his 12th season as the Buffaloes’ men’s basketball coach.

Season 11 a year ago offered a unique blueprint for how that load-bearing pillar was executed. Individually, the Buffaloes lacked a standout rebounder. Collectively, they got the job done via committee just fine.

Yet heading into the 2021-22 season, much of that previous committee has moved on. As the Buffs continue to go through preseason workouts, Boyle once again expects the rebounding work to be done en masse. Figuring out who will be the leading players on the new glass committee is one of the most important details of the October practices.

“I think that’s something, it’s yet to be seen,” Boyle said when asked where his club will get its rebounds this season. “That’s something, as we stat in practice every day, I look and I think Jabari (Walker) and Nique Clifford right now. Nique has been really rebounding the ball very, very well. Tristan (da Silva) has been doing a better job. It’s something we’ve really challenged him to do.

“I think it’s a collective effort. I always look at rebounds per minute. That kind of gives me an idea, if I played him for 40 minutes, he’d get these many rebounds. That really kind of equalizes it a little bit. It’s a little more difficult to do in practice. But certainly when the games start, that’s something I look at. You may play eight minutes but get four rebounds. That’s pretty efficient. If you play 28 minutes with four rebounds, not so much.”

… Continue reading story here …

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October 5th

… CU in the Arena … 

Bracketology: Men’s team a No. 11 seed; women in at a No. 10 seed

From Joe Lunardi at ESPN … After the most unusual NCAA tournament in history, a return to the version of March Madness fans have known and loved is back on the schedule for 2021-22. A standard selection process, a multiple-city event and the return of fans, bands and cheerleaders are among the elements college basketball fans will welcome back in March. ESPN will have you covered all the way through Selection Sunday with the most recent men’s NCAA tournament bracket projections, including the teams on the bubble and those best positioned to cut down the nets in New Orleans on April 4.

From the Pac-12 … 

• No. 1 seed – UCLA
• No. 5 seed – Oregon
• No. 7 seed – USC
• No. 11 seed – Colorado – one of the last four byes (v. No. 6 Auburn) 

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From Andy Katz at NCAA.com … Men’s college basketball returns in less than two months and it’s never too soon for bracket predictions for the 2022 NCAA men’s basketball tournament field. The season begins Nov. 9 and NCAA.com basketball expert Andy Katz has released his first projected bracket for March Madness.

From the Pac-12 … 

• No. 1 seed – UCLA
• No. 3 seed – Oregon
• No. 7 seed – USC
• No. 11 seed – Colorado – one of the last four byes (v. No. 6 Florida State)

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And … as to the women’s bracket … 

From Charlie Cream at ESPN … The best part of putting together the first bracket projection for the 2022 women’s NCAA tournament is that it represents another step toward normalcy. After an unprecedented 2020-21 season and the most unusual NCAA tournament in women’s college basketball history, March Madness next season is expected to mark the return of four regionals, 16 first- and second-round sites, fans, bands and a traditional schedule of games. Until the official bracket is revealed, ESPN will project the women’s NCAA field, including the teams on the bubble and those considered the biggest contenders to raise the trophy in Minneapolis on April 3, 2022.

From the Pac-12 … 

• No. 1 seed – Stanford
• No. 3 seed – Oregon
• No. 4 seed – Oregon State
• No. 5 seed – UCLA
• No. 8 seed – Arizona
• No. 10 seed – Washington State
• No. 10 seed – Colorado – last four in (v. No. 7 seed BYU)
• First Four Out – USC
• Next Four Out – Arizona State

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September 29th

… CU in the Arena … 

CU announces tip-times and TV coverage for full men’s schedule 

From CUBuffs.com …  The Pac-12 Conference has completed the 2021-22 University of Colorado men’s basketball schedule with dates for the final 18 league games.

In addition, tip-times and television partner designations were announced for the majority of the Buffaloes’ schedule.

All but three of Colorado’s 31 regular season games are scheduled to air on either the Pac-12 Networks, FS1, ESPN2 or ESPNU. The Buffaloes will play 10 games against seven different teams that appeared in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. All seven will visit the CU Events Center in addition to road games at UCLA, Oregon and Oregon State.

Colorado’s three games at the Paradise Jam will streamed on ESPN3.

Colorado will begin the main block of its Pac-12 schedule at Oregon on Thursday, Dec. 30 (9 p.m. MT, Pac-12 Network). The Buffaloes will ring in the New Year on Saturday, Jan. 1, at Oregon State (6:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network) in a rematch of the 2021 Pac-12 Tournament championship game.

As previously announced with the Pac-12’s weekly pairings, Colorado will alternate two games home, two games away, each week of the conference season with one exception. The Buffaloes will have one three-game homestand the first two weeks of February, hosting Oregon (Thursday, Feb. 3, 8 p.m., FS1), Oregon State (Saturday, Feb. 5, TBA, FS1) and Utah (Saturday, Feb. 12, 6 p.m., Pac-12 Network).

Colorado will play a Thursday-Saturday schedule throughout conference play with two exceptions. The Buffaloes will play two Thursday-Sunday sets with both involving the Washington schools. Colorado hosts Washington State (Thursday, Jan. 6, 7 p.m., ESPN2/U) in its first home Pac-12 game after the New Year and follows with Washington (Sunday, Jan. 9, 3 p.m., ESPN2/U).  The script flips three weeks later with Colorado traveling to Washington (Thursday, Jan. 27, 9 p.m., Pac-12 Network) and then visiting Washington State (Sunday, Jan. 30, 8 p.m., FS1).

Colorado’s early season conference games are both set for the Pac-12 Network. The Buffaloes host Stanford on Sunday, Nov. 28, at 5 p.m. and travel to UCLA on Wednesday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m.

The Buffaloes will officially tip off the season against Montana State on Tuesday, Nov. 9, at the CU Events Center (8 p.m., Pac-12 Network). That game begins a slate of eight home nonconference games, highlighted by match ups with Tennessee on Saturday, Dec. 4 (12 p.m., FS1) and Kansas on Tuesday, Dec. 21 (7 p.m., ESPN2).

Colorado will play two exhibition games prior to the season-opener against Montana State. The Buffaloes will host Colorado School of Mines on Wednesday, Oct. 27, at the CU Events Center. Colorado will play at Nebraska in a charity exhibition game on Sunday, Oct. 31, at 10 a.m. MT.

Secure your seats for what promises to be another exciting season of CU Buffs basketball.  Season tickets start at only $240 per seat for reserved seating and includes all 18 home games highlighted by visits from Tennessee, Kansas and a loaded Pac-12 slate.  Get your season tickets today by clicking here or by calling 303-492-8282.

2021-22 COLORADO MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

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September 23rd

… CU in the Arena … 

One in; one out – CU picks up a commitment from the 2022 Class; freshman Quincy Allen out for the season

Class of 2022 Recruit RJ Smith … Tad Boyle has received his second pledge for the 2022 class in La Verne, Calif. guard RJ Smith, who visited CU officially earlier in September. Pepperdine, Portland, New Mexico and San Diego were other programs pursuing him pretty hard. 6-foot-4, 180-pound prospect who plays for the Damien High School Spartans in La Verne, Calif.

… Rivals doesn’t even have a profile for Smith. 247 Sports has a profile, which can be found here, but Smith is unrated …

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From the Daily Camera … The highest-rated recruiting class in the history of Colorado men’s basketball will miss one of its key players for the duration of the 2021-22 season.

On Thursday, head coach Tad Boyle told BuffZone that 6-foot-7 rookie Quincy Allen will not play this season due to a hip injury. While Boyle declined to reveal the specific nature of Allen’s injury, the Washington DC native recently underwent surgery and is facing an extensive comeback trail before returning to the floor.

The highest-rated recruiting class in the history of Colorado men’s basketball will miss one of its key players for the duration of the 2021-22 season.

On Thursday, head coach Tad Boyle told BuffZone that 6-foot-7 rookie Quincy Allen will not play this season due to a hip injury. While Boyle declined to reveal the specific nature of Allen’s injury, the Washington DC native recently underwent surgery and is facing an extensive comeback trail before returning to the floor.

… Continue reading story here …

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September 20th

… CU in the Arena … 

Pac-12 basketball announces non-conference agreement with SWAC (CU to play Grambling)

From the Daily Camera … The recently-announced alliance between the Pac-12 Conference, ACC, and the Big Ten won’t be the only forthcoming change to future scheduling in Pac-12 basketball.

On Monday, the league announced a partnership with the Southwestern Athletic Conference for the member schools to trade home-and-home dates in men’s and women’s basketball beginning with the 2022-23 season through the 2025-26 season.

The four-year agreement between the Pac-12 and a league filled with smaller, historically Black colleges and universities will be parsed into a pair of two-year cycles. The CU men’s team will participate in the first cycle, visiting Grambling between Nov. 10 and Nov. 13 in 2022, with Grambling returning the trip to Boulder the following year.

The matchups for all of the women’s series, as well as the men’s series in 2024-25 and 2025-26, will be announced at a later date.

“It’s a great opportunity for Colorado, and all Pac-12 student-athletes for that matter, to learn more about the proud history of HBCU schools and what they’ve meant to those that have benefited from the educational experience at these institutions,” CU head coach Tad Boyle said in a statement released by the league. “We look forward to the competition on the court and furthering the educational process through this endeavor.”

The Buffs-Grambling matchup will be one of six Pac-12-SWAC showdowns to be held Nov. 10-13 in 2022. Arizona (Southern), Oregon (Florida A&M), and USC (Alabama State) will host SWAC teams. Arizona State visits Texas Southern and Washington State travels to Prairie View A&M. Rematches will be held the following year with the sites reversed.

… Continue reading story here …

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August 19th

… CU in the Arena … 

CBS Jerry Palm’s First 2021-22 Bracketology: CU doesn’t make the cut

From CBS Sports … When August rolls around, all of our sports-loving attention turns to football. So, naturally, it is time for a pre-preseason Bracketology projection for the 2022 NCAA Tournament bracket.

While I personally enjoyed having the entire tournament so close to home in 2021, I am looking forward to a return to normalcy.

One sign of normalcy in recent years is Gonzaga as a No. 1 seed. The Zags have been a top seed in three of the last four tournaments and are projected to be the overall No. 1 this season. Mark Few has a great recruiting pipeline going now and the latest star to come through it is the top-ranked recruit Chet Holmgren. The 7-footer was the MVP of the FIBA U-19 tournament while leading the US team to the championship. He may do the same for Gonzaga.

My No. 2 overall seed is UCLA, which returns most of the team that went from the First Four to the Final Four in the 2021 NCAA tournament. They also added a five-star recruit in Peyton Watson. Mick Cronin has done a great job bringing this program back to power in relatively short order.

The Big 12 will take up the next two spots on the top line of the bracket. Kansas is frequently in this position as well and is the projected No. 3 overall seed. Kansas returns most of its starting lineup from the team that finished behind eventual champion Baylor and added Remy Martin from Arizona State and Joseph Yesufu, who was one of the key pieces to Drake’s great season a year ago.

Texas figures to challenge the Jayhawks for the top spot in the conference and a spot on the top line of the bracket. The projected No. 4 overall seed hit the transfer portal hard and added key pieces to the roster, led by former Minnesota star Marcus Carr. The most notable new face though is coach Chris Beard, who came over from Texas Tech after Shaka Smart left for Marquette.

From the Pac-12 … 

• No. 1 seed … UCLA
• No. 3 seed … Oregon
• No. 7 seed … Stanford
• No. 9 seed … Oregon State
• No. 10 seed … Washington State
• First Four Out … Arizona

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Pac-12 announces weekly conference pairings

Press release from CUBuffs.com …  The Pac-12 Conference has released the weekly matchups and site designations for the league’s 2021-22 men’s basketball season.

The announcement reflects the games being played and the home/away designations each week of the Pac-12 regular season. Specific dates and times for each game within a week will be announced later this summer after selections by the league’s television partners are finalized. All 120 Conference games will be televised by either  the Pac-12 Network, the ESPN Family of Networks, FOX/FS1 or CBS.

The Pac-12 previously announced the 12 games to be played in late November/early December to begin the second season of the conference’s 20-game schedule. Colorado hosts Stanford on Sunday, Nov. 28 while traveling to UCLA on Wednesday, Dec. 1.

Following the early conference contests, the remainder of league play will resume the week of Dec. 29-Jan. 2. Colorado will open that portion of its schedule on the road at Oregon and Oregon State. The Buffaloes will resume their home Pac-12 schedule that next week, Jan. 5-9, against Washington and Washington State at the CU Events Center.

Colorado will alternate two games home, two games away, each week of the conference season with one exception. The Buffaloes will have one three-game homestand the first two weeks of February, first hosting Oregon and Oregon State the week of Feb. 2-6 and then a single game with travel partner Utah the week of Feb. 9-13.

With the 20-game conference schedule, now in its second season, the Buffaloes play home-and-home with nine opponents and single games with two. For the 2021-22 season, Colorado will have a single home date with USC and one road game at California. The Trojans and UCLA visit the CU Events Center the week of Jan. 19-23. Colorado makes its Bay Area appearance at Stanford and California the week of Feb. 16-20.

Colorado will host Arizona and Arizona State in its final week at the CU Events Center, Feb. 23-27 and end the regular season with a single game at Utah the week of Mar. 2-5, ahead of the 2022 Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas from March 9-12.

Colorado men’s basketball season tickets are on sale now, starting at $240 for reserved bench seating. For more information on purchasing season tickets call 303-492-8282.

Pac-12 Men’s Basketball 2021-22 Early Conference Games
Sun., Nov. 28, 2021 – Stanford at Colorado
Wed., Dec. 1, 2021 – Colorado at UCLA; Utah at USC; Washington State at Arizona State
Thurs., Dec. 2, 2021 – Oregon State at California; Washington at Arizona
Sat., Dec. 4, 2021 – USC at Washington State
Sun., Dec. 5, 2021 – Arizona at Oregon State; Arizona State at Oregon; California at Utah; UCLA at Washington
Sun., Dec. 12, 2021 – Oregon at Stanford

Pac-12 Men’s Basketball 2021-22 Weekly Conference Matchups
Week of Dec. 29-Jan. 2
Colorado/Utah at Oregon/Oregon State
Arizona/Arizona State at UCLA/USC
California at Stanford
Washington at Washington State

Week of Jan. 5-9
Washington/Washington State at Colorado/Utah
Arizona at Arizona State
Oregon at Oregon State
UCLA/USC at California/Stanford

Week of Jan. 12-16
Colorado/Utah at Arizona/Arizona State
California/Stanford at Washington/Washington State
Oregon/Oregon State at UCLA/USC

Week of Jan. 19-23
UCLA/USC at Colorado/Utah
Arizona/Arizona State at California/Stanford
Washington/Washington State at Oregon/Oregon State

Week of Jan. 26-30
Colorado/Utah at Washington/Washington State
Arizona State at Arizona
California/Stanford at UCLA/USC
Oregon State at Oregon

Week of Feb. 2-6
Oregon/Oregon State at Colorado/Utah
UCLA/USC at Arizona/Arizona State
Washington/Washington State at California/Stanford

Week of Feb. 9-13
Utah at Colorado
Arizona/Arizona State at Washington/Washington State
California/Stanford at Oregon/Oregon State
UCLA at USC

Week of Feb. 16-20
Colorado/Utah at California/Stanford
Oregon/Oregon State at Arizona/Arizona State
Washington/Washington State at UCLA/USC

Week of Feb. 23-27
Arizona/Arizona State at Colorado/Utah
Stanford at California
UCLA/USC at Oregon/Oregon State
Washington State at Washington

Week of March 2-5
California/Stanford at Arizona/Arizona State
Colorado at Utah
Oregon/Oregon State at Washington/Washington State
USC at UCLA

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Three Buffs participate in NBA Summer League

From the Daily Camera … It was a short yet eventful Summer League excursion for the three former Colorado Buffaloes trying to make their mark in the NBA.

On Tuesday, McKinley Wright IV (Minnesota) and George King (Portland) completed their respective Summer League schedules, as did Tyler Bey one day earlier with the Chicago Bulls.

Wright, CU’s all-time assists leader, didn’t hear his name called during the July 29 NBA draft but quickly secured a two-way contract with his hometown Minnesota Timberwolves. Bey didn’t have his two-way contract renewed after one season with Dallas and landed a summer opportunity with the Bulls. And King, who told BuffZone last winter “I still want to get back” to the NBA, saw his summer schedule interrupted by tragedy as his mother, veteran Air Force officer Tresse King, died in Kuwait.

Here is a look at how the trio, all 1,000-point scorers at CU, fared over the past couple weeks.

… Continue reading story here …

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August 17th

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs finish Costa Rica trip with 141-31 laugher

From CUBuffs.com … The University of Colorado men’s basketball team ended its four-game exhibition tour of Costa Rica with a 141-31 rout of Grecia, Monday night at Banco Nacional Arena in San Jose.

Colorado scored the first 21 points of the game and never stepped off the gas. The Buffaloes led 39-4 after the first quarter and had an 80-17 lead at the half against the overmatched Costa Ricans.

Seven players scored in double-digits led by Keeshawn Barthelemy’s 23 points. K.J. Simpson and Nique Clifford each scored 21.

Colorado shot 69 percent from the field (57 of 83) including 82 percent (41-50) inside the 3-point arc. The Buffaloes scored 72 points in the paint and had a 63-2 advantage in points off turnovers.

“I think these kind of games challenge you mentally to stay disciplined, and stick to your principles, defensively,” said assistant coach Bill Grier, taking the head coaching role for this one as Tad Boyle observed. “And then to play simple; move the ball and take great shots offensively.

Similar to Saturday’s game, the senior incumbent starters – Eli Parquet and Evan Battey – sat this one out, allowing the eight healthy underclassmen, and senior walk-on Will Loughlin, all of the minutes and providing the coaching staff a glimpse of the future

“I think the one thing about this group, after watching them here four days, is I think we’ve done a really good job of sharing the ball. There’s been multiple possessions with multiple passes. They’re really unselfish. They play well together. And I think that was a really encouraging thing coming down here is seeing that part of the game from them as a group.”

The Buffaloes had 30 assists, led by seven from Julian Hammond. Colorado also had 23 steals and 69 fast break points.

… Continue reading story here …

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August 16th

… CU in the Arena … 

Jabari Walker’s broken backboard brings a quick end to Costa Rican exhibition game

From CUBuffs.com … For a game that didn’t count, or completed for that matter, there’s no doubt the University of Colorado men’s basketball team will be talking about the third Costa Rican exhibition for a long time.

Sophomore Jabari Walker’s dunk attempt at the 2:24 mark of the third quarter shattered the backboard and thus ended the game with the Buffaloes leading Seleccion de Baloncesto, 68-54, Sunday night at Banco Nacional Arena in San Jose.

Tristan da Silva led Colorado with 12 points while K.J. Simpson had 11 points and three steals.

The Buffaloes were pushing the ball up the floor. Luke O’Brien dribbled in from the right wing with Walker trailing to his left. O’Brien stopped at the free throw line and dished off to Walker, who shuffled his feet and ended up jumping off the wrong foot. The ball on his dunk attempt popped out before the backboard glass came shattering down to the floor. With no replacement readily available, the game was called at that point.

“I didn’t think Luke saw me actually, so I was about to go get his rebound and then he passed it to me,” Walker said. “I shuffled my feet, as everyone knows I traveled a little bit so it was unexpected. Then I usually don’t go off my left leg, so I didn’t really get up that high. And then I ended up missing the dunk and grabbed the rim, like extra.

“And then I saw the glass come down out of my peripheral vision. That’s when you’ll see me get out of the way and like, hurry up and try to miss the glass. It was crazy. I wasn’t really expecting the pass, I wish I would have I wish I’d have made it.”

It was an abrupt ending to an entertaining game. Seleccion de Baloncesto was a “select team” of veteran players from the Costa Rican professional league and gave the Buffaloes their toughest competition in the three games.

… Continue reading story here …

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August 15th

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs post second easy exhibition victory

From CUBuffs.com … The young guns took center stage in a big way as the University of Colorado continued its tour of Costa Rica with a 104-46 win over Colegio de Abogados Saturday night at Banco Nacional Arena in San Jose.

Six players – all underclassmen – scored in double-digits led by Julian Hammond III’s 19 points. Keeshawn Barthelemy had 17 points, Luke O’Brien had 16, Jabari Walker and Lawson Lovering each had 14 while K.J. Simpson rounded out the double figures at 13.

Colorado’s eight healthy underclassmen accounted for all but seven minutes in the game, and those final seven went to walk-on forward Will Loughlin who scored a basket for the second straight game. Senior incumbent starters Eli Parquet and Evan Battey sat this one out, giving CU’s young talented group some time on the floor together.

Colegio de Abogados did their part in giving the young Buffs some good situational work. The Costa Rican professionals through out a zone early in the game and put on a full court press coming out of the second half.

“It was a lot of fun for them, and you know that’s kind of what this trip is about is those young guys,” said Associate Head Coach Mike Rohn, who took over head coaching duties for this game as head coach Tad Boyle has done in the past with his staff on foreign tours.

“We did a lot of really good things; they really surprised us with a little zone, early in the game, we worked on it just a little bit in our camp, but they did a really good job with that. And so I was excited about it. And those guys are going to be good, they just got to keep learning.”

… Continue reading story here …

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August 14th

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs dominate in Costa Rica in exhibition opener

From CUBuffs.com … The University of Colorado opened its four-game tour of Costa Rica in style, cruising to a 79-32 win over Escazu Friday night at the Banco Nacional Arena in San Jose.

K.J. Simpson, the most recent addition to the Colorado roster, scored 13 points off the bench to lead all players. Jabari Walker had 11 points and Keeshawn Barthelemy had 10.

The Buffaloes didn’t know the identity of the team they were playing until Wednesday afternoon, much less have any kind of scouting report on Escazu. That didn’t end up being an issue.

Colorado sprinted out to a 16-2 lead in the first five minutes. Walker accounted for all 11 of his points during that run, nailing his first three 3-point attempts and digging up memories of the NCAA win over Georgetown where he went 5 for 5 from long range.

“It felt good,” Walker said. “Warming up I knew it was going to be a good day shooting wise. I like the nets, I like the ball we were using. I got a good warm up in so I was ready to go.”

From there it was a matter of getting everyone involved, which the Buffaloes did quite nicely. Eleven of the 12 suited up played at least 17 minutes and everyone scored at least one field goal.

… Continue reading story here …

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August 10th

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs set to play exhibition games in Costa Rica this weekend

Press Release from CUBuffs.com … The University of Colorado men’s basketball team is scheduled to play four exhibition games during a tour of Costa Rica, set for Aug. 12-19.

The Buffaloes will play all four games in the first four full days of the trip, Aug. 13-16, in capital of San Jose. While the opponents have not been finalized, the teams are expected to come from the Costa Rican professional league. Three of those opponents are scheduled to be teams that will be currently competing in the Costa Rican league playoffs while the fourth will likely be a “select” or “all-star” team.

All four games are scheduled to be streamed live on FloHoops.com. The game schedule is as follows and is subject to change. San Jose is on Central Standard Time, which this time of the year, is the same in Boulder (Mountain Daylight Time)

Colorado Game Schedule
Game 1: vs. Costa Rican Pro Team, Friday, Aug. 13, 8 p.m.
Game 2: vs. Costa Rican Pro Team, Saturday, Aug. 14, 8 p.m.
Game 3: vs. Costa Rican Select Team, Sunday, Aug. 15, 6 p.m.
Game 4: vs. Costa Rican Pro Team, Monday, Aug. 16, 8 p.m.

To sign up for access to the FloHoops Stream, click here to get started. FloHoops subscriptions begin at $12.50 per month.

Colorado will stay in San Jose the first five days of the trip and spend the last two in Los Suenos on the Pacific Coast before returning to Boulder on Thursday, Aug. 19.

Colorado has several excursions planned during its stay in Costa Rica including La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park, a guided tour of San Jose, a coffee plantation tour and a zip line tour in Los Suenos.

Every four years, NCAA basketball teams can take an international tour during the summer months which allows for 10 practices and a handful of exhibition games. The Buffaloes will hold their final one of those 10 practice sessions on Wednesday before embarking to San Jose early Thursday morning.

Much as it did four years ago, this trip comes at a perfect timing for the Buffaloes. Colorado is coming off its third-straight 20-win season, finishing 23-9 overall and advancing to the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, but the roster flips over to a new era in 2021-22. The Buffaloes’ scholarship roster is comprised of two seniors – Evan Battey and Eli Parquet – no juniors and 10 underclassmen.

Colorado’s 2021 class comes in ranked No. 11 in the nation by 247Sports. Three players – Quincy Allen, Lawson Lovering and KJ Simpson – are four-star, Top 100 recruits. Colorado Gatorade State Player of the Year Julian Hammond III and Javon Ruffin.

The 2017 class, which featured 1,000-point scorers McKinley Wright IV, D’Shawn Schwartz and Tyler Bey, as well as Battey, took a trip to Italy before their freshman seasons.

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August 4th

… CU in the Arena … 

Report: Spencer Dinwiddie signs three-year, $62 million contract with Washington Wizards

From ESPN … Free-agent guard Spencer Dinwiddie is nearing a deal with the Washington Wizards, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Monday. The deal is reportedly a three-year, $62 million contract.

The move would give the Wizards a replacement for Russell Westbrook, whom the team has agreed to trade to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Dinwiddie, 28, played only three games for the Brooklyn Nets last season after suffering a partial tear of his right ACL against Charlotte on Dec. 27.

The injury required surgery and knocked him out for the rest of the season, and Dinwiddie later declined his $12.3 million player option for the 2021-22 season to become an unrestricted free agent.

After tearing his left ACL during his final season at Colorado in 2014, Dinwiddie spent two years with the Detroit Pistons before beginning the 2016-17 season in the G League.

It was from there that the Brooklyn Nets signed him, beginning a path that saw Dinwiddie become a 20-point-per-game scorer last season, offering a unique combination of size and skill as a 6-foot-5 point guard.

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Mason Faulkner’s “career” at CU ends before it begins

From the Daily Camera … The Colorado men’s basketball team already was facing a dramatic youth infusion into its rotation for the 2021-22 season.

Now the Buffaloes have lost one of their more experienced backcourt options without seeing him play a single game in black and gold.

On Tuesday night, guard Mason Faulkner announced via his Instagram page that he is leaving CU in order to be closer to his family in Kentucky. It was unclear if Faulkner still intends to use his extra sixth season of eligibility, but 247Sports.com reported Faulkner took an unofficial visit to Louisville on Tuesday.

Faulkner already has weathered a nomadic collegiate career, appearing in the 2017 NCAA Tournament as a freshman at Northern Kentucky. After two seasons at Northern Kentucky, Faulkner transferred to Western Carolina. Faulkner was a first team All-Southern Conference selection during the 2019-20 season for the Catamounts, averaging 17.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.9 assists.

… Continue reading story here …

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July 30th

… CU in the Arena … 

McKinley Wright goes undrafted; signs free agent deal with Minnesota

From the Daily Camera … McKinley Wright IV just wanted a team, any team, to give him a chance.

It turned out a familiar franchise was willing to grant Wright, a Minnesota native, that wish.

Although CU’s all-time assists leader didn’t hear his name during the 60-player NBA draft on Thursday night, ESPN reported soon afterward that Wright has agreed to a two-way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

… Wright was hoping to become the 36th NBA draft pick in CU Buffs history, and he would have been the seventh under head coach Tad Boyle. That list includes Alec Burks (12th overall, 2011), Andre Roberson (26th, 2013), Spencer Dinwiddie (38th 2014), Derrick White (29th 2017), George King (59th 2018), Tyler Bey (36th 2020).

Wright left an indelible impression in the CU record book beyond his career assists mark (683), finishing his career ranked sixth all-time in scoring (1,857), sixth in made field goals (668), and first in double-digit scoring games (109). Wright also ranks 10th in made 3-pointers (133), ninth in made free throws (388), tied for ninth in free throw percentage (.803), tied for 10th in steals (140), and tied for 20th in rebounds (644).

Wright’s 130 starts are tied for second all-time, and his 131 games played are tied for fifth. He also played the second-most minutes in program history (4,339), trailing all-time leader Cory Higgins (4,478). No other CU player collected more double-digit assist games than the 10 recorded by Wright.

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July 20th

… CU in the Arena … 

Tad Boyle reflects on his time at CU: “You have to get guys that own the jersey in college”

From MileHighSports … After the intense basketball season that he’d just been through, Tad Boyle was looking forward to a day on the golf course. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other ideas. What was supposed to be a fun 18-hole chat about basketball and life at CU turned into a tabletop conversation in the clubhouse.

“I’m bummed,” Tad says. “I love golf. I got to play 80 times last year.”

How many rounds do you normally get in a year?

“Maybe 20,” he says.

COVID has certainly changed a lot in the last year. Rather than hitting the road on the recruiting trail, Boyle – like a lot of Americans – opted for time outside on the course. He spent more time playing golf than he ever has in his time as the coach at CU. And as luck would have it, the Buffs advanced to the Pac-12 title game and advanced past the first round of the NCAA Tournament. He then turned around and picked up a top-10 recruiting class in the nation.

Tad should play more golf.

But as the rain fell at Colorado National Golf Club, the pristine home of the Buffs golf teams, it just wasn’t in the cards on this particular Monday. However, he had no problem sitting back and chatting about where the Buffs were when he arrived in Boulder, where they’ve gone since he’s been there and where else he wants to see the program go.

If only the conversation was beginning on the first tee box.

“I’d pepper it 250 right down the middle of the fairway,” Boyle says with a smile.

He’s not pretending (the scouting report on Boyle the golfer is that he’s got game). But for this round, we might have to – pretend, that is. Here’s how the round with Tad Boyle went.

Hole 1

Par 4 – 393 yards

Getting hired away from Northern Colorado and coming to Boulder

My fourth year at UNC, we won 25 games and our first year at UNC, we won four games. So, I knew that people were going to take notice of that, especially going from a Division II program that was not even eligible our first year in Division I to play in the postseason. If Devon Beitzel doesn’t get hurt and break his foot in the middle of February, I think we’re an NCAA tournament team that year, but we lost in the (conference) semis to Montana. They always say timing is everything in sports and in life, but after the season, Jeff Bzdelik took the Wake Forest job. If he would have taken it a year before, and we won 16 games, I’m probably not even on CU’s radar, but because we had won 25, (then-CU athletic director) Mike Bohn asked me if I’d be interested in talking about the job.

Hole 2 

Par 5 – 555 yards

On the importance of being a Colorado guy coaching a Colorado team

When I got the job, one question that I was asked at my press conference was, “What are you going to do when an in-state kid or family who asks you why you didn’t stay at Colorado to play college basketball?” And I said, without blinking, “I’m going to tell him not to make the same mistake I made by leaving the state.” The one thing you forget about, growing up in the state of Colorado, is you don’t appreciate it until you leave it. I think a lot of people that grew up in this state, they love Colorado, but there’s always that maybe; it’s the “grass is greener” type deal.

When I left to play college basketball, I realized how much I missed Colorado and all it has to offer. I also saw that how the tradition at Kansas, and the passion of the Kansas fans, is something that’s really special. And I’ve tried to bring as much of that to CU as I can. And we’re not done with that. We’ve made some really good strides since I’ve been here. It’s been 11 years, but the best is yet to come. As the CU Events Center can get packed on a nightly basis, people can feel the tradition starting to build. We still have to get to a Sweet 16. We still have to get to an Elite Eight. I’m hoping we can get to a Final Four before it’s all said and done. That’s the ultimate goal when you wake up in the morning.

Hole 3

Par 4 – 415 yards 

On if he recruits the kind of guys at Colorado that he would have liked to play with at Kansas

It’s hard for me to answer that because when you’re a player, you’re looking at it through a player’s eyes. As I look back when I played at Kansas and Coach (Larry) Brown was bringing in guys like Danny Manning and Cedric Hunter, the bottom line is you want to play with good players and good players make you a better coach or good players make you a better teammate, too. I was a hell of a lot better teammate with Danny Manny on my team than I was without him. You know what I mean? He made everybody else better, and I think that’s the biggest thing –  trying to attract guys that can help make each other better. It’s the old Magic Johnson line. Good players make themselves better; great players make those around them better. And we’ve had a lot of good players in Colorado and we’ve had a handful of great ones like Spencer Dinwiddie, McKinley Wright, who just graduated, Josh Scott, Derek White. They made the guys around them better.

… Continue reading story here …

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July 12th

… CU in the Arena … 

Projected Pac-12 basketball awards: Eli Parquet the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year

From Jon Wilner at the San Jose Mercury News … Before we plunge into the names to watch in Pac-12 basketball, a few numbers for your consumption:

— Four of the top 20 scorers in the conference last season are back for another year.

— Three of the 15 players named to the all-conference teams last season are returning.

— Four of the top 50 recruits in the country are joining Pac-12 teams next season. (Gonzaga alone signed four of the top 53 prospects.)

Put another way: There’s a paucity of established stars and one-and-done talents.

The Pac-12’s success in 2021-22 depends heavily on role players morphing into impact players and on transfers making instant impacts.

Now, to our projections for postseason awards …

Defensive Player of the Year: Colorado G Eli Parquet. One of the top defenders in the conference last year is back for a run at DPOY. Averaged close to one steal per game and, at 6-foot-3, managed a whopping 23 blocked shots. Can defend multiple positions, including big wings. Also considered: UCLA’s Myles Johnson and Jaime Jaquez and Stanford’s Bryce Wills.

All-Conference – Second Team
F Marcus Bagley, Arizona State
F Evan Battey, Colorado
F Quincy Guerrier, Oregon
G/F Jaime Jaquez, UCLA*
G Tyger Campbell, UCLA*

All-Defense – First Team
C Myles Johnson, UCLA
F Efe Abogidi, Washington State
G/F Jaime Jaquez, UCLA
G Eli Parquet, Colorado
G Bryce Wills, Stanford

All-Freshman – First Team
C Lawson Lovering, Colorado
C Enoch Boakye, Arizona State
F Mouhamed Gueye, Washington State
G/F Peyton Watson, UCLA
G K.J. Simpson, Colorado

All-Newcomer – Third Team
G Mason Faulkner, Colorado (Western Carolina)
G Terrell Brown, Washington (Arizona)
G Jacob Young, Oregon (Rutgers)
G Justin Kier, Arizona (Georgia)
G Jay Heath, Arizona State (Boston College)

… Read full story here …

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Woelk: Chauncey Billups and Jamahal Mosley take different paths to NBA head coaching positions

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado basketball hit center stage nationally again Monday when former Buffaloes standout Jamahl Mosley was officially introduced as the new head coach of the NBA’s Orlando Magic.

Paired with the June 28 hiring of former Buffs great Chauncey Billups by the Portland Trail Blazers, Mosley’s hiring puts CU in rarified company — currently, only three college programs can claim two current NBA head coaches.

The other two are Arizona (Golden State’s Steve Kerr and Sacramento’s Luke Walton) and Kentucky (LA Lakers’ Frank Vogel and Detroit’s Dwane Casey).

Both Billups and Mosley were recruited to Colorado and coached by Ricardo Patton at CU. (Joe Harrington was CU’s head coach when Billups signed, but Patton — then an assistant — is generally considered to be the coach responsible for keeping Billups in state).

The two missed playing together by just one season.

Billups, one of the most celebrated players in CU history, played two years at Colorado (1995-97), leading Patton’s Buffs to an NCAA Tournament bid and first-round win over Bobby Knight and Indiana in 1997. He then turned pro and was the third overall draft pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, selected by Boston.

Mosley played at CU from 1997-2001. A starter for most of his career, he is still in the top 30 all-time CU scorers (1,171 points), and his 22 rebounds against Missouri in 2001 are still the most ever in one game by a Buff in the CU Events Center (fourth on Colorado’s all-time single-game list).

“They both were incredibly hard workers from Day One,” Patton said. “If I had one wish, I wish Chauncey would have stayed one more year so he would have had a chance to play with Jamahl. I thought Jamahl had NBA potential when he came in, and I think it would have been great for them both to play together.”

But following their CU careers, the two traveled very different paths for the next two decades before being named NBA head coaches just two weeks apart.

… Continue reading story here …

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Wilner picks the Pac-12 (still no respect for CU)

From the San Jose Mercury News … If reading the Hotline’s outlook for the upcoming Pac-12 basketball season prompts eyes to roll or blood to boil, keep this in mind: We don’t pick ties, but they’re inevitable.

Last season, for example, there were two teams with six losses in conference play, and three teams with 10 losses.

Two years ago, the regular-season race ended with a two-team tie for third place, a two-team tie for fifth place and a three-team tie for eighth place.

And it will happen again this winter.

• 1. UCLA
• 2. Oregon
• 3. USC
• 4. Oregon State
• 5. Washington State
• 6. Colorado … There’s plenty to like in Boulder after 23-win season and round-of-32 appearance, but not necessarily for the upcoming season. In our view, CU is destined for a transition year while coach Tad Boyle seeks new on-court leadership and direction. So deep was McKinley Wright’s influence that his exit will have triple the impact typically seen when a point guard departs. The remaining pieces, including big man Evan Battey, shooter Jabari Walker and an impressive freshman class, are good enough to prevent a complete backslide.
• 7. Arizona State
• 8. Utah
• 9. Arizona
• 10. Stanford
• 11. Washington
• 12. California

… Read full story here …

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Second former Buff named NBA head coach – Jamahl Mosley to coach Orlando Magic

From ESPN … The Orlando Magic have named Jamahl Mosley the team’s new head coach.

Mosley, a Dallas Mavericks assistant, has agreed to a four-year deal, sources told ESPN.

The Magic are replacing Steve Clifford, who mutually parted with the team last month. Orlando had reached the playoffs in consecutive years before trade deadline deals including All-Star Nikola Vucevic (Chicago) and Evan Fournier (Boston) this season moved them into rebuilding mode.

The Magic’s search process had narrowed to two candidates, Mosley and Denver assistant Wes Unseld Jr., who has also emerged as one of the leading candidates for the Washington Wizards’ vacancy, sources said earlier this week.

Mosley, 42, spent the past seven years with the Mavericks under Carlisle, ultimately taking on the associate head coaching role. Mosley also served on the staffs of the Cleveland Cavaliers (2010-2014) and Denver Nuggets (2005-2010). Mosley’s offensive philosophy has been shaped under two Hall of Fame-level coaches: Carlisle and George Karl.

… Continue reading story here …

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Tags: Evan Battey, Jabari Walker, Quincy Allen, R.J. Smith, RJ Smith
This post, about the Colorado Basketball game, from the 2021 Season, is filed under Article.
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