A full Coors Events Center is my favorite type of Coors Events Center. It was awesome to see and feel a sold-out crowd cheering on the boys Saturday morning. With its 3-0 start he team has taken its first steps towards a spectacular year, but there are still 13 conference games to go. Today in the bag I'll dissect the OSU game and look ahead to an integral and difficult 2-game road trip.
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| It's another win to celebrate for Cory and the boys, but there are still 13 games to go. From: the Post |
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CU overcomes shaky shooting and 12-point 2nd half deficit to beat Oklahoma State - With a full, yet pensive, CEC watching, the Buffs seemed stuck in neutral for the first part of the game Saturday morning. Only shooting only 25.9% in the first half, CU seemed to be down more than the 4 points the scoreboard showed at halftime. Had CU not shot an incredible 17-18 from the free throw line, the game may even have been out of reach by this point. OSU only continued its push in the second half, extending their lead to 12 points with just over 16 minutes left. The Cowboys had sucked the Buffs into taking quick shots through the first 25 minutes, and that lack of patience had dug the Buffs a hole I didn't think they'd come back from.
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| Stingy OSU defense, and restless shooting, held CU in check for the first 25 minutes. From: the BDC |
Then Cory Higgins did his "I'm Cory Higgins" thing. The senior quickly dropped 5 points, and for the first time all game, the capacity CEC crowd roared to life. To this point I had been a little disappointed in the full-house, but OSU had let the Buffs back into the game, and this time the crowd came with them. Just under 6 minutes to go, Austin Dufault popped in a layup to give the Buffs the lead and cap a 20-6 run that set the volume in the stadium to ear-splitting volumes. The crowd was certainly in it now, and with the Cowboys having to run into the face of a full and pumped up student section, the Buffs leveraged their position to go on to win 75-71 and improve the overall record to 14-4 (3-0).
The Buffs run to this awesome 3-0 in-conference start is only a relative drop in the bucket of their overall conference schedule (3 games out of 16), but it has been impressive from the standpoint that they've beaten not the dregs of the conference (Texas Tech, Oklahoma, etc.) but some of the best programs the conference has to offer. Sure, OSU may not have been ranked like Mizzou and KSU were, but they are a strong team none-the-less, and had been included in ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi's Bracketology prediction for last week. The Buffs now have a legitimate shot at starting 5-0 before playing top-3 Kansas next Tuesday. If CU can enter that game with a perfect conference mark, with the resulting confidence and fan enthusiasm, I don't know what will happen.
| Cory kept his balance and composure to drag the Buffs back into the game. From: the Post |
The Buffs run to this awesome 3-0 in-conference start is only a relative drop in the bucket of their overall conference schedule (3 games out of 16), but it has been impressive from the standpoint that they've beaten not the dregs of the conference (Texas Tech, Oklahoma, etc.) but some of the best programs the conference has to offer. Sure, OSU may not have been ranked like Mizzou and KSU were, but they are a strong team none-the-less, and had been included in ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi's Bracketology prediction for last week. The Buffs now have a legitimate shot at starting 5-0 before playing top-3 Kansas next Tuesday. If CU can enter that game with a perfect conference mark, with the resulting confidence and fan enthusiasm, I don't know what will happen.
| This mob of pumped up students will be laying in wait for Kansas. From: the Post |
An unlikely win - Going back to the OSU game, Levi Knutson shot a paltry 2-7 on the day (1-5 from 3), the team shot a disappointing 37.5% from the field, and the defense allowed Cowboy sharpshooter Keiton Page loose for 19 points on 7-10 shooting. Bounces weren't going CU's way, and 1st half turnovers were an issue again. So, considering this, how was CU able to make the comeback? Well, for one, the Buffs earned a +15 rebounding advantage, and thoroughly limited OSU's put-back opportunities. CU also got help from OSU as they repeatedly put the right Buffs on the free throw line. For the game, CU shot a crazy awesome 87% from the line (34-39) and got a +23 point advantage from their efficiency. Without the massive advantages in these two categories, there would be no way CU could've won with the offense unable to find it's usually efficient high-gear.
Rebounding in conference play - Excellent rebounding, like that seen in the OSU game, has been a surprising key throughout the 3-0 conference run. Over the 3 games, the Buffs hold a 124-86 advantage in a category that most (myself included) had assumed would be a weak spot. It's been incredible to watch, as everyone has gotten into the fray; including Alec Burks who's averaging 8.7 boards a contest. Everyone has been contributing, and it's a tribute to the effort of the team as a whole that they've been able to dominate 3 tough Big XII teams in this important category.
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| Coach Boyle has to love the rebounding effort he's getting right now. From: the BDC |
I wonder, however, how long this advantage will last. Mizzou, KSU, and OSU had very few players over 6-9, and none who are key contributors. To this point the small-ish Buffs, who utilize only one true forward on the court at any given time, have made their hay against similarly sized opponents. With bigger opponents on the horizon, including Nebraska on Tuesday, with more true centers on the roster, it will take even more effort on CU's part to keep the rebounding advantage that they've enjoyed to this point.
The week ahead - Speaking of Nebraska, on Tuesday CU heads to Lincoln for the final time as they start a quick 2-game road trip that could make the difference between a very good year and a truly special one. My favorite stat site, kenpom.com, loves the Huskers. They're listed as the 36th best team on the site (CU has jumped to #60), and CU is given a relatively small chance of winning tomorrow evening (24%). Not to spoil tomorrow's game preview, but I think this is ludicrous and that Nebraska is no where near this good. Granted, their defense is fantastic (kenpom has them at #13 in the nation) and they've held each opponent below their season field goal percentage, but I still doubt their ability to finish against quality opponents, and I certainly give CU better than a 24% chance to win the game.
After the stop in Lincoln, CU will travel down to Norman, OK for the last time to face the reeling Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday morning. The Sooners, coached by the pathetically over-rated Jeff Capel, are real bad this year, even going so far as losing to Div-2 Chaminade in the Maui Invitational back in November. Still the game is on the road, and no Big XII road game is ever easy. If CU hopes to have a special season they need to take both of these games; this is by no means easy, and, even considering the relatively light difficulty of the road trips, it would be a huge event should CU win both of them.
After the stop in Lincoln, CU will travel down to Norman, OK for the last time to face the reeling Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday morning. The Sooners, coached by the pathetically over-rated Jeff Capel, are real bad this year, even going so far as losing to Div-2 Chaminade in the Maui Invitational back in November. Still the game is on the road, and no Big XII road game is ever easy. If CU hopes to have a special season they need to take both of these games; this is by no means easy, and, even considering the relatively light difficulty of the road trips, it would be a huge event should CU win both of them.
NFL playoffs - Leaving basketball for a moment, having missed most of Saturday's results, both from lack of interest and residual drunkenness from my post-OSU celebration, I was really looking forward to Sunday's game. Both as a Bears fan and a Patriots-hater, I was not disappointed by what I saw. My Bears lightly jogged into a home NFC title game as they beat up on the Seahawks early en route to their 35-24 victory. I still think the Bears are awful, and bound to be beaten by the Packers next Sunday, but I always like to see my team of choice win.
Over in the AFC, the Jets, and their cavalcade of entertaining characters, provided a very satisfying whupping of the un-deserving Patriots fanbase to earn their 2nd straight trip to the AFC title game. That emptied-out stadium was schadenfreude-tastic. Some people have told me they can't stand Rex Ryan and the Jets, but I love 'em. They win and they have fun doing it; what more could you ask for?
Happy Monday!
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| Despite their best efforts, the Bears will play on. From: The Trib |
Over in the AFC, the Jets, and their cavalcade of entertaining characters, provided a very satisfying whupping of the un-deserving Patriots fanbase to earn their 2nd straight trip to the AFC title game. That emptied-out stadium was schadenfreude-tastic. Some people have told me they can't stand Rex Ryan and the Jets, but I love 'em. They win and they have fun doing it; what more could you ask for?
Happy Monday!
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