I think it was about the time that KJ Simpson pulled up for a “fuck-it-why-not” three-pointer, a little over halfway into the 2nd frame of CU’s stunning 79-63 win over #2 Arizona, that I realized what was happening.
Simpson’s thunderbolt 24-footer was the result of a broken play. With the Buffs up 58-50 at the time, Nique Clifford lost the handle in the backcourt, leading to a four-man scramble onto the hardwood. Somehow, Nique and KJ combined to regain possession, with Nique flipping the ball back to KJ at the top of the arc. The freshman spark plug, who had spurned a commitment to the UofA for life in Boulder, spun and twisted, looking for an opening before putting up a hand to let his teammates know to reset. It was at that point he realized that the Arizona defense had screwed up – in their haste to get back into position, confusion on the wing had left Simpson all alone. All but shrugging, KJ rose and fired, splashing the effort and setting the CU Events Center to boil. Buffs now up eleven, never to look back.
Up until that point, I had been humming along, enjoying the ride, and simply appreciative that we fans were not held witness to a repeat of last Thursday’s debacle against Arizona State. I was taking solace in the fact that the Buffs were showing good fight; that the program icon of program icons, Evan Battey, wasn’t going to see his Senior Day ruined by a schlubby performance. I could come to terms with this end to a season of ups, downs, and all-arounds, even if the mighty Cats from the desert eventually pulled it out in the end.
But, when that shot went in – turning a failed possession into three points – it dawned on me: holy shit, this is actually happening. The Buffs are going to win.
You see, it’s not every day that the #2 team in the country rolls into town only to roll back out with a loss. Sure, I’ve seen ‘Zona take a whupping or two in Boulder before – they’re now 2-7 at the Foot of the Flatirons since 2012, of course – but this was not a ‘typical’ version of Arizona. This was #2 in the polls, #2 in Kenpom Arizona. We haven’t seen an Arizona team this good since the Giant Death Robot days of 2014 and ‘15, and it was those teams that won their two trips to Boulder by a combined 55 points. And yet, all that efficiency and aura meant nothing.
Neither did the previous matchup between these two teams seem to mean a thing. That entrant in the diary, a 21-point CU loss in Tucson from back in mid-January, shared little in common with what was displayed on the hardwood Saturday night, save a feisty performance from KJ Simpson. Throw that baby out with the bathwater, as well.
No, the Buffs who took the floor on 2/26/22 were a completely different beast. They were feisty, they were aggressive, they were mean. They would not be punked in the backcourt, or over-run in the front. Whether it was attacking the rim (CU had 54 points in the paint against the nation’s second-best 2ptFG% defense), fighting on the boards (holding the Cats to rebounding parity, 30-30), or eating souls on defense (held one of the country’s most efficient offenses to under 40% from the floor), Colorado would not back down on Saturday. They dictated, they hounded. They made Arizona look soft, not the other way around.
Even if this was an aberrance, even if these two meet again in Las Vegas next week and the tables are turned, this was an important moment. This was the Colorado Buffaloes, young and lean, learning to hold their own against a monster of the conference. This is a win that will reverberate in the coming years, paying dividends when the likes of Simpson and Clifford are veterans leading the way.
It’s a win to savor.
–
My view was perfect. Buffs win, crowd storms, Senior Day festivities commenced through the din of excited undergrads. Then, the storybook finish we had all hoped for took form.
Evan Battey, the ebullient heart-and-soul of the Black and Gold, hoisted himself up on top of the sideline signage to take in the adoring masses. He stood above and apart, yet at the same time existing as one with his audience. A king and his subjects, a mayor and his city.
The image, as they say, was worth a thousand words.
Evan thanked everyone. God, his family, his teammates. Committed to returning, to one day becoming the head coach of the program he had helped define for the last five years. Tears were shed.
It was a perfect moment. A program-defining moment from a program-defining individual. The bear of a power forward, on (and all apologies to Elijah, Will, and Benan) *his* Senior Day, had willed his teammates to a spectacular, singular moment in Colorado Basketball history. His 11/4/1/2 line, as was typical, belying his over-sized impact on the program and its proceedings. Then, in one last gift, plastering our memories with an indelible image of joy and success against all odds. Life, once again, contriving to one-up any pretense of fiction.
Much like Evan, Saturday was unique, never to be duplicated. I hope you were there. I hope you got to take it all in.
–
This season is not over. There’s still the regular-season finale in Utah, the trip to Vegas, and a probable postseason berth of some kind (most likely the NIT) to look towards. But it’s worth our time, even with games remaining, to take stock of what this year has brought us.
This was not meant to be a thriving campaign. Sure, Tad and the guys all said the right things in October, about competing for championships, etc. But, given the roster turnover (McKinley Wright to the NBA, Jeriah Horne back to Tulsa, and D’Shawn Schwartz and Dallas Walton to greener pastures out east), and the fact that Colorado is, as ever, a recruit and develop program, the expectation was that of a re-set clock, rather than a continuation of last season's highs. 2020-21 was meant to be the peak, now back to The Rise. See you in two or three years.
Instead, what we’ve gotten is a season of defied expectations. “Young teams can’t win on the road.” Boom, five true road wins in conference, with a potential sixth still on the table. “Maybe a bottom-half finish in conference with a sub-.500 record.” Boom, a minimum 11 wins in the league, and almost all but assured no worse than 5th-place finish in the Pac-12. You cannot argue with these results.
Certainly not, given that the crown jewel of the league's best incoming recruiting class, Lawson Lovering, endured significant growing pains before seeing his season end in late January; his class-mate, and fellow four-star prospect, Quincy Allen, was lost for the year before the season even tipped off; and the expected Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, and one of only two initial scholarship seniors, Elijah Parquet, missed the final month and a half of the season. This was a season played with one hand tied behind CU’s collective backs, and yet they produced a surging effort, now culminating in an impressive final stretch.
There’s only one result on the calendar that really falls wrong – that loss at home to Arizona State. Every other result either met with expectations or exceeded them, more or less. That, in and of itself, is to the credit of Tad Boyle and staff. They led the young Buffs well, avoiding too many pitfalls. Could I have asked for a better home record? Sure. Would I have liked to see more complete performances @ Washington or @ Washington State? Yeah. But the whole picture is one of a young team over-performing the expectations. If this was meant to be the rebuilding year, the transition year to the next surge of Colorado Basketball, then I can’t wait to see the finished product.
If you can’t appreciate that, given the circumstances, I really don’t know what to say – maybe you should try watching, or commenting, on something else.
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