Tuesday Grab Bag: Buffs enter the final week of the season with a *sigh*

The seeding picture is a little clearer for the Buffs as they eye next week's Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas, but only just so.  They currently sit in a three-way tie for 8th place, holding individual tie-breakers over Stanford and Washington State should they be needed (thanks to the home win over current conference leader Oregon).  Depending on the results this weekend, the Buffs could finish anywhere from 7th to 10th, with any hope of 6th (or even 5th) dashed by the loss to Utah last week (more on that later).  Regardless of how things work out this week, however, the math will be weird.

The first talking point regards that three-way tie mentioned above and that tie-breaker the Buffs supposedly hold.  That advantage could be imperiled with a loss to Stanford Thursday night at the CEC, with the three teams still remaining tied when all is said and done. The Cardinal would them hold the multi-team tiebreaker advantage, thanks to their 2-1 record against the Buffs and Cougars (CU would be just 2-2).  If Colorado is alone in a tie with either, however, the Oregon win plays, and CU takes a step up the seep sheet. A win against Stanford on Thursday avoids that mess completely, guaranteeing the Buffs no worse than 8th place.

Past that, CU could swing up to 7th with some expected help from Arizona State and a sweep of the Bay Area schools.  ASU holds the tie-breaker over Colorado, thanks to their head-to-head win in Tempe, and a half-game advantage in the standings, but only have a game against Arizona left to play -- an assumed loss.  To that end, if the Buffs get two wins against Stanford and Cal, leaving them with eight overall, 7th place is probably theirs.

Let's say for a minute that all four teams - ASU, Colorado, Stanford, and Washington State - finish with seven wins, what happens then? In a scenario where CU beat Stanford, the Buffs would still get 7th, thanks to much bullshit and that win over Oregon.  In the flip scenario, with the Cardinal winning in Boulder on Thursday, Colorado slides back to 9th.  That underscores the value of the game Thursday night.  If the Buffs beat Stanford, they're 7th or 8th; if they lose to the Cardinal, it's 9th or 10th.  The Cal result would then move them up or down a seed line from there.

What does all of that really mean?  With the stunning result in Tucson Saturday evening (more on that later, as well), the winner of the 8/9 game looks to get Oregon in the quarterfinals, with the 7/10 victor probably getting Arizona.  If you think CU can survive the first day, that's your choice: the Ducks or the Wildcats -- pick your poison.  Me?  I'd favor Arizona, I guess, thinking that a Thursday meeting before the red-clad horde arrives in full wouldn't be as bad as facing the Oregon machine in full post-season mode, but either option is terrible.  In each case, I would consider the Buffs, at best, two-and-done in Las Vegas.

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Today in the bag, I'm talking the loss to the Utes, where the Buffs go from here, and how the rest of the Pac-12 fared over the weekend.

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Tuesday Grab Bag: In which the downward spiral continues

Still swamped at work, so straight to the action...

Today in the bag, I'm talking a 7th-straight loss to open up conference play, how the rest of the Pac-12 is faring, and a quick look at the new defensive coordinator up at Folsom.

Tuesday Grab Bag: ... and the hits just keep on coming.

I'm slammed at work this week, so the bag will be short and sweet. Just two topics: I'm talking the shortfall against USC, and how the rest of the Pac-12 fared in men's hoops.

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Tuesday Grab Bag: It's a New Year, but Buffs look the same

Happy New Year!  The Holiday schedule has left me precious little time for idle chit-chat, so it's straight to the action this afternoon.

Today in the bag, I'm talking a trio of disappointing losses to close the book on 2016: a rough collapse in Salt Lake City for Men's Hoops, a forgettable Alamo Bowl in football, and an awkward stumble from the Women's Basketball Team.

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Tuesday Grab Bag: A Rose By Any Other Name Is Apparently The Alamo Bowl

Pressed for time, it's straight to the action this morning. Today in the bag, I'm talking the result in Santa Clara, the Bowl Selection process, and the BasketBuffs responding in Portland.

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Tuesday Grab Bag: A Setback in LA

I'm behind the 8-ball this week, what with Homecoming preparations, and all.  So, straight to the action!

Today in the bag, I'm talking the troubles with the Trojans, how the rest of the Pac-12 fared, and the seemingly unstoppable CU Women's Soccer Team.

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Quick Post: CU/Utah Wrap

Well, it happened again.  Colorado held a 14-point lead with just over seven minutes to play in their season finale against the Utah Utes, but proceeded to bleed it out under the pressure of a tough road atmosphere. A 16-0 run for the Buffs immediately turned into a 19-0 run for Utah; a decisive counter that spoiled a strong second half start.  To outsiders, it was shocking; to us in BuffNation, it was just another day at the office. The turn was eerily similar to the events of a few weeks ago in Los Angeles, and of other vanishing leads throughout the season.  In the end, CU took the hard loss, this time by a final score of 57-55.

The shame of it, up to the point of the Utah run, was that CU had been playing a near-perfect half of basketball.  They were owning the glass in the second half, had been staying away from turnovers, and playing a typically intense brand of defense.  While the offense was spotty (had been spotty all game), the Buffs were winning in the margins, and seemed to be on their way to a typical #TadBall brand of grind-it-out win.  The big hero was Tory Miller.  The sophomore forward came alive in the second frame, putting up a huge 7/6 line that fueled the run.  Combined with some timely first half shooting from Tre'Shaun Fletcher and some scrappy early second half plays from Josh Scott (who had an otherwise rough game), it was enough to get the Buffs going.  Then, the team simply turtled the minute the Utes showed a second half pulse.  Factors compounded.  The refs swallowed their whistles, every break went to the home side, and no one in Black and Gold could make a winning play. It was a complete, total momentum shift. To my surprise, Coach Boyle even called timeouts (twice!) in an attempt to forestall the run, but it didn't work. The players simply didn't, couldn't get it done.

You can credit the Utes all you want, but when you see the same story from Colorado opponents time and time again, at some point you need to look at the common denominator. The problem is roster construction. There's a good basketball team out there, running around, that much is clear.  They have a fatal weakness, however.  Colorado just does not have a lead guard who, late in the game, can get into the lane and draw a whistle. Without that, CU will continue to cough up seemingly insurmountable leads, particularly on the road, and will continue to drop big games.  It's basic basketball arithmetic; otherwise you have to play perfect down the stretch to survive.  College hoops, as always, is a guard-driven game.

It's a painful opportunity lost.  CU missed their chance at a record-setting 22nd regular season win, a chance to make a profound statement about the resilience and resolve of this program.  As it is, the Buffs still exceeded expectations all year long, eclipsing essentially all preseason projections.  When they get selected to the NCAA Tournament this coming Sunday, it will be a well-deserved recognition for the gritty work they've put in all winter.  While there are a number of points this season that you point to where the team let opportunities split through their fingers, their regular season work, when viewed as a whole, is quite impressive.

With the frustration in Utah left in the rear view, attention now turns to Las Vegas and the 2016 Pac-12 Tournament.  Thanks to USC's home loss to Oregon earlier on Saturday, Colorado will avoid the embarrassment of slipping into 6th.  Indeed, they were locked into the 5th seed before the U12 timeout of the first half (due to the Cal win in Tempe), so the end result in SLC meant nothing for their positioning in the Pac-12 bracket.  Wednesday afternoon, CU will play Washington State for the right to face Arizona the following day.  The game with the Cougars will tip at 2:30 MT.  Should the Buffs win, the story will be the same on Thursday against the Wildcats. I'll have my Day 1 preview up from six miles in the air on Wednesday morning.

Tuesday Grab Bag: The Stuff of Nightmares

Bad news, everyone!  I didn't win the lottery last Saturday.  As such, the dream of a revitalized CU Baseball program continues to lie dormant, at least for a few more days.  Don't despair just yet, Boulder-based seam heads, the Powerball pot continues to grow into Wednesday's drawing, meaning we may still get that program up and running before the end of the calendar year.  Here's to hoping!

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Today in the bag, I'm wrapping the game with Utah, taking a look at how the rest of the Pac-12 fared, and touching on last night's national championship.

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Tuesday Grab Bag: Same Old Buffs

It's a shortened week, which means we're straight to the action today.  In the bag, I'm wrapping the loss to Hawai'i, looking ahead to next few opponents on the schedule, and discussing the K-State Marching Band.

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Tuesday Grab Bag: ... and the hits just keep on comin'

I'll get to the mess in Seattle in a second, but first: a confession.  This was to be my last season.  With work and other commitments, I felt I was losing my focus and touch, and was prepared to step away from the lucrative world of amateur blogging at the end of the season.

Over the last few months, however, it dawned on me that I'd be quitting after a rotten egg of a year.  Not one to give out a last shriek on the retreat into irrelevancy, I've reversed decision. As a result, I will be back next year for at least one more go at chronicling Colorado Basketball.  If this thing is going to crater, I'm going to ride the bomb all the way down, a la Slim Pickens:

YEE FUCKIN' HA!

Hopefully, however, a return to form will follow, and I can ride off into the sunset with a clear conscience. We'll see...

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Today in the bag, I'm talking the loss to a WAC school, the Pac-12 in the Dance, and a surprising coaching move in the desert.

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2014-15 CU vs Arizona State Basketball Preview #2 - The Final Day of #SkiSeason

Normally in this space - the weekend preview of the Pac-12 two-step -  I would recap the previous game. Well, in this instance, the previous game was utter shit.  CU had nothing for Arizona, dropping their 6th game in seven tries by a 82-54 final. As good as the 'Cats are (they wrapped up the league title last night in Utah), it was a particularly empty performance from Colorado.  So empty, in fact, that I am utterly speechless.

Luckily for me, Coach Boyle was in fine form after the game, and his quote-pocalypse conveys the timbre of the evening far better than I ever could.  Take it away, coach!

It’s February 26th and we’re not executing offensively. We’re not doing the things we’re supposed to do, we’re not making plays and we haven’t gotten any better. If you look at the teams that I’ve had here as a head coach, I feel that each team, outside of my first year, had progress and got better throughout the year. I don’t feel like that with this team. I don’t feel like we’ve gotten any better. We’re still making the same mistakes that we did in November and we’re not any better, offensively or defensively.

The fact is that we didn’t execute. Arizona had a lot to do with that, they’re the No. 7 team in the country and don’t beat themselves. Coming into the game, we knew we had to make shots, but then we couldn’t make a shot. Even passing and catching the ball was in hard whether it was in transition or the half court. It’s just not there right now. 

Ball screen defense was a big part of the game tonight. [Arizona] made plays offensively and they tore us up. We didn’t make plays and didn’t execute. Games like this in February and March are won by the team that execute and Arizona executed offensively and defensively. We didn’t and that’s why we lost the game, but what’s frustrating is that I see us execute in practice against ourselves. When the lights come on for some reason, we don’t. I don’t think that there is one guy that I can look at and say that he played well tonight. Not one. Not one guy. Usually we have one or two guys and if it’s good we have four or five. Looking at Arizona, they had five guys in double figures, we had one. We don’t have guys making each other better, our team just hasn’t improved. That’s on me, that’s the responsibility of the head coach and I haven’t done a very good job. 

There has to be some fight in the locker room and right now there isn’t. It’s like a submissive, beat us now while you can kind of mentality. That’s embarrassing. These guys are young men and they haven’t been through what they’re going through before. They’re finding out a cruel life lesson: life isn’t going to give you anything. Division one athletics teaches you that it’s a very humbling and unforgiving arena. If you want to step into that arena you had better be willing to sacrifice and do whatever it takes to win and we aren’t willing to do that.” 

I’m tired of this, I am. I want our players to know it, our fans to know it and our officials to know it. I want to fight somebody, I really do, but I know you can’t do that and I won’t do that in the locker room. I’m sick of the way we’re playing. The world doesn’t owe us anything, we have to go out and get what we earn. Right now we’re not earning the scholarships we’re on or the paychecks we get. We have to go out. It’s our pride, intensity, will to win, will to prepare to win and the will to do whatever it takes to get it done. If we play well, play hard, execute and get beat I’ll be the first one to shake our opponents hand and say, ‘You beat us tonight.’ I don’t like teams that beat themselves and we beat ourselves tonight.”

I feel badly for the players that have come before this team - and some of the members of this team were a part of those groups. It's disrespecting what they've done over the last four years, and that's disappointing, I would think that there would be more pride amongst our team, and I don't see that. That's disappointing. That's something that needs to be addressed.

#KeepingItReal

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I'm struggling to find some juice for the final stretch of play. To me, there's no practical difference between finishing 9th, 10th, or 11th, and the team has shown that they're not going to improve to generate some momentum into the offseason.  All that's left is to win one for Ski on his senior day.  Oh my, do I want that for him.  This season has turned into an unmitigated disaster, but that final shout before the retreat into spring would at least provide one last moment of real joy.

The Buffs have been robbed of final goodbyes for the two previous departing pillars of the #RollTad era. Andre Roberson had a bout with mono (or a mono-like sickness), and missed his final homestand.  Spencer Dinwiddie, likewise, wasn't able to make his final homestand, still recovering from his knee injury. Therefore, the opportunity for us as a fanbase to honor one of the best players in program history is not one we should be taking lightly.

Please, show up early this evening, cheer loud, and give Ski the send off he deserves.  The final ovation for the Scrat is the only result that really matters.

Tip-off from the CEC is set for 6:30 this evening. Televised coverage to come via ESPNU, with the radio call on 850 KOA.

For reference, my preview from the first meeting can be found here.

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Tuesday Grab Bag: Wherein I slowly go mad...

Yeesh, this basketball season is getting rough.  Another painful performance Saturday evening drove me screaming from the game room before the first half was done. My approximate reaction to those trying to console me Saturday night:

It's going to be a long three weeks.  Or short, depending on how much booze is left in that flask.

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Today in the bag, I'm talking yet another road loss for the men's basketball team, a trip around the Pac-12, and the women's team wrapping up the home schedule in style.

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2014-15 CU vs Stanford Basketball Preview - We Can't Have Nice Things

The Buffs seemed to have a lot going for them Thursday night against Cal.  For the first time in 2015, every eligible scholarship athlete was available, they were playing a 'beatable' team at home, and even 'The Mayor' Spencer Dinwiddie was in attendance.  Even still, Colorado struggled on both ends of the court, continuing to play a tentative brand of offense, while leaking like a sieve defensively. They would have a chance to steal the win late, but CU couldn't make the necessary plays, and lost yet another home game.  This time by a 68-61 final.

Bruh, I just need a TO.  From: the BDC

I hate to repeat myself, but the same damn issues keep popping up.  Perimeter defense was typically porous, with Golden Bear shooting specialist Jordan Mathews allowed numerous undefended looks at the basket. He would finish with 19 points, buoyed by 4-of-6 shooting from three (overall, the Buffs allowed Cal to go 10-22 from beyond the arc).  The defensive woes didn't just stop there, however. With the Buffs clinging to life down the stretch, the Bears scored or got to the line on seven of eight possessions from the fourth minute onward. That's how you lose a close ballgame.

This was particularly painful because the Buffs were still playing tentative and inefficient basketball on offense.  CU was held under 37% from the field, to only 3-of-10 from beyond the arc, and continued to pass up open looks to hit a cutter or shoot. It continues to amaze me that 19 year olds, many of them with the attention span of a gnat, are reluctant to fire one off.  I would think that you'd have to plead with them not to pull the trigger, but the reality is the opposite.  The result is yet another game scoring under one point per possession.  For the record, the Buffs are 9-2 this season when they're over that Mendoza line, 2-10 when they aren't.  The proof is in the pudding; sometimes, you just need to score some fucking points.

Josh fought through lingering back pain for a nice night, but he was mostly alone.  From: the BDC

And yet, knowing all of that, Colorado still had a chance to win the game in the final minutes.  A clutch three pointer from Askia Booker with 1:43 to play made it a two-point ballgame.  The Buffs wouldn't score again, however, as a Josh Scott baseline jumper on the next possession rimmed, deflating sails.  Booker and Scott, who combined to score 28 of CU's 61 points, just couldn't do enough to engineer the comeback. A few turnovers later, one each from Ski and Xavier Johnson (who's still not 100%), and the fate was sealed.

CU has now lost seven of their last nine to slide into 10th place in the Pac-12. 10th?  Really, 10th?  Has it gotten that bad? Yep, 10th. *sigh*  Another opportunity to right the ship presents itself this afternoon, as the Buffs will take on Stanford at home.  Tip-off from the CEC is set for 2pm today; television coverage will be on Fox Sports 1, with the radio call on 850 KOA.

Click below for the preview...

Tuesday Grab Bag: Fine, I'll Talk About the Football Program

The agonizing wait for a new defensive coordinator is over, and, in retrospect, the whole process looks to have been well worth it.  Gettin' down with the realities of cleaning up a defense that ranked 111th nationally in total yards allowed per game (461 per... yo!), Coach MacIntyre dipped into his bag of tricks, and pulled out the name of Jim Leavitt.  Yep, that Jim Leavitt, the one who was long known as one of the better defensive minds in the collegiate game for his efforts at South Florida, as he took the Bulls into a national title hunt in 2007.  For on-the-field production, I doubt CU (as currently constituted) could've done much better than the 58 year old lifer, who comes directly from the San Francisco 49ers where he was coaching the linebackers. Indeed, in accordance with his quality, Leavitt will be paid a cool half-mil per year, making him the highest-paid coordinator in school history.

One of the best defensive minds in the country is now heading the Buffs 'D.'

Of course, Leavitt comes with a hefty amount of baggage.  In 2009, he was accused of grabbing the throat of, and repeatedly slapping, a student athlete, which resulted in his termination from South Florida.  Leavitt has repeatedly denied that version of the encounter, and sued the school for wrongful termination. Nonetheless, there are some who would recoil at the notion that Leavitt ever again coach in the collegiate ranks.

I have no doubt that this played a part in CU's ability to hire a coordinator who would, otherwise, be considered for some very high profile gigs.  Colorado offers an opportunity to rebuild his image, while Leavitt offers a major upgrade over former DC Kent Baer.  As to the 'South Florida Incident,' I also have no doubt that MacIntyre, a man who's first season was dedicated to the CARE slogan, wouldn't have signed Leavitt unless he truly felt that there was no possibility of a repeat scenario developing.

It's not a perfect marriage, but one that fits with the current state of Colorado football.  Of the available targets, CU grabbed the biggest they could find, and one that projects to help the defense out dramatically. Off-the-field issues could be something to watch, but, for the time being, I'm pretty happy with the move.

Welcome aboard, Coach Leavitt!

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Today in the bag, I'm talking Saturday's basketball implosion against Utah, the noise surrounding the RMS, and the football recruiting class

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CSU Wrap and 2014-15 CU vs Northern Colorado Basketball Teaser

Pain.  Just a hollow, numb pain.  That's all I have to describe how I felt after the clock hit zeroes on Wednesday.  The 62-60 loss itself isn't that bad - CSU is a good ballclub, after all - but the final realization that I was wrong, and this team, as currently constituted, is absolutely incapable of living up to their ability, sucked the energy out of me.

The issues are many, that much is obvious.  In this single stretch of 40 minutes alone, the shocking lack of anything from Josh Scott was paramount.  Both on the Colorado Springs product, his teammates, and his coaches, for the best post player in the West to not have a single meaningful touch within 10-feet is inexcusable. But this is about larger faults in the foundation.  What had been the hallmark of the RollTad era - the sum being larger than the whole of the parts - is just no longer the case; in fact, the reverse may be true. The pieces don't fit (well, at least), and the whole operation is too disjointed to work properly.

Whither Josh Scott?  From: the BDC

This is not a Tournament team, and, while there are no bad losses yet, I'm starting to really worry about what will happen once conference play starts.  From what I've seen to-date, I wouldn't expect a road win over anyone (save maybe Washington State and USC), and more than a few teams will be able to walk into the CEC and secure a win.  If the Buffs take two losses in Hawai'i, they could find themselves at season's end at .500, or worse.  ... and now I'm having a 'sad.'

Getting better?  Well, it's going to take something completely different.  Disparate attempts to infuse off-ball movement and passing into the offense seem to go nowhere (quickly forgotten under pressure), and good teams are getting better at denying Josh the ball, daring CU to shoot themselves to victory.  After eight games, it's pretty clear that the backcourt mix can't cut it, leaving rhythm to sag.  Outside of Askia Booker, no one in a guard spot seemed to have any ideas on Wednesday.  You just can't win games like that, especially as the defense is no longer dynamic enough to cover continuing offensive struggles up.

Don't get me wrong, what I'm talking about here is all the expectation game.  This is not a 'bad' team by any measure.  They'll win some games, put some scares into teams, etc.  But this is not a group that is playing up to the level of Colorado Basketball that we've all come to expect.  After four years of some of the most entertaining hoops in program history, a mulligan is due, but it's going to be an uncomfortable one, with repercussions to follow.

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*sigh*

Negativity disposed of, it's time to turn to today's game against Northern Colorado.  I think for everyone - players, coaches, fans, ushers, etc - the opportunity to get the taste of the CSU game out of the mouth will be a welcome relief.  Make no mistake, however, the local Bears are a feisty club, capable of making things uncomfortable for the reeling Buffs.

Coach Hill brings his Bears to Boulder for the first time since the start of the #RollTad era.

Of course, this is the program that gave us Coach Boyle.  The Greeley native coached his hometown school in the years immediately proceeding is tenure in Boulder, and avoided a meeting for four years while the players he recruited matriculated through the system. There's still a strong connection between Boyle and current UNC head coach BJ HIll (once an assistant under Tad), and I expect today's affair to be hard on both. Said Hill:

"There is nobody that I owe more in my professional career than Tad Boyle. He paved the way for me to be the head coach at Northern Colorado. I owe him everything. So that is not going to be easy. There is a different pull there, and it makes it difficult."

Coach Boyle reciprocates, saying, "I wouldn't be at Colorado if it wasn't for B.J. Hill," but maintains that "there is no friendly rivalry."

On the court, the Bears are a deep bunch.  Only one player, senior Tevin Svihovec (the lone remaining Boyle recruit), has played more than 60% of available minutes this season, and 10 players average double-figures in playing time.  They also spread the scoring around, with nine of those averaging more than six points per game. That said, the 6-2 Svihovec leads with over 11 points per game.

Svihovec is the last on-court reminder of Boyle's tenure in Greeley.

Generally, they're a good offensive team.  UNC is 23rd nationally with a 57% eFG, and rarely turns the ball over (16th in TO rate).  While not slow, per se, they play measured basketball, working to find good shots within their sets.  It's all mostly inside the arc, as, surprisingly for a small conference squad, they only get about 25% of their scoring from deep. The biggest knock against them is their defense.  311th nationally, with and adjusted 105.6 points per possession is just not good.  With those numbers, maybe Coach Hill's hairline will start to resemble his mentor's.

Part of the core is built around a pair of Mountain West transfers: Cameron Michael and Dwight Smith. Michael, from Air Force, and Smith, from CSU, each bring different things to the table.  Cameron is a good scorer, adding 11 points per game, and taking over 35% of shots when he's on the court.  Smith is more defensively minded, posting a nice steal rate. The remainder of the starting lineup features Jordan Wilson and Cody McDavis.  Wilson, a 5-7 sophomore, is a jitterbug of a point guard, while the 6-8 senior McDavis plays in the paint.  Off the bench, Dominique Lee is a good rebounder (7th nationally in rebound rate).

As efficient on offense as the Bears are, their defensive inefficiency leads me to believe all but a train-wreck performance from CU will earn the 'W.'  Additionally, UNC doesn't have a lot of real good outside shooters, meaning the perimeter defense shouldn't be as under threat as usual.  At this point, all that really matters is the win.  Get that, and the team can release a little pressure before finals break.  After the scholastic distraction, the little trip to Hawai'i may do us all some good.

The last home game before the new year tips-off from the CEC at 4pm this afternoon.  Televised coverage is on Pac-12 Networks, with the radio call on 850 KOA.

GO BUFFS!  PROVE ME RIGHT, AND BEAT THE BEARS!

Monday Grab Bag: Volleyball team continues to shock the world

No intro today, straight to the bag.  I'm talking the monster upset on the volleyball court, wrapping up the football loss to Oregon, and taking my semi-weekly trip around the nation of football.

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Monday Grab Bag: I need some Advil

I'm suffering from a massive hangover today, and it has nothing to do with what went on at my Super Bowl party.  Nope it's all about the Buffs, and their ugly loss in Salt Lake City.  My body is rejecting the losing toxins, and, as a result, my head is pounding.

Today in the bag, I'm recapping the SLC hiccup, the women's rebounding victory in LA, and, of course, the Super Bowl.

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Quick Post: Washington wrap - On Tilt

Tilt.  In the poker world, it's a term meant for those who can't get over a bad beat, and who recklessly chase winning cards instead of playing the way they had been before.  Anyone who has ever sat at a poker table has fallen into tilt, and lost good money to it's demon.

In the two weeks since a collapse in Tucson lead to the win-that-wasn't, the only thing that has become clear is that the Buffs aren't over that loss.  They haven't looked the same since before those fateful final two minutes in the desert, and mostly seem to be feeling for their game, instead of letting it come to them.  It's a textbook case of tilt.

The plague of bad basketball continues to burn.  From: the BDC

Last night's 64-54 loss to the Washington Huskies was only the latest example in a fortnight of horror for the young Buffs.  Over 40 minutes, CU displayed an inability to take care of the basketball, a disinterest with challenging for rebounds, and complete impotence when trying to score.  It all boiled down to a team who looked frustrated with their new normal, yet were at a loss with how to change it.

As a result, the season has all but slipped away from the team once penciled into the Pac-12's top-quarter.  Sitting at 1-4, even with a home-heavy final 2/3rds of the conference schedule remaining, it's tough to see how the team can now live up to it's early season promise.  I don't think they're broken; the team is still talented, and Coach Boyle didn't suddenly become incompetent.  They're just stuck in a rut.

I can't help but be reminded of last season when, coming off of a 1-3 collapse to close the regular season, senior guard Nate Tomlinson called the team to carpet for their bullshit, saying "I don’t think we’re that good. I’ve played against Kansas, Texas. We’re just not that good. The only chance we have is if we guard, rebound and compete our (fucking) tails off."  If only there was someone in the locker room who could say that today, because that sentiment is blatantly relevant.

2013 ASU Basketball Preview #1

I'm not going to talk about last night.  Ever.  Don't even bother.

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CU has to shake off that-thing-that-happened-in-the-place, and focus on beating the Sun Devils.  This is a must-win road game for any team hoping to Dance.  Luckily the scheduling gods thought ahead, and afforded the weary travelers an extra day to forget.  I hope the team can take advantage.

Tip-off from Wells Fargo Arena is set for 6pm MT on Sunday.  Television coverage is scheduled for the Pac-12 Network, with the radio broadcast coming from 850 KOA.

Click below for the preview...

Quick Post: Wrapping Arizona

Buffs won 83-80.

That's all I have to say on the matter.