I'm on a short week, due to an upcoming trip to New York. That means, for the first time in a while, this weekly feature is actually dropping on a Monday! Huzzah! It also means that, with time crunched, I'm straight to the action...
Today in the bag, I'm talking the attrition-heavy effort in Ann Arbor, some Saturday success from the Soccer and Volleyball teams, and the how the upcoming schedule fared in football.
Click below for the bag...
Showing posts with label injuries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label injuries. Show all posts
Monday, September 19, 2016
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Tuesday Grab Bag: The 2015-16 Basketball Schedule is Announced
It's the end of an era in Denver: Troy Tulowitzki has been traded. Now a Toronto Blue Jay (of all things), the one-time cornerstone of the franchise was shipped off late last night for Jose Reyes and a few pitching prospects. It's not your traditional deadline deal in advance of free agency, as Tulo would've remained under contract into the next decade -- look at it as more of a salary dump/retooling in advance of a full-blown remodel of the team.
A long time coming, this move effectively closes the book on the 2007 Rockies squad that so captured the town's imagination. The fire sale probably won't stop with the dynamic shortstop, either. As third baseman Nolan Arenado fears, Carlos Gonzalez is probably next as the LoDo franchise hammers down on the reset button. Get ready, Rox fans, it's about to get bumpy...
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Today in the bag, I'm talking the release of CU's non-conference schedule, an injury on the recruiting trail, and the 2015 Gold Cup.
Click below for the bag...
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| Tulo heads north of the border, and the Rox waive the white flag. |
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Today in the bag, I'm talking the release of CU's non-conference schedule, an injury on the recruiting trail, and the 2015 Gold Cup.
Click below for the bag...
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Quick Post: XJ Tears Achilles
Just like the Daily Camera, in the wake of the news...
For the second time in as many weeks, BSN Denver's @RyanKoenigsberg was the first to bring BuffNation dispiriting tidings. Colorado Basketball's Xavier Johnson has torn his Achilles tendon, and will be out for an extended amount of time. The injury was sustained earlier this month during offseason workouts. Coach Boyle reports that reparative surgery went well, and that recovery is already underway.
According to this article from Philly.com, recovery time can usually be expected to last anywhere from 6-9 months, leaving the Buffs without their star wing until at least the start of conference play. (For his part, this is the time frame XJ is shooting for) Realistically, there's a very good chance that this injury has cost the senior to be the entirety of his 2015-16 campaign before true summer even started.
It's a blow. A big blow. Recovery was already a buzzword for BasketBuffs, with the fan base looking forward to a bounce-back season after 2014-15's losing malaise. Now that recovery is also physical, rather than just results-oriented. The three year veteran can play a number of positions, is a nightmare to guard when he's in form, and is 1st Team All-Pac-12 material - extremely difficult to replace. To lose him before the season schedule is even finalized alters the landscape significantly.
If there's any silver lining to this, there is the fact that the injury happened early in the cycle, giving the roster and coaching staff plenty of time to adjust to life without Johnson. 'Tweener wing/forwards like Wes Gordon, Tre'Shaun Fletcher, George King, and Kenan Guzonjic will see their projected roles adjusted, and minutes increased. Their summer needs to be busy and productive.
The real question I have is: what does the future hold for Johnson? Will he still want to play in Black & Gold next winter? This was to be his last collegiate campaign, and it's anyone's guess at this point as to what his plans will be post-recovery. Assuming he can return to form, there's the prospect of pro ball (domestic or international) or a transfer out of the program for his final year of eligibility. However, should he stick in Boulder, as friend of the blog @TZiskBuff points out, the 2017 roster could be overloaded with veteran talent.
Get well soon, XJ! I hope to see you back at the CEC!
For the second time in as many weeks, BSN Denver's @RyanKoenigsberg was the first to bring BuffNation dispiriting tidings. Colorado Basketball's Xavier Johnson has torn his Achilles tendon, and will be out for an extended amount of time. The injury was sustained earlier this month during offseason workouts. Coach Boyle reports that reparative surgery went well, and that recovery is already underway.
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| Air XJ has been grounded, for the time being. |
It's a blow. A big blow. Recovery was already a buzzword for BasketBuffs, with the fan base looking forward to a bounce-back season after 2014-15's losing malaise. Now that recovery is also physical, rather than just results-oriented. The three year veteran can play a number of positions, is a nightmare to guard when he's in form, and is 1st Team All-Pac-12 material - extremely difficult to replace. To lose him before the season schedule is even finalized alters the landscape significantly.
If there's any silver lining to this, there is the fact that the injury happened early in the cycle, giving the roster and coaching staff plenty of time to adjust to life without Johnson. 'Tweener wing/forwards like Wes Gordon, Tre'Shaun Fletcher, George King, and Kenan Guzonjic will see their projected roles adjusted, and minutes increased. Their summer needs to be busy and productive.
The real question I have is: what does the future hold for Johnson? Will he still want to play in Black & Gold next winter? This was to be his last collegiate campaign, and it's anyone's guess at this point as to what his plans will be post-recovery. Assuming he can return to form, there's the prospect of pro ball (domestic or international) or a transfer out of the program for his final year of eligibility. However, should he stick in Boulder, as friend of the blog @TZiskBuff points out, the 2017 roster could be overloaded with veteran talent.
Get well soon, XJ! I hope to see you back at the CEC!
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Tuesday Grab Bag: Buffs Reeling Without XJ
Sad but true, the storybook Oregon Ducks failed to get the job done against Ohio State, as the Buckeyes claimed the national title 42-20 last night. UO just couldn't handle the bruising rushing duo of QB Cardale Jones and RB Zeke Elliott, failing to tackle either on first hit. On passing downs, they almost never got penetration into the back field, and tOSU slowly ground down the Pac-12 champions. Even a four-pack of Buckeye turnovers couldn't turn the tide as Oregon slipped behind into the fourth quarter behind back-to-back scores from the B1G champs.
No shame is losing in the title game, but I wanted so much more, both because I thought the Ducks were the best team in football, and that the Pac-12 was the best conference in the land. Ohio State deserves their win, but I was hoping for a much better night for the Conference of Champions.
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Today in the bag, I'm talking the loss in Utah, the need for a speedy recovery from Xavier Johnson, and the NFL Playoffs.
Click below for the bag...
No shame is losing in the title game, but I wanted so much more, both because I thought the Ducks were the best team in football, and that the Pac-12 was the best conference in the land. Ohio State deserves their win, but I was hoping for a much better night for the Conference of Champions.
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Today in the bag, I'm talking the loss in Utah, the need for a speedy recovery from Xavier Johnson, and the NFL Playoffs.
Click below for the bag...
Monday, August 18, 2014
Monday Grab Bag: Football is in the air
This is getting serious. With two weeks to go before the start of the football season, it's hard not to ignore the excitement and focus in the air. The regular students will hit campus this week, the football team is now going behind closed doors to continue their preparation, and suddenly the Rocky Mountain Showdown seems to be impending, rather than distant.
It's official, the calendar has flipped. Baseball season has passed, football now takes the stage. This can mean only one thing: November is just over the horizon!
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Today in the bag, I'm talking Saturday's football scrimmage, some unfortunate injury news, and the fight against ALS.
Click below for the bag...
It's official, the calendar has flipped. Baseball season has passed, football now takes the stage. This can mean only one thing: November is just over the horizon!
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Today in the bag, I'm talking Saturday's football scrimmage, some unfortunate injury news, and the fight against ALS.
Click below for the bag...
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Puke and Rally
There are no words, at least ones worth putting to paper, that can adequately describe my feelings when I saw Spencer Dinwiddie collapse in Seattle on Sunday. I was stunned into numbness. It struck me to my very core. Surely, much of that is borne out of, what Adam Butler termed, the 'selfish joy' of getting to watch the young man ply his trade on the hardwood, but it goes deeper than that.
I feel for him. It's genuine heartbreak. With the understanding that Dinwiddie is an honestly good kid who worked extremely hard to get where he is today, to see him reduced to tears for playing the game he loves... it's hard to comprehend.
With the diagnosis now official, at least there's finally some direction to the story. Spencer is done for the year, and, after surgery, will be able to focus on his recovery. As with all things in life, the narrative doesn't end, it just transforms. He will be back, and we will all get to share in that 'selfish joy' once again.
Get well soon, Spencer, the whole of BuffNation is behind you.
For the Buffs, the scenario is the same. With both Spencer and freshman forward Tre'Shaun Fletcher having succumbed to the Hec-Ed voodoo, the program has been clouded by an immediate, suffocating fog. But that is not the end of the story. While dreams of a league title are now pure fantasy, the season continues, and the competition isn't going to let up just because CU is wounded. (If there was any doubt about that, go back and watch the film of the Huskies circling like a pack of wolves on Sunday). While the Pac-12 party rages on, it's time for the Buffs to puke and rally.
This is going to be the toughest coaching job of Coach Boyle's tenure at CU. He set the terms yesterday afternoon saying:
Colorado needs to show that they can get back on their feet, and quickly, before the season falls off the rails. The Selection Committee is watching, and have made their stance on injuries pretty clear in years past. For CU's purposes, while they won't completely throw out the first 17 games of the season, what the Buffs from this point on will determine their fate. They need to give the committee a reason to keep them in the field. The performance in the second half against Washington is forgivable, but the team needs to give some indication that they have a plan for life without Spencer.
Looking at the schedule, I think if Colorado can find a way to go .500 over their final 14 games they'll be in the Dance. That would put them at 21-10 (10-8), and, at least, signal that they aren't completely adrift when faced with adversity. How does CU get to 7-7 down the stretch? Well, look at the schedule. I figure there are four reasonably winnable games remaining (USC, Utah, WSU, @USC), along with four games that would seemingly take a miracle for the Buffs emerge victorious in (@Arizona, @UCLA, Arizona, @Cal). That leaves six toss-up games that will determine their Tournament eligibility: UCLA, @ASU, UW, ASU, @Utah, and @Stanford. Colorado only needs to take three of those, a doable proposition.
It has to start Thursday night against UCLA. We're going to learn a lot in two days time, much of which will be a simple answer to the question 'what are these kids made of?' A strong performance against the Bruins will send a clear message, and come as a huge lift to the spirits of the team and BuffNation. Don't count the Buffs out entirely. With the CEC and a returned student section at their backs, anything is possible...
I feel for him. It's genuine heartbreak. With the understanding that Dinwiddie is an honestly good kid who worked extremely hard to get where he is today, to see him reduced to tears for playing the game he loves... it's hard to comprehend.
With the diagnosis now official, at least there's finally some direction to the story. Spencer is done for the year, and, after surgery, will be able to focus on his recovery. As with all things in life, the narrative doesn't end, it just transforms. He will be back, and we will all get to share in that 'selfish joy' once again.
Get well soon, Spencer, the whole of BuffNation is behind you.
For the Buffs, the scenario is the same. With both Spencer and freshman forward Tre'Shaun Fletcher having succumbed to the Hec-Ed voodoo, the program has been clouded by an immediate, suffocating fog. But that is not the end of the story. While dreams of a league title are now pure fantasy, the season continues, and the competition isn't going to let up just because CU is wounded. (If there was any doubt about that, go back and watch the film of the Huskies circling like a pack of wolves on Sunday). While the Pac-12 party rages on, it's time for the Buffs to puke and rally.
This is going to be the toughest coaching job of Coach Boyle's tenure at CU. He set the terms yesterday afternoon saying:
“We don’t have the star system here. Spencer was our leading scorer and leading assist guy, he led us in steals. There’s no question he was important to our team. I’m not trying to minimize this loss, but I just want our players to realize they’re here for a reason: they’re capable as well. When one guy goes down, the door opens for one, or in this case, maybe two or three more.” -linkIt's going to take a team effort to make up for the loss of Dinwiddie and Fletcher. It's going to take a huge leadership statement from players like Josh Scott, and it's going to efficient performances from players like Askia Booker. More importantly, it's going to take the emergence of replacement players like Jaron Hopkins and Xavier Talton.
Colorado needs to show that they can get back on their feet, and quickly, before the season falls off the rails. The Selection Committee is watching, and have made their stance on injuries pretty clear in years past. For CU's purposes, while they won't completely throw out the first 17 games of the season, what the Buffs from this point on will determine their fate. They need to give the committee a reason to keep them in the field. The performance in the second half against Washington is forgivable, but the team needs to give some indication that they have a plan for life without Spencer.
Looking at the schedule, I think if Colorado can find a way to go .500 over their final 14 games they'll be in the Dance. That would put them at 21-10 (10-8), and, at least, signal that they aren't completely adrift when faced with adversity. How does CU get to 7-7 down the stretch? Well, look at the schedule. I figure there are four reasonably winnable games remaining (USC, Utah, WSU, @USC), along with four games that would seemingly take a miracle for the Buffs emerge victorious in (@Arizona, @UCLA, Arizona, @Cal). That leaves six toss-up games that will determine their Tournament eligibility: UCLA, @ASU, UW, ASU, @Utah, and @Stanford. Colorado only needs to take three of those, a doable proposition.
It has to start Thursday night against UCLA. We're going to learn a lot in two days time, much of which will be a simple answer to the question 'what are these kids made of?' A strong performance against the Bruins will send a clear message, and come as a huge lift to the spirits of the team and BuffNation. Don't count the Buffs out entirely. With the CEC and a returned student section at their backs, anything is possible...
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