2015 Las Vegas Classic Teaser

It's finally time.  Time for Colorado's 2015-16 basketball season to get serious.  This afternoon, with the tip-off the Orleans Arena-based portion of the Las Vegas Classic, the Buffaloes will begin a stretch of games against good, quality opponents that will carry them through the rest of the season.  The cupcakes and small division also-rans are in the rear-view, and none too soon, either.  While it was nice to see a team with a lot of incoming questions find themselves and build confidence over the first month and a half, I'm ready to watch some truly competitive basketball.  To find an answer to the question of 'just how good are these Buffs, really?'

Let's get it on!

The early hints of the answer to that query will be revealed this week, first with this afternoon's game against Penn State, and then with tomorrow's game against an as-of-yet to be determined opponent.  Regardless of how it shakes out, CU is destined to be tested for the first time since at least the trip to Ft Collins, and probably in a way they haven't been since the season's opening week.

Up first: the Penn State Nittany Lions.  As you probably already know, PSU is not a basketball power, typically featuring in the lower ranks of the B1G each and every year despite geographic access to some rich recruiting grounds. Since randomly winning the NIT in 2009, they've made the postseason just once - a suspect berth in the 2011 Tournament - and previous history would not suggest an upswing is imminent. They've been improving on the recruiting trail, however, and are off to a decent 8-3 start to this season, something that looks to belie the reality of a young, developing team trying to deal with the graduation of a program legend (last season's B1G scoring champ, D.J. Newbill). If head coach Patrick Chambers can get them to win a few conference games, something that can be a brutal task in that league, he will have earned the extension granted him last spring.

Garner rules the roost in State College.  From: USA Today

While not a juggernaut, these guys do pose an interesting challenge for Colorado.  Namely, for the first time all season, the Buffs will be playing a team that really likes to slow it down, clog the middle, and throw some zone at you. Compared to the free-flowing ball the Buffs have willingly gotten themselves into this season, this game could strike as a painfully awkward knuckleball, and one that could really stretch everyone's patience (fans included).  The Lions rarely get out in transition (15.8% of all shots on the break), usually play their games in the middle 60s of possessions, and limit opportunities inside (only 43% of all points scored against them are inside the arc).  It's simply not a style these revamped Buffs are used to playing against.

Most of their offense flows through sophomore point guard Shep Garner.  The Philly product is very efficient in metering out the rock, and is the best shooter in State College. It helps that he gets to work off of a pair of swing forwards with good size in Payton Banks and Brandon Taylor.  The senior Taylor is the larger concern here, as he leads the team in scoring and can be a devastating slasher, but don't overlook Banks, who, while undersized (6-6, 220), can hold his own in the paint.  More interesting, at least to me, than all of them is big man Jordan Dickerson.  The 7-1, 245 center struggles with foul trouble (6.6 called per 40 minutes played), but is a key to PSU's ability to limit good looks at the rim.  He's a premier shot blocker (4th in the country in rejection rate), and, while not a scorer, lurks on the offensive glass. It'd be nice to see Josh Scott be able to get a quick whistle or two called on the hulking senior, because the Buffs will need him out of there to open up the post.  Regardless their matchup when CU has the ball will be telling.

Dickerson is a shot blocking machine. From: CentreDaily.com

The prescription here is ball movement.  Colorado has been much better this season at offensive rotation than they were in previous runs, and they'll need to lean on that ability against Penn State.  Quick rotations, inside-out passing, and finding open shooters; that's how they'll crack this nut open.  We can now trust the Black and Gold to hit those open looks, so trust the offense to create them.  After that, if there's anything that can be done to open up the taps a bit, and force some extra possessions into the proceedings, will benefit CU greatly.  On defense, PSU rarely shares the ball (334th nationally in A/FGM ratio), so I like the look of the bog standard man-to-man.  This will really come down to scoring points, and if the Buffs can crack 70 - the Nittany Lions have only done that three times this fall, and have yet to lose a game when holding their opponent under that level - then I'll say Colorado will eek out the ugly victory.

Looking forward to Wednesday night, the Buffs could either see Kent State or Southern Methodist.  The real trick of this trip to Sin City will be matching up with SMU.  It doesn't really matter how it happens, but if CU somehow misses a date with the Mustangs, it will be a wasted opportunity. The reason: RPI.  SMU, while still sitting on a post-season ban, is currently #16 overall in the rankings, and seemingly destined to hang around there through to March.  At the very least, they should be top-50 when all is said and done, which is a hefty prize, win or lose.  The Golden Flashes, meanwhile, are a respectable team currently in that RPI top-50, but their level is soft, and a typically weak MAC seems destined to drag it down to the top-100 line by season's end.  Playing the likes of Nicholls State and Hampton dropped the Buffs 16 spots in those same rankings over the weekend, and they need a game against the Mustangs to balance out that dead weight. By all appearances, that means CU will have to win in the opener against Penn State to secure the SoS boost. KenPom gives the Mustangs a 80% change of winning, and the oddsmakers on the strip have installed them as a 14.5-point favorite (FWIW, CU is a seven-point favorite against PSU).

Let's not brusquely overlook KSU, however.  The Flashes are a conference power, frequent entrants in post season play, and a tough out.  Rob Senderoff's club is 7-2 this season with two understandable road losses, and boast a very efficient offense (1.08 ppp).  Key to their abilities, they are loathe to turn the basketball over, and rebound extremely well (top-30 offensively, top-50 defensively).  Those two factors alone make me think they'll give the high-flying Mustangs a better game that most expect.

Jimmy Hall: the happy warrior.  From: CBS Sports

They're built around the veteran Brooklyn-based front court of Jimmy Hall and Chris Ortiz.  Combined the pair averages 23/13, and should have a fantastic year in the MAC.  Hall is an especially versatile athlete, who is exceedingly unselfish (leads the team in assists) and can help make up for a makeshift backcourt. Fifth-year senior Xavier Pollard, a transfer from Maine, is probably the most interesting back there, and is the teams most reliable performer after Hall.

In the end, however, I don't think any of the Flashes will be enough to stem the tide of SMU athleticism that's about to head their way.  Head coaching legend (and Tad Boyle mentor) Larry Brown, fresh off his nine-game suspension for doing Larry Brown things, has built a power-house in short order.  Five-star talent that used to turn their noses at the Dallas-based school suddenly seem interested (gosh, I wonder why?), and Southern Methodist, who has a long and storied history of *ahem* magically getting good in a hurry, turned the trick again, only this time on the hardwood.  They've won 63 games over the last two-plus seasons - unprecedented in their basketball history - and seem destined to finish with a sizable total this season, even if it won't get them anything.

Larry Brown, a true living legend, turned SMU into a winner overnight.  From: CBSLocal.com

While I can scoff at they way their acquired their talent, there is no denying that it is there now.  The Mustangs boast one of the nation's deepest strings of athletic pieces, and they've used it to stunning effect on the offensive end.  KenPom currently has them as the 8th-best offense in the nation, scoring an adjusted 1.16 ppp, and a staggering total of eight players come into the week with an Ortg over 116.  They're deep, fast, and explosive (70% of all field goal attempts are at the rim), particularly in the backcourt.  How else do you account for a team that plays slow (300th in adjusted pace), but is 23rd in points scored (84.9 per game)?

The best player on the roster, and one of the best in the country, may be undersized, but 5-9 senior point guard Nic Moore holds an oversized importance in the SMU backcourt.  The reigning AAC Player of the year, and one time transfer from Illinois State, is their best shooter, passer and leader, and enters the week averaging a robust 14 points and five assists per game.  It must be easy for him to accumulate those assist numbers, what with talent like Keith Frazier (now coming off of a knee injury), Sterling Brown (an incredibly efficient player with a TS% over 82) and Jordan Tolbert (one of the best rebounders around right now) running at his flank.  All are versatile wing archetypes who can do a number of things on the court.  If they ever get center Markus Kennedy back, currently sidelined with a bad ankle, these guy will be really dangerous.

Moore is the real deal in Dallas.  From: USA Today

I'm interested to see what the result would be, should the Buffs get SMU in the final round of the LVC, but I'm afraid I already know the answer.  CU has been a good, but not great, defensive team this season, and don't really have an answer for the kind of ruthless offensive efficiency the Mustangs are capable of.  Oh sure, the Buffs would get their points, but would slowly fall behind the eight ball.  Southern Methodist simply shares the ball too well (65.7 A/FGM ratio), plays too balanced (seven players average in double-figure scoring), and rebounds essentially everything (#1 with a bullet on the offensive glass) for the Buffs to give them too deep of a scare.  Should we get this one, Colorado would lose by double-digits, I'm sorry to tell you.  It's a weird situation, wanting to see the matchup, yet dreading the result, but such is life when you're trying to game the RPI system.

Essentially, I see a split in CU's Las Vegas future, with a win in the opener before a steady drumbeat of efficiency from SMU guts them in the championship game.  Nothing to be ashamed of there, however, as SMU is an elite club lead by one of the masters of coaching.  If, however, Colorado could somehow pull it off, winning the pair and claiming the crown, that would finally be enough to convince me that, not only is this a good, fun group of BasketBuffs, but that they are Pac-12 title-contenders.  A tall order, sure, but certainly a possibility, however unlikely, from a quirky set of two games played over two days in the capital of excess.

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Tip-off from the just-off-the-Strip Orleans Arena for Penn State vs Colorado is set for 8:30pm this evening. Unfortunately, due to some typical FOX broadcast blackout bullshit (only CBS is worse at embracing to intersection of modern technology and sports viewing), this game is not available on either television or internet stream.  I'm dead serious, in the year 2015, where I can get some stupid darts championship or the latest cricket match on my phone, a game between two Power 5 basketball teams will be played in the dark. Instead, Fox Sports One will be showing North Texas vs Creighton... make sure you lose the remote for that one! Thankfully, Mark Johnson has you covered with the radio call on AM 760.  This... this and traffic jams are why radio will never die off completely.

Tomorrow, modern day service resumes, with Fox Sports One finding time in their busy Big East schedule (*cough*) to fit in both games of the classic.  So, regardless of what time the Buffs play, you'll be able to catch them on the tube.  Should they lose to Penn State, CU plays at 6pm.  If they win, catch the action at 8:30pm.


GO BUFFS!  PROVE ME WRONG, AND WIN THE DAMN THING!

2014-15 CU vs Washington Basketball Preview #2 - What happened to the Huskies?

An interesting nugget dropped at Buffzone today, when it was announced that Coach Boyle, in the name of 'recommitment,' will be requiring the team to stay in Boulder over the summer.  On the agenda: workouts with strength and conditioning coach James Hardy, and two hours of gym work with the staff per week. "Their summertime is my summertime."  Indeed.

I'm sure some of the current players will balk, but it's hard not to see something like this coming - the AllBuffs Illuminati had been discussing just such a move before the ASU game on Sunday.  It's clear that all is not well in the State of CU Basketball, and shakeups are to be expected.  Along with that, the prospect of attrition looms large.  Suffice to say, the tone emanating from the program is about to change, for better or worse.

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The final week of regular play for 2014-15 starts this evening in Seattle.  Colorado and Washington are each playing out the string on disappointing seasons, leaving the game tonight an interesting study in who still cares. Tip from historic Hec Ed Pavilion, with the slipperiest of floors, is set for 7pm this evening.  Pictures are scheduled for FOX Sports 1, with the descriptions on 850 KOA.

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

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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.

Click below for the preview...

2014-15 CU vs Arizona Basketball Preview #2 - The Final Homestand

I've been a writing fool the last few days, posting my Askia Booker retrospective, and participating in a Q&A with Pachoops.com's Adam Butler.  The extra word-smithing, as fun as it was, has left me precious little time to complete the preview of tonight's tilt with Arizona.  So, without further adieu, onto business...

Tip-off from snow-covered Boulder is set for 7pm this evening.  Once again, ESPN needs to figure out this whole 'scheduling too early' thing, as they've tabbed this one for the mothership.  At least out of region CU fans have no excuse to miss the broadcast, as ESPN's market penetration is about the same as breathable air.  The radio call will be on 850 KOA.

For reference, my preview of the first game can be found here.

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2014-15 CU vs Oregon State Basketball Preview: Uncomfortable in Corvallis

Hoping to capitalize on a strong home effort against Stanford, Colorado headed to Eugene on Wednesday to take on the surprising Oregon Ducks.  It started off well enough, as the Buffs jumped out of the gate to an 11-4 lead, but a 24-4 UO run mid-way through the first half canceled that out in a heartbeat.  The culprit was sloppy play on both sides of the court, but the result was that CU headed into the first half down 17; their largest deficit at the break of the season.  In the second half, play was better.  They were able to chip away at the Ducks, at one point getting the margin down to five points with four minutes to play. Unfortunately, that first half performance proved too much to overcome, as the Buffs settled for a 73-60 loss.  Back under .500, *sigh*

Wide-eyed, the Buffs none-the-less struggled in Eugene.

What else can you say, the periodic scoring droughts are killing this team.  Long a feature of the #RollTad era, we've seen peak drought this winter, with the game in Oregon a prime example.  After taking that 11-4 lead at the 16:24 mark, notably on a Wes Gordon put-back, CU went the next seven and a half minutes without a field goal, missing layups and open looks aplenty before Gordon cracked the glass ceiling with a layup at 9:03.  The spell wasn't broken with that bucket, however, as the team would go another four minutes before yet another layup from Wes.  Still not finished, it was a further two minutes before the rest of the team decided to get into the action, when Xavier Johnson burst through with a layup at 2:40 on the clock. In total, CU players not named Wesley Gordon went 13 and a half minutes only scoring two damn points (free throws from Ski Booker).

Two thoughts: 1) Wes needs to be more aggressive offensively, 2) this magical vanishing offense has become a tired joke.  In total, CU posted an eFG of 24-fucking-percent in the first half, capped off with a 3-8 run from the line.  This coincided with them allowing the Ducks to shoot 59% from the field, as the focused effort on either end completely collapsed.  While the team played better over the final 20, there's just no coming back from that. As Coach Boyle said in the post-game:

“We’re having trouble putting the ball in the basket. When you do that, it’s tough, it just makes it really hard to win games... It’s hard to win even when you play well defensively because our margin for error is so small... We just couldn’t finish possessions by rebounding it and obviously we can’t put the ball in the basket. It’s unbelievable."

Indeed.

Repeated empty possessions allowed Joe Young to put this one out of reach.  From: Rivals.

Silver and Gold linings:

• Wes Gordon, and his 6-7 shooting from the field.  The sophomore has been really efficient from the floor this season (116 Ortg), but his effort on offense comes and goes (possibly with the tide?).  In this game, he was on.
• Josh Scott collected a career-high 17 rebounds to fuel the 19th double-double of his tenure in Boulder. Combined with Gordon, the front court pair collected 13 of CU's 20 offensive rebounds.
• Ski cracked 20 points, again.  He needed 17 shots to get there, but was clutch from the line, going 10-12.  0-5 from three, however, and only handed out two assists.  I wonder how recovered he is from those hip pointers, as his jump shot isn't there right now.
• CU played pretty good defense in the second half, holding the Ducks to 24% from the floor. Combined with a +8 rebound margin over the game, and you can see how Colorado was able to crawl back into this one.

Duck hunting difficulties behind them, the Buffs will look to end the road trip on a high point this evening as they shoot up I-5 to Corvallis. I'm almost frightened to see what this one will look like, as the Oregon State Beavers play some of the best zone defense in America.  The word of the day will be patience, as the painfully-slow Beavs look to lull opponents into slumber.  Conveniently, tip-off from Gill Coliseum is set for 9pm.  Won't need the melatonin tonight...

Coverage can be found on Pac-12 Networks, with the radio call on 850 KOA.

Click below for the preview...

2014-15 CU vs Oregon Basketball Preview: Against Dana and his Amazing Revolving Door Roster

Not a lot of time for idle talk today, as I biffed the rough draft.  Straight to the action:

The Buffs are headed to Eugene for a tilt with a a well-funded rival. Tip-off from Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene isn't until 9pm this evening, though.  Put on a coffee, 'cause this one is going late.  ESPNU has the sights and sounds, with 850 KOA the descriptions and Mark Johnson.

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2014-15 CU vs Washington Basketball Preview #1 - Battling the UpShaq

We come to another big weekend for the Buffs. Mired in mediocrity, CU needs to bank home wins if they have any postseason aspirations (note, I'm not talking about the Tournament, here).  The duo from the 42nd state is formidable - especially tonight's opponent, Washington - but I learned long ago not to count out Colorado in Boulder.  Even with injuries and suspensions, this program has knack for surprising in home environs, and playing over absences.  Let's see if they can pull a rabbit out of their collective hat this evening...

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Tip-off from the CEC is set for 7.30 pm this evening.  Fox Sports 1, who are broadcasting four of the next seven CU games, has the live coverage.  Mark Johnson and the radio call are on 850 KOA, as always.

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2014-15 CU vs Arizona Basketball Preview #1 - ... and now to Tucson

Take a deep breath.  Have a seat.  Relax.  I just want you calmed before presenting the possibility that Xavier Johnson and Josh Scott, two critical legs of CU's big three, might be out of the action tonight.

*wince*

Of course, as I talked about on Tuesday, XJ is dealing with a high ankle sprain suffered in game against the Utes.  I didn't expect him back tonight, but, at the dawn of the annual march to Tucson, it's a little daunting to realize Colorado's bubbly leader, the straw that stirred the rivalry stew last year, will be MIA.

Scott's story is a little more complicated.  His return to action in Utah after missing two games with back spasms seems to have been a little premature, as he struggled to fight through the pain, only attempting three shots (all missed) in the game.  Apparently, in the wake of that effort, Josh has been left out of practices, leaving his availability for tonight up in the air.  As the Daily Camera reported, he's been fighting his back since before Honolulu (the plane flights couldn't have helped), so more time away from the court could be needed.

Colorado is already facing an uphill battle entering the valley of the beast.  If the Buffs have to play tonight without either Big X or Jelly, it's going to get rough in a hurry.  I just have a hard time picturing where the scoring will come from in their absence.  I've been wrong before, but, pending a surprise roster announcement this afternoon, I'm pretty pessimistic headed into this one.

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Tip off from the newly renovated McKale Center is set for 7pm this evening.  Proving that broadcast schedules shouldn't be chosen in August, television coverage can be found on ESPN: the Mothership. On the call are Walton, Pasch and Jay Bilas... well, if it's going to be a blowout, at least it'll be a well-covered one. If, however, you hate the World of Walton (most likely because you hate freedom), Mark Johnson will have the impassioned descriptions on 850 KOA.

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2014-15 CU vs Utah Basketball Preview #1 - The Road Trip of Death Begins

So, just how rough is the next stretch of three games?  Well, the Buffs now go on the road to the two best teams in the league, before a finishing visit to the program that has been a personal demon in recent years. It's not just that Utah and Arizona are the Pac-12's best; they're clearly the best, (seriously, back to back visits to SLC and Tucson? *smh* Fuck the dude who dreamed that beast up) and Arizona State, while not nearly as good as they were the last two years, should still make things mighty uncomfortable for Colorado in Tempe. Friend of the blog @Hyperhedman asked my thoughts on the chances that CU could go 2-1 or 3-0 on this trip (15%, 3%, respectively).  What he didn't ask were my thoughts on the chances CU could go 0-3. I honestly figure it's about a 50-50 proposition.

It's not that I've completely forgotten the goings on at the CEC over the weekend - when the Buffs roared past the SoCal duo of UCLA and USC - it's just that going on the road is a completely different matter, and the environments in play (yes, even Tempe), are no joke.  Even with the probable return of Josh Scott, and the recent emergence of the bench as a scoring threat, this road trip will test the Buffs to no end.  Should they come home 1-2, wining any of the three, while staying relatively competitive in the others, I would take it as an overall victory. 

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Of course, first up on this Road Trip of Death is a particularly uncomfortable jaunt to Salt Lake City.  The Utah Utes, now the #9 team in the country, have come out of essentially nowhere (6-25 three years ago) to become a dark horse Final Four contender.  They've turned the Huntsman Center into a house of horrors for visiting opponents (haven't lost there since Arizona came calling last February), and seem to be an insurmountable challenge for Colorado.  But, of course, that's why they play the games.

Tip-off from the Beehive State is set for 7pm this evening.  Coverage can be found on ESPN2, with the radio call on 850 KOA.

Click below for the preview...

2012 Kansas basketball preview

I'm quick to tell the story of my freshman year, when a determined CU squad nipped the #6 Kansas Jayhawks at the CEC 60-59 (somewhere, Kirk Hinrich is still missing layups). The quote from Stephane Pelle was apt, "We hadn't beaten Kansas in something like 11 years and 11 months. To do what people say is impossible is great."  The fans rushed, the Jayhawk horde that had invaded the CEC filed out in silence, and I cried while playing the alma mater.   It was a good night.

Michel Morandais and the '02-'03 did what was long-thought impossible.  From: ESPN

Of course, the sad continuation of that story is that CU has yet to duplicate that feat in the subsequent near-decade.  By tip off Saturday, it will have been nine years, 10 1/2 months since that win, with CU going 0-18 against Kansas over that period.  Bagging Kansas has become the unobtainable, the picture of Big Foot, the winning lottery combination.  The impossible.

I would never go so far as to say that CU and KU are rivals.  For almost the entirety of their existence they've excelled at different things.  But, just like how CU looked to Nebraska in the '80s for their pursuit of respectability, I've always looked at KU as the gold standard for where I'd like to see CU hoops end up.  From that perspective, there's nothing I want more than a win over those guys.  It keeps me awake at night, it's what drove me to start writing this blog in the first place.

And that's why I was so excited when this home-and-home series was announced.  I just want one more win over the Jayhawks.  Just one more.  I don't care if it comes this year in Lawrence, or next year in Boulder.  I just can't stand that series to end on a 0-18 note.

Pretty please, with gumdrops and sugar?

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That place... is strong with the dark side of the Force. A domain of evil it is. In you must go. 

After all those years seething at the numbers of KU fans invading the CEC each winter, I'm finally able to return the favor.  That's right, this afternoon I'm hopping in the car, and high-tailing it eastwards.  I'm chasing the dragon of a CU win over Kansas all the way to Lawrence. 

I must have lost my mind, because the Buffs haven't pulled the road shocker in the Sunflower State since 1983, over a year before I was born.  That win is so ancient and forgotten that CUBuffs.com doesn't even have it on the '83 schedule.  (BTW, the Buffs also beat Duke that year.  The '80s were weird). Yet, here I go, ready to drive into the home of the invader.

Making history won't be easy.  Kansas doesn't get their reputation for nothing, afterall.  KU hasn't lost a true home game since UT cruised past them in 2010, and hasn't lost to a visiting non-conference opponent since Oral Roberts, of all schools, shocked them in 2006.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that they're due for a shakeup...

Tip-off from historic Phog Allen Fieldhouse is set for high noon MT.  Coverage is set for ESPN2, with Mark Johnson and the radio broadcast set for 850 KOA.

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CSU Basketball preview

The headline splashed across the DailyCamera read: "Boyle warns: "Colorado State is going to beat us by 20."  He was referring, of course, to the potential reality if the level of performance against Texas Southern carried over.  The supporting quote - "If we play like we did tonight, Colorado State is going to beat us by 20 and they're going to out-rebound us by 20" - is directly in line with Coach Boyle's usual practice of toning down the hype, and reminding the team that they're not as good as they think they are.  He further doubled down on that statement, saying after the Wyoming loss that:

"We can't beat people with our coolness. We have to beat people with our grit, our determination, execution and our toughness. If that's not our mentality then we're in for some rude awakenings." (-link)

Simply perfect. Headed into one of the biggest games of the season, Coach Boyle has done a spectacular job both lowering expectations, with an eye towards inspiring, and avoiding potential "bulletin board material."  Hopefully his players got the message...

Wait, Spencer Dinwiddie has something to say on the subject:

"You just kind of see when the little brother beats the big brother once, then they are going to be happy, they are going to rush the court. When we win tomorrow night, I don’t think our fans are going to do that.” (-link)

Really? "When we win tomorrow night."  *facepalm*  Well, there goes the no "bulletin board material" gambit.  Great timing there, the day before the game... and to feed the quote to the Post's CSU writer... that's a helluva boneheaded quote.

The revenge-minded Dinwiddie committed a PR foul.  From: the Post

I appreciate the sentiment (don't rush against CSU).  I appreciate the confidence (we will win).  Just always remember: you gloat after you accomplish something, not before.  I don't think CSU really needs an external source to hype themselves up for this game, but best to not poke the bear.

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Tonight's a big one.  This series has been fantastic recently, with each team winning on their home court the last four years.  The games have been especially intense the last two.  I have no doubt that, for 40 minutes this evening, the CEC will be home to a war.

This is Front Range hoops at it's finest (and that means a lot more than it has in previous years); if you can't get excited to see these two teams battle it out, I give up.

Tip-off is set for 8:30pm (approx. 30 min after conclusion of the women's game).  Please remember that this is a BLACKOUT game, and dress appropriately (wear black!).  Coverage for those not in the area, or otherwise unable to procure tickets, can be found on Pac-12 Networks and 850 KOA.

(Still looking for tickets?  Try buying a ticket to the women's game that tips off at 5:50; CU lets fans stay for both games of a double header.  As a bonus, you get to see the women beat up the Rams!  Fuck 'em up, fuck 'em up, wear black!)

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