Monday Grab Bag: "Your tears Scott, they're so yummy"

The sound of butt-hurt emanating from the Pacific Northwest rang as music to my ears Saturday night.  To get this over with, yes it was a foul.  While most refs would not blow a whistle in that situation, the crew had made a similar tight call on the previous play, which sent Olu Ashaolu to the line for a potential lead.  If the Ashalou play was a foul, then the block on Singler was a foul.

Fouled.  From: the BDC

Watch the replay, there's contact from the defender, Singler, when he was not in position.  Suck it up, Ducks.

Today in the bag, I'll be looking back at the big Buffs win Saturday night, checking in with the fading womens team, and recapping that one football game from yesterday.

Click below for the bag...

Oregon Basketball Preview #1: Ridin' the Storm Out

I find this song appropriate for the weekend:

Is there confirmation that the Ducks were even able to make it to Boulder?  With the Valley blanketed by levels of snow usually seen up in the mountains, it's time to warm up the CEC to host yet another school from Oregon.

Tomorrow's game is a battle for second place.  While Washington has taken hold of a 1-game advantage, Cal has fallen into a second-place tie with both CU and Oregon.  With Cal playing host to ASU this weekend, the winner of  this game will probably stay in a tie with the Golden Bears.

It's a pretty good match-up, some even calling it the conference's game of the week, deserving of plenty of attention and a nice crowd.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7pm Saturday evening.  (Finally, a weekend game played at a reasonable hour.)  The storm should be gone by then (crossing fingers), so the roads into Boulder should have all Saturday afternoon to clear up.  Just take it for granted, and plan to head up to the CEC tomorrow night.  There's only three more opportunities to catch the Buffs at home, so there's no reason to stop supporting the team now.

If the snow has you blocked into your abode, you can catch the action on ROOT Sports.  If the radio call is more your style, Mark Johnson will be laying it down on 850 KOA, with the expanded coverage that has become the norm on the station.

Click below for the preview...

Quick Post: Licking the Beavers

I apologize for the title.  I couldn't help myself.

82-60, CU.  Just like last season, that score does the game a disservice; it was far less competitive than that.  After some early back and forth, the Buffs took control and never looked back.

Carlon Brown and the Buffs flew past Oregon St.   From: The BDC

I talked about the Buffs needing to suppress Oregon State's shooting percentage, and they did just that.  With a typically swarming defense, CU held the shell-shocked Beavers to 36% shooting.  This lead directly to OSU scoring over 22 points below their season average.  Scoring sensation Jared Cunningham was kept in check, and   supporting cast performers like Ahmad Starks, who had scored in double figures each conference game prior to tonight, was kept all but silent from the field.

Faced with a team that likes to run and share the ball, the Buffs handed them a dose of their own medicine.  Running the floor, and utilizing the break to shred the Beaver defense, the Buffs never gave OSU a chance to catch their breath.  CU even shared the ball well, spreading the rock around for a season high 19 assists on 29 made baskets.  Combined with a 43-31 rebounding advantage, the Buffs had little to worry about down the stretch.

'Dre had a fantastic night, grabbing yet another double-double (16/15), but my player of the game was Askia Booker.  With fellow freshman Spencer Dinwiddie struggling early, Ski brought the energy and pace CU needed to bust out of OSU's 1-3-1 zone trap.  "The Scrat" finished with 15 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals in only 20 minutes of play (also went 7-7 from the line).  Without him, I think the Buffs struggle to separate from the Beavers.

Ski's play was vital tonight.  From: CUBuffs.com

Good win, time to focus on the Ducks.  Stay out of the storm, it's getting nasty out there.

Go Buffs!

Oregon State Basketball Preview #1: #YouCantWinAtAltitude

Ah, the sweet confines of the CEC.  After a up-and-down trip to Los Angeles, the Buffs return to the Front Range, ready to defend the best home court advantage in the West.  What you got for me, Ozzie?

Mmmmm, that's some good metal ballad'n right there.

We all know the Buffs need to make their hay at home to augment suspect performances on the road.  While the path to a league title may be washed out at this point, a top-4 finish and a second consecutive 20-win season are readily attainable goals.  The key to achieving them is sweeping, or coming damn close to, the conference slate at altitude (Utah included).

Take care of business at home, and the rest will work itself out.

--

OK, so it's supposed to snow tonight.  Yes, that does make getting to and from the CEC a pain in the ass.  You know what: NO EXCUSES, PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION!

There is no reason that those of Buff Nation in the Denver-Boulder area shouldn't be on campus tonight, cheering on the Buffs.  The team needs that crowd to be as good as it's been to sweep the Oregon schools aside, and that effort starts tonight.  We've created a reputation for the best home-court advantage in the West, now it's time to cement it.  Rain/sleet/snow, whatever, nothing can stop the CEC from foaming over.  GET YOUR ASS TO THE KEG!

Tip-off is set for 7pm.  If you are afraid of snow, and don't want to deal with Boulder traffic while fighting your chionophobia (look it up), then you're saddled with the 760AM broadcast and the soothing sounds of Mark Johnson.  No TV and no beer make Homer something, something...

Click below for the preview...

Quick Post: New Practice Facility and Folsom Expansion

BREAKING NEWS ALERT!!!

You keep ringing that bell, Texas Tech dude, and let the whole world know that there's breaking CU news.

Take a look at this photo:

From: @David_LaRose

I may not be an architecture expert, but I've never noticed that building on the left before.  THAT THING IS HUGE!

That is, probably, the 3-D rendering of the rumored, super-secret practice facility and Folsom Field expansion.  Additionally, if you're really eagle-eyed, you may notice that the North-East side appears to have been expanded.   If these upgrades are close to reality, they'd combine with the previously announced upgrades to the video boards to make Folsom Field, and the football program in general, as modern as can be expected.

While no one has trapped Bohn in a corner yet to ask him about the model, it's at least worth drooling over.

While CSU was out running their mouths about a 100,000-seat, on campus stadium experience (coming to a fantasy Ft. Collins near you), Mike Bohn was working behind the scenes to make real developments happen.  Gotta love that Pac-12 monopoly money.

Go Buffs!

UPDATED: Quick Post: Non-Signing Day News

BREAKING NEWS ALERT!!!

You keep ringing that bell, Texas Tech dude, and let the whole world know that there's breaking CU news.

While the mass chaos of Signing Day continues to explode in everyone's face, there are a few tidbits of fresh CU news that deserve some mention.

The biggest news, at least in my view, is that Coach Tad Boyle is apparently about to receive a richly deserved contract extension.  As reported by the BDC's Kyle Ringo, details are still to come.

One of the best up-and-coming coaches in the West, Coach Boyle has proven capable of injecting excitement and success into the CU mens basketball program that has traditionally exhibited neither.  It's vital that his services be locked up for the foreseeable future, and poaching outside programs be kept at bay.  I hope that extension comes with some extra cash, 'cause the guy deserves it - he made CU basketball relevant.

(UPDATE) Coach Boyle's extension is proposed through 2016, with a 3% salary bump.  Only 3% is bullshit, DiStefano recently got 7% for no reason.

Whatever Coach Boyle wants to be paid is fine by me.

Pay that man his money...

Coach Linda Lappe, of the womens program, is also slated to get an extension.  Considering the early season success, that's not surprising.

Also reported by Ringo, CU is going ahead with plans to start-up a womens lacrosse program.  It was the logical choice, and the sport most agreed would be the first one to start once the Pac-12 monopoly money started rolling in. Since the 80s, the Buffs have dome more program hemorrhaging than program creation, so it's good to see any new sport added to our offerings.

Picture of the Pac-12 cash-money vault.

National Signing Day 2012

After months of speculation and 9th-hand information from "a guy in the know," National Signing Day is finally here.  Today the next class of Buffs becomes official, and begins to put their stamp on the program.  This is Coach Embree's first complete class, having had an entire cycle to find "his guys," so it's now make or break time for a staff considered to by many to be great recruiters.

Let's be honest, the program isn't where it needs to/should be.  Since the program hasn't been to a bowl game in the past four seasons, there's the obvious need to improve on a general level.  Exacerbating the situation, last year's 3-10 campaign underlined the fact that the Buffs were deficient in many areas, particularly speed on defense, which would keep them from competing in the Pac-12.  This recruiting cycle is really the first chance to address that. 

All told, CU is expected to sign 28 kids today.  As the Letters of Intent continue to roll into Dal Ward, you can keep up with the Signing Day happenings with this helpful link from AllBuffs.

The biggest names on the board for the Buffs this season are, unsurprisingly, projected as defensive players.  Corner Yuri Wright, from New Jersey, and Kenneth Crawley, from Tennessee, are the biggest names on the list, both being recognized as "4-star" players by the recruiting services.  Coach Embree is also grabbing an eye-popping eight defensive linemen to shore up the depleted group, which boasts only six returners on scholarship.

Wright is the headlining name of today's signees.

On offense, the biggest name is QB Shane Dillon, from California, who is the programs biggest "name" signee at the position in over a decade.  While I wouldn't expect him to see the field right away, with incoming transfer Connor Wood and returning back-up Nick Hirschman the frontrunners for the position this fall, it's nice to see the Buffs grabbing highly touted QB prospects again.

Dillon is the biggest name of the 14 offensive signees.

Joining him on offense should be fullback Christian Powell, also from California.  The big kid from Upland had "committed" to UCLA only a few weeks ago, only to reverse course and pick the Black and Gold late in the game.  Yesterday afternoon, word leaked of his change of heart, giving Buff Nation much to celebrate.  A top-5 FB prospect (a position with few high-profile names) is a huge get for the program, especially considering the offense's reliance on the position.

Look for Powell to be clearing the way for Buff RB's for the next few years.

All told, the 28 signees are a balanced group of 14 offensive and 14 defensive recruits, which will form the backbone of the program in future years.  With one of the largest senior classes in CU history leaving the program after last season, it's no wonder that this is one of the largest freshman classes in program history.

Most will not see the field this fall, as redshirts should await the majority of this class, but these are names to watch over the coming years.  Today is a day for celebration, as we welcome the newest members of the CU family.

Go Buffs!