Lured by low-cost air-fare, a surprisingly above-average basketball team, and the ability to hang out with my friends in California, I'm headed off to LA for the Pac-12 Tournament. The final year of the tournament in LA was just too good of a deal to pass up.
What does that mean for the blog? Well, since I don't have a laptop, that unfortunately means I'm going dark for the next week. Instead, I'll be tweeting (probably a lot) from the games, so you may want to follow me @Rumblinbuffalo.
As for a tournament prediction...
I always over-look the chalk favorite, tending to go for a team farther down the line. So I've shot past Washington and headed right to Oregon, who have been playing some of the best basketball in the conference over the past month.
Since losing that nail-biter in Boulder, the Ducks have gone 6-1, and have been scoring a ton of points in the process. With UW, Cal, and Arizona losing their final game, Oregon is only team in the top-4 coming into the tournament with momentum, and have the guard depth to succeed in tournament play. Give me the Ducks over Washington in the final.
The Buffs? I think CU should get by Utah. No matter how calamitous play has gotten this season, CU has at least proven that it can beat the worst teams in the conference. Unfortunately, with Oregon awaiting in the second round, the Buffs, and their traveling road crew, should be home by Friday afternoon.
GO BUFFS! PROVE ME WRONG, AND BEAT THE PAC-12!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
Quick Post: Semi-finals of the Pachoops.com Coaches Deathmatch
Coach Boyle has scratched and clawed his way into the semi-finals of the Pachoops.com Coaches Deathmatch Tournament. He's bested a bear and a tree; now all that stands between him and a spot in the title game is a matchup with the First Brother-in-Law.
OSU head man Craig Robinson may have bested Coach Boyle over the weekend, but the ThunderDome was made for revenge. Head on over and help Buff Nation spur the "Colorado Cranium" into the finals.
This is probably the only Final Four that CU will make this season, so there's no reason to let it slip by unattended. GO VOTE!
OSU head man Craig Robinson may have bested Coach Boyle over the weekend, but the ThunderDome was made for revenge. Head on over and help Buff Nation spur the "Colorado Cranium" into the finals.
This is probably the only Final Four that CU will make this season, so there's no reason to let it slip by unattended. GO VOTE!
Monday Grab Bag: EVERYONE PANIC!!!!!!!!
Welcome to the final week before the Madness. If you could look past the CU implosion in the Beaver State, there was plenty of interesting basketball being played across the nation.
So far bubble teams have been getting lucky, as chalk ruled the day in both the MVC and OVC tournaments. That's not to say it wasn't exciting, however. Both Murray St and Creighton, two teams all but guaranteed at-large berths in the Tournament, had to sweat through their conference finales, which in turn caused the myriad of "bubble teams" to sweat it out as well. Despite the close finishes, sanity prevailed, and the bubble stayed safe for another day.
Today in the bag, I'll turn my attention to the derailment in Corvallis, scratch my figurative head at those panicking, and tease tonight's slate of hoops action.
Click below for the bag...
So far bubble teams have been getting lucky, as chalk ruled the day in both the MVC and OVC tournaments. That's not to say it wasn't exciting, however. Both Murray St and Creighton, two teams all but guaranteed at-large berths in the Tournament, had to sweat through their conference finales, which in turn caused the myriad of "bubble teams" to sweat it out as well. Despite the close finishes, sanity prevailed, and the bubble stayed safe for another day.
Today in the bag, I'll turn my attention to the derailment in Corvallis, scratch my figurative head at those panicking, and tease tonight's slate of hoops action.
Click below for the bag...
Friday, March 2, 2012
Oregon St Preview #2
If you like defensive basketball (or are a Big 10 fan), I hope you weren't watching last night. The Buffs and Ducks combined for 171 points on over 54% shooting, as they strained the scoreboard through the 90-81 Oregon win. Can't somebody please have the common decency to miss an open jumper!
It's painful to think about the fact that the Buffs were up five at half, shooting 63%, and silencing the home Oregon crowd in the process. The Ducks, however, took the Buffs example and only improved on it, scoring 54 points on 65% shooting in the second half. Are we sure those rims were regulation size?
The offense was so contagious that even slumping Buffs guard Carlon Brown regained his scoring touch, as he provided 20 points on 8-11 shooting (3-3 from deep). 'Dre was close to his season averages, dropping 12/8, and probably only missed yet another double-double due to no one missing a damn jumper all night long.
Duck stars Devoe Joseph and Garrett Sim combined for 43 points on 17-26 shooting, including 7-11 from beyond the arc. They decimated the Buffs perimeter defense, and kept any hopes of a CU comeback at bay.
Other than the glaring defensive stats, there were some other cracks in the Buffs effort last night. After a week in Boulder spent holding onto the basketball (only 11 combined turnovers against Cal and Stanford), CU got back to coughing the ball up, allowing 27 points on 15 TO's. Additionally, the Buffs allowed 11 offensive rebounds.
The Buffs simply didn't play enough defense to win. While the offense looked about as good as it has all season, you can't allow a home team to shoot over 60% in the second half and expect to win. With any hope of a first-round bye probably dashed, the only thing left to do is go for that 20th win against Oregon State.
Speaking of which, tip-off from Corvallis is set for 2pm tomorrow. The regular-season finale can be seen on FSN/ROOT affiliates, while Mark Johnson will have the radio call on 760 AM.
My preview of the first game can be found here.
Click below for my preview of the rematch...
It's painful to think about the fact that the Buffs were up five at half, shooting 63%, and silencing the home Oregon crowd in the process. The Ducks, however, took the Buffs example and only improved on it, scoring 54 points on 65% shooting in the second half. Are we sure those rims were regulation size?
The offense was so contagious that even slumping Buffs guard Carlon Brown regained his scoring touch, as he provided 20 points on 8-11 shooting (3-3 from deep). 'Dre was close to his season averages, dropping 12/8, and probably only missed yet another double-double due to no one missing a damn jumper all night long.
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| The reports of Carlon's demise were clearly mistaken. Hopefully his performance carries over into next week. From: the BDC. |
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| I was shocked to find that Joseph and Sim did in fact miss some shots last night. From: the BDC |
The Buffs simply didn't play enough defense to win. While the offense looked about as good as it has all season, you can't allow a home team to shoot over 60% in the second half and expect to win. With any hope of a first-round bye probably dashed, the only thing left to do is go for that 20th win against Oregon State.
Speaking of which, tip-off from Corvallis is set for 2pm tomorrow. The regular-season finale can be seen on FSN/ROOT affiliates, while Mark Johnson will have the radio call on 760 AM.
My preview of the first game can be found here.
Click below for my preview of the rematch...
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Quick Post: The C-Unit makes the Elite 8
Somehow, someway, the C-Unit has made their way to the Elite 8 of the Naismith Student Section of the Year Award.
Based on a surge of fan voting, the C-Unit, who can reach numbers approaching 3,000 on game days, has navigated through the beauty pageant portion of the competition. Now the group, along with their seven fellow finalists, go in front of the Naismith Board of Selectors to determine the eventual winner and the recipient of the $5,000 grand prize.
With national recognition like this, it's no wonder that the Athletic Department is packing 50 of the kids along for the trip to the conference tournament.
It's heady days for the group. I remember when, not so long ago, it was a crew of six-ish freshmen standing off to the side of the rest of the student body. Not only did it quickly take over as the face of the student section in the CEC, but it also helped to inflate numbers and participation overall. Now the stadium is treated to a full spectacle of student participation:
Of course, I would strongly argue that, with the recent string of failures in Folsom, a large portion of the students are grasping at anything worth getting excited over. However, that doesn't diminish the fact that they have shown up this season, ready and willing to support the team with a ferocity usually reserved for traditional powerhouses in the ACC and the Big 10.
The story isn't where they've come from, it's what they're doing now. The CEC is one of the best hoop environments in the west because they're kicking so much ass.
Keep up the good work, C-Unit; we're going to need you next year. You're doing your university and the hoops program proud!
Based on a surge of fan voting, the C-Unit, who can reach numbers approaching 3,000 on game days, has navigated through the beauty pageant portion of the competition. Now the group, along with their seven fellow finalists, go in front of the Naismith Board of Selectors to determine the eventual winner and the recipient of the $5,000 grand prize.
With national recognition like this, it's no wonder that the Athletic Department is packing 50 of the kids along for the trip to the conference tournament.
It's heady days for the group. I remember when, not so long ago, it was a crew of six-ish freshmen standing off to the side of the rest of the student body. Not only did it quickly take over as the face of the student section in the CEC, but it also helped to inflate numbers and participation overall. Now the stadium is treated to a full spectacle of student participation:
Of course, I would strongly argue that, with the recent string of failures in Folsom, a large portion of the students are grasping at anything worth getting excited over. However, that doesn't diminish the fact that they have shown up this season, ready and willing to support the team with a ferocity usually reserved for traditional powerhouses in the ACC and the Big 10.
The story isn't where they've come from, it's what they're doing now. The CEC is one of the best hoop environments in the west because they're kicking so much ass.
Keep up the good work, C-Unit; we're going to need you next year. You're doing your university and the hoops program proud!
Quick Post: 2nd round of the Pachoops.com Coaches Deathmatch
Over at Pachoops.com the coaching carnage continues. Coach Boyle survived his first round match against Cal Coach Mike Montgomery, only to come face to face with nemesis Johnny Dawkins.
The Stanford Coach may have Boyle's number in the real world, but the "Colorado Cranium" seems to have the lock-down in the hypothetical ThunderDome, cruising to an early lead. Still, it wouldn't hurt to send some more votes his way.
While you're there, why not also vote for USC's Kevin O'Neill and Utah's Larry Krystkowiak? They're facing off against fanbases (Arizona and Washington) who could cause problems for Coach Boyle later in the tournament. Voting closes tomorrow, so get cracking!
The Stanford Coach may have Boyle's number in the real world, but the "Colorado Cranium" seems to have the lock-down in the hypothetical ThunderDome, cruising to an early lead. Still, it wouldn't hurt to send some more votes his way.
While you're there, why not also vote for USC's Kevin O'Neill and Utah's Larry Krystkowiak? They're facing off against fanbases (Arizona and Washington) who could cause problems for Coach Boyle later in the tournament. Voting closes tomorrow, so get cracking!
Oregon Preview #2
Remember back, all the way back, to March of 2010. The Buffs beat Texas Tech on the final day of the regular season in a game that meant nothing. The two were destined to play in the upcoming Big XII Tournament, and the game really only decided who would be the designated "home team" the following Wednesday.
Tonight's game against Oregon is slightly reminiscent. Barring an extensive set of circumstances, CU and Oregon will be in line to face off in the quarter-finals of next week's Pac-12 Tournament. All the loser would have to do is beat crippled USC in the opening round to secure a 3rd meeting. While tonight's game will probably determine who enjoys a first round bye next week, leading to a discussion of big picture/title-run implications, the immediate effect is minimal.
Regardless of tonight's result, the Buffs and Ducks should see each other again one week from today.
Of course, the hardiest of Buff Nation can easily recall the result of the Texas Tech duel from two years ago. While the Buffs scored that nice win over Tech in Boulder, the rematch in Kansas City was completely different. The Raiders regrouped, and clocked CU by 15. NIT hopes were dashed, and the Red Raiders, who had lost seven straight prior to that game in KC, moved on to face KU. I'm sure the loser tonight hopes that history repeats next week in Los Angeles.
While that Tech game was essentially meaningless, tonight's game does hold plenty of importance. The winner does get that vital first-round bye to rest their late season legs. Additionally, Coach Boyle is going for his 100th career win as a head coach, and the Buffs are still in search of their second-consecutive 20-win season.
There's plenty on the table to play for.
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Tip-off from the eye-achingly ugly floor of the MATT is set for 8:30. The action can be seen on ROOT/FSN. If the crazy floor design scares you away, you can listen to Mark Johnson and the radio call on 760AM.
My preview of the first game can be seen here.
Click below for my preview of the rematch...
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| Ah, memories. From: the BDC |
Regardless of tonight's result, the Buffs and Ducks should see each other again one week from today.
Of course, the hardiest of Buff Nation can easily recall the result of the Texas Tech duel from two years ago. While the Buffs scored that nice win over Tech in Boulder, the rematch in Kansas City was completely different. The Raiders regrouped, and clocked CU by 15. NIT hopes were dashed, and the Red Raiders, who had lost seven straight prior to that game in KC, moved on to face KU. I'm sure the loser tonight hopes that history repeats next week in Los Angeles.
While that Tech game was essentially meaningless, tonight's game does hold plenty of importance. The winner does get that vital first-round bye to rest their late season legs. Additionally, Coach Boyle is going for his 100th career win as a head coach, and the Buffs are still in search of their second-consecutive 20-win season.
There's plenty on the table to play for.
--
Tip-off from the eye-achingly ugly floor of the MATT is set for 8:30. The action can be seen on ROOT/FSN. If the crazy floor design scares you away, you can listen to Mark Johnson and the radio call on 760AM.
My preview of the first game can be seen here.
Click below for my preview of the rematch...
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