I'm back from vacation in Tampa (... or will be once this damn plane lands). One of the many reasons for my trip was the opportunity to visit my 17th Major League Baseball stadium - Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays. It's far from the nicest place to watch a game - it's a hateful dome, fer crissakes - but I got to spend Mother's Day with my Mom, and watch Longoria patrol third from less than 50 feet away. Not too shabby.
Now, safely returned to Colorful Colorado, I'm focusing on a new basketball recruit, honors in track and field, and another Husker running afoul of the law.
Click below for the bag...
Monday, May 13, 2013
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Dom Collier is a Buff!
It may technically be the offseason, but Colorado Basketball continues to burn bright with news. Yesterday, the hype came from the recruiting trail, as reigning Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year and Mr Basketball Dominique Collier announced his commitment to play at Dear Old CU.
A 6-1 point guard out of Denver East, Collier is an expert ball handler, with the ability to both distribute and create his own shot. I saw him play late last year, and came away very impressed. Despite still recovering from a tweaked knee, Dom put up a sheet-filling 25/8/6/3/3, all while making his already talented teammates better. He struck me as 'good-as-advertised,' and a talent I desperately wanted to see in Black and Gold. With Spencer Dinwiddie probably leaving after 2013, Dom will be counted on to use that talent to step into primary ball-handling duties upon arrival.
This is a major recruiting coup, one that probably wouldn't have been possible a few years ago. It's not a case where Coach Boyle got in early on a recruit who eventually blossomed (like, say, Josh Scott). Collier has been on the national recruiting radar since even before his freshman year of high school, and Colorado had to box out big-name programs like Arizona, Gonzaga, and UCLA from day one. He's a unanimous four-star prospect, with Rivals positioning him as the #61 player of the 2014 recruiting class. If you can't tell, that's huge.
Building a program is an all-encompassing project, requiring success both on and off court. With recruiting victories like Collier, Boyle continues to make the statement that Colorado Basketball is prepared to stay at the top of the landscape. It's an impact commitment, and the 8th top-150 star for the coaching staff over three and a half recruiting cycles at the helm. A new world, indeed.
There's still more than six months to go before the early signing period starts, so maybe Dom can turn the tables, and help with some recruiting of his own. The Buffs have upwards of two additional scholarships to offer for the 2014 class, and could use a shooter and a big. Players like SG Dorian Pickens, SF Zylan Cheatham, and PF Andre Adams are still on the board, and have been getting plenty of attention from the CU coaching staff. Super-phenom Josh Perkins may still technically be a possibility, but that prospect looks exceedingly dim with yesterday's announcement from Collier (read: not going to happen).
Regardless, I'm pumped that Collier, a prospect I've been following for years, chose to be a Buff. Congrats to Dom, and congrats to Coach Boyle and staff!
A 6-1 point guard out of Denver East, Collier is an expert ball handler, with the ability to both distribute and create his own shot. I saw him play late last year, and came away very impressed. Despite still recovering from a tweaked knee, Dom put up a sheet-filling 25/8/6/3/3, all while making his already talented teammates better. He struck me as 'good-as-advertised,' and a talent I desperately wanted to see in Black and Gold. With Spencer Dinwiddie probably leaving after 2013, Dom will be counted on to use that talent to step into primary ball-handling duties upon arrival.
This is a major recruiting coup, one that probably wouldn't have been possible a few years ago. It's not a case where Coach Boyle got in early on a recruit who eventually blossomed (like, say, Josh Scott). Collier has been on the national recruiting radar since even before his freshman year of high school, and Colorado had to box out big-name programs like Arizona, Gonzaga, and UCLA from day one. He's a unanimous four-star prospect, with Rivals positioning him as the #61 player of the 2014 recruiting class. If you can't tell, that's huge.
Building a program is an all-encompassing project, requiring success both on and off court. With recruiting victories like Collier, Boyle continues to make the statement that Colorado Basketball is prepared to stay at the top of the landscape. It's an impact commitment, and the 8th top-150 star for the coaching staff over three and a half recruiting cycles at the helm. A new world, indeed.
There's still more than six months to go before the early signing period starts, so maybe Dom can turn the tables, and help with some recruiting of his own. The Buffs have upwards of two additional scholarships to offer for the 2014 class, and could use a shooter and a big. Players like SG Dorian Pickens, SF Zylan Cheatham, and PF Andre Adams are still on the board, and have been getting plenty of attention from the CU coaching staff. Super-phenom Josh Perkins may still technically be a possibility, but that prospect looks exceedingly dim with yesterday's announcement from Collier (read: not going to happen).
Regardless, I'm pumped that Collier, a prospect I've been following for years, chose to be a Buff. Congrats to Dom, and congrats to Coach Boyle and staff!
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Quick Post: Coach Mac to be enshrined in Hall of Fame
Long overdue, legendary CU football Coach Bill McCartney has been selected as part of the 2013 College Football Hall of Fame class.
Known nationally for bringing Colorado Football to the forefront of the sport in the late 80s and early 90s, Coach McCartney spent 13 years turning what was a flailing program into a national power. More than just the 1990 national championship, Coach Mac is responsible for the modern definition of football on the Front Range.
As CU SID David Plati points out, McCartney never shied away from the
competition, and succeeded against the best the nation had to offer.
His example, both on and off the field, casts a long shadow, with an influence that still impacts the program to this day. No matter what you think of his belief structure, or his more recent escapades with the program, Coach Mac is an essential part of the Colorado story, and a man deserving of recognition.
McCartney becomes the 7th Buff enshrined, and the third in the last four years (Alfred Williams and John Wooten).
Congratulations to the original Coach Mac!
Known nationally for bringing Colorado Football to the forefront of the sport in the late 80s and early 90s, Coach McCartney spent 13 years turning what was a flailing program into a national power. More than just the 1990 national championship, Coach Mac is responsible for the modern definition of football on the Front Range.
 |
| Coach Mac celebrating the 20th anniversary of the 1990 title. From: CUBuffs.com |
Mac: 93-55-5 at CU, 84 of those wins against "BCS" schools; five of the other nine against rival CSU; win total not padded with pansies.
— David Plati (@davidplati) May 7, 2013
His example, both on and off the field, casts a long shadow, with an influence that still impacts the program to this day. No matter what you think of his belief structure, or his more recent escapades with the program, Coach Mac is an essential part of the Colorado story, and a man deserving of recognition.
McCartney becomes the 7th Buff enshrined, and the third in the last four years (Alfred Williams and John Wooten).
Congratulations to the original Coach Mac!
Quick Post: Back to Vegas
On the heels of last week's release of the lack-luster round robin comes more encouraging scheduling news. According to ESPN's Andy Katz, the Buffs have managed to schedule Oklahoma State for a neutral site tilt at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on December 20th. While no TV has been announced, you can bet it will be nationally televised.
This is a solid step in the right direction, scheduling wise, with the Buffs matched up with the odds on favorite to win the Big XII. It'll be an RPI win regardless of actual outcome.
That Coach Boyle can get a neutral site date like this set up only further underscores how far the program has come. The added exposure will be a boon to both the players, recruiting, and the fanbase. It also doesn't hurt that it's on the same court that the 2014 Pac-12 tournament will be played on.
My only concern is the type of crowd we can swing for this game. As of late, BuffNation has been getting out in force to support the RollTad Express, even on the road, but we're not yet at the point that you can expect the stadium to be half-filled with Black and Gold. However, it's an old, familiar Big XII rival at an attractive, easy travel destination... maybe I'm just underestimating how many degenerate gamblers we have in the alumni base.
As for finishing up the schedule, Katz says, "(Boyle is) trying to add one more neutral site game and one more home-and-home series as well as two other guaranteed games." All sounds promising, depending on opponents. When the schedule is finalized, maybe we'll all look back at the hand-wringing over Arkansas St, Jackson St, and Tennessee-Martin and laugh at our overreaction.
Now, excuse me as I daydream about the forthcoming Spencer Dinwiddie v. Marcus Smart prize fight.
This is a solid step in the right direction, scheduling wise, with the Buffs matched up with the odds on favorite to win the Big XII. It'll be an RPI win regardless of actual outcome.
That Coach Boyle can get a neutral site date like this set up only further underscores how far the program has come. The added exposure will be a boon to both the players, recruiting, and the fanbase. It also doesn't hurt that it's on the same court that the 2014 Pac-12 tournament will be played on.
My only concern is the type of crowd we can swing for this game. As of late, BuffNation has been getting out in force to support the RollTad Express, even on the road, but we're not yet at the point that you can expect the stadium to be half-filled with Black and Gold. However, it's an old, familiar Big XII rival at an attractive, easy travel destination... maybe I'm just underestimating how many degenerate gamblers we have in the alumni base.
As for finishing up the schedule, Katz says, "(Boyle is) trying to add one more neutral site game and one more home-and-home series as well as two other guaranteed games." All sounds promising, depending on opponents. When the schedule is finalized, maybe we'll all look back at the hand-wringing over Arkansas St, Jackson St, and Tennessee-Martin and laugh at our overreaction.
Now, excuse me as I daydream about the forthcoming Spencer Dinwiddie v. Marcus Smart prize fight.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Monday Grab Bag: There's still basketball to be played
It was over a month ago that the college basketball season ended, but the hardwood is still getting trampled thanks to the NBA playoffs. I've never been a huge NBA fan, but the postseason always comes at just the right time for yours truly. I can't get enough, and the whole process convinces me that next year I should dive headlong into the NBA's regular season. Never do, though, 'cause regular season NBA basketball is boring shit.
Today in the bag, I'm talking NBA Playoffs, Floyd Mayweather and his bankroll, and open run at the CEC.
Click below for the bag...
Today in the bag, I'm talking NBA Playoffs, Floyd Mayweather and his bankroll, and open run at the CEC.
Click below for the bag...
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Quick Post: A Scheduling Letdown
A few of the holes left in the 2013-14 CU men's basketball schedule were filled today when it was leaked that the Buffs had joined forces with Wyoming to create a 5-team round-robin mini-tournament. In addition to Wyo making the drive south, the Buffs will be welcoming Arkansas St, Tennessee-Martin, and Jackson St to the CEC.
If you're saying to yourself "I don't think those are very good basketball programs," your instincts have served you well. As pointed out by @TZiskBuff, those teams had RPI rankings of 163, 312, and 309 last year, respectively, are are not expected to be much better this season. Essentially, the Buffs have signed on three RPI boat anchors, a fact Coach Boyle admits.
Why does this matter? Due to some savvy scheduling this past season, Colorado finished with a top-25 non-conference RPI, and a top-20 non-con strength-of-schedule (according to ESPN). Both rankings served the Buffs well on Selection Sunday, as CU relied on it's rosy overall RPI ranking to secure it's first at-large Tournament selection in a decade. Without that scheduling bulwark, the Buffs would have had to do far better than 10-8 in conference to make the Dance. Had the Buffs played teams like UT-M and JSU, instead of Baylor and Murray St, they could've been NIT bound.
This is all probably an unfortunate by-product of the program's recent success, and rumors have been popping up related to the difficulty Coach Boyle has been having enticing strong teams up to the Foot of the Flatirons. In that light, he's had to get creative, reaching out to Wyo coach Larry Shyatt to collaborate on this underwhelming November series. At the very least, it adds a few home dates to the schedule, I just hope the RPI hit doesn't come back to bite the team in the ass.
Of course, the rest of the presumed schedule - including trips to Ft Collins and Colorado Springs, and visits from Kansas and Fresno St (?) - features far better RPI fodder. You take the good with the bad, I guess.
There's still a few more open dates to fill in November and December (8 games assumed to be scheduled, there were 12 non-con games last year). Hopefully, Coach Boyle can trick some of his over-cautious colleagues into making the trip to Boulder.
If you're saying to yourself "I don't think those are very good basketball programs," your instincts have served you well. As pointed out by @TZiskBuff, those teams had RPI rankings of 163, 312, and 309 last year, respectively, are are not expected to be much better this season. Essentially, the Buffs have signed on three RPI boat anchors, a fact Coach Boyle admits.
Why does this matter? Due to some savvy scheduling this past season, Colorado finished with a top-25 non-conference RPI, and a top-20 non-con strength-of-schedule (according to ESPN). Both rankings served the Buffs well on Selection Sunday, as CU relied on it's rosy overall RPI ranking to secure it's first at-large Tournament selection in a decade. Without that scheduling bulwark, the Buffs would have had to do far better than 10-8 in conference to make the Dance. Had the Buffs played teams like UT-M and JSU, instead of Baylor and Murray St, they could've been NIT bound.
This is all probably an unfortunate by-product of the program's recent success, and rumors have been popping up related to the difficulty Coach Boyle has been having enticing strong teams up to the Foot of the Flatirons. In that light, he's had to get creative, reaching out to Wyo coach Larry Shyatt to collaborate on this underwhelming November series. At the very least, it adds a few home dates to the schedule, I just hope the RPI hit doesn't come back to bite the team in the ass.
Of course, the rest of the presumed schedule - including trips to Ft Collins and Colorado Springs, and visits from Kansas and Fresno St (?) - features far better RPI fodder. You take the good with the bad, I guess.
There's still a few more open dates to fill in November and December (8 games assumed to be scheduled, there were 12 non-con games last year). Hopefully, Coach Boyle can trick some of his over-cautious colleagues into making the trip to Boulder.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
(UPDATED) Quick Post: On 'Dre's departure, and the word 'failed.'
If you haven't completely given up on traditional media, you may have come across a pair of articles in the local rags about the reasoning behind Andre Roberson's decision to turn pro. Both featured essentially the same argument from the Roberson camp as to why 'Dre needed to enter the NBA Draft. One of them, however, featured an editorial hammer-blow aimed at Coach Boyle and staff that jumped the boundaries of reality, and strikes me as an intentional attempt to injure Colorado Basketball.
It was in the Denver Post that editors chose to slap John Henderson's story with the ominous title "Andre Roberson left Colorado for NBA because coaches failed, dad says." The phrase 'coaches failed,' is a serious charge, one that seems to imply that the Roberson family feels that Coach Boyle is to blame for both 'Dre leaving, and only being a projected 2nd round pick. You would imagine that such an inflammatory accusation would be supported by the content of the article. You would be imagining wrong.
Do me a favor, and ctrl+F the word 'failed' in that article. Any results beyond the title? Nope. John Roberson, Andre's father, never used that word. It was thought up by some editor at the newspaper. You could say it was pulled out of his ass.
If anything, the 'failed' implication seems to stem from the following quotes:
Now, compare the titular theme of 'failed' in the Post with the more conciliatory tone of Brian Howell's Buffzone.com article.
That very explanation is found earlier in the Post article, where John Roberson is quoted as saying:
The editors at the Post did a disservice, both to their credibility and their readers, by intentionally using an inflammatory title to sensationalize a narrative that simply doesn't fit with reality. Coach Boyle and staff didn't 'fail' Andre Roberson, and that's not what 'Dre's father is saying (or even implying).
This is the kind of shit editors at the New York Post resort to when they don't have any real news to report. The Denver Post shouldn't be playing that fast-and-loose with reality, as they haven't (yet) become a tabloid.
(UPDATE) The Post has since changed the wording of the title to "Andre Roberson left Colorado for NBA to find better coaching, dad says" While still misleading, it's at least less inflammatory. Can no one over there come up with a damn article title that isn't purely sensationalistic?
(UPDATE, pt 2) The title has gone through a second rewrite, and now says "Andre Roberson left Colorado to develop his NBA game, dad says." Finally, a title with a firm grasp on context and reality. Only took them three tries.
It was in the Denver Post that editors chose to slap John Henderson's story with the ominous title "Andre Roberson left Colorado for NBA because coaches failed, dad says." The phrase 'coaches failed,' is a serious charge, one that seems to imply that the Roberson family feels that Coach Boyle is to blame for both 'Dre leaving, and only being a projected 2nd round pick. You would imagine that such an inflammatory accusation would be supported by the content of the article. You would be imagining wrong.
Do me a favor, and ctrl+F the word 'failed' in that article. Any results beyond the title? Nope. John Roberson, Andre's father, never used that word. It was thought up by some editor at the newspaper. You could say it was pulled out of his ass.
If anything, the 'failed' implication seems to stem from the following quotes:
"That's what he ('Dre) told Coach Boyle. That's the struggle he was fighting. Was it more about 'Dre and fulfilling his dream or more about getting wins? I think it has to go both ways. If you're going to develop him, develop him. Don't just take the point of view of, 'We need 'Dre so we can have a Final Four team or a top-10 team.' Now if you look at it that way, it's selfish as opposed to (Andre) being selfish."In the larger context of the whole article, I read that more as John Roberson protecting his son from accusations of selfishness, and explaining that the nature of basketball at the collegiate level simply wouldn't allow Andre to get the singular focus he would need to improve his abilities and draft standing.
Now, compare the titular theme of 'failed' in the Post with the more conciliatory tone of Brian Howell's Buffzone.com article.
"'I think it would be really hard (at CU) for him to develop at the three spot (small forward), just considering the impact that he has as a four and the mismatches he has against bigger players,' John said. John also acknowledged that Andre has to develop more on offense, but said that would have been tough to do at CU, as well. With so many scoring options at CU, including guards Spencer Dinwiddie and Askia Booker, the opportunities to take shots would have been limited, both in practices and in games"The sentiments I espoused last month, that 'Dre would have trouble showing improvement with all the offensive firepower returning in Boulder, are echoed, and the situation is passed off as a matter of circumstance. It's essentially saying that 'Dre's skills necessitate a certain style of play at the collegiate level that would keep him from further developing the skillset that he will rely upon at the next level.
That very explanation is found earlier in the Post article, where John Roberson is quoted as saying:
"You'd have a lot of guys coming (back) next year that were demanding the basketball. 'Dre, not being a selfish player, it'd be hard for him to kind of say, 'I want to work on my NBA game my senior year' while the other guys are doing their thing.That doesn't say 'coaches failed' to me, that says 'Andre needs to go pro for developmental reasons,' and certainly has nothing to do with 'blaming' Coach Boyle for the situation. It all boils down to development, which was exactly what Boyle expressed at his season ending presser.
The editors at the Post did a disservice, both to their credibility and their readers, by intentionally using an inflammatory title to sensationalize a narrative that simply doesn't fit with reality. Coach Boyle and staff didn't 'fail' Andre Roberson, and that's not what 'Dre's father is saying (or even implying).
This is the kind of shit editors at the New York Post resort to when they don't have any real news to report. The Denver Post shouldn't be playing that fast-and-loose with reality, as they haven't (yet) become a tabloid.
(UPDATE) The Post has since changed the wording of the title to "Andre Roberson left Colorado for NBA to find better coaching, dad says" While still misleading, it's at least less inflammatory. Can no one over there come up with a damn article title that isn't purely sensationalistic?
(UPDATE, pt 2) The title has gone through a second rewrite, and now says "Andre Roberson left Colorado to develop his NBA game, dad says." Finally, a title with a firm grasp on context and reality. Only took them three tries.
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