A few weeks back, I famously pulled Arizona out of my hat, thereby all but anointing them the winners of the Pac-12 tournament. With that tournament finally on the horizon, I need to take a more measured look at the Buffs best (really only) shot to make the Dance.
After the jump, I'll be talking CU's league positioning, and what needs to happen in order for the Buffs to have a shot at a miracle NCAA Tournament berth.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Monday Grab Bag: Pride restored
Spring is quickly approaching. Conference tournaments start this week, brackets are just over the horizon, and actual baseball will start being played on Wednesday. Forget bowl season, this is the most magical time on the sports calendar. Bring it on!
Today in the bag, I'll recap the win over Cal, look into who that masked man is, and take a spin around the rest of the Pac-12.
Click below for the bag...
Today in the bag, I'll recap the win over Cal, look into who that masked man is, and take a spin around the rest of the Pac-12.
Click below for the bag...
Friday, February 24, 2012
Cal Preview #2
I'm a big fan of dark comedies. Cohen Brothers? Hell yeah. Wes Anderson? Bring it on. Dr Strangelove? That's my shit!
Last night's game against Stanford stands amongst the the best of them. CU couldn't hit a layup, and the Cardinal was even hitting school-yard bullshit when they didn't even care. It was a perfect storm of fail.
If you can't laugh watching a team fail as spectacularly as the Buffs failed last night, then you take this shit too seriously. A failure as complete as that effort deserves a defense mechanism, and laughter is the best mechanism... or medicine, I can never keep that one straight.
--
It's twice now that Stanford has put the Kai-bosh on the Buffs, making them look like a high school team in the process. I'm astonished that the team put forth such a half-assed effort, and I'm astonished that the coaching staff allowed them to do it. I guess at some point, everything catches up to you.
Stanford whupped CU, and good. Beat CU by 20 once, shame on you, do it again, in CU's home gym no less, and the whole mess falls squarely on the Buffs shoulders.
I guess it's time to ask, how will the Buffs respond?
Last post-Stanford debacle was afforded a soft landing through the blessing of a home game against Arizona State. Not so lucky this time. Sunday is still set for the previously un-spoiled CEC, but the opponent has a lot more bite. Enter my continuing favorite to win the league: the California Golden Bears. There's not a more veteran, tough, capable team in the conference.
By far the most "Tournament-acceptable" team in the Pac-12, Cal has been playing up to the standard of a team capable of beating anyone, anywhere. What's more, they're still playing for a conference title, even if the Buffs no longer are. This is not the kind of team you want to be searching for confidence against.
After last night, this Michael Scott .gif properly portrays my feelings about having to play Cal after getting boat-raced by the Cardinal.
But hey, that's why they play the games, right? Tip off from the sold out CEC is set for 3:30 (please do remember that this game will be played on Sunday). If you aren't one of the 11,000+ to hold a ticket, you can catch the broadcast on ROOT Sports. Mark Johnson can be heard on 850 AM.
My preview of the first game can be found here.
Click below for my preview of the rematch...
Last night's game against Stanford stands amongst the the best of them. CU couldn't hit a layup, and the Cardinal was even hitting school-yard bullshit when they didn't even care. It was a perfect storm of fail.
If you can't laugh watching a team fail as spectacularly as the Buffs failed last night, then you take this shit too seriously. A failure as complete as that effort deserves a defense mechanism, and laughter is the best mechanism... or medicine, I can never keep that one straight.
--
It's twice now that Stanford has put the Kai-bosh on the Buffs, making them look like a high school team in the process. I'm astonished that the team put forth such a half-assed effort, and I'm astonished that the coaching staff allowed them to do it. I guess at some point, everything catches up to you.
Stanford whupped CU, and good. Beat CU by 20 once, shame on you, do it again, in CU's home gym no less, and the whole mess falls squarely on the Buffs shoulders.
I guess it's time to ask, how will the Buffs respond?
Last post-Stanford debacle was afforded a soft landing through the blessing of a home game against Arizona State. Not so lucky this time. Sunday is still set for the previously un-spoiled CEC, but the opponent has a lot more bite. Enter my continuing favorite to win the league: the California Golden Bears. There's not a more veteran, tough, capable team in the conference.
By far the most "Tournament-acceptable" team in the Pac-12, Cal has been playing up to the standard of a team capable of beating anyone, anywhere. What's more, they're still playing for a conference title, even if the Buffs no longer are. This is not the kind of team you want to be searching for confidence against.
After last night, this Michael Scott .gif properly portrays my feelings about having to play Cal after getting boat-raced by the Cardinal.
But hey, that's why they play the games, right? Tip off from the sold out CEC is set for 3:30 (please do remember that this game will be played on Sunday). If you aren't one of the 11,000+ to hold a ticket, you can catch the broadcast on ROOT Sports. Mark Johnson can be heard on 850 AM.
My preview of the first game can be found here.
Click below for my preview of the rematch...
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Quick-post: Wrapping whatever the fuck I just watched
Inspired by the effort the Buffs put forth this evening, I'm mailing in this wrapup. In lieu of actual discussion of CU's 74-50 home loss to Stanford, I now present to you this episode of the classic television series "Alf." Enjoy.
Cal preview should be up sometime tomorrow.
Stanford Preview #2
For the first time this season, the Buffs enter a rematch looking for revenge. The Cardinal blitzed the Buffs last month, looking near perfect in the process. The loss drove Coach Boyle to call his team "mediocre," and sent Buff Nation into a tizzy of self flagellation.
What a difference a month makes. Despite the sweep in NorCal, the Buffs have played well enough to find themselves alone in 3rd place headed into the final two weeks of conference play. This team has proven well above "mediocre," and has put the memory of that second half disaster in Palo Alto to rest.
With an unthinkable conference title still a possibility, the Buffs now host those same Stanford Cardinal to kick of the final stretch of the regular season. Into what will surely be a mad house, the Buffs step with revenge on their minds.
The biggest week of the season tips off at 8:30 from the stuffed CEC. If you couldn't find a ticket for the game, you can still watch the action on ROOT Sports. Those who prefer Mark Johnson, and the radio call, can find him on 760 AM.
My preview for the first game can be found here.
Click below for my preview of the rematch...
What a difference a month makes. Despite the sweep in NorCal, the Buffs have played well enough to find themselves alone in 3rd place headed into the final two weeks of conference play. This team has proven well above "mediocre," and has put the memory of that second half disaster in Palo Alto to rest.
With an unthinkable conference title still a possibility, the Buffs now host those same Stanford Cardinal to kick of the final stretch of the regular season. Into what will surely be a mad house, the Buffs step with revenge on their minds.
The biggest week of the season tips off at 8:30 from the stuffed CEC. If you couldn't find a ticket for the game, you can still watch the action on ROOT Sports. Those who prefer Mark Johnson, and the radio call, can find him on 760 AM.
My preview for the first game can be found here.
Click below for my preview of the rematch...
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Pac-12 Coaches Death Match Tournament
Adam Butler over at Pachoops.com has come up with a way solve this muddled rush to the Pac-12 title. His proposal: have the coaches duke it out in a no holds bared, ThunderDome approved, Death Match extravaganza.
I, of course, like Coach Boyle's chances, but hobo look-a-like, and donor-fighter, Kevin O'Neill from USC has to be the winner.
You can pop over to Adam's site to vote for Coach Boyle in his first round matchup against Cal's cancer surviving Coach Montgomery. Nothing against cancer survivors, but I got to think a hale and hearty former D-1 athelete can take one down.
I, of course, like Coach Boyle's chances, but hobo look-a-like, and donor-fighter, Kevin O'Neill from USC has to be the winner.
You can pop over to Adam's site to vote for Coach Boyle in his first round matchup against Cal's cancer surviving Coach Montgomery. Nothing against cancer survivors, but I got to think a hale and hearty former D-1 athelete can take one down.
The 2012 Senior Class
Time flies. It's the final home weekend of the regular season, which means it's time to honor the latest departing senior class.
When Austin Dufault, Nate Tomlinson, and Trey Eckloff showed up on campus four years ago, concepts like "title chase" and "NIT Final Four" were as alien as a proper practice facility. Yet, at the end of their careers, they work out in a state-of-the-art gym to prepare for a run at back-to-back 20-win seasons, with high-profile trips to Maui and NYC in their back-pockets.
The three 4-year players have been at the heart of a basketball renaissance on the Front Range. Now joined by a fourth elder statesman, senior transfer Carlon Brown, the group gets a paltry 80 minutes of basketball to say farewell to the gym they have called home.
After the jump, I'll give my thoughts on each senior, while also taking a look at what I best remember from their careers.
When Austin Dufault, Nate Tomlinson, and Trey Eckloff showed up on campus four years ago, concepts like "title chase" and "NIT Final Four" were as alien as a proper practice facility. Yet, at the end of their careers, they work out in a state-of-the-art gym to prepare for a run at back-to-back 20-win seasons, with high-profile trips to Maui and NYC in their back-pockets.
The three 4-year players have been at the heart of a basketball renaissance on the Front Range. Now joined by a fourth elder statesman, senior transfer Carlon Brown, the group gets a paltry 80 minutes of basketball to say farewell to the gym they have called home.
After the jump, I'll give my thoughts on each senior, while also taking a look at what I best remember from their careers.
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