2016-17 CU vs UCLA Basketball Preview

I don't know what moron in the Pac-12 decided Mountain States teams need to host games tipping at 9pm local, but they need to be fired.  More to the point, where is Rick George when some back-room poker needs to be played to forestall such garbage?  This game will be over, maybe, by 11:30.  Do they not realize some of us have jobs?

I understand the basics of television programming, but the conference has other time slots, you know. This isn't the only time this will happen this year, either.  The 2/23 matchup with Utah is also tabbed for a 9pm weeknight start.  Such garbage.  The crowds, both tonight and in February, will be subdued and sparse.  It's unbefitting of this sport and this program that has done so much to carry the banner of Colorado Athletics forward over the last half-decade.

It all ties into something the great Will Whelan penned this week on institutional support for the basketball program at CU.  While Rick George certainly shows his personal support in the arena, I just don't see the full-throated administrative backing that Mike Bohn used to throw behind the program over his decade in charge.  Kudos to all in charge from dragging football back to the realm of the living, but the basketball program seems tossed in the corner like a disused toy.  And this was just as prevalent last winter, as the team pushed for their 4th NCAA Tournament bid in five seasons, mind you.

Sure, Colorado, as a state, will never be as passionate for the sport as it is for football, but that's not what I'm talking about here.  Basketball is a marketable entity; in fact, the only one this athletic department has once January kicks in.  They need to be giving it enough TLC that it can continue to thrive.  But when you have a football guy running the show, supported by other football guys and football donors, any other calls for attention are naturally going to drowned out and set aside.  The department as a whole doesn't know how to handle what they have off the gridiron, let alone market it properly.

To that end, I got a flatly bizarre phone call the other night from the AD.  They asked me my name, thanked me for being a basketball season ticket holder, then said good bye and hung up; 20 seconds total engagement.  Huh? Where's the request for donations?  Where's the three or four question survey about my customer experience this year?  Where's the pitch for extra tickets to bring friends to games, or to fill up the pre-game party room?  Where's the reminder about upcoming games, promotions, or an announcement of new perks for being a basketball fan?  What the hell are they doing? I know the athletes are amateurs, but does the marketing staff have to act like ones, too?

It all comes down to the bottom line.  Football makes the money, so it gets the bell cow treatment. Fair enough.  I also get that my perspective is skewed.  The name of this blog comes an acknowledgement that only a deranged idiot would care about Colorado Basketball all the way back in 2010, after all.  But this program has evolved, and deserves some honest-to-goodness support from the guys managing the message.

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Hype Music for the evening: "Let her go!" by Something To Do

My guess is you've never heard this one before. From the forgotten wasteland that is Milwaukee, WI comes this tune from independent ska maestros Something To Do.  They popped up on my Pandora station a few months back, and I've been down ever since.  Good groove, good brass, I think it'd make a great pep band tune, to boot.  Enjoy!

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Tip-off from the CEC is set for *sigh* 9pm on Thursday.  Coverage for those not wanting to head up to Boulder can be found on FS1.  The radio call will be on AM760.

Click below for the preview...

2016 CU vs UCLA Football Teaser

Well, this is now officially serious.  With the release of the first round of rankings by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee, we come to find out that Colorado is 15th in the only poll that counts.  15th.  In the country.  Teams have made the Playoff from similar positions in each of the last two years -- OU was 15th last fall when the first rankings were cut, Ohio State (the eventual national champion) was 16th the year prior.  With that in mind, it is not out of the realm of possibility that, with five wins to finish the year, the Buffs could wind their way to 4th overall.  I've seen weirder shit happen before, believe me.

Hold my beer... watch this...

But that's just just the stuff of dreams, for now.  Reality is the UCLA Bruins, who come to town for a marquee Thursday night affair to kick the month of November off.  No time for a letup now, this is a game the Buffs better win.

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Hype Music for the Week: "Tired Bones" by the Mad Caddies

Yooooooo, is this some hot fire.  From the SoCal ska punk specialists, 'Tired Bones' is one of my favorite songs.  Fast, loud, and with a trombonist that delightfully sounds like he's strangling a cat, I can't help but wonder why this has never made its way to a basketball band track... but I digress. Enjoy!

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Kick-off from a Blacked Out Folsom Field is set for 7pm this evening.  I hope you remembered to take tomorrow off from work, 'cause it's going to get weird tonight.  No worries on the weather front: clear and cool, but otherwise perfectly fine for the first week of November.  For those too soft to head up to Boulder, coverage can be found on Fox Sports 1, with the radio call on 850 KOA.

Click below for the teaser...

2015-16 CU vs UCLA Basketball Preview: Buffs Look to Recover From Knockout Blow

It was all going so well.  The Colorado Buffaloes were playing good, if not great, basketball on the road against the USC Trojans Wednesday night, looking to claim a victory that would clinch their Tournament bid and keep faint hopes of a Pac-12 title alive.  With nine minutes to play in the ballgame, a Wesley Gordon jumper had staked the Buffs to a 60-45 lead, a margin, surely, even Colorado could protect down the stretch.  Unfortunately, the basketball gods turned a sour eye towards the faithful of BuffNation, and the Trojans started to mount a comeback.  By the U8 timeout, the lead was down to 10; by the U4 it had shrank to three. When a Jordan McLaughlin sank an open corner three with 2:55 left, it gave the Trojans the lead, and the Buffs were left cowed and broken as they slumped into a Tad Boyle timeout. Eventually CU would settle into a 79-72 loss, leaving me with just one reaction:

I don't really have all that much to say about it.  The Buffs simply spit the bit. According to KenPom, once Colorado took that 15-point lead, they had a 94% chance of winning the game.  It took a concentrated effort of turnovers, missed front-ends, poor defense, and impotent guard play to spike that lead.  If it didn't break my heart, I'd have been impressed by totality of suck on display down the stretch.

If you're looking for some positives, look no further than the healthy, successful return of Josh Scott to the lineup.  Coming off the bench, Jelly put up a solid 17/3 in 23 minutes, showing off a number of deft and power moves around the rim that proved he was recovered from his ankle injury. Accompanying his performance, Wes Gordon stayed hot, putting up 13/7 and really powering the surge that built that fleeting lead.  The problem was that their efforts in the paint were counteracted by some flat awful guard play.  Dom Collier had one of his ugliest games in a CU uniform, turning the ball over six times and committing four fouls against just one rebound, with no points or assists to show for his 18 minutes.  His fellow backcourt mates weren't all that much better, with George King matching Dom's turnover numbers (Colorado had 20 total, #sigh) and Josh Fortune needing 11 shots to get to 10 points.

That turned in a hurry.  From: KenPom

That's the rub of this game.  While the Buffs had built that big lead, mostly due to another abnormally massive rebounding advantage (37-21 for the game), they weren't exactly blowing the doors off the gym.  Turnovers remained a problem, scoring was inefficient (outside of the two post players), and I was preparing to write a wrap-up that stated that CU had pulled a rabbit out of their hats.  The illusion went wrong, however, and the Buffs were booted from the Alliance of Magicians, unceremoniously. In many ways, they got exactly what they deserved.  College basketball is all about guard play, and Colorado had an especially putrid run of it Wednesday night.  On the USC end, McLaughlin and Julian Jacobs combined for 42 points, and served as a pair of spark plugs for their teammates.  It was that duo that walked away with the win, and with good reason.

CU now turns to another late evening tip with the UCLA Bruins.  If they have any realistic designs on claiming a top-four seed int he upcoming Pac-12 tournament, they're going to have to nab this one, and earn a split in LA.  The only problem?  They've yet to win in Pauley.  Oh boy.  Better get to it...

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Hype Music for the Evening: "You see me" by Childish Gambino (lyrics NSFW)

Asian girls everywhere... UCLA.  Gambino, also known as Donald Glover of "Community," is a legit EGOT threat.  Dude can do it all.  This one, purely picked for the hook, is a personal favorite.  Enjoy!

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Tip-off from venerable Pauley Pavilion is set for 9pm this evening.  Coverage can be found on FOX Sports 1, with the radio call on 850 KOA.

Click below for the preview...

2015 CU vs UCLA Football Preview

Last week was a solid step forward for the Buffs.  No caveats, no 'well at least they competed' jibberish. They fought, they won. Simple as that.  Far too few nights like that have been seen recently, so I hope you enjoyed it.

Unfortunately for Colorado, the schedule only gets more difficult from here on out.  Still slogging on without the respite of a bye week, the team will rue the opportunities missed against Oregon and Arizona as they play UCLA, Stanford, USC, Washington State, and Utah the rest of the way - only five of the best teams in the Pac-12 this year.  Bowl eligibility may be a silly fantasy at this point (they'd need to win three of those five, which... yeah, no), but that doesn't mean the season's over.  A win or two against that slate would mean extensive momentum headed into 2016. Time for the Buffs to go hunting for some upsets!

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Hype Music for the Week: "California Love" by 2Pac, feat. Dr. Dre.

What better song to call up for CU's one and only trip to Cali this season than this iconic collaboration. You got one of the great troll lines of all time "Out on bail fresh outta jail, California dreamin'" where Pac relishes in his recent release from prison, and one of the greatest beats of all time from the master, Dr Dre.  Simply put, one of the best songs ever. Enjoy!

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Kick off from the historic Rose Bowl is set for 1pm MT on Saturday.   Shoutout to all the West Coast Buffs making the trip to Pasadena!  Finally off the graveyard shift, all of BuffNation can bask in the sunshine of Southern California (thank God!).  Television coverage can be found on Pac-12 Networks.  The radio call should be on 850 KOA, but you never can tell with those guys.

Click below for the preview...

2014-15 UCLA Basketball Preview #2: Looking for a Quality Hollywood Sequel

There've been times this season where I've openly pondered "what has to happen for this team to get a road win?"  Thursday night's tilt with the USC Trojans answered that rhetorical question: Askia Booker has to get medieval, and drop a historic amount of points.

Playing in his home town, just minutes from the courts where the human jitterbug learned the game, Ski went off for 43 to almost single-handedly drag the Buffaloes across the finish line for their first road win in eight tries. Colorado needed every one of those points, as USC was holding on for dear life on their home floor.  Locked in a war of attrition, the two teams would battle on through three overtimes and six player disqualifications, stretching nerves and rosters thin.  CU, however, had the trump card - Booker - and kept playing it at just the right moments to secure a 98-94 win.  Finally, the sighs uttered across BuffNation were ones of satisfied exhaustion, rather than frustration.

Ski would not be denied on Thursday. From: the BDC

There's no possible way to overstate how brilliant Ski was on Thursday.  It took him until the 6:28 mark of the first half to find the scoresheet, but, having finally woken up, it was game on.  He scored 10 points in just under two minutes, helping to all but erase a 10-point deficit headed into halftime.  In total, he would score 24 in regulation, powering CU to an 11-pont lead midway through the second half.

About the only thing that could slow Booker down was a cheap shot from brutish USC center Nikola Jovanovic.  On a fast break with eight minutes to play in the second half, the galoot threw a shoulder and a leg into Ski, sending the point guard flying.  While he got up, and only sported a bruise after the game, the assault had its desired effect.  The spark plug was shaken, failing to score down the stretch, and committing a trio of turnovers in the immediate aftermath.  As a result, Colorado as a whole would go on a nearly 15-minute long drought without a made field goal. The refs, particularly clueless in a game marred by questionable officiating, only awarded a common foul.  Askia would have the final laugh, however.

Booker has never been better than he was in overtime.  From: CUBuffs.com

Once into overtime, Booker began to shake off the cobwebs.  By the time the game got to the second extra period, the Scrat was ready to fully flip the switch back to 'on.'  From then till the final horn, Ski would score 17 of CU's 25 points, all without committing a single turnover.  He was everywhere - off the bounce, at the rim, on the step-back.  Hell, he even posted up a defender at one point.  It was Ski Season, in all its ride-the-dragon glory, and the high has never been so good.  For the game, he finished 13-23 from the floor, 13-15 from the line, and even dished out three of Colorado's eight assists in 51 minutes of action. The performance marked the most points by a Buff in a single game since Donnie Boyce's 46 against Oklahoma State in 1994, and stands as the fourth-most ever.  We take him for granted far too often, but that was a perfect example of a player refusing to lose; it was Ski Booker in a nutshell.

It's a little unfair, but Ski's 43 overshadows some encouraging efforts from his teammates. Down two starters, with Jaron Hopkins joining Josh Scott on the inactive list with a bum ankle, the team needed others to step up. Xavier Johnson returned to the lineup for the first time in weeks to chip in 12/5, including the game-tying three pointer in the final minute of the first overtime.  Freshman forward Tory Miller, who has been performing exceptionally well over the last few weeks, submitted his first career double-double (11/13), which featured five huge points in the final frame of overtime to supplement the Ski-splosion.  Without them, and the little efforts chipped in by the other six Buffs who saw the court, the outcome would've been completely different.

Xavier Johnson returned to the court, and played a major role in extending the action.  From: the Post

For the Trojans, they boasted their own historic offensive outputs, as Jovanovic and shooting guard Katin Reinhardt combined for 65 points.  Jovanovic bullied his way to 30/9 on 17 shots, getting most of the CU front line in foul trouble in the process.  Reinhardt went for 35, mostly on 9-18 shooting from deep.  Without Jaron Hopkins to help with defense on the perimeter, he was consistently getting loose on the wing for wide open shots, and was approaching Scott the Dick territory.  Thankfully, both fouled out, and Booker's heroics put an end to that nightmare.

This has the potential to become a massive win.  Beyond just the cancellation of the road losing streak and Ski's bonkers night, the boost to overall team confidence cannot be denied.  The Buffs, as a team, showed more grit and determination on Thursday than I've seen from them all season.  I kept waiting for the shoe to drop, and the untimely the loss to follow, but, time after time, Colorado fought through it (even that damned 15-minute field goal drought).  If they can bring that same determination with them into tonight's meeting with UCLA, this road trip has the potential to become a season-saving moment.  Let's see what the Buffs have for an encore.

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Tip-off from Pauley Pavilion, new court and all, is set for 8:30pm this evening.  Pac-12 Networks, complete with BILL WALTON, has the pictures.  850 KOA, complete with MARK JOHNSON, has the sound.

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

Click below for the preview...

2014-15 CU vs UCLA Basketball Preview #1 - Into conference play

Happy New Year!  I took the last week off recovering from my miss-adventures in the Aloha State, but am back and ready for more!

It strikes me that, with all the excitement of Christmas Day, I never got around to posting my Hawai'i game recap.  For those who didn't get a chance to watch, the game played out like a greatest hits album of what's been troubling the Buffs recently. Fighting for third place on the final day of the Diamond Head Classic, CU held a late lead over the host Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors. However, stunted by an inability to defend the perimeter (what new) and a painful scoring drought over the final five minutes (a new take on an old tune), CU coughed up that 62-58 lead, eventually losing 69-66. It was the second time in as many games that the team couldn't turn a second half advantage into victory.  The loss left the trip to the Islands at an uncomfortable 1-2, and the team with more questions than answers.

Hawai'i got to celebrate on Christmas Day.

Perimeter defense continues to be CU's Achilles heel.  Opponents are scoring almost 35% of their points from deep this season against Colorado, which is simply criminal.  The Warriors, playing inspired ball in front of their home crowd, were always going to be a tough nut to crack, but it's hard to beat any team when you're allowing 9-18 shooting from behind the arc. Down the stretch, however, the story was more about play making - as in the ones Colorado wasn't converting. The Buffs would go the final 5:07 of the game without hitting a field goal.  As the clock ticked down, CU would turn the ball over more times (4), they they even attempted shots (3). It was a painful inability to mix clock management with a struggling offense.

Generally, it was hard for CU to find any offensive rhythm.  Hawai'i forced 16 turnovers, muscled out six blocks, and grabbed nine steals.  Only the big three of Askia Booker, Xavier Johnson, and Josh Scott could find any joy with the rock, scoring all but six of Colorado's points.  The inconsistency from the second unit was paramount.  While Coach Boyle shortened his bench, the inability of anyone other than those three to make a damn basket really limited the Buffs in the second half.

Not enough from players like Dustin Thomas. 

Look, CU proved good enough to play with both George Washington (the eventual tournament champions) and Hawai'i (a home team leveraging their advantage well), but lost both because they couldn't make the plays in the final minutes.  There'd be a sudden breakdown on defense, or a lack of creativity on offense, and the team would fall into defeat.  Those were both games this program would've found a way to win over the last few years, and they're a prime example of what is wrong in 2014-15.  Against good teams, the Buffs are just too good at finding ways to lose - the how and why a team full of talent goes 7-5 in non-conference play.

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And so, the Buffs return home searching for answers, only to find conference play waiting.  This is a dangerous time for CU.  The opening rounds of Pac-12 action are brutal, and the season could completely spin out of control if they aren't successful this weekend in the home games against the SoCal schools.  Up first: a similarly inconsistent UCLA squad.  Colorado has yet to beat the Bruins in the Pac-12 era, losing the four matchups by an average of 13 points, and could surely use a buck of the recent trend this evening.

Tip-off from the CEC is set for 8pm.  Those still on Winter Break can avail themselves of either the Fox Sports 1 broadcast, or Mark Johnson's radio call on 850 KOA.

Click below for the bag...

2014 UCLA Football Preview

The Buffs seem to have been having some trouble with the alarm clock the last two games.  While their opponents have comfortably made it to the field wide awake and rarin' to go for the opening kickoff, CU has tried to pound the snooze button in vain.  Oregon State and USC put up a combined 45 points to Colorado's seven through the last two first quarters, which is especially painful when you consider that the Buffs outscored those two 52-47 over the other hour and a half of action.

It hasn't been much better at the start of second halves this year, either.  Overall, CU is down 82-45 in third quarters in 2014.  The simple fact of the matter is that CU isn't using the locker room to their advantage. Once they find their feet, they play well enough, but whatever is being said behind closed doors is lost by the time they leave the tunnel.  Maybe it's nerves, maybe it's preparation, but the fact stands.  If the Buffs are ever going to get back in the win column this season, they need to perform better in the odd numbered quarters.

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Kickoff from beautiful Folsom Field is scheduled for high noon tomorrow.  Televised coverage can be found on Pac-12 Networks, with the radio call on 850 KOA.

*cough* For those interested, there's also a men's basketball scrimmage starting at 10am at the CEC.  It's free for all, and would make for a wonderful aperitif to your sports Saturday. *cough*

Click below for the preview...

2013-14 UCLA Basketball Preview #2

Well, a fortnight can certainly change a few things.  Only two weeks ago, CU was down and out, sliding to 4-4 in conference play, and adrift in a sea of questions.  After a 3-0 home stand, suddenly the ship appears righted, and the Buffs actually find themselves only a half game out of second-place. Huzzah!

Of course, that's the key phrase - home stand.  All the gains over the last two weeks were made in the friendly confines of the CEC.  Considering that Colorado remains 1-3 away from Boulder in 2014, without a strong showing in the bunch, it's hard to take this team all that seriously without some substantial gains on the road.

Which is where tonight's game comes in.  The Buffs travel to Westwood to take on the UCLA Bruins in a matchup for 2nd place in the Pac-12.  We've left the post-injury phase behind now; it's all about the players on the court.  This is their opportunity to define the club that they want to be apart of. A win, coupled with a series completion over USC this weekend, silences critics, and flips the narrative on its head.  Wouldn't it be a hell of a thing if they could do whatever-it-takes this evening to redefine the 2013-14 basketball season?

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Tip-off from the re-vamped Pauley Pavillion is set for 7pm this evening.  The fate of Western Civilization will hang in the balance, as the great Bill Walton has the color on ESPN2.  For those who hate fun, you can hide from the the Grateful Red-head with Mark Johnson on 850 KOA.

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

Click below for the preview...

2013-14 UCLA Basketball Preview #1

This has been the toughest week in the recent history of Colorado Basketball. Nothing else compares.  Hell, I'm still reeling, and I've already wasted 1,000 words trying to get over it. I think that the opportunity to retake the court after three days off will come as a welcome relief to the team. The loss to injury of star guard Spencer Dinwiddie and emerging reserve Tre'Shaun Fletcher have dominated the story lines since Sunday afternoon, and I'm sure the players would like to put everything behind them by actually playing some basketball.

With that understood, tonight's game against UCLA is huge.  Despite protestations to the contrary, this team is not dead in the water.  They have an opportunity to rally around each other and fight through adversity. At the very least, the level of effort they show tonight will be very telling as to which direction the season will go. A strong performance, even a losing one, could forestall any doom-and-gloom that is threatening to infect BuffNation; conversely, a ugly, lifeless, sloppy performance could come as a self-fulfilling prophesy that could signal the start of a long-term slide.

Regardless, I'm excited to get back into the CEC and watch some hoops.  The sport has been significantly less fun to follow since Sunday afternoon, and I need the energy of the arena to remind me why I put so much passion in to watching this goofy little sport.  With the C-Unit in town, and a capacity crowd expected, I don't expect to be disappointed.

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Tip-off from the CEC is set for 6pm this evening.  Traffic will be a mess, so plan accordingly. Also, WEAR WHITE! Coverage for those without tickets can be found on Pac-12 Networks, with the radio call on 850 KOA.

Click below for the preview...

Monday Grab Bag: Final Four Set

I don't mean to undersell baseball's Opening Day, but I'm just not ready for it.  Could you check back in a week when basketball is over, and I can devote my entire being to the sport I've loved since birth?
Today in the bag, I'm talking Final Four, Steve Alford, and Mike Alvarado.

Click below for the bag...

Why Tad Boyle won't be the next coach of UCLA

EHRMAGAWD!  COULD TAD BOYLE BE LEAVING FOR UCLA?!  PAY HIM NOW BEFORE HE JUMPS!  MIKE BOHN IS AWFUL!

*Yawn*

Wait, how did Bohn get dragged into this?  I bet it was Klatt.  Dude, go find a real job, 'cause your one-note CU take is as tired as your incessant Broncos coverage.

Anyways, for the third year in a row, rumors have started to swirl that this team or that team is going to offer our personal basketball savior so much money that he'll have to leave Boulder, and then we'd be DOOOOMED!  But, as has been the case the last two offseasons, Tad will stay put, and continue to build the University of Colorado into a basketball school.

Why am I so confident? Well...

Let's assume (and I think it's a safe assumption), that Tad isn't going to make a lateral move.  He has already reportedly rebuffed Texas A&M, Oklahoma, KSU, and Nebraska with their mountains of cash, and doesn't seem willing to entertain that level of offer.  If he were to seriously entertain leaving, at this point I'd have to assume it was only because a whale came calling.  What do I mean by 'whale?'  I mean a blue-blood, legacy-level program.  Kansas *cough*, Kentucky, Duke, Michigan St, etc.  Yes, UCLA would qualify at that level.

The problem then becomes that Tad hasn't done nearly enough to warrant a genuine offer from those institutions.  Seriously, examine his record from an outsiders' viewpoint.  He has never finished higher than 5th in a major conference, and has only one Tournament win under his belt.  Try selling that to the fanbase that just booted Ben Howland and his three Final Fours.

Yes, Coach Boyle is a winner, but he doesn't have the gaudy stats of, say, Shaka Smart or Brad Stevens that attract the big guys (Final Fours, conference titles, etc).  He will not get a serious call from UCLA, other than a net-casting 'hey, would you be interested?,' unless the Bruins go through their 1st-8th choices, getting rejected at every turn (possible).  Even then, there would be a riot in Westwood if it was announced that 'something named Tad' is sitting in the same chair once held by John Wooden.

Tad is the closest thing we've seen to a winner in these parts since Sox Walseth, but let's keep some perspective.  He has yet to make his name at a national level. 

Additionally, he has high school-age kids, and I know it's a priority of any parent to see kids of that age finish their pre-college careers with some level of geographical stability.  Even with a 'whale' calling, he'd still have to sit down with his family and decide; it wouldn't necessarily be a no-brainer.  Boulder, as I know well, is a hard place to leave.

But isn't Tad grossly underpaid?  Couldn't that drive him away?  Well, to that end, his recent contract extension calls for just under $600,000 in base salary and compensation, with bonuses and escalators pushing his total to right around $1 million this season.  It's not huge money for this level, and it should be higher, but, remember, he has only been coaching top-conference basketball for three years, and hasn't had time to really cash in on his success.

Even given that he's 'underpaid,' that doesn't mean that he'll leave this second (!!!!!!!) if someone doesn't cut him a check, a fact evidenced by his rejection of $2 million/year offers over the last two years.  Further, I have yet to hear even a hint that there's push-back from Dal Ward concerning a contract negotiation with Tad, and AD Mike Bohn has proven, unlike previous ADs (lookin' at you, Dick Tharp), that he is ready and willing to pump money into basketball.  I don't doubt for a second that, when the time comes, Tad will get paid if that's the difference between staying and leaving.  

I'm not saying that Tad would, if asked, flatly reject UCLA and their millions.  If someone is calling, ready to offer you $3 million per year, you at least answer the phone.  I'm just saying that it's stretching credulity that Tad would be asked, and that the CU would just let him go without a peep.  More than likely, this is the moment that Coach Boyle leverages the last three years for a new contract calling for more base pay, and a total level of average compensation near the top-quarter of the conference.

My dudes and dudettes, Tad isn't going anywhere.  Don't listen to the trolls.  Breathe calm and easy, and enjoy your summer.

Roll Tad.

Monday Grab Bag: #IsItNovemberYet?

It was a bad weekend of hoops for everyone wearing a CU uniform.  Both the men's and women's teams suffered early defeats in the Tournament, making for an abrupt shift to the offseason.  However, if it's any consolation, we're only 220 days away from November, so it's not all bad!

Today in the bag, I'm recapping the early exits, discussing a weekend full of upsets, talking Ben Howland's exit from UCLA, and touching on soccer's snow bowl.

Click below for the bag...

2013 UCLA Basketball Preview

There's many in BuffNation who were expecting a cakewalk last night, and they're gnashing their teeth this morning.  "How could that game be so close?" "Worst game ever!" ... and on, and on.  Even the CUBuffs.com game wrap-up headline is from the woe-is-us school, hedging "Buffs Outlast Trojans - With Much Difficulty."

I, on the other hand, fully expected USC to make life difficult (that's kind of their niche), and predicted an ugly victory.  With the flu going around, and a sexier matchup with UCLA looming on Saturday, is anyone really that surprised that CU failed to look like the '96 Bulls last night?  Be honest...

A win's a win.  From: the BDC

Everyone I've heard from today is kicking the dirt, and declaring a win over the Bruins impossible in light of last night's rough finish.  How do you think BruinsNation feels after almost choking away a 12-point second half lead in Salt Lake City last night?  At least CU didn't pull a Stanford and lose!

It's basketball.  Your not going to see everyone's best every night.  You just have to hope when the team isn't playing perfectly that they walk away with a 'W.'  Thanks to a favorable whistle, and some poor USC strategy in the final two minutes (why weren't they sending the young Buffs to the free throw line?), CU still got the desired result.

A  66-60 win?  With USC only threatening to make it a one-possession game, not a loss?  If that is what passes for an off night in these parts, then I'll happily take it.

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The quick turnaround serves up a high-profile matchup with UCLA on Saturday afternoon.  This is the kind of game that could determine whether CU makes the Tournament.  A loss doesn't necessarily hurt, but a win over a team currently in the RPI top-50 makes that resume all the more enticing for the committee.

Tip-off from a sure-to-be packed CEC is set for high noon tomorrow.  The Broncos don't kick off til 2:30, so there's no excuse to miss this one.  For those unable to make it to the CEC, coverage can be found on Pac-12 Network.  If you're at Mile High, why not tune to AM 760 and listen to Mark Johnson while you tailgate in the freezing cold?

Click below for the preview...

Monday Grab Bag: Down and out in the City of Angels

Another week, another Buff slaughter, another series of comments from players questioning the attitude of their teammates. Big shock.

Is anyone surprised that this program, saddled with (soon to be) seven consecutive losing seasons (and prospects as good as Betamax going forward), would have problems with players "quitting," and/or not putting enough effort into game prep heading into a game they had no chance to compete in?  I'm not.  I remember when I was 19/20; if shit wasn't going my way, I checked out real quick.  All it takes in one bad sequence (last week it was the TD return out of half, this week it was the opening 2-play TD drive followed by the Webb INT in the endzone), and they might as well kneel the rest of the game.

You can berate a kid, you can question his pride, you can essentially stick a cattle prod up his ass, but if there's nothing to play for, if there's no reward to strive for, then effort is going to disappear real fast.  It's human nature.

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Today in the bag, I'll throw garbage at the football result, discuss the rest of the athletic department's trip to Los Angeles, and take a trip around the world of football.

18 days...

Click below for the bag...

2012 UCLA Football Preview

The Parade of Buffs is tonight.  If you weren't planning on going, you may want to rethink your decision.  Not only is it free (from parking to entrance to hors d'œuvres), but it sounds like a pretty cool event.  A bevy of Buff luminaries - including Coach McCartney, Coach Embree, Kordell Stewart, Michael Westbrook, Matt Russell, Coach Boyle, Emma Coburn (*swoon*), Cliff Meely, Cliff Branch, Bridget Turner, Alfred Williams, Tera Bjorklund (double *swoon*), Kami Carmann, Darian Hagan, Charles Johnson, Kelly Campbell, Billy Nelson, Emily Talley, Sean Tufts, Lisa VanGoor and Lucie Zikova - will be there along with many of the current athletes.

There's still time to register, and you can do so by clicking here.  It's not every day you get to see so many Buff greats in one room, so it's more than worth your time to head over to the First Bank Center this evening.

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This is a pivot game.  The team can go one way or the other.  Play with the passion, effort, and will to win that they showed Saturday in Pullman, and Folsom Field will roar once more.  Come out flat, and only the band and a few close friends will see the game to its conclusion as the score gets out of hand.

I want the roar.  It's been far too long since the student section was able to rush the field, after all...

Kickoff from beautiful Folsom Field is set for 4pm MT.  The broadcast is set for Pac-12 Network, which you may, or may not, get.  If you can't get it, or if you just like the radio broadcast, tune your dial to 850 KOA.

Click below for the preview...