CU's Basket Buffs Lay a Big Fat Egg against Oregon State

After Tad Boyle's team put a whipping on the 19th ranked Oregon Ducks on Thursday, the volume of the music accompanying the Buffs' victory parade to March Madness got turned way up. Someone apparently forgot to tell them there was one more game to play before the end of the regular season. The result of this oversight was the Pac-12's last place Beavers strolled into the Coors Events Center and took down the Buffs 64-58.

Although Tad Boyle has done an excellent job of building the Buffs into a consistent 20 win team, which is a remarkable accomplishment considering that the history of CU basketball is that of a .500 team over the 110 years of the program, the fact remains that Colorado is viewed around the country as primarily a football school. And over the last half dozen years, CU has been looked at as a mediocre football school at best and the worst in the NCAA in football this past season.

What's the point? The point is that Colorado does not yet have a history of basketball excellence to fall back on when they stumble into the end of the season. Last year, the Pac-12 only had TWO representatives out of the 68 teams in March Madness. Colorado earned one of those by winning four games in four days to claim the conference tournament championship. Arizona earned the other one because, quite simply, they have been to the tournament every single year except one since 1984. Those on the NCAA Selection Committee have Arizona penciled in every year because they have been a top tier school for almost 30 years.

Outside of the Pac-12, little thought is given to the Buffs as a basketball school. Most college basketball fans around the country equate the Pac-12 with TWO schools, Arizona and UCLA. The Bruins have 18 Final Four appearances and 11 NCAA championship banners. Arizona has 13 Sweet 16 appearances in the last 25 yeas and one National Championship. By comparison, while Colorado has 3 tournament appearnces in the last 16 years, it was another 28 years, all the way back in 1969, to get to the Buffs' prior appearance. To make the math simple, that's four trips to March Madness in 44 years.

Since joining the Pac-12, Colorado has done a remarkable job against the top teams in the conference. Their downfall is when they follow victory over top 20 programs with losses to teams at the bottom of the standings. Those losses say as much to the tournament selection committee as the big wins. Until Colorado establishes the reputation of being a good basketball program year in and year out, they are going to have to scratch and claw to keep their name in the running when it comes time for the tournament.

These Buffs need to decide what they really want. When it comes time for Spring Break, do they want to hang out on the beach? Or do they want to DANCE? They Pac-12 tournament starts this week in Las Vegas, and the Buffs' first round foe is this very same Oregon State team. Which Buff team will show up for that game? We will see. But one thing is certain, CU fans and the NCAA Selection Committee will all be watching.