Some folks have an odd fear of Friday the 13th. Don't count me in there because I love it. Two coaches who will likely look back in dread on the day are Clemson HC Dabo Swinney and Washington State head coach Mike Leach. Both had excellent seasons hit massive road-bumps last night.
Defending national champion and current #2 Clemson traveled to Syracuse, New York and lost a close one 27-24 to the same Orange who had lost earlier in the season to Middle Tennessee State. Really.
Cal entered the game against Washington State with three losses already on their resume. But those losses were to USC, Washington, and Oregon. Nothing to be ashamed about. But most folks figured their game Washington State would be another loss to a Top 10 team.
Somebody forgot to tell the Bears, and they shellacked the #8 Cougars by a score of 37-3. It was some welcome good news to the Bay Area where wildfires have killed more than 34 with hundreds missing and more than 5000 buildings have been lost. Some fans in the stands wore masks due to the visible smoke.
There were only two FBS games last night, and the Top 10 team in both lost. Clemson was favored by 24 points. Washington State was a 17 point favorite. Oh well, now we know why they play the games.
Since these games were played on a Friday, it means that FOUR Top 10 teams have lost in the last week. Oklahoma and Michigan lost last Saturday.
Thank goodness for Friday the 13th and the wonderful, crazy world of college football.
Showing posts with label NCAA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NCAA. Show all posts
Saturday, October 14, 2017
Friday, September 29, 2017
The Pac-12's "Moral Authority" Took a Beating This Week
Those of us who have been lifelong fans of the Pac 8-10-12 over the decades have always been pretty firm in our belief that "our" college athletics was handled in the proper manner. We believed that the primary reason for our universities was to educate, and that those attending our schools needed to be students first and athletes second. And despite this, the conference was the "Conference of Champions" in the national landscape.
We believed our blood brothers in this rightful hierarchy of academic and athletics was the Big 10. The schools in the two conferences were not only among the best in the country, but also the world. In the latest world rankings of universities for academic achievement, the two conferences tied to the Rose Bowl (The Granddaddy of them All) put a combined 16 schools among the best 100 in the entire world.
As schools from other parts of the country struggled to properly balance school with sport, we smugly patted ourselves on the back. When an investigative report on a national news program (like 60 Minutes) told us of some professional sports players filing suit against their universities because they had been pushed through and graduated to keep them eligible even though they were functionally illiterate, we shook our heads knowing that "those things" didn't happen in our parts of the country.
As college sports became Big Time and Big Money, however, the temptation for schools to win on the national stage became overwhelming. Simply allowing unqualified students to attend to help a school win seemed almost noble in comparison. Some rationalized that they would help these poor young men get the education they missed in high school, where they were also passed along to keep them eligible for sports.
Schools, particularly in basketball, went hard with handfuls (or bags full) of cash after young men who they knew would never even attend a collegiate course. They'd come in as FIVE STAR players, with cash in hand, play for one season and move on to professional basketball in the US or overseas before the NCAA caught on that they were not really students. There's even a name for them among the fans and press: The One and Done's.
It's a system which works for basketball because exceptional hardwood talents can be among the best in the country even as freshmen. It's much harder to do in football, but not totally unheard of.
When the FBI announced that they had made the first arrests of college coaches involved in high stakes bribery, and that system involved agents, financial managers, and even shoe companies, no one who follows college athletics was really surprised. Coaches were paid to advise young men who to hire as agents and advisors, and they were also directed to use money to lure young men to the "right" schools, where those with a financial stake could exercise influence over them.
That the Pac-12 had two of the first four coaches arrested was shocking to fans. Although, in reality, the USC coach was not a shock because, after all, USC has gotten in trouble before for athletes being paid. In fact, most fans in the Pac-12 refer to USC as an "Honorary SEC team" because of their predilection for running afoul of NCAA rules. The arrest of a coach at Arizona was another matter altogether.
The Wildcats were one of the Top 10 in all-time winning percentage. They had made it to the NCAA tournament every year except one in the last 32 years. They were the most consistently excellent program in the Pac-12 during those years. And now, it turns out, they've been paying players to go to Tucson. Head coach Sean Miller has not been arrested or indicted... yet. But his assistant, Emanuel "Book" Richardson was among the first arrested by the FBI. Most of us have a sneaking suspicion that the nickname "Book" has absolutely nothing to do with reading.
We were never surprised if the Louisville's or Kentucky's or Alabama's of the college landscape got caught paying players. Why would anyone willingly go to those places unless there was money involved? Isn't it amazing how certain we can be in our naivete?
The FBI claims that the first arrests were just the tip of the iceberg of a much larger, nationwide, problem of a multi-billion dollar industry being largely dependent on (officially) unpaid young athletes. How could that system possibly go wrong, right?
No matter what happens, fans from the Pac-12 have had their moral assured-ness in the propriety of their college athletics take a severe beating. They likely will never feel that way again. Overall, maybe that's a good thing. Blind faith in anything only leads to trouble.
We believed our blood brothers in this rightful hierarchy of academic and athletics was the Big 10. The schools in the two conferences were not only among the best in the country, but also the world. In the latest world rankings of universities for academic achievement, the two conferences tied to the Rose Bowl (The Granddaddy of them All) put a combined 16 schools among the best 100 in the entire world.
As schools from other parts of the country struggled to properly balance school with sport, we smugly patted ourselves on the back. When an investigative report on a national news program (like 60 Minutes) told us of some professional sports players filing suit against their universities because they had been pushed through and graduated to keep them eligible even though they were functionally illiterate, we shook our heads knowing that "those things" didn't happen in our parts of the country.
As college sports became Big Time and Big Money, however, the temptation for schools to win on the national stage became overwhelming. Simply allowing unqualified students to attend to help a school win seemed almost noble in comparison. Some rationalized that they would help these poor young men get the education they missed in high school, where they were also passed along to keep them eligible for sports.
Schools, particularly in basketball, went hard with handfuls (or bags full) of cash after young men who they knew would never even attend a collegiate course. They'd come in as FIVE STAR players, with cash in hand, play for one season and move on to professional basketball in the US or overseas before the NCAA caught on that they were not really students. There's even a name for them among the fans and press: The One and Done's.
It's a system which works for basketball because exceptional hardwood talents can be among the best in the country even as freshmen. It's much harder to do in football, but not totally unheard of.
When the FBI announced that they had made the first arrests of college coaches involved in high stakes bribery, and that system involved agents, financial managers, and even shoe companies, no one who follows college athletics was really surprised. Coaches were paid to advise young men who to hire as agents and advisors, and they were also directed to use money to lure young men to the "right" schools, where those with a financial stake could exercise influence over them.
That the Pac-12 had two of the first four coaches arrested was shocking to fans. Although, in reality, the USC coach was not a shock because, after all, USC has gotten in trouble before for athletes being paid. In fact, most fans in the Pac-12 refer to USC as an "Honorary SEC team" because of their predilection for running afoul of NCAA rules. The arrest of a coach at Arizona was another matter altogether.
The Wildcats were one of the Top 10 in all-time winning percentage. They had made it to the NCAA tournament every year except one in the last 32 years. They were the most consistently excellent program in the Pac-12 during those years. And now, it turns out, they've been paying players to go to Tucson. Head coach Sean Miller has not been arrested or indicted... yet. But his assistant, Emanuel "Book" Richardson was among the first arrested by the FBI. Most of us have a sneaking suspicion that the nickname "Book" has absolutely nothing to do with reading.
We were never surprised if the Louisville's or Kentucky's or Alabama's of the college landscape got caught paying players. Why would anyone willingly go to those places unless there was money involved? Isn't it amazing how certain we can be in our naivete?
The FBI claims that the first arrests were just the tip of the iceberg of a much larger, nationwide, problem of a multi-billion dollar industry being largely dependent on (officially) unpaid young athletes. How could that system possibly go wrong, right?
No matter what happens, fans from the Pac-12 have had their moral assured-ness in the propriety of their college athletics take a severe beating. They likely will never feel that way again. Overall, maybe that's a good thing. Blind faith in anything only leads to trouble.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
National Letter of Intent Day and Spring Practices are Just Around the Corner: Hope Springs Eternal for CU Buffs
Counting down to National Letter of Intent Day (February 3rd) and the upcoming Spring football practices, college football fans from Boulder and around the country are starting to get excited. Every team is undefeated, and hope springs eternal.
For the top 25 level teams from last season, there is hope that 2016 will be the season that their team will be one of the final four playing for a National Championship. For those playing in a lower tier bowl, there is hope for a better bowl this year. For those sitting on the outside looking in when the bowl season rolled around, there is hope that their team might make one of the 41 bowl games which now follow the regular season. In fact, there are so many bowl games these days that some teams that were not even officially "bowl eligible" (6 wins) were able to go to bowl games last season despite only winning five games.
Of all the teams in the Power Five Conferences (Pac-12, Big 10, Big 12, SEC, and the ACC), no team has gone longer without going to a bowl than Colorado. The Buffs last went to a bowl way back in 2007. Only Kansas and Kentucky join Colorado as Big Five teams that have not been to a bowl game in more than five years.
Buff fans who have suffered through nearly a decade of futility are aching to get off the list of teams going through a bowl drought. The same goes for Buff players and coaches. Bowl games are a reward for the hard work of the season. It also allows a team to have a more practice time on the field.
Contrary to what many fans think, bowl practices are NOT limited to 15 days, like Spring practices are. That means having a trip to a bowl game allows a team to have TWO springs for coaches to work directly with the players. That's a reward for teams getting bowl berths, for sure, but it also widens the gap between teams that are bowl eligible and those who are not.
Coaching in Division 1 is always a tough business, and every coach not named Saban knows that a bad year or two could lead to a loss of their job. In some places, even coaches who have won national championships have hot seats (see Les Miles) because their fans and schools expect top 10 finishes every year.
Coaches like Colorado's Mike MacIntyre who have never been to a bowl game as a head coach face harsh and sometimes creepy criticism as fans demand that heads roll. Many fans seem to forget that Colorado was by far the worst Power 5 team in the country when MacIntyre was hired. In fact, some say the Buffs were the very worst team in Division 1.
The cupboard was bare when Mac got to Boulder and the Colorado was still paying off a sizable number of ex coaches who were fired. That put them in no mood to spend money on quality coaches. Jon Embree was the lowest paid coach in the Big 12, and then the Pac-12, before he was let go. Good coaches are a rare commodity, and they earned, on average, more than $2 Million a year. Embree was paid significantly less than half of what his fellow conference coaches earned. It showed. Colorado also has state laws which severely limit the number of staffers which can have multi-year contracts. It makes it hard to attract top coaching talent when you can only offer a one year contract.
Despite the obstacles, Colorado went out and got a home-run hire for Athletic Director in Rick George. He has been a fundraising machine and finally got the money together so Colorado could build facilities that are among the very best in the entire country, college or pro. MacIntyre has taken a team that used to give up 60+ points a game (and was usually playing against the 3rd string by the 3rd quarter) to a team that has put overtime scares into some very good opponents.
The players have gotten bigger, faster and stronger, but they were so far behind that they are only now getting to the point that they are not pushed around every time they step on the field. They are competing, but they have not yet started to win consistently. Fans hope that 2016 is the year that the bowl drought ends and the joy of playing in the postseason brings smiles to the faces of fans and players alike.
It's January now, though, and hope springs eternal. New players will be signing on to play for the Buffs, and spring practice is just around the corner. And right now, the Buffs and every other team are undefeated.
For the top 25 level teams from last season, there is hope that 2016 will be the season that their team will be one of the final four playing for a National Championship. For those playing in a lower tier bowl, there is hope for a better bowl this year. For those sitting on the outside looking in when the bowl season rolled around, there is hope that their team might make one of the 41 bowl games which now follow the regular season. In fact, there are so many bowl games these days that some teams that were not even officially "bowl eligible" (6 wins) were able to go to bowl games last season despite only winning five games.
Of all the teams in the Power Five Conferences (Pac-12, Big 10, Big 12, SEC, and the ACC), no team has gone longer without going to a bowl than Colorado. The Buffs last went to a bowl way back in 2007. Only Kansas and Kentucky join Colorado as Big Five teams that have not been to a bowl game in more than five years.
Buff fans who have suffered through nearly a decade of futility are aching to get off the list of teams going through a bowl drought. The same goes for Buff players and coaches. Bowl games are a reward for the hard work of the season. It also allows a team to have a more practice time on the field.
Contrary to what many fans think, bowl practices are NOT limited to 15 days, like Spring practices are. That means having a trip to a bowl game allows a team to have TWO springs for coaches to work directly with the players. That's a reward for teams getting bowl berths, for sure, but it also widens the gap between teams that are bowl eligible and those who are not.
Coaching in Division 1 is always a tough business, and every coach not named Saban knows that a bad year or two could lead to a loss of their job. In some places, even coaches who have won national championships have hot seats (see Les Miles) because their fans and schools expect top 10 finishes every year.
Coaches like Colorado's Mike MacIntyre who have never been to a bowl game as a head coach face harsh and sometimes creepy criticism as fans demand that heads roll. Many fans seem to forget that Colorado was by far the worst Power 5 team in the country when MacIntyre was hired. In fact, some say the Buffs were the very worst team in Division 1.
The cupboard was bare when Mac got to Boulder and the Colorado was still paying off a sizable number of ex coaches who were fired. That put them in no mood to spend money on quality coaches. Jon Embree was the lowest paid coach in the Big 12, and then the Pac-12, before he was let go. Good coaches are a rare commodity, and they earned, on average, more than $2 Million a year. Embree was paid significantly less than half of what his fellow conference coaches earned. It showed. Colorado also has state laws which severely limit the number of staffers which can have multi-year contracts. It makes it hard to attract top coaching talent when you can only offer a one year contract.
Despite the obstacles, Colorado went out and got a home-run hire for Athletic Director in Rick George. He has been a fundraising machine and finally got the money together so Colorado could build facilities that are among the very best in the entire country, college or pro. MacIntyre has taken a team that used to give up 60+ points a game (and was usually playing against the 3rd string by the 3rd quarter) to a team that has put overtime scares into some very good opponents.
The players have gotten bigger, faster and stronger, but they were so far behind that they are only now getting to the point that they are not pushed around every time they step on the field. They are competing, but they have not yet started to win consistently. Fans hope that 2016 is the year that the bowl drought ends and the joy of playing in the postseason brings smiles to the faces of fans and players alike.
It's January now, though, and hope springs eternal. New players will be signing on to play for the Buffs, and spring practice is just around the corner. And right now, the Buffs and every other team are undefeated.
Friday, August 14, 2015
2015: Colorado Buffs and their Fans Looking for a Team to HATE, or Vice Versa... or Maybe Just to Care Again!
Heading into the 2015 NCAA football season, Colorado Buff fans in Boulder and around the country are searching and hoping for a reason to care about college football again. At least when it comes to their Buffaloes.
Football is a PASSIONATE sport! It's one of the reasons that it has often been compared to war. One of the things that is necessary for that passion is deeply held feelings. And those feelings only come with time and hard fought wins and losses.
Unfortunately, the Buffs have not been in the Pac-12 long enough to have strong feelings about their conference foes. So far, it has just been "we're happy to be here" in the Conference of Champions. And since the Buffs have been nothing but the designated "Gimme" in the Pac-12 since joining the league, the other schools have been happy to have Colorado around as well.
Boulder is a new favorite among fans around the Pac-12 to travel to for away games as well. One reason is they can usually count on a victory. Boulder is also one of the most beautiful towns in the country. And, judging by the lines outside the legal marijuana dispensaries on game days, Boulder's social activities are popular among college students around the Pac-12.
Back on the gridiron, however, things are different. Due to a decade of futility, nobody in the Pac-12 spends time being worried about the Buffs when it comes to football. (That's not true in basketball and other sports where the Buffs are already teams to be feared.) Nobody in the conference fears Colorado... because the Buffs haven't earned it yet.
Last year was close. Two double-overtime losses (Cal and UCLA) would have done a great deal toward earning the Buffs some respect had the games gone the other way. But they didn't. So they enter 2015 as a team flying under everyone's radar. Again.
Only when the Buffs have broken the dreams of some conference foes will they get the respect they desire. That's how rivalries are built.
---------------------------------
Heading into the 1986 season, the Colorado Buffaloes were coming off a 7-5 record under Bill McCartney. That was considered an amazing feat since the Buffs had only won ONE game the year prior. Those seven wins earned McCartney his first of three conference coach of the year awards.
After the seven wins in 1985, Buff fans were excited about the possibility of even better things to come in '86. The Buffs started the year with FOUR straight losses before finally getting their first win in a nail-biter against Missouri. The next game the Buffs demolished Iowa State. The Buffs stood at 2-4 and would be hosting the hated #3 ranked Nebraska Cornholers at Folsom Field.
Almost nobody around the country, and very few around Boulder, gave the Buffs much of a chance. Nebraska had beaten the Buffs every single year since 1967, and the Buffs had not beaten the Fuskers in Boulder since 1961. Nebraska marched into Boulder undefeated and ranked #3 and ready to dominate.
Part of the turnaround made by coach McCartney was to designate the Nebraska game as Colorado's "red letter" game because he felt the Huskers were a model of consistency over decades and that if the Buffs wanted to be a national caliber team, they would have to be good enough to beat Nebraska on a consistent basis.
Husker fans laughed aloud at Mac declaring Nebraska a rival. Many of them had grown up without ever seeing Colorado win against their beloved Huskers. Back here in Boulder, Colorado fans were sick and tired of the condescending Nebraska faithful, who loved to swarm into Boulder and fill the bars and restaurants with tobacco smoke and boast about their team. Up until that point, Nebraska fans LOVED Boulder because they could count on a win and gloat their way around town.
Somebody forgot to tell Mac and his team, however. The Buffs came out and played hardnosed defense and beat the hated Huskers by a score of 20-10. Twenty-five years of frustration came to a boil in a party of exuberance that had been long missing at Folsom Field. The goal posts came down and the words "WE WIN!" blazed from the scoreboard through the night and across the front pages of the Colorado papers.
After that game, Colorado was indeed a rival for Nebraska. Husker fans refused to acknowledge the Buffs as a rival but their hatred shined through loud and clear. Whereas Boulder was once their favorite road trip of the season, they started complaining long and loud that Buff fans were "rude" to them (completely ignoring how Lincoln treats their out-of-town fans).
If you asked just about any Buff fan which team they loved to hate, Nebraska would be at the top of the list. The Fuskers and their fans were a classless bunch, by far the worst that Buff fans had encountered.
Some examples of Nebraska classlessness follow: In 1989, as the Buffs were rolling through a miraculous undefeated regular season marred by the death of their quarterback Sal Aunese. His death made national news and brought condolences from around the country.
But the slimeballs in Nebraska reacted to his death by writing "SAL IS DEAD, GO BIG RED!" across the highway where it crossed from Colorado into Nebraska. Talk about a rivalry gone wrong! Those poor jackasses were willing to glory in the death by cancer of a young man just because he played for a team they didn't like.
The next year, the Buffs won the National Championship. It should have been a unanimous National Championship, but the Buffs had to share it with Georgia Tech because Husker's head coach Tom Osborne ballot amazingly left #1 ranked Colorado off the list of top twenty teams. Osborne later claimed someone else filled out the ballot for him, but it was in HIS name and HE was responsible. Classless from the bottom and classless from the top. That's Nebraska.
-------------------------------
What's the point of the story? Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffaloes have to give up being happy to be in the Pac-12. They need to kick some doors down and piss some people off. They need to ruin some team's hopes for a Conference or National Championship. They need to deny someone a bowl game. They need to make Folsom Field a place where every other team fears to play.
Boulder will still be beautiful. And the fans from around the Pac-12 can still appreciate the social activities that Colorado has to offer. But they need to make Folsom Field THEIR HOUSE once again. Only then can bowl games and championships come back to Boulder.
Football is a PASSIONATE sport! It's one of the reasons that it has often been compared to war. One of the things that is necessary for that passion is deeply held feelings. And those feelings only come with time and hard fought wins and losses.
Unfortunately, the Buffs have not been in the Pac-12 long enough to have strong feelings about their conference foes. So far, it has just been "we're happy to be here" in the Conference of Champions. And since the Buffs have been nothing but the designated "Gimme" in the Pac-12 since joining the league, the other schools have been happy to have Colorado around as well.
Boulder is a new favorite among fans around the Pac-12 to travel to for away games as well. One reason is they can usually count on a victory. Boulder is also one of the most beautiful towns in the country. And, judging by the lines outside the legal marijuana dispensaries on game days, Boulder's social activities are popular among college students around the Pac-12.
Back on the gridiron, however, things are different. Due to a decade of futility, nobody in the Pac-12 spends time being worried about the Buffs when it comes to football. (That's not true in basketball and other sports where the Buffs are already teams to be feared.) Nobody in the conference fears Colorado... because the Buffs haven't earned it yet.
Last year was close. Two double-overtime losses (Cal and UCLA) would have done a great deal toward earning the Buffs some respect had the games gone the other way. But they didn't. So they enter 2015 as a team flying under everyone's radar. Again.
Only when the Buffs have broken the dreams of some conference foes will they get the respect they desire. That's how rivalries are built.
---------------------------------
Heading into the 1986 season, the Colorado Buffaloes were coming off a 7-5 record under Bill McCartney. That was considered an amazing feat since the Buffs had only won ONE game the year prior. Those seven wins earned McCartney his first of three conference coach of the year awards.
After the seven wins in 1985, Buff fans were excited about the possibility of even better things to come in '86. The Buffs started the year with FOUR straight losses before finally getting their first win in a nail-biter against Missouri. The next game the Buffs demolished Iowa State. The Buffs stood at 2-4 and would be hosting the hated #3 ranked Nebraska Cornholers at Folsom Field.
Almost nobody around the country, and very few around Boulder, gave the Buffs much of a chance. Nebraska had beaten the Buffs every single year since 1967, and the Buffs had not beaten the Fuskers in Boulder since 1961. Nebraska marched into Boulder undefeated and ranked #3 and ready to dominate.
Part of the turnaround made by coach McCartney was to designate the Nebraska game as Colorado's "red letter" game because he felt the Huskers were a model of consistency over decades and that if the Buffs wanted to be a national caliber team, they would have to be good enough to beat Nebraska on a consistent basis.
Husker fans laughed aloud at Mac declaring Nebraska a rival. Many of them had grown up without ever seeing Colorado win against their beloved Huskers. Back here in Boulder, Colorado fans were sick and tired of the condescending Nebraska faithful, who loved to swarm into Boulder and fill the bars and restaurants with tobacco smoke and boast about their team. Up until that point, Nebraska fans LOVED Boulder because they could count on a win and gloat their way around town.
Somebody forgot to tell Mac and his team, however. The Buffs came out and played hardnosed defense and beat the hated Huskers by a score of 20-10. Twenty-five years of frustration came to a boil in a party of exuberance that had been long missing at Folsom Field. The goal posts came down and the words "WE WIN!" blazed from the scoreboard through the night and across the front pages of the Colorado papers.
After that game, Colorado was indeed a rival for Nebraska. Husker fans refused to acknowledge the Buffs as a rival but their hatred shined through loud and clear. Whereas Boulder was once their favorite road trip of the season, they started complaining long and loud that Buff fans were "rude" to them (completely ignoring how Lincoln treats their out-of-town fans).
If you asked just about any Buff fan which team they loved to hate, Nebraska would be at the top of the list. The Fuskers and their fans were a classless bunch, by far the worst that Buff fans had encountered.
Some examples of Nebraska classlessness follow: In 1989, as the Buffs were rolling through a miraculous undefeated regular season marred by the death of their quarterback Sal Aunese. His death made national news and brought condolences from around the country.
But the slimeballs in Nebraska reacted to his death by writing "SAL IS DEAD, GO BIG RED!" across the highway where it crossed from Colorado into Nebraska. Talk about a rivalry gone wrong! Those poor jackasses were willing to glory in the death by cancer of a young man just because he played for a team they didn't like.
The next year, the Buffs won the National Championship. It should have been a unanimous National Championship, but the Buffs had to share it with Georgia Tech because Husker's head coach Tom Osborne ballot amazingly left #1 ranked Colorado off the list of top twenty teams. Osborne later claimed someone else filled out the ballot for him, but it was in HIS name and HE was responsible. Classless from the bottom and classless from the top. That's Nebraska.
-------------------------------
What's the point of the story? Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffaloes have to give up being happy to be in the Pac-12. They need to kick some doors down and piss some people off. They need to ruin some team's hopes for a Conference or National Championship. They need to deny someone a bowl game. They need to make Folsom Field a place where every other team fears to play.
Boulder will still be beautiful. And the fans from around the Pac-12 can still appreciate the social activities that Colorado has to offer. But they need to make Folsom Field THEIR HOUSE once again. Only then can bowl games and championships come back to Boulder.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Buff Fans Should Look to Arizona and Lute Olson for Inspiration
Not all that long ago, the Colorado Buffaloes Men's Basketball program was the mostly forgotten little brother to the mighty CU Football program. Over the years, heck, over the decades, the CU hoopsters were a model of mediocrity. Not that they were lacking in excitement, mind you. On occasion they played top 20 teams very tough when they cam to Boulder. On the road, though, especially in conference play, the Buffs were frequently a guaranteed a big fat L in the loss column.
Those who are new to rooting for the Buffs have been spoiled by the excellence of head coach Tad Boyle. In his four years at the helm in Boulder, the Buffs have won 92 games. For you non-math people, that's an average of 23 wins per year. To put that number in the proper perspective, remember that in the more than 100 years that Colorado played basketball before Boyle arrived, they had exactly FOUR twenty win seasons. Boyle has had the same number in only 4 years.
The most dominant team in the Pac-12 for the last 30 years has been the University of Arizona. Indeed, most younger people seem to think that Arizona's basketball excellence goes back a LONG, LONG time like Kansas, Kentucky, or North Carolina. But it is not true. It was the arrival of Lute Olson in 1983 who turned Arizona into a basketball powerhouse.
Like Colorado, the University of Arizona had a long history of mediocrity in college basketball. Before the arrival of Lute Olson, the Wildcats were one of the worst teams in the entire country. Arizona did not make it to the Big Dance in Olson's first season in Tucson. The same can be said for Tad Boyle's first team at Colorado.
The next three years, Arizona and Colorado have in common three trips to March Madness and three early losses in the tournament (only the 2012 CU team got past the first game). For Arizona, they were the first three of 23 CONSECUTIVE trips to the Big Dance. Included in that 23 year run were a national championship, a runner-up, 4 trips to the Final Four, 7 spots in the Elite Eight, and 11 appearances in the Sweet 16.
The last team that won fewer than 20 games for Lute Olson was the 1986-7 team which finished only 18-12, but still made it to the NCAA tournament. The next year the Wildcats went 35-3 and made it to the Final Four.
Why the history lesson? Many fans of Colorado took the 3rd straight defeat in the opening round (Round of 64, maybe? I refuse to call it the 2nd round) as a sign that bad things are ahead for the Buff basketball program.
The truth is that this is the early stages of the the Golden Era for Colorado basketball. Earlier this year we were ranked in the top 15 in the country! A couple of injuries changed everything, and the Buffs limped into postseason play with one of the youngest teams in the country.
Next year the Buffs youngsters will be a year older and a year stronger. New blood is coming in as well. Count on 20 wins again, and maybe considerably more. Also count on the Buffs to be in the NCAA tournament once again. And if the University of Colorado knows what is in the best interest of the school and fans, they will do what is necessary to keep Tad Boyle the head coach at Colorado for a long, long time.
Those who are new to rooting for the Buffs have been spoiled by the excellence of head coach Tad Boyle. In his four years at the helm in Boulder, the Buffs have won 92 games. For you non-math people, that's an average of 23 wins per year. To put that number in the proper perspective, remember that in the more than 100 years that Colorado played basketball before Boyle arrived, they had exactly FOUR twenty win seasons. Boyle has had the same number in only 4 years.
The most dominant team in the Pac-12 for the last 30 years has been the University of Arizona. Indeed, most younger people seem to think that Arizona's basketball excellence goes back a LONG, LONG time like Kansas, Kentucky, or North Carolina. But it is not true. It was the arrival of Lute Olson in 1983 who turned Arizona into a basketball powerhouse.
Like Colorado, the University of Arizona had a long history of mediocrity in college basketball. Before the arrival of Lute Olson, the Wildcats were one of the worst teams in the entire country. Arizona did not make it to the Big Dance in Olson's first season in Tucson. The same can be said for Tad Boyle's first team at Colorado.
The next three years, Arizona and Colorado have in common three trips to March Madness and three early losses in the tournament (only the 2012 CU team got past the first game). For Arizona, they were the first three of 23 CONSECUTIVE trips to the Big Dance. Included in that 23 year run were a national championship, a runner-up, 4 trips to the Final Four, 7 spots in the Elite Eight, and 11 appearances in the Sweet 16.
The last team that won fewer than 20 games for Lute Olson was the 1986-7 team which finished only 18-12, but still made it to the NCAA tournament. The next year the Wildcats went 35-3 and made it to the Final Four.
Why the history lesson? Many fans of Colorado took the 3rd straight defeat in the opening round (Round of 64, maybe? I refuse to call it the 2nd round) as a sign that bad things are ahead for the Buff basketball program.
The truth is that this is the early stages of the the Golden Era for Colorado basketball. Earlier this year we were ranked in the top 15 in the country! A couple of injuries changed everything, and the Buffs limped into postseason play with one of the youngest teams in the country.
Next year the Buffs youngsters will be a year older and a year stronger. New blood is coming in as well. Count on 20 wins again, and maybe considerably more. Also count on the Buffs to be in the NCAA tournament once again. And if the University of Colorado knows what is in the best interest of the school and fans, they will do what is necessary to keep Tad Boyle the head coach at Colorado for a long, long time.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Colorado Buffs Embarrass Themselves at the Big Dance in Orlando
Although it is only halftime as this is written, it is perfectly safe to say that the CU Buffs are "one and done" at this year's Big Dance. Now, getting to March Madness for the third year in a row is something for the Buffs to celebrate. More importantly, right now, the Buffs should be celebrating that most fans back home in Colorado DID NOT see their atrocious performance against Pittsburgh because the game was started at 11:40 in the morning Colorado time.
HALFTIME SCORE: PITT 46, COLORADO 18
No, that is not a typo. The Buffs were behind by 28 points in the first 20 minutes of the game to a team seeded lower than Colorado. Boyle should send 5 guys (or maybe 4 guys and a girl) from the C-Unit out to finish the game in the second half, because they couldn't do any worse than his scholarship players.
I don't know if Colorado planned any extra-curricular activities in Orlando, but if they did they should cancel them. Or, at the very least, make sure that none of the players wears CU apparel out in public. That way they might be able to avoid the finger pointing and laughter that might be hurled their way. No worries, though, since they would not be able to catch anything hurled their way anyway... not if their play today was any indication.
For those of us fans who were unfortunate enough to be able to watch the first half, it was like going back in time to watching the 2012 CU football team. The game against Fresno State springs to mind.
Thank goodness we can now focus our attention on the Spring practices of Mike MacIntyre's Buff football team. After winning four games last year, hopes are high that the Buffs will win at least six games this year and become bowl eligible for the first time since 2007. In any case, after today, CU football and men's basketball fans can't face another defeat until at least September.
And, hopefully, it will be much longer before either team gets destroyed as badly as the Buff got today.
Happy Vernal Equinox! It's a beautiful time of year to be doing something besides watching sports on TV.
HALFTIME SCORE: PITT 46, COLORADO 18
No, that is not a typo. The Buffs were behind by 28 points in the first 20 minutes of the game to a team seeded lower than Colorado. Boyle should send 5 guys (or maybe 4 guys and a girl) from the C-Unit out to finish the game in the second half, because they couldn't do any worse than his scholarship players.
I don't know if Colorado planned any extra-curricular activities in Orlando, but if they did they should cancel them. Or, at the very least, make sure that none of the players wears CU apparel out in public. That way they might be able to avoid the finger pointing and laughter that might be hurled their way. No worries, though, since they would not be able to catch anything hurled their way anyway... not if their play today was any indication.
For those of us fans who were unfortunate enough to be able to watch the first half, it was like going back in time to watching the 2012 CU football team. The game against Fresno State springs to mind.
Thank goodness we can now focus our attention on the Spring practices of Mike MacIntyre's Buff football team. After winning four games last year, hopes are high that the Buffs will win at least six games this year and become bowl eligible for the first time since 2007. In any case, after today, CU football and men's basketball fans can't face another defeat until at least September.
And, hopefully, it will be much longer before either team gets destroyed as badly as the Buff got today.
Happy Vernal Equinox! It's a beautiful time of year to be doing something besides watching sports on TV.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
CU Buffs Draw Pitt Panthers for the Big Dance of March Madness
Colorado basketball fans did not have to wait long to find out where and who they would be playing in the Big Dance. Right after it was announced that the Florida Gators were overall #1 seed in the tournament and #1 in the South bracket, the CU Buffs were announced as a #8 seed, and the potential next victim to the mighty Gators.
Florida must first face the stronger of two sacrificial lambs -- the winner between Albany and Mt. St. Mary's. In case anyone thinks an upset might be in the making, history is certainly not on their side. A #16 seed has NEVER beaten a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
For Colorado to get a crack at the Gators (who will be playing a mere 112 miles from home), the Buffs must first defeat the Pitt Panthers. CU and Pitt will face off Thursday (March 20th) at the Amway Center at 11:40 AM Mountain Time (1:40 PM Eastern Time) on TBS.
Fortunately for the fans of both CU and Pitt, the games will be played in Orlando, Florida, which has the widest array of densely packed tourist attractions in the world.
Fans can look forward to Disney World, EPCOT Center, SeaWorld, Universal Studios, Wet 'n Wild, Gatorland, Aquatica, Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, and Ripley's Believe it Not. If Florida DOES manage to lose their first game, they will most likely become a permanent addition at Ripley's.
Tad Boyle has done an amazing job of turning Colorado into a bonafide basketball school. Indeed, if Spencer Dinwiddie had not had his season ended by injury, Colorado might very well be entering the tournament with a #3 or #4 seed instead of a #8. This will be the third straight trip to the tournament for Colorado, who was snubbed in 2011 and relegated to the NIT.
The Pac-12 has now moved into the upper echelon of basketball conferences. Their 6 selections were only bettered by the 7 of the Big 12. Two years ago, the Pac-12 had only two teams named to the tournament.
The Buffs will be led into the tournament by All Pac-12 center Josh Scott and playmaking fireball Askia Booker. With Dinwiddie out, Booker is the ONLY upperclassman on the team who gets significant playing time.
The youth of the Buff team bodes well for the future of the program. For this year, many fans would be happy with one win in Orlando. The Buffs, however, are looking for more. Playing top-10 teams is nothing new to them, and their RPI going into the tournament is among the top 10% in the country. They may go down, but they will go down swinging. Now that they have become a team that is expected to make the tournament, they know it is time to move past the point where they are just happy to be there. They are there to compete and to win.
Florida must first face the stronger of two sacrificial lambs -- the winner between Albany and Mt. St. Mary's. In case anyone thinks an upset might be in the making, history is certainly not on their side. A #16 seed has NEVER beaten a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
For Colorado to get a crack at the Gators (who will be playing a mere 112 miles from home), the Buffs must first defeat the Pitt Panthers. CU and Pitt will face off Thursday (March 20th) at the Amway Center at 11:40 AM Mountain Time (1:40 PM Eastern Time) on TBS.
Fortunately for the fans of both CU and Pitt, the games will be played in Orlando, Florida, which has the widest array of densely packed tourist attractions in the world.
Fans can look forward to Disney World, EPCOT Center, SeaWorld, Universal Studios, Wet 'n Wild, Gatorland, Aquatica, Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, and Ripley's Believe it Not. If Florida DOES manage to lose their first game, they will most likely become a permanent addition at Ripley's.
Tad Boyle has done an amazing job of turning Colorado into a bonafide basketball school. Indeed, if Spencer Dinwiddie had not had his season ended by injury, Colorado might very well be entering the tournament with a #3 or #4 seed instead of a #8. This will be the third straight trip to the tournament for Colorado, who was snubbed in 2011 and relegated to the NIT.
The Pac-12 has now moved into the upper echelon of basketball conferences. Their 6 selections were only bettered by the 7 of the Big 12. Two years ago, the Pac-12 had only two teams named to the tournament.
The Buffs will be led into the tournament by All Pac-12 center Josh Scott and playmaking fireball Askia Booker. With Dinwiddie out, Booker is the ONLY upperclassman on the team who gets significant playing time.
The youth of the Buff team bodes well for the future of the program. For this year, many fans would be happy with one win in Orlando. The Buffs, however, are looking for more. Playing top-10 teams is nothing new to them, and their RPI going into the tournament is among the top 10% in the country. They may go down, but they will go down swinging. Now that they have become a team that is expected to make the tournament, they know it is time to move past the point where they are just happy to be there. They are there to compete and to win.
Monday, September 16, 2013
29 Teams Colorado COULD Play October 19th to Make Up For Lost Fresno State Game
Massive floodwaters are still raging high in Colorado. Those 100-year floodwaters forced the postponement of the CU game vs. Fresno State this past weekend. Today, new athletic director Rick George looks to find a way to re-schedule Fresno State or find another opponent to come to Boulder on the Buffs' bye week of October 19th.
Colorado faced a very large financial shortfall last year and desperately needs the revenue which would have been brought in had the Fresno State game not been postponed by the natural disaster.
Colorado faced a very large financial shortfall last year and desperately needs the revenue which would have been brought in had the Fresno State game not been postponed by the natural disaster.
Schools which are scheduled for a bye week on October 19th.
Air Force
Alabama-Birmingham
Arkansas State
Boston College
Bowling Green
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Hawaii
Idaho
Kansas State
Kentucky
Louisiana-Monroe
Marshall
Middle Tennessee
Mississippi State
Nebraska
North Carolina State
Penn State
Rutgers
San Diego State
San Jose State
South Carolina
Texas
Texas-El Paso (UTEP)
Texas-San Antonio
Troy
Tulane
Tulsa
Virginia Tech
Since the NCAA generally limits the number of games played to 12 (not counting conference championship games), any team willing to come in would have to get the extra game approved by them.
Historically, however, the NCAA has allowed teams which have played an away game at Hawaii to add an additional game. Both San Jose State and San Diego State play away games at Hawaii this year. That being the case, they would certainly seem to face the least amount of red tape from the NCAA if they would be willing to travel to Boulder.
Both teams already play a Pac-12 team this year. SJS played Stanford in week 2, and SDS plays Oregon State this week. Oregon State is Colorado's next scheduled opponent. Another connection for San Jose State is that Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre is the former head coach for SJS, and the man who rebuilt the program into a top 25 team in 2012.
Historically speaking, the teams from Texas, Nebraska and Kansas State offer the chance to play someone with a conference history with Colorado. The Buffs are scheduled to play Nebraska four times from 2018-24. Each team will have two home games.
Closest at hand would be a game with Air Force. No costly air travel would be required, and it would give the federal government a chance to help out the University of Colorado without writing a check.
Rick George faces an arduous task in getting something done to help Colorado secure another game this year. Here's to hoping the NCAA does its part to smooth the process.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Pac-12 Football: Colorado's Road to Respectability a Combination of Autobahn Speeds and Road Contruction Woes
After suffering through the worst year ever for Colorado Buffaloes football in 2012, perhaps it is still a bit too early to hope for an easy win. Easy or not, though, Mike MacIntyre's Buffs improved their season record to 2-0 after scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter to come back from a 7 point deficit to Central Arkansas. The final score at Folsom Field was 38-24.
Just about everyone conceded that the road to rebuilding Colorado Football by Mac and staff would have a fair share of bumps and detours. Two games in, that is certainly the case. The difference this year from prior years is that the Buffaloes do not fold when the going gets tough. On the contrary, to borrow a boxing term, when these Buffs get knocked to the canvas they get right back up and start swinging.
In both games, late heroics were enough to pull out victories. Colorado scored 18 points in the fourth quarter in game one against CSU, and bettered that with the 21 points in the final stanza against Central Arkansas. The 39 points scored by CU in the last quarter this year is near the top of the NCAA rankings. Last year, the Buffs scored an average of 17.8 points per GAME. This year, the Buffs are beating that by nearly two points in just the fourth QUARTER!
Overall, the Buffs are averaging 39 points per game. That puts CU at 33rd in the country in scoring. Last year, they were 120th! Paul Richardson is the #1 receiver in the country with 417 yards, 4 touchdown and 21 catches. Connor Wood is 7th in the country in passing, while last year the Buffs finished 99th in that category. While the Buffaloes are still looking for a breakout game on the ground, the passing game has more than made up for it so far this season.
On the defensive side of the ball, the difference has been just as dramatic. Last year, the Buffs had just three interceptions the entire year. That was bad enough to have them ranked 122nd in the country. This year, they equaled that total in one game against Central Arkansas. Moreover, they returned two of the interceptions for touchdowns. After two games, the Buffs are tied for #2 in the country. Add the fumble recovery for a touchdown by Greg Henderson in game one, and the Buffs Defense is averaging 1.5 TD's per game.
Does that mean everything is going smoothly for the Buffs in 2013? Not by a long shot. The kickoff return coverage is so bad that Buffs are by far the worst in the country. Right now it is so bad that kicking the ball out of bounds on purpose to let the opponent start their series on the 35 yard line would be a significant improvement. As for punting, only the mad skills of All-American candidate Darragh O'Neill has kept the punt return stats from being as bad as the kickoff returns.
Strangely enough, other than on kick and punt returns, the overall tackling of these Buffs has been light years better than last year. Coach Mac and special teams coach Toby Neinas are working feverishly to rectify the situation. Neinas is no newbie in the profession, with more than 15 years on his resume. Chances are that some fine tuning on proper lane coverage will eventually lead CU back to respectability. If not that, Buff fans can hope that the team at least gets to the point the every kick does not lead to serious hand wringing.
Through two games in 2013, the Buffs road to respectability has been a combination of Autobahn speeds and road construction woes. So far, the improvements in offense and defense have allowed CU to win despite the setbacks on special teams and rushing. They are working hard, but they knew it wouldn't be clear sailing the entire way, not this early in the process.
This week the Buffs face a Fresno State team which decimated them last year by a score of a score of 69-14. It is obviously a major step up in competition. These Buffs are a drastic improvement over last year, most notably in their hearts and dedication. They may not beat this FS team which is close to joining the Top 25, but their hearts will be in it to the very end. They may take some damaging shots, and even find themselves on the canvas, but they will land some haymakers of their own. Indeed, count on them to start earning back the respect that disappeared last year in Fresno.
Just about everyone conceded that the road to rebuilding Colorado Football by Mac and staff would have a fair share of bumps and detours. Two games in, that is certainly the case. The difference this year from prior years is that the Buffaloes do not fold when the going gets tough. On the contrary, to borrow a boxing term, when these Buffs get knocked to the canvas they get right back up and start swinging.
In both games, late heroics were enough to pull out victories. Colorado scored 18 points in the fourth quarter in game one against CSU, and bettered that with the 21 points in the final stanza against Central Arkansas. The 39 points scored by CU in the last quarter this year is near the top of the NCAA rankings. Last year, the Buffs scored an average of 17.8 points per GAME. This year, the Buffs are beating that by nearly two points in just the fourth QUARTER!
Overall, the Buffs are averaging 39 points per game. That puts CU at 33rd in the country in scoring. Last year, they were 120th! Paul Richardson is the #1 receiver in the country with 417 yards, 4 touchdown and 21 catches. Connor Wood is 7th in the country in passing, while last year the Buffs finished 99th in that category. While the Buffaloes are still looking for a breakout game on the ground, the passing game has more than made up for it so far this season.
On the defensive side of the ball, the difference has been just as dramatic. Last year, the Buffs had just three interceptions the entire year. That was bad enough to have them ranked 122nd in the country. This year, they equaled that total in one game against Central Arkansas. Moreover, they returned two of the interceptions for touchdowns. After two games, the Buffs are tied for #2 in the country. Add the fumble recovery for a touchdown by Greg Henderson in game one, and the Buffs Defense is averaging 1.5 TD's per game.
Does that mean everything is going smoothly for the Buffs in 2013? Not by a long shot. The kickoff return coverage is so bad that Buffs are by far the worst in the country. Right now it is so bad that kicking the ball out of bounds on purpose to let the opponent start their series on the 35 yard line would be a significant improvement. As for punting, only the mad skills of All-American candidate Darragh O'Neill has kept the punt return stats from being as bad as the kickoff returns.
Strangely enough, other than on kick and punt returns, the overall tackling of these Buffs has been light years better than last year. Coach Mac and special teams coach Toby Neinas are working feverishly to rectify the situation. Neinas is no newbie in the profession, with more than 15 years on his resume. Chances are that some fine tuning on proper lane coverage will eventually lead CU back to respectability. If not that, Buff fans can hope that the team at least gets to the point the every kick does not lead to serious hand wringing.
Through two games in 2013, the Buffs road to respectability has been a combination of Autobahn speeds and road construction woes. So far, the improvements in offense and defense have allowed CU to win despite the setbacks on special teams and rushing. They are working hard, but they knew it wouldn't be clear sailing the entire way, not this early in the process.
This week the Buffs face a Fresno State team which decimated them last year by a score of a score of 69-14. It is obviously a major step up in competition. These Buffs are a drastic improvement over last year, most notably in their hearts and dedication. They may not beat this FS team which is close to joining the Top 25, but their hearts will be in it to the very end. They may take some damaging shots, and even find themselves on the canvas, but they will land some haymakers of their own. Indeed, count on them to start earning back the respect that disappeared last year in Fresno.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Why CU Buff Football Fans Should FORGET About the Recruiting Services
There are more than EIGHT months to go before the 2014 National Signing Day for college football, yet many CU Buff football fans are worried about coach MacIntyre's next recruiting class and how it is ranked by the well known recruiting services Scout.com and Rivals.com. These fans should really STOP giving so much credence to these and other recruiting services.
WHY should fans take what the services say with a grain of salt?
If a coach from a FBS school offers a scholarship to a young man who is unrated or a two-star recruit according to the recruiting services, what it usually means is that the coaches know a lot more about the recruit than the "services" do. We should let them do the jobs they are PAID to do.
A case in point here is the young man named Connor Center who recently signed on to play for the Buffs. He is an excellent athlete who played another sport in high school. So what? His numbers (6' 8" tall, 250 lbs., and 4.68 in the 40 yard dash) would have made him a top ten recruit at tight end. Even though he never played high school football, many schools offered him a scholarship based solely on a workout video he sent out this spring. But CU coaches liked what they saw and sent a coach across the country to work him out in person. A visit to Boulder later, and the Buffs now have one of the biggest coups of the 2013 recruiting class. As the old saying goes, you can't teach height or speed.
Another example is David Bakhtiari, who left school early and was drafted recently into the NFL. Coming out of high school, David was listed by the recruiting services as a TWO star recruit.
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On another note, USC was in the news recently for offering a scholarship to an 8th grade kid who hasn't even gotten to high school yet. Brave move by a coach that many Trojan fans want gone. The one way to nip this idiotic trend in the bud is to make schools live up to that offer no matter what happens to the kid in the next four years. Is the offer still good if the young man blows out his knees or gets multiple concussions? No coach is bound to honor scholarship offers, especially those made by prior coaches. Even the ones they offer themselves can be rescinded at any time. And recruits can also change their minds at any time. Nothing is set in stone until the Letter of Intent is signed, sealed and delivered.
WHY should fans take what the services say with a grain of salt?
- Rivals and Scout each use a network of about 300 "sources" to come up with their ratings of players.
- According to USA Football, there are roughly 1.134 MILLION high school football players at 15,513 high schools across the US.
- That would mean each "source" used by these recruiting services would be responsible for well over 50 high schools, which would not be an easy task.
- If that were not daunting enough, according to the Digest of Education Statistics there are actually over 37,000 public and private high schools in the US. This is well more than double the number listed by USA football.
- This would raise the number of schools to be watched over by each "source" to about 120, a much harder task.
- Many of the "sources" used by recruiting services are unpaid fans of local football. Most of them depend on simple calculations like height, weight, and 40 yard dash times to determine the number of "stars" a recruit will get from them.
- Most never have access to whether potential recruits have the grades or test scores that indicate probable success as a STUDENT at the college level.
- They are not trained or paid (in most cases) to evaluate growth and strength capabilities of rapidly growing young men.
- Some so-called recruiting services can be persuaded to UP their evaluations if the price is right. Basically, this means the are being paid to promote athletes.
- These men are paid handsomely to build relationships with high school coaches and prospective recruits.
- They have to get inside the heads of their recruits. They meet their families and learn about how dedicated to schoolwork the young men are.
- Meeting the parents and siblings (especially older ones) allows these men to ascertain how much the recruit is likely to grow, and how much family support is there for the University of Colorado.
- The coaches also have to evaluate prospective players psychologically. They have to determine if they are dedicated TEAM players, or if they are a potential prima donna who will be disruptive to the team.
- Sadly, they also have to determine if the prospective student is likely to have "legal problems" or thrive in an environment which might be VERY different than they are used to.
- These men take these responsibilities very seriously because their jobs and career depend upon it.
If a coach from a FBS school offers a scholarship to a young man who is unrated or a two-star recruit according to the recruiting services, what it usually means is that the coaches know a lot more about the recruit than the "services" do. We should let them do the jobs they are PAID to do.
A case in point here is the young man named Connor Center who recently signed on to play for the Buffs. He is an excellent athlete who played another sport in high school. So what? His numbers (6' 8" tall, 250 lbs., and 4.68 in the 40 yard dash) would have made him a top ten recruit at tight end. Even though he never played high school football, many schools offered him a scholarship based solely on a workout video he sent out this spring. But CU coaches liked what they saw and sent a coach across the country to work him out in person. A visit to Boulder later, and the Buffs now have one of the biggest coups of the 2013 recruiting class. As the old saying goes, you can't teach height or speed.
Another example is David Bakhtiari, who left school early and was drafted recently into the NFL. Coming out of high school, David was listed by the recruiting services as a TWO star recruit.
------------------------------------------
On another note, USC was in the news recently for offering a scholarship to an 8th grade kid who hasn't even gotten to high school yet. Brave move by a coach that many Trojan fans want gone. The one way to nip this idiotic trend in the bud is to make schools live up to that offer no matter what happens to the kid in the next four years. Is the offer still good if the young man blows out his knees or gets multiple concussions? No coach is bound to honor scholarship offers, especially those made by prior coaches. Even the ones they offer themselves can be rescinded at any time. And recruits can also change their minds at any time. Nothing is set in stone until the Letter of Intent is signed, sealed and delivered.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Andre Roberson's Next Challenge the NBA
Colorado basketball star Andre Roberson has decided to forego his senior season in Boulder for the challenge of the NBA. He notified coach Tad Boyle of his decision on Sunday. The 2013 NBA draft is comprised of two rounds and will be held on Thursday, June 27th.
Roberson is generally regarded as a mid 2nd round pick, but that may change as teams get the opportunity to work him out in person over the next two months. Roberson has been one of the top rebounders in the country each of the last two years, and was also named the Pac-12's Defensive Player of the Year this past season. In addition to taking the ball off the glass, steals and blocked shots have also been mainstays of Roberson's game.
He is known as a fierce competitor, and that mindset will make him a valuable addition to most NBA rosters. While his offensive skill set is still developing, his intense defense and nose for the ball will keep Andre in the mix come draft time. On top of that, Andre has shown himself to be a TEAM player who is dedicated to the success of the team much more than personal glory or statistics.
The NBA will offer a great challenge to Roberson, but as the first notable recruit for head coach Tad Boyle, Roberson knows all about challenges. Prior to his arrival in Boulder, Colorado had only been to the NCAA Tournament two times in over 40 years. Since Andre took the court for the Buffs, Colorado has been to March Madness twice and made it to the NIT championship game in the other year. To put it bluntly, Roberson has helped head coach Tad Boyle turn Colorado into a basketball school with some of the most vocal fans in the Pac-12. Indeed, every team in the league knows about the C-Unit.
Colorado is considered to be loaded with talent going into next season, with some prognosticators having the Buffs penciled in as a top 15 team. The loss of Roberson may temper expectations a bit, but he has blazed a trail that other recruits are following to Boulder. I want to join all Colorado fans in thanking Andre for his time and dedication to the university. Although CU has had other players over the last 20 years that moved on to NBA careers, Roberson has arguably done the most to lift his team into the realm of teams that need to be reckoned with on an annual basis when it comes time for the Big Dance.
Thanks for the memories and good luck Andre!
Friday, March 8, 2013
CU Buff Hoopsters Fight Back, Demolish Oregon Ducks
Deep inside, Tad Boyle must be smiling this morning. Following the 16 point loss to Cal this past weekend, and the news that Andre Roberson (the number one rebounder in the NCAA) would not be able to play, CU found itself facing the daunting task of hosting the the Pac-12's first place team, the Oregon Ducks. In danger of slipping onto the dreaded "Bubble" of teams hoping to get into the NCAA's postseason showcase, how did Boyle's Buffs respond to the challenge? They handed the Ducks their tail feathers with a 76-53 drubbing at the Coors Events Center.
The win was important for several reasons as they get ready to end the regular season by hosting Oregon State this weekend. It puts the Buffs in the position to be on a roll when the Pac-12 tournament gets started in Las Vegas next week. Boyle's team swept through the tournament last year with four wins in four days to earn the conference's automatic tourney berth. The Buffs would love nothing more than to stretch that streak to eight games and secure the best possible seeding to the Big Dance.
The big win also allowed the Buffs to avoid the prolonged malaise that engulfed the team following the overtime loss at Arizona to begin the year. That game was notable for having a game winning three-pointer by Sabatino Chen waived off by officials despite video showing time on the clock when the ball left his hands. Arizona went on to win the game in overtime. The emotional loss put the Buffs into a tailspin which saw them lose four of five games to dig themselves into a big hole at the beginning of conference play.
The Buffs have fought back to now hold the number five position in the conference heading into the final game of the regular season. Following the blowout of the Ducks, CU has to hold serve against Oregon State, who is tied for last place in the Pac-12 with Washington State. A win against the Beavers and a couple of wins in Vegas will give the Buffs the chance to continue their string of 24 win seasons under coach Boyle. March Madness indeed!
The good news for the Buffs heading to Las Vegas is that they hold a 4-3 record against the top four teams in the conference, and they also tend to play very well at neutral venues. Another positive for the Buffs is that their fans, led by the famed C-Unit, travel very well and have the reputation as the loudest and rowdiest fans in the conference. As the saying goes, "VEGAS BABY!"
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Buffs' Chance to Dance Takes a Smack to the Face at Cal
Colorado marched off to the Bay Area with the chance to cement their place in the field for March Madness. They took care of business at Stanford on Wednesday, but once again to fell prey to physical play like that suffered by standout freshman Josh Scott at the hands of Arizona State. The Buffs responded to Cal's smothering defense by shooting a mere 23% from the floor. The were also outrebounded by 13 and fell by 16 points to the tenacious Bears, 62-46. It was the second largest loss by the Buffs this season, trailing only the 36 point shellacking by Kansas early in the season.
Unless Tad Boyle's team can pull off another four wins in four days at the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas next week, CU's presumed spot at the NCAA's Big Dance seems to be slipping away. The Buffs get to finish the regular season at home this week, but one of those games will be against Oregon, the Pac-12's number one team right now. And to make that challenge even greater, those Oregon Ducks are hell bent on revenge after CU pulled off a one point upset last month in Eugene.
Although fans in Colorado seem convinced that CU will get an at-large selection to the NCAA's, the facts about their record are beginning to loom large. Since the Buffs completed the 2012 portion of the season with a 10-2 record, they have only gone 9-7 in 2013. Unless they successfully hold off the Oregon schools this week, chances are that Boyle's team will be heading to Las Vegas as the Pac-12's #6 seed. Some people might be impressed with that, but none of them are on the NCAA Selection Committee.
Just like last year, the Buffs only chance to get in to the Big Dance might very well be predicated on winning four games in four days to earn the Pac-12's automatic tourney spot. It was only two years ago when the Buffs gathered at their coach's house to watch their presumed selection, only to have the entire field announced without hearing their name called. Unless this year's team goes on a serious winning streak to end the season, the Buffs may have to settle on a consolation trip to the NIT. This is not to say that the Buffs don't deserve a trip to the Big Dance no matter how they end the season, but the selection committee makes wallflowers out of hopefuls every year.
Some point out that Colorado's RPI of 29 is good enough to ensure their selection, but others challenge the relevance of the tool. After all, CU's RPI is 16 points higher than Cal's, yet the final score of yesterday's game showed Cal 16 points better on the court. And last year, the only two Pac-12 teams to get in were Colorado (with the automatic berth) and Arizona, with an at-large berth. With the NCAA's obvious bias against teams west of Kansas, how many teams can the Pac-12 really hope to get into March Madness? The clock is ticking until we all find out.
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