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.
Showing posts with label Pac-12 Basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pac-12 Basketball. Show all posts
Friday, September 29, 2017
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.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
CU Basketball: Buffs Thrashed by ASU -- Time to Take a Cold Hard Look at the Future
One of the great things about having a ranked team when most of your players are underclassmen is that the future looks bright for your program. One of the bad things about having a team dominated by youngsters is the risk that they will wander aimlessly without a true leader.
Such is the case with Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes, who have looked lost and clueless as to which way to turn since projected first round NBA pick Spencer Dinwiddie blew out his knee and was lost for the season. Add in that Tre'Shaun Fletcher hurt his knee and is lost for the next couple months, and the Buffs' psyche just added insult to injury.
After Dinwiddie went down with CU enjoying a lead on the road at Washington, the Buffs proceeded to fall apart and lose that game. The shocking loss of one of the best players in the country gave a viable excuse to the Buff faithful. Even the next game, a loss at home to a ranked UCLA team, seemed reasonable as the Buffs looked to retool their game without Dinwiddie.
Thankfully, a bad to mediocre USC team came into town and the Buffs jumped on them early before coasting to a 21 point win. Unfortunately, what the Trojans gave the Buffs may very well have been bad medicine.
Their next game was on the road at the #1 team in the country, the University of Arizona. The Wildcats did to CU what the Buffs had done to USC. Arizona raced out to an 18-4 lead before coasting to a 12 point win in which they were never challenged.
Buff fans held out high hopes that the loss to Arizona was to be expected even WITH Dinwiddie in the lineup, and that the 69-57 loss was MUCH better than the 90-65 shellacking the Buffs took last year in Kansas. Fans said the only game the Buffs could expect to win on this trip was against Arizona State in Tempe.
Unfortunately, the Sun Devils exposed the Colorado team to be a rudderless team without a captain to lead them. ASU destroyed the Buffs 72-51. Colorado fell out of the top 25 last week and after the game at ASU, the chances they make it back this year are slim and none.
After starting the season 14-2, Colorado has lost four of the last five. The Buffs now own a record of 15-6 and have ten games remaining in the regular season to see if they can win five and salvage a 20 win season. Two of those games come against Washington State and USC, who are the the only weak basketball links in the Pac-12. (Some might argue that Oregon State belongs in that list, but the Buffs don't play them again anyway).
The rest of the Buffs schedule is much tougher. They can look forward to their next three games being played here in Boulder at the Foam Dome, where they have been very tough to beat since Boyle became the coach. Then it's off to Los Angeles for two games, back to Boulder for two, then they play their last three on the road in Utah and the Bay Area.
Can the Buffs win five of the last ten? Not if they continue to play like they did tonight. Earlier this year, the Buffs set a team record by making ALL 27 free throws in game. Tonight, CU tossed brick after brick from the line and made only 9 of 24. Sadly to say, even if they had made the other 15, they still would have lost.
The next three games will be key for Colorado. If they win all three (and they should be winnable at home), the team has a chance to right the course. Winning even two of the three will be a good sign. If they win one or none, the season is effectively over. Even the NIT will look the other way.
Boyle really needs to evaluate the best and most efficient way to use this team. Maybe they need to run on offense and pressure on defense to take advantage of their athleticism. The problem with the young guys is that if you give them too much time to think, they end up thinking too much and forgetting to play the game.
NOTE: The Buffs have been slipping all over the floor the last several games, going back to the Dinwiddie injury. Maybe CU should be taking a hard look at what shoes they are choosing to wear.
Such is the case with Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes, who have looked lost and clueless as to which way to turn since projected first round NBA pick Spencer Dinwiddie blew out his knee and was lost for the season. Add in that Tre'Shaun Fletcher hurt his knee and is lost for the next couple months, and the Buffs' psyche just added insult to injury.
After Dinwiddie went down with CU enjoying a lead on the road at Washington, the Buffs proceeded to fall apart and lose that game. The shocking loss of one of the best players in the country gave a viable excuse to the Buff faithful. Even the next game, a loss at home to a ranked UCLA team, seemed reasonable as the Buffs looked to retool their game without Dinwiddie.
Thankfully, a bad to mediocre USC team came into town and the Buffs jumped on them early before coasting to a 21 point win. Unfortunately, what the Trojans gave the Buffs may very well have been bad medicine.
Their next game was on the road at the #1 team in the country, the University of Arizona. The Wildcats did to CU what the Buffs had done to USC. Arizona raced out to an 18-4 lead before coasting to a 12 point win in which they were never challenged.
Buff fans held out high hopes that the loss to Arizona was to be expected even WITH Dinwiddie in the lineup, and that the 69-57 loss was MUCH better than the 90-65 shellacking the Buffs took last year in Kansas. Fans said the only game the Buffs could expect to win on this trip was against Arizona State in Tempe.
Unfortunately, the Sun Devils exposed the Colorado team to be a rudderless team without a captain to lead them. ASU destroyed the Buffs 72-51. Colorado fell out of the top 25 last week and after the game at ASU, the chances they make it back this year are slim and none.
After starting the season 14-2, Colorado has lost four of the last five. The Buffs now own a record of 15-6 and have ten games remaining in the regular season to see if they can win five and salvage a 20 win season. Two of those games come against Washington State and USC, who are the the only weak basketball links in the Pac-12. (Some might argue that Oregon State belongs in that list, but the Buffs don't play them again anyway).
The rest of the Buffs schedule is much tougher. They can look forward to their next three games being played here in Boulder at the Foam Dome, where they have been very tough to beat since Boyle became the coach. Then it's off to Los Angeles for two games, back to Boulder for two, then they play their last three on the road in Utah and the Bay Area.
Can the Buffs win five of the last ten? Not if they continue to play like they did tonight. Earlier this year, the Buffs set a team record by making ALL 27 free throws in game. Tonight, CU tossed brick after brick from the line and made only 9 of 24. Sadly to say, even if they had made the other 15, they still would have lost.
The next three games will be key for Colorado. If they win all three (and they should be winnable at home), the team has a chance to right the course. Winning even two of the three will be a good sign. If they win one or none, the season is effectively over. Even the NIT will look the other way.
Boyle really needs to evaluate the best and most efficient way to use this team. Maybe they need to run on offense and pressure on defense to take advantage of their athleticism. The problem with the young guys is that if you give them too much time to think, they end up thinking too much and forgetting to play the game.
NOTE: The Buffs have been slipping all over the floor the last several games, going back to the Dinwiddie injury. Maybe CU should be taking a hard look at what shoes they are choosing to wear.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Buffs Drop 100 on Oregon Ducks, Jump to 15th in AP Top 25
The Oregon Ducks came to Boulder with a perfect 13-0 record and close to the lead for the highest scoring team in Division 1 at 89.4 points per game. After giving up 100 points to the Tad Boyle's Buffaloes (2nd time this year OU has given up 100), the Ducks left Boulder with their first loss of the season.
The AP Top 25 for Men's Basketball came out this morning and Buffs leaped all the way to #15 from their prior ranking of #20. Strangely, San Diego State was ranked #21 last week and leapfrogged the Buffs all the way to #13 after defeating #16 Kansas while the Buffs were taking down the #10 team in Oregon.
What makes it stranger still is that the Buffs defeated Kansas when they were a top 10 team, and that win barely moved them up the polls in comparison. For now, though, the Buffs can bask in the glow of being the second highest rated team in the Pac-12 behind overall #1 Arizona. Oregon dropped to 17th in the latest poll.
It's been a down year for many of the traditional basketball powers. Indiana, North Carolina, Connecticut, and UCLA are out of the Top 25. Duke and Kansas are behind the Buffs in the rankings, and preseason #1 Kentucky is only a single place above Colorado in the latest poll. It's the first time that Boyle's Buffs have been ranked higher than his alma mater Kansas.
The Buffs play the Cougars of Washington State on Wednesday before taking on the Huskies of Washington on Saturday.
The AP Top 25 for Men's Basketball came out this morning and Buffs leaped all the way to #15 from their prior ranking of #20. Strangely, San Diego State was ranked #21 last week and leapfrogged the Buffs all the way to #13 after defeating #16 Kansas while the Buffs were taking down the #10 team in Oregon.
What makes it stranger still is that the Buffs defeated Kansas when they were a top 10 team, and that win barely moved them up the polls in comparison. For now, though, the Buffs can bask in the glow of being the second highest rated team in the Pac-12 behind overall #1 Arizona. Oregon dropped to 17th in the latest poll.
It's been a down year for many of the traditional basketball powers. Indiana, North Carolina, Connecticut, and UCLA are out of the Top 25. Duke and Kansas are behind the Buffs in the rankings, and preseason #1 Kentucky is only a single place above Colorado in the latest poll. It's the first time that Boyle's Buffs have been ranked higher than his alma mater Kansas.
The Buffs play the Cougars of Washington State on Wednesday before taking on the Huskies of Washington on Saturday.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Boyle's Buffs Take 11-2 Record and National Ranking Into Pac-12 Play
2014 and Pac-12 play has arrived for Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes. The Buffs open conference play tonight at 8 p.m. (MT) against Oregon State at the Coors Events Center in Boulder. The Buffs enter Pac-12 play with a #20 national ranking after going 11-2 in non-conference play.
CU has one of the most difficult schedules in the country, and now has an RPI that is 8th highest in the country. The Buffs' RPI is the highest in the Pac-12, with #1 Arizona's coming in at 10th best, and #10 Oregon holding onto the 12th highest RPI.
Oregon State comes to the Foam Dome with eight wins in twelve games so far this season. None of the games were against teams ranked in the AP top 25. The road to conference play was more rigorous for the Buffs. Their season has already included games against #7 Oklahoma State, # 9 Baylor (both losses), and a win against a then-ranked #6 Kansas.
Since Boyle took over as head coach for the CU program, the Buffs have a stellar 53-7 record at home. One of those losses, however, came last year when the OSU Beavers came to Boulder last March and handed the Buffs a stunning upset loss just two days after Colorado had destroyed a highly regarded Oregon team by 23 points.
Heading into tonight's game, Boyle hopes the memory of that game prevents the Buffs from taking the Beavers lightly. The Buffs hope to be 1-0 in Pac-12 play when the #10 Oregon Ducks take the court on Sunday.
Junior Spencer Dinwiddie leads the Buffs in scoring (15.8) and assists (3.8). Sophomore center Josh Scott leads the Buffs in rebounding (9.2) and is 2nd in scoring (13.1).
Roberto Nelson leads the Beavers with 21.4 points and 4.1 assists per game. Devon Collier averages 18 points per game and also leads the Beavers with 8 rebounds per game.
Oregon State looks to be boosted by the return of star center/forward Eric Moreland, who is returning from a suspension that has kept him off the court all season. Last year, Moreland was one of the top rebounders in the country with 10.6 per game. He also set an Oregon State record for blocked shots with 73 and scored nearly 10 points per game.
Moreland was supposed to be suspended for several more games, but coach Craig Robinson decided that Moreland should come back now after "fulfilling" all the requirements of the suspension. Some pundits point out that political rationalizations run deep in the Beaver coach's life as brother in law to President Barack Obama. After all, they say, isn't sitting out 14 games the only way to truly "fulfill" a 14 game suspension?
CU has one of the most difficult schedules in the country, and now has an RPI that is 8th highest in the country. The Buffs' RPI is the highest in the Pac-12, with #1 Arizona's coming in at 10th best, and #10 Oregon holding onto the 12th highest RPI.
Oregon State comes to the Foam Dome with eight wins in twelve games so far this season. None of the games were against teams ranked in the AP top 25. The road to conference play was more rigorous for the Buffs. Their season has already included games against #7 Oklahoma State, # 9 Baylor (both losses), and a win against a then-ranked #6 Kansas.
Since Boyle took over as head coach for the CU program, the Buffs have a stellar 53-7 record at home. One of those losses, however, came last year when the OSU Beavers came to Boulder last March and handed the Buffs a stunning upset loss just two days after Colorado had destroyed a highly regarded Oregon team by 23 points.
Heading into tonight's game, Boyle hopes the memory of that game prevents the Buffs from taking the Beavers lightly. The Buffs hope to be 1-0 in Pac-12 play when the #10 Oregon Ducks take the court on Sunday.
Junior Spencer Dinwiddie leads the Buffs in scoring (15.8) and assists (3.8). Sophomore center Josh Scott leads the Buffs in rebounding (9.2) and is 2nd in scoring (13.1).
Roberto Nelson leads the Beavers with 21.4 points and 4.1 assists per game. Devon Collier averages 18 points per game and also leads the Beavers with 8 rebounds per game.
Oregon State looks to be boosted by the return of star center/forward Eric Moreland, who is returning from a suspension that has kept him off the court all season. Last year, Moreland was one of the top rebounders in the country with 10.6 per game. He also set an Oregon State record for blocked shots with 73 and scored nearly 10 points per game.
Moreland was supposed to be suspended for several more games, but coach Craig Robinson decided that Moreland should come back now after "fulfilling" all the requirements of the suspension. Some pundits point out that political rationalizations run deep in the Beaver coach's life as brother in law to President Barack Obama. After all, they say, isn't sitting out 14 games the only way to truly "fulfill" a 14 game suspension?
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Colorado Hoopsters' 72-60 Loss in Opener to Baylor Raises Questions About Leadership
Coming into the opening game of the season, head coach Tad Boyle had expressed some reservations. He knew his team had talent, but he wasn't sure the team was mature enough to put that talent to good use. At one point, when asked to describe his team in one word as they got ready for the season opener, the verb "overrated" was the one he chose. Turns out that Boyle has a pretty good reading of his team.
Colorado does indeed have a lot of talent, but they really need to dial that talent in if they expect to win on the road against a Top-25 opponent. Baylor entered the game as the #25 team in the country, and they did what was necessary to take care of business against a Colorado team with high expectations.
Many people around the country and the Pac-12 conference expect the CU backcourt tandem of Askia Booker and Spencer Dinwiddie to be the strength of the Buffaloes. After all, Dinwiddie is expected to be a first round draft pick next summer and Booker is one of the best streak shooters in the country when he is on fire.
When they fail to deliver, however, the Buffs are in for a tough road. Booker and Dinwiddie each played 36 minutes in the opening game to lead the Buffs. Unfortunately, they were a combined 7 for 28 from the field. To add insult to injury, the Buffs were a paltry 2 for 19 from three-point circle. All in all, it was testament to the athleticism of the Buffs that the final score was as close as it was.
For those who recorded the game but do not really have time to watch the entire thing, you can save yourself lots of anxiety and heartbreak by watching just the last 2 minutes and change. It is an effective microcosm of the game for the Buffs.
Colorado was down by 12 with around 4 minutes left, and had cut the lead to 6 and had the ball with two minutes on the clock. Then, to Boyle's and Buffs fan's chagrin, the team ran the clock down as if they were ahead. With less than 5 seconds left on the shot clock, Colorado heaved up a horrible shot without a prayer. It missed, of course, and Baylor got the rebound before promptly moving down the court to score and put the Buffs away.
Later, after the lead had been rebuilt to 12, the Buff's final shot was taken by Booker as the clock expired. It was supposed to be a slam dunk, but instead it ricocheted off the rim high into the air. It was a fitting end to a bad game, and one that the coaching staff hopes will inspire the Buffaloes to play smarter. If not, one of the toughest schedules in the country looks to be a lot tougher.
Colorado does indeed have a lot of talent, but they really need to dial that talent in if they expect to win on the road against a Top-25 opponent. Baylor entered the game as the #25 team in the country, and they did what was necessary to take care of business against a Colorado team with high expectations.
Many people around the country and the Pac-12 conference expect the CU backcourt tandem of Askia Booker and Spencer Dinwiddie to be the strength of the Buffaloes. After all, Dinwiddie is expected to be a first round draft pick next summer and Booker is one of the best streak shooters in the country when he is on fire.
When they fail to deliver, however, the Buffs are in for a tough road. Booker and Dinwiddie each played 36 minutes in the opening game to lead the Buffs. Unfortunately, they were a combined 7 for 28 from the field. To add insult to injury, the Buffs were a paltry 2 for 19 from three-point circle. All in all, it was testament to the athleticism of the Buffs that the final score was as close as it was.
For those who recorded the game but do not really have time to watch the entire thing, you can save yourself lots of anxiety and heartbreak by watching just the last 2 minutes and change. It is an effective microcosm of the game for the Buffs.
Colorado was down by 12 with around 4 minutes left, and had cut the lead to 6 and had the ball with two minutes on the clock. Then, to Boyle's and Buffs fan's chagrin, the team ran the clock down as if they were ahead. With less than 5 seconds left on the shot clock, Colorado heaved up a horrible shot without a prayer. It missed, of course, and Baylor got the rebound before promptly moving down the court to score and put the Buffs away.
Later, after the lead had been rebuilt to 12, the Buff's final shot was taken by Booker as the clock expired. It was supposed to be a slam dunk, but instead it ricocheted off the rim high into the air. It was a fitting end to a bad game, and one that the coaching staff hopes will inspire the Buffaloes to play smarter. If not, one of the toughest schedules in the country looks to be a lot tougher.
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