Buffs scheduling for success-Part 3

Being on the radar versus where the Colorado basketball program used to be can mean a lot of things. One of the most crucial is that you’re going to get a lot of people’s best shots; especially in conference, where the Buffs came out of nowhere and ruined several teams tournament hopes.

Tad Boyle and the Buffs will have to find a way to keep their opponents, through scheduling, from pinpointing and even picking on a CU team that needs to grow early in the 2012-2013 season. 

“With a young team you gotta be careful, and you have to strike a balance,” Boyle said of choosing who and when to play next year. “It is an art, not a science, and sometimes you have to get lucky just like you do in recruiting.”

But there is one thing that the second, soon to be third year head coach knows is that if you want to get into the NCAA Tournament you have to take care of your own business. Winning games early, bolstering the record and winning during a grueling conference schedule is the only way to get noticed. 

“I'm not sure I've figured it out, what I figured out is you better win the games that are on your schedule,” Boyle and the Buffs have won more than 20 games over the course of the last two seasons. “You better win them in November, you better win them in December, and you better win them in league play. That is the only thing I figured out.” 

Bringing home wins is important, because it brings in fans and grows a program. But Boyle has also been adamant about growing college basketball in the state; recruiting and playing in-state schools.

“One of the things we have tried to do to create interest and excitement with basketball in this region, is to start series with Air Force and Wyoming, we have one with CSU,” said Boyle. 

Invigorating BuffNation with the steps the Colorado program has been making, while also recharging a statewide passion for the game. Boyle has big plans, and we may have just gotten a glimpse at them on the horizon this year. 

Progress is being made in Boulder, and the departure is right on schedule.

Tebow sends an "excited" tweet

He’s been mistreated by delusional fans. He’s been underappreciated by NFL executives. And Tim Tebow never feigns to give in to the negative.

The new Jets quarterback, not starting and not a back up because there has yet to be a practice or OTA or even a team dinner, tweeted this out a today:
 

“I’ve already said it 44 times so here goes number 45: I’m really excited to be a Jet! Haha! All joking aside it’s truly an honor…”

Whether people said it egregiously or just as a fact, that was one main point of the press conference of Tebow becoming a Jet. He is probably “really excited” to be on a team and around a fan base that is so passionate. Tebow just wants to play football.

Tebow creates drama and headlines where ever he goes. He never fails to be resolute in his actions and words, which also happen to be pretty impeccable.

State of the Denver Nuggets

One night the Denver Nuggets are getting run out of the building like their socks are on fire. The next, they are tearing apart the best teams in the NBA.

The state of the Nuggets, in a scientific and collaborative estimation, is unstable. Indeterminate. Unknown.

Denver is a smorgasbord of pieces. They don’t contain any “Super-Stars”; no players that can put the rest of the team on their shoulders and just flat-out go at the snap of a finger, but yet they also don’t have a player that can go cold just as easily, find a reason to lose interest as the team falls flat.

Aaron Affalo (13.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg), Danilo Galinari (15.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg), Ty Lawson (15.1 ppg, 6.7 apg), Wilson Chandler (12.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg), Andre Miller (10.1 ppg, 6.4 apg), Al Harrington (14.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Kenneth Faried (9.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg) and Corey Brewer (9.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg) are all comparable. They are by no means All-Stars, but they are solid additions to any team in the association. The Nuggets are made up a bunch of role players, surrounded by other role players, feeding, once again, off other role players. The sum of its part is no simple algorithm.

.... You can find the rest of this article at
http://sportsmuze.com/state-of-the-nuggets/

Avs playoff push; too much pressure

It’s been an unexpectedly warm March on record for Denver, but on the ice it seems extra cold.

The Colorado Avalanche have lost 4 straight games, during the most inopportune time to go on a chilly streak. They’ve given away, surrendered, and just haven’t found a win to put the closing marks against teams that right there in the hunt with them.

The sharks (including San Jose) have now come and gone. And they have left the young, late-game resilient team to flounder around hoping for one last gasp.

With three games remain, two of which come at the Pepsi Center, the Avs sit just two points out of 7^th place. So they aren’t that far out of postseason play, and they have played as good as any team in the league during spurts this year, but it feels like they are a million miles away.

Every game is said be “the most important game of the year”, and then restated over and over again to no end.

You cannot expect a team to get-up for a game-7 type atmosphere night after night, and then say they have a do-over. (Even though us naïve sports fans would like to think they play with the same heart if Lord Stanley’s Cup were on the line.) It’s physically and mentally exhausting.

Colorado still has an opportunity to get 6 points and get into the mix. They will have to play better hockey to do so, and a little less pressure wouldn’t hurt.

Taylor is college basketball

If there is one player that epitomizes college basketball then you’d have to look no further than the Final Four in New Orleans. Kansas Jayhawks senior guard Tyshawn Taylor is; he’s the good and, at times, the bad.

Taylor graduated high school as one of the top recruits in the nation. He had his choices of colleges, and locations to enhance his skills for the NBA. Bill Self and the reigning National Champions in Lawrence, Kansas seemed to fit the bill.

The year prior Mario Chalmers made the game-winning three pointer to bring the title to KU. He graduated and moved on into the league, leaving behind a legacy that leaves some at Fogg Allen Arena misty in the eyes.

So when Taylor made his way to Kansas, he chose #15, the same number as Chalmers. The invincible highly touted freshman, thinking the slipper will fit right away. Bad.

He played well as a freshman and earned a unanimous selection to the Big-12 All-Rookie team. Taylor averaged 9 points a couple rebounds and assists on a growing Jayhawks team.

Taylor could have bounced to the NBA. Finding a team that would give him a chance, or even select him in the Draft wouldn’t have been hard to find for such a young talented player. He didn’t, he came back to Kansas. Good.

Over the next two years, he refined his game. He became a more all-around player, a leader and a constant for the program. Taylor was one of those players that it felt like he was at Kansas for an eternity. The Jayhawks were good, but they just couldn’t find a way to reach their true potential.

Then at the end of his junior year, Taylor was suspended for a “team violation”, and KU would not disclose the reason. He was forced to sit out several contests heading into the NCAA Tournament. Bad.

Now as a senior, sticking out a career that, looking back, is as good as any player in the recent past. Taylor is in the career record book for games played (1^st), minutes played (2^nd), assists (6^th), steals (20^th) and wins in one of the most competitive conference in the countries.

Taylor leads Kansas into the Final Four with a singular goal. He’s the Mateen Cleaves of this generation. Taylor is college hoops, and all that comes with it.

Buffs program on the rise- Part 2

 Expectations follow success, and expectations mean pressure.

These two attributes have been a rarity around the Colorado basketball program for quite a while. But after back-to-back twenty win seasons and growing interest around the community and around the country it only another step in Tad Boyles elaborate plan.

“I do think we have a brand that we are trying to establish,” said Boyle, who is keen on developing relationships that will last. “Colorado basketball in the west coast, and what we did this year in the Pac-12 tournament opened some eyes so that might open some doors.”

The tournament that the Buffs upset the balance of power in the Pac-12 Conference was a giant leap for the program. 

In his second year in Boulder, Boyle was already getting recognition. He didn’t win Coach of the Year, despite some pundits pleading his case, but his name did come up in the talks of other, high paid and higher profile, jobs around the country. 

Boyle is here to stay; to see through the imminent positive future of Colorado basketball. 

“My commitment level to Colorado basketball is as high as it has ever been. I am fortunate to be here, I am humbled to be here, and I'm hungry,” said Boyle.

Takeaway from Buffs season- Part 1

Colorado was picked to finish 9^th in their inaugural year in the Pac-12 Conference. Even many Buff fans were hesitant to believe CU had enough scoring to do damage in a weak conference. It was prescribed, by the many scribes, as a “rebuilding year”.

But that was on the outside looking in.

After winning the Pac-12 Tournament, the hard way, and taking their talents to the NCAA Tournament Tad Boyle sounded like he knew it was coming. The head coach put the pieces together, in the correct moments, and peaked right when they need to.

“Obviously, we are celebrating a great year for Colorado basketball, and I wish we were still playing this week (in the Sweet 16) but were not,” said Boyle.  “But as we reflect back on the year we had, and another 24 win season, it was a great run at the end.”

The crescendo of the year came in March, and changed the entire perception of the season.

Throughout the year Colorado showed glimpses of being a solid team. They teased the fans, much the same way as they had done in the past, winning against good teams inside the Coors Events Center but faltering on the road. But then they found something, a way to win, against all odds and with all skeptics scratching their respective heads. They ran the table and garnered a newfound respect.

The season is an epitome of Colorado basketball; pushing through adversity, a snub after last season to provide motivation and consistent, yet unpredictable ups-and-downs over the course of a season.  

It’s a process. Boyle is ready to put in the time and the work.

Buffs basketball recap- Introduction

In the large scheme of things, the 2012 season for Tad Boyle and the Buffs basketball program was a crucial step and a huge building block for the future.

“I am really happy with where the program is today, and probably more importantly now, where it is going in the future,” said Boyle as he reflected on the year, his second on the job.

Back-to-back 20 win seasons for the first time in school history. Four wins in four days to take home the Pac-12 Conference Championship in Los Angeles. And a fan base becoming engaged, gaining momentum for years to come.

Success, especially this much, was a surprise, now it’s to be expected in Boulder.

Tad Boyle’s thoughts on the 2011-2012 season, and the prospect of Colorado Buffaloes basketball…

Tiger Sunday makeover

Tiger’s stripes look thin.

The intimidation factor that he once brought to the golf course, much the same way any golfer brings their clubs, is no longer there. People, fans and competitors are no longer afraid, so visibly nervous of the being in the territory of the Tiger.

Once, not so long ago, just by saying Tiger and ANY other golfer were playing the same game you’d be put in the stocks. Now, the one-time most dominant player to ever interlace pinkies, can’t keep people off the cover of his video game, “Tiger Woods Golf”.

Tiger needs to reinvent himself, again, on the golf course.

He’s gone through more swing changes than Mr. Potato Head goes through hats. He’s gone through a lifestyle renovation while being under the scrutiny of millions of people, seemingly with nobody in his corner.

This Tiger needs a breakthrough, a makeover of simple proportions. Tomorrow in the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Eldrick Woods shouldn’t wear red.

He’ll be in contention for a championship, one that he has won 6 times (at Bay Hill), but this one could be a change, could Wendy Peppercorn, and revive his career as a golfer.

Wear green, knickers, or a plaid sweater-vest but not red.

Athletes, golfers in particular, have changed a part of their routine that are much less simple. A number change, a name alteration or some spontaneous act could set you into a new mindset that delivers you back to a player that you once were.  

Tiger doesn’t look like Tiger anymore, and he really shouldn’t on Sunday.

Boys of fall falling; Scandals

If 2011 was the year of the quarterback, then this year is no doubt the year of the coach, and their unceremonious removals and departures.

Joe Paterno and Sean Payton headline the coaches that have been brought before public scrutiny for their participation, or lack thereof, as a head coach. They have been the head to the proverbial snake, and by all accounts, the ones who shall be blamed.

Paterno’s case is appalling. Grotesque. Unimaginable.

Payton’s situation is tasteless. Turbid.

In no way are they related. They are separate instances where a lack of judgment cannot be overlooked.

A head coach, in essence, is the omni-present force of any team. They have control over who will play, who won’t, what type of offense or defense a team will run; they pick and choose those that reside around them; they are the face of the organization and the one, the seemingly sole party that is most “responsible” for the outcome, either good or bad.

But how, in this day in age, can a coach be truly aware and in control of all that is happening around him, and all the circumstances of those around him be explained?

Did Paterno and Payton know about what was happening? Probably, yes. Should they have done more to halt and ever let such a situation arise again? Yes, most definitely. Can you ever come to believe that what happened, the incidents and then the following breakdown, could be with-held from a coach, or slighted so much that the ramifications weren’t worth the crime?

A majority, probably not.

The traumatic events occurred on their watch, under their leadership. They were in the loop, or at least made aware of the situation and it was not handled to the moral and ethical code that we all believe that we live by. A head coach is liable for their assets.

But it’s hard to believe that the debacle lies firmly on one man’s shoulders. There are others.

That’s the real story. Maybe it was their fault, just not in the way everyone is thinking about it. They must take the fall because they hired, not the people that committed the injustices, but the people that would not take actions themselves. The people are hidden by the lack of onus they take, and letting another man own the consequences.

Sean Payton suspended; Saints stand

Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints head coach, was suspended for a year after reports of a “bounty” system was being used by his team.

An NFL scandal of these proportions has never been seen before. They were reprimanded to the nth degree, and Roger Goodell took it upon himself to make a statement, one with no grey area about the issue. He called it “particularly unusual and egregious" and "totally unacceptable."
A shame. A travesty. And a focal point for the Saints.

New Orleans is a town where beads are a common currency. Cajun isn’t a style of cooking, it’s a way of life. And these lives, the ones who once wore brown paper sacks over their heads to football games, were turned upside down by Hurricane Katrina and the flooding the ensued.

They have the Saints, and boy, do the Saints have New Orleans.

“We are humbled by the support our organization has received from our fans today in the wake of this announcement, and we ask them to continue to stand with us, as they have done in the past, when both our team and our city have overcome greater adversities,” the New Orleans Saints said in a response to the NFL rulings.

New Orleans knows what it feels like to decimated. The Saints know what it feels like to be the loner on the playground. This is nothing.

Madden 2013; Who's next?

Madden NFL 2013 is in the fans hands. And they get to choose their new victim.

It’s the one bracket you probably don’t want to win.

The number one seeds, both quarterbacks, didn’t lead their team to a Super Bowl win. There is a possibility that one player will get the boot and still land on top, punter Sebastian Janikowski. And MegaTron got mega-snubbed as a number-6 seed, or 13^th best overall player.

The Madden curse has received much notoriety over the years, but its convention isn’t typical.

One day you’re the face of the most popular video game in the country. The next, you face plant.

An injury, a down year could hoodwink a player, but either, or both, is inevitable. It’s an honor of the highest degree, and yet it places you in the line of fire. Not only are All-Pro linebackers coming after you, but headset wearing, “Lucky Game Chair” sitting, nacho cheese Dorito covered controllers that are in the hands of 13-year-olds and 34-year-olds alike are in pursuit.

#MyMaddenCoverVote

So the player that is “selected”, we wish them luck, because no cover-model has ever been scrutinized more.  

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/feature/madden2013cover

Sweet sweet NCAA bracket

Sweet can turn sour faster than a Blackberry Warhead.

But, as of this moment, I’m content my NCAA Tournament bracket. I’m pleased with my rational, yet sometimes serendipitous picks that came to fruition while others sit in their basements and dent up their mini-fridges with a steel toed boot.

Thirteen of sixteen predictions have made it through the first weekend of March Madness. Only Ohio (Michigan), Xavier (Duke) and Wisconsin (Vanderbilt) have been keen on snaffuing my binge to the top of the heap.

Over six million brackets were filled out on ESPN.com alone, not a one of them being exactly right.

This guy isn’t far off though. With my bakers dozen of sweet sixteen teams, I reside in the 99.8% percentile. A dazzling one of only 11-thousand people will this good of a bracket. (*big head motion*) I’m the Pirates Cove Golf Course Pro, more lucky than good but I do know how to play the bank rock “better than most”.

My Final Four contains Indiana, Marquette, Syracuse, and Kansas. But we’re a long way from there.

Nuggets inconsistency

Night in and night out for the Denver Nuggets, the same team doesn't seem to be on the court. Even quarter to quarter this philosophy feels to be about right.

Denver scored 40 points in the opening period of their 116-115 win over the Detroit Pistons last night at the Pepsi Center. They were smooth, stroking and clicking on all cylinders. Then the next two quarters Ben Gordon almost stole the game back for the opposition.

Inconsistent. Temperamental. Even unstable.

The Nuggets don't have "Star" on their team; an advantage that their opponents cannot key on one player, but also a disadvantage in the same respect.

They can be as good as any team in the league, see March 4th when they beat the number-2 seeded (if the playoffs were to start today) San Antonio Spurs away from home. But they can also be on par with the worst teams in the league, see February 23 when they were blown out of the water by the same Spurs team in Pepsi Center.

On any given night a different team could take the floor, a good thing and a bad thing for Nuggets fans.

Tebow is a Jet

"I'm bummed that Tebow may be leaving. I think John Elway was threatened by him! That's my professional opinion," said my mom - this morning.

Not three hours later Tim Tebow, the soon to be third year professional quarterback, was traded to the New York Jets for a fourth and sixth round draft pick.

And as I sit outside to write this I somehow expect rain-clouds to meander overhead and cast down locusts or toads. Thunderbolts will strike Broncos that sits atop Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium. 

But no, all that is coming to Denver (besides Peyton Manning's sidetables) are lesser TBD players from the New York Jets.

The NFL is a business. It treats people as commodities because, as I learned in the several economic classes I took notes in, and they are indistinguishable from one another. But for the first time in history, this chess piece was different. Tebow wasn't confined to football, but football seemed to be confined in him.

We see him go, we wish him well. 

How can you trade the greatest quarterback in NFL history? In my professional opinion. 

Peyton's day

Peyton Manning is a Bronco. This day is his.

One of the greatest quarterbacks of all time will now strap it up in the Mile High City after a year that has been nothing but trouble. He was forced to sit on the sidelines and watch his team; his city fall to indelible lows.  He withered, with his mind as sharp as ever, getting replaced by someone who had yet to take a snap in a professional game.

Manning deserves this day all to himself. It’s a pen and paper, and a chance finally to play football.

The ex-Colt said everything everyone wanted to hear in the press conference. The feed streamed live across the Internet and the Twitter-verse chimed his quotes in unison.

He chose Denver the way he studies defenses, with pinpoint accuracy. He weighed his options and found a home. He made his decision, on his own, from the comfort of his own impeccable mind, and not a minute to late.

Manning apologized for taking so long, he hates being in the spotlight. But he should soak it all in. All of it, including the 300-plus days of sunshine that are coming his way.

It’s not Tuesday, it’s his first true Sunday as number-18 for the Denver Broncos. 

Tebow or Manning; there can only be one?

In a perfect world Tim Tebow and Peyton Manning would share bunk beds in John Elway’s basement and then draw up plays over a bowl of Wheaties in the morning.

Despite the probable likelihood of that happening, we are faced with reality.

People, most importantly the Broncos front office which includes John Elway, John Fox and Brian Xanders, must choose: Tebow? Or Manning? Or can the Mile High City succinctly survive with both?

Manning is arguably the best quarterback ever to go under center. He has Super Bowl wins, NFL Most Valuable Player Awards, and a knowledge of the game that surpasses even some of the coaches that surround him. He left Indianapolis in better condition than when he arrived; he torched defenses and they even renamed a hospital in his honor.

But Manning is damaged goods. He was forced to sit out the entire year in 2011 with a back injury, and there is no assurance that he’s back to the old “Peyton”.

Tebow is the “Never say die” kid. He inspires others with his impeccable but sometimes improbably will to win. He makes mistakes, he gets better and in a matter of a couple weeks he makes a city believe. He’s controversial, in a good way, and he drives debate like nobody else in the sports world.

But Tebow isn’t prototypical. His throwing motion has been dissected more frugally than a frog in a middle school science class. He has the intangibles, but his ability to take that next step as a quarterback is still an unknown

Can they survive together? Yes, if anything is true about whom they are as people and what they strive to be as football players, then that is the only answer.

But will they get the chance, and will their fans allow it?

Tebow would cherish the opportunity, and would gladly take a backseat to Peyton to take in the veterans ways. He’ll get more tips than a kind waiter with a camera phone. Manning could fall into good graces with the Broncos faithful by winning game and taking the young quarterback under his wing.

Yet, no matter how they function there will always be a divide. The media will pit “Good versus Good”, a game that nobody can win. The fans have already chosen sides, and there is no going back on it now.

Manning or Tebow? Tebow or Manning? There can only be one.

Tebow is thankful for Manning in Denver

As the Denver Broncos prepare to sign one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time, Peyton Manning, there is a lot of uncertainty remaining in the Mile High City.

What about Tim Tebow? How can you do such a thing to a player that led the team to the playoffs, and even past the Pittsburgh Steelers in one of the most dramatic wins in this cities history?

Those would be the fans yelling, screaming and posting billboards indirectly inquiring with Broncos executives about their decisions.

But, as surely as a man drops to his knee in praise of a higher being, and thus making others flock, follow, and imitate such a gesture, he is without a doubt the one most thankful for this pickup.

He’ll get more tips than a kind waiter with a camera phone.

Peyton Manning, by all reports, is great person, leader and teacher. His stadium and hospital in Indianapolis and the fans of the Colts that had to see him walk away are a testament. He’s a Southern boy, with a Midwestern attitude and a work ethic like nobody who’s ever played.

Tebow isn’t posting his house for sale, he’s adding an extra guest bedroom.

The Broncos current quarterback finds pleasure in getting better and winning. And who better to learn from. Taking a backseat; wouldn’t be. He’d be riding shotgun with Moonlight Graham on his way to a cornfield in Iowa.

Tebow is no Manning; and Manning is no Tebow.

The former Colts quarterback won’t start a worldwide statue phenomenon like his, now predecessor. But “Tebow-ing” does kind of like a victory formation kneel down; a prayer answered and a win for everyone involved.

March Madness; Pick crazy

You're probably more likely to get struck by lightning then being able to pick the entire opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The odds, which this time of year are shaky at best, are thunderously, and factually 587,000 to 1, not in your favor.

So when filling out your bracket you shouldn't think like a college basketball expert; especially one that rattles off stats and RPIs like it's their job. Get in a bracket challenge with your mom and you'll soon find out that it is nothing more than a crap shoot. 

Roll the dice because there is no way your going to make a ripple if you don't get a little crazy. It is called "March Madness" for a insanely good reason.

No pick is safe. Doubt the most obvious. Stare in the mirror, shave half your face and then reconsider that #5 versus #12 matchup again. 

Everyone thinks Kentucky or Syracuse is going to win it. They are number one seeds, they are supposed to win it and prove all the "experts" right. But that would just mean there are a million experts in this country. Don't go with the flow, because that flow is stale.

Turn off the television. Sit in the dark. Eat nothing but Cheetos for whole week. Then pick the tournament.

You'll either look like a genius or you'll be a thorn in your English teacher's side with the amount of "coulda", "woulda", "shoulda"s you say. Either way you'll have to sit in the corner of the classroom with the dunce cap on. You're singled out for being the person that made that pick, with no regrets, and either they hate you for being right or laugh at you for being wrong.

Race hamsters. Change your name. Draw on an Anthony Davis unibrow with a crayon. But remember there are 5,608,500 brackets on ESPN (2011 numbers) lightning should strike at least once, right?


(Ha! That was a trick... Doubt everything!)

Colorado glides past Oregon in tough game

There is a certain glimmer in a coach’s eye after his team overcomes adversity and plays like he has known they are capable of playing for such a long time, especially when the victory comes in March.
“That’s what basketball in March is all about,” said CU men’s basketball head coach Tad Boyle after the Buffs’ win over the University of Oregon on Thursday in Los Angeles.
Boyle was proud of his team’s 63-62 upset win over Oregon, which takes them into the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament.
Boyle said the Pac-12 Tournament is a chance at redemption, to once again prove people wrong.
“These guys are here on a mission,” Boyle said. “I like the focus of our team right now.”
Even with the Buffs being keyed in, the Oregon Ducks did not give this game up easily.
Colorado was leading the Ducks 58-50 in the final minutes of the game. CU had played well, forcing the tempo and style of game in their favor. Cruising turned into coasting, however, as Oregon went on a 10-0 run the joyride came to a sudden holt with the Ducks regaining the lead.
“We had a nice lead there going down the stretch, and they overtook it,” Boyle said. “Our guys kept our composure and made plays when we had to.”
Freshman guard Spencer Dinwiddie put the ball on the floor with 15 seconds to play. He went right, found a lane and drove to the hoop aggressively. Two post defenders flew at Dinwiddie, altering his shot as to not get blocked. The ball hit off the backboard, then the rim, and then floated in the waiting arms of sophomore forward Andre Roberson who laid the ball in the hoop.
“I just felt like when I saw Spencer go, I just crashed the board like I normally do,” Roberson said. “It fell into my hands and I got it up.”
Colorado’s dramatic win tested the Buffs. Throughout the season, coach Boyle has been preaching to his team to play their game and to finish. They satisfied his requests in the most crucial of times, keeping the team’s NCAA tournament hopes still alive.
“So we wanted to maintain our aggressiveness, and we lost that a little bit,” Boyle said. A slower tempo to run the clock put the Buffs out of rhythm late and forced them to make necessary plays to win. “There’s no question. Oregon got the momentum back and made some shots, but our guys bucked up when they had to.”
With the win, Colorado now is one game away from a spot in the inaugural Pac-12 Tournament Championship game. The Buffs will take on Cal on Friday at 9:30 MST. CU has split the season series so far with the Golden Bears.

Colorado upsets Cal; advances to Pac-12 Finals

Los Angeles: A windmill, woodwinds and a whirlwind win for the Buffs and Colorado fans.

Senior guard Carlon Brown’s windmill dunk with 58 seconds remaining in the game put a giant exclamation point on an upset victory over the No.2-seeded University of California. The Buffs band, C-Unit student section members and thousands that occupy BuffNation rose to their feet and chanted, “One more day!” as the buzzer sounded and the Buffs took home the historic 70-59 victory.

Colorado is headed to the Pac-12 Tournament Championship game against the University of Arizona today at 4 p.m. MST with an invigorated spirit.

“I told the team tonight I think we found our heart,” said CU head coach Tad Boyle. “I really do.”
Colorado looked tired even before the ball was tipped as this was their third game in three nights. But there was no way that they were going to let Cal breeze their way into Saturday’s championship game.

“Right now we have a team that’s really mentally tough, and guys are playing banged up and through fatigue,” said senior forward Austin Dufault, who scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half. “Tomorrow I think we’re going to be playing on a lot of adrenaline, and that’s really what’s going to have to fuel us.”

Boyle pointed to his seniors, and they stepped up throughout. Brown, who was stiff and had his knees swell up on him the night before, was a huge factor. He made several key plays both offensively and defensively late in the second half.

“Carlon’s playing with a sense of urgency right now that I love,” Boyle said. The University of Utah transfer has eased into his role as a leader and others are looking to him, now more than ever, to be the big guy in critical situations. “I think it’s really infected our team.”

CU will go to the conference title game for the first time since 1990. The Buffs have knocked off the University of Utah, the University of Oregon and now Cal; the latter two are both bubble teams.
But while, according to experts, Colorado may still be on the outside looking in at the NCAA Tournament, Boyle doesn’t want to overlook the matters at hand.

“I don’t want to talk about bubbles, I don’t want to talk about the NCAA Tournament,” Boyle said. “We want to just come here and get the job done.”

A task that, at this point, seems more probable than possible. Expect the Buffs to be ready to fight.
“We just want to come out and compete and lay it on the line and play Colorado basketball,” Boyle said. A win would leave no doubt, and assure Colorado of at spot on the dance floor. “If we can do that, we’ll live with the results.”

Dunk Contest
Carlon Brown and sophomore forward Andre Roberson took to the skies and used huge dunks to spark the Buffs. They aren’t the only ones who rattled the rim in the semifinals against Cal, though.
Asked who had the better dunk, Brown or Roberson…
Austin Dufault: “What about mine (laughing).”
Carlon Brown: “I don’t want to get into all of that. I’m going to let the Twitter Nation be the judge of that.”
These guys have really responded to challenges at halftime over the last couple of nights. They’ve been playing with unbelievable heart and desire.

What road woes?
Coming into the Pac-12 Tournament, Colorado had only five wins away from the Coors Events Center. A win against Saturday would mean the Buffs’ fourth of the tournament, nearly doubling their previous away-game total.
“I think we’re a good road team,” Boyle said. “I know our record doesn’t say we’re a great road team, but I think we’re a good road team, and we’re obviously getting better.”

Climb to the top
Preseason polls pitted the Buffs to finish 9th in the Pac-12 Conference. Even after beating that mark and finishing in 6th place in the Pac-12 regular season, Colorado didn’t seem to be satisfied.
“We’ve got a bunch of competitive guys, and they didn’t like where we were picked,” Boyle said. We don’t blame people for doing it, it was fuel and food for us to motivate ourselves.”

Colorado has a date with "destiny"

The beat goes on for the CU men’s basketball team, and it sounds awfully like a heartbeat.

“If you believe in destiny, you believe in the Colorado Buffaloes because it was meant to be,” head coach Tad Boyle said after the Buffaloes’ win.

CU came out of seemingly nowhere to win the Pac-12 Championship that automatically qualifies the Buffs for the NCAA Tournament with a 53-51 win over the University of Arizona Wildcats.

In the last four seasons, the Buffs basketball program has seen the lowest of lows and, now, the highest of highs. Almost a year ago, Colorado had nearly assured themselves a spot in the Big Dance despite not winning their conference tournament. Colorado was confident they were in, then the rug was pulled right from under their feet.

“We dedicated this game beforehand to Cory Higgins, Levi Knutson, Marcus Relphorde, Trent Beckley, Javon Coney and Alec Burks,” Boyle said about the day that was one of the most traumatic events in his coaching career. “These six sat in my home last year on Selection Sunday for their last opportunity to go to the NCAA Tournament, and they were snubbed. That inspired us.”

Whether it was inspiration, revenge or just plain unfinished business, the Buffs will be going to their first NCAA Tournament since the 2002-2003 season. But for the four seniors, Austin Dufault and Nate Tomlinson in particular, who played significant minutes as freshman on a nine win team, this win is beyond gratifying.

“It’s hard to explain in words what it means,” Dufault, the all-time leader in games played at Colorado, said. “There have been so many ups and downs for the last four years. But I’ve just treasured every moment at CU for the last four years. The tough ones have only made me a better person along with my teammates. We couldn’t have gotten to this point without going through ups and downs. We just came together today and played through the ups and downs again, and got it done.”

Colorado didn’t make it easy on themselves. The Buffs were forced to win four games in four nights. Each win wore on CU, but in the end, did not hinder their ability to make the plays when they needed to.
“Guys were making plays,” tournament MVP Carlon Brown said. “Guys were making the right reads whether it was passing, scoring and getting in the passing lane. Just a credit to all of my teammates. We just really wanted this and we weren’t going to be denied.”

Manning or Tebow; Work Hard or Smart?

It’s like one of the Seven Wonders of the World coming to you.

Former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning visited Denver last week seemingly scouting the prospect of new home in the Mile High City. He spent upwards of nine hours at the Denver Broncos training facility in Dove Valley with Vice President of Football Operations John Elway.

If Manning walked through your open door would you know what to do?

They’d possibly get him a nice plush blue-sheep clad pillow to sit on for his aching back. Elway would have to order him up a Denver omelet, and then wear out a laser pointer or two talking the language only elite quarterbacks know how to speak. And finally, Denver would not mention word about Tim Tebow.

Sure, Tebow will most likely slide over for a future Hall of Famer if he happens to come to Denver. Heck, Manning may even say “God Bless” after every press conference. And they would be quite the pair in a charity scramble event on the golf course.

But compatibility-wise, it’d be like mixing up two 1,000 piece puzzles together

Manning is a studier, a nerd, a gym rat. If he played basketball he’d draw up in-bound plays and perfect his free throw shot. His screens would be in the proper positions and his pivot foot would never leave the ground.

Tebow is a constructer, a specimen, a workaholic. He’d be in the gym just as much as Manning but instead he’d be dribbling two or three balls at the same time trying to get better. He would be running sprints to be more prepared than the other.

Either way the Broncos go, if they are lucky enough to snag a quarterback like Manning, it would be a risk.

Do they play hard (Tebow)? Or smart (Manning)? Or both?