SB Nation - Cory Higgins

Colorado State Takes Down CU 77-62

bhsmarine — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:40:50 -0000

Final - 12.10.2009	1	2	Total
Colorado Buffaloes	26	36	62
Colorado St. Rams	36	41	77

Complete Coverage >

The Colorado State Rams(6-3) extended their home winning streak to four against in state rival Colorado(6-4) behind the strong showing of Travis Franklin. Franklin had a double double with 22 point and 10 rebounds in the 77-62 win over the Buffalos. The Buffs lead early by 4 but the Rams crawled back into it and took a 10 point lead at half. At one point CSU lead by 18 in the second half. However the Buffs would cut that to 7 with around three minutes remaining until the Rams hit their free throws and stretched the lead out again. Catch more after the jump...

The Buffs were lead but freshman Alec Burks who had 22. For the game the Buffs shot 37.3% and were out rebounded 36-25. Cory Higgins had a rough night shooting the ball, 1-10, as he finished with 12 points.

The Rams crashed the boards and had an 11 rebound advantage which could have been higher as a couple times two Rams went for the ball and tipped it away from each other. The defense was great tonight, they had active hands that caused 11 steals out of 15 turnovers. They played good help side defense and made CU work for every basket they made. The Rams only shot 25% from three point land but hit 42% field goals and 76.9% free throws. Now some player analysis as this was my first time seeing the Rams up close this year.

Travis Franklin stepped up when the Rams needed a player to step up. He could consistently get to the basket for easier shots, played great defense, rebounded like a big man, and made big plays to keep the crowd and his team pumped. It is what the Rams have been lacking since losing Marcus Walker, but he can be a bigger presence then Walker was due to his size and style.

Dorian Green had 21 points for the Rams, he can play now but I hope Tim Miles can get more out of him as the team's point guard. Green made some freshman mistakes for sure.

Big man Andy Ogide had a great game with 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Like last year he is the Rams only legitimate big man. The deal with Ogide is the more he dribbles the better the chance something bad is going to happen, he scored almost all his points on one or less dribble shots and dunks. His ball handling skills are below what you would like as a Rams fan.

Nay to Pierce Hornung 9 minutes and 5 fouls? All but 1-2 were dumb fouls too. Hornung had 2 offensive rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals but if you can only get on the court for 9 minutes before fouling out your not helping the team rest its other big men and severely limiting your own production.

I am going to stop harping on the assist to turnover ratio as much (9-13 tonight) as the offense isn't set up for lots of assists. They give each other the ball in space and drive to the hoop getting good shots which works but not conducive to assists.

One last note to the fans, great job showing up big with 5,293! But do we really need to throw the pregame free giveaways on the court? We were closer to hitting our own players then the Buffs or refs. That is just bush league and there is no call for it in any circumstance! I will let the charging the court slide as the 9 game football losing streak was fresh in all our minds, but next time make sure its a ranked opponents or we just won the MWC. Keep coming out to Moby and we could see a lot more wins this year, just keep it classy Fort Fun.

CSU Rams Host Colorado at Moby Arena

bhsmarine — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:28:31 -0000

Next Game

Colorado Buffaloes
@ Colorado St. Rams

Thursday, Dec 10, 2009, 6:30 PM PST
Moby Arena

TV: The Mtn

Complete Coverage >

The rivalry between Colorado State(5-3) and Colorado(6-3) will add another chapter Thursday night as the Buffs walk into Moby Arena in Fort Collins. The Buffs hold a three game streak in the series, the last time the Rams beat the Buffs on the hard floor was December 2006. As the football games go these are usually close, except for last year when the Buffs won 75-56. Before that the last 5 games were decided by two possessions or less with the last three being 3 points of less. A look at the teams after the jump...

The Colorado Buffalos are off to a good start at 6-3 and dropping a game to Gonzaga by only 4 and they took Arizona to overtime before losing. They are lead by guards Cory Higgins (20.6 ppg) and freshman stud Alec Burks(15.4 ppg). As a team they are shooting 50.3% from the field and 78.5% from the stripe. They lack a dominating force inside as do the Rams so it will be a key for both teams to try and establish a presence inside and dominate the paint. 6'9" Austin Dufault will attempt to be that presence for the Buffs along with Shane Harris-Tunks when he gets minutes.

The Rams will counter the guard play with freshman Dorian Green and another. The Rams have been shifting around their guards with the play of Adam Nigon, Travis Franklin, Arin Dunn. In consistent shooting and more turnovers then Tim Miles would like has left him looking for someone to stand up. Transfer forward Travis Busch is back early from knee surgery and could give the Rams a much needed boost at the 3-4 spots from the bench. His minutes will need to be limited however as they want him ready for conference play. 6'9" Andy Ogide will have to be the Rams inside presence against the Buffs. He has been inconsistent early on leading to him coming off the bench against Denver University.

The keys for both teams will be to establish inside play and have smart guard play. The crowd at Moby is usually lackluster and even a bit embarrassing at times, but you mention a CSU vs. CU game and kids will show. The Buffs will have to deal with crowd noise. If the Rams can come out firing early and keep the crowd in it all game they have a chance to win one against a good CU team. For the Buffs it will be about shooting a high percentage and keeping the crowd quiet and sending them home early to prep for finals.

If your in the Fort head over to Moby Arena, first 1000 fans get a free t-shirtt!

Thursday Buff Bites - Hawkins Does Not Envision Any Changes to His Staff

irish1611 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:22:22 -0000

Woelk: Time to put CU`s past woes to rest - Boulder Daily Camera

Speaking of staff, Hawkins said he didn`t anticipate any changes in his assistant coaches, unless some of them choose to leave on their own volition. But nobody should have expected him to say anything different in that regard. If he makes any changes, it likely won`t happen for another month or so -- meaning the current staffers are needed to be out on the road recruiting. Honestly? I`ll be surprised if the Buffs start spring ball with the same staff that took the field in the season finale against Nebraska. The gut feeling here is that there will be at least a couple of new faces when the Buffs hit the practice fields in mid-March. Meanwhile, Hawkins has a laundry list of issues to address in the offseason. Hementioned special teams -- several times -- Tuesday, as well as penalties, the running game and turnovers.

Hawkins humbled - The Longmont Times-Call

"Living in this world, where your whole life is exposed to TV every night and Internet every day, it’s interesting," he said. "It really is. I’m trying so hard to be everything to everybody. And I’m trying so hard to say all the right things and I’m trying so hard to do all the right things. It’s frustrating for me. ... I don’t know if I’ll ever do that, quite honestly. "Where our record is and where we’re at, that’s all me. It is. When you have press conferences every day and (reporters) talk to me every day, I could just say it’s my fault and I have to fix it and walk away. And you’d guys would go, ‘Where’s the story there,’ right? "My comment about this program — I came here because Colorado has such a great tradition, but I’m also very well aware, as are our guys, that when an institution has a new president, chancellor, (athletic director) and football coach, and you get an entirely new compliance department, athletic department, trainers, strength people, every single person is new, that’s like going from scratch. "I’m not trying to disrespect anybody, I’m not trying to disrespect any games won here, any championships won, any alums here, any faculty, any former players. I’m not."

In other news:

Offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau said Tuesday he was contacted by Portland State regarding its head coaching vacancy. Kiesau said he has decided the position is "not for me" and has withdrawn his name from consideration. Player news: Hawkins said receiver Kendrick Celestine and offensive lineman Sione Tau "might be" on the team in January. Spring dates: CU will return to holding two weeks of spring drills prior to spring break, and two more after spring break, which runs March 22-26, 2010. The spring game is scheduled for April 10.

CU Buffs show their killer instinct - Boulder Daily Camera

"We just wanted to basically stomp on them," explained Cory Higgins, who scored a game-high 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting with three rebounds, three steals and an assist in 30 minutes. "In the past we've had leads and relaxed a little bit and let teams get back into games. In this game we made a big step to show that we have that killer instinct.

On-fire offense gets win for CU - The Longmont Times-Call

If the Colorado men’s basketball team keeps shooting like it did during Tuesday’s 78-54 defeat of San Francisco, it’ll win some games this year. Maybe a bunch. Who knows? Of course, concerns linger about its defense and rebounding, concerns that Tuesday’s first half did little to alleviate when San Francisco created nine second-chance scoring opportunities. Those concerns were addressed at halftime, and San Francisco had none in the second half.

Wise Proves To Be Too Much for Buffs, Lose to Arizona in Maui

irish1611 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:47:02 -0000

More photos » by Eugene Tanner - AP

Browse more photos »

For the second time in as many days, the Colorado Buffaloes were in the game against another solid basketball team but in the end, couldn't register the win. After leading for most of yesterday's game against Gonzaga, the Bulldogs two best players in Steven Gray and Matt Bouldin took over to give the team from Spokane a four point win. Tuesday, Arizona's best player, G Nic Wise, led his team to victory. He scored 30 points, including 16 of the Cats' final 19, to lead Arizona past the Buffs 91-87 in overtime in the second round consolation game at the Maui Invitational.

Wise scored the Wildcats last eight points of regulation to give Arizona a 80 - 72 lead with 52 seconds left but the Buffs fought back to tie the game forcing overtime. Once again, Cory Higgins led Colorado with 28 points going 10 - 22 from the field. True freshman Alec Burks put in another solid performance scoring 19, including 9 - 10 from the free throw line. Austin Dufault also continues to have a solid early season, efficiently scoring 14 points and grabbing a team high 11 rebounds in 29 minutes.

Arizona got in early foul trouble, totaling 29 total fouls for the game with seven of their players obtaining three or more fouls in the game but Colorado couldn't get players like Solomon Hill or Jamelle Horne on the bench with their fifth. The Buffs did take advantage from the foul line, hitting 26 of 32 free throws.

While the Buffs had the clear advantage from the charity stripe, Arizona won this game with their success from the three point line, while Colorado couldn't seem to connect from long. You don't see many teams shoot over 50% from beyond the arc but that is what the Wildcats did. Arizona hit 14 - 24 (58.3%) while Colorado connected on only 5 of 19. Both Wise and Thorn had five three pointers a piece.

The Buffs tend to play a good amount of zone defense and that can be trouble when a team gets hot from the outside. The zone defense helps the Buffs compensate for a lack of height in the middle but can lead to a string of three pointers. Yesterday, the Buffs allowed Gonzaga G Steven Gray to hit 4 - 7 from deep en route to a career high 27 points. Colorado will need to get the perimeter defense tightened up.

Buffs JUCO transfer Marcus Relphorde had a tough day, going 0 - 7 from the field with just one point.

The loss drops Colorado to 3 - 2 on the year, with both losses coming in Maui. Tomorrow (12:00 pm MT, ESPNU), the Buffs will play against tournament host Chaminade, who lost to Maryland and Vanderbilt in the first two rounds of the tournament.

Overall, though, you can see the improvement on this team and this early competition will get them better prepared for Big 12 play. Now the Buffs just need to start taking these opportunities where they play competitively for most of the game and turn them into wins.

Basketball: Colorado Buffaloes Open as 4.5 Point Underdogs to Arizona in Maui Invitational

irish1611 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:12:14 -0000

More photos » by Eugene Tanner - AP

23 days ago: Colorado forward Marcus Relphorde (5) has his shot blocked by Gonzaga forward Elias Harris (20) in the second half in their game at the Maui Invitational NCAA college basketball tournament on Monday, Nov. 23, 2009. Gonzaga defeated Colorado 76-72. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner)

Browse more photos »

After an impressive first round performance against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Maui Invitational, the Buffs will have to turn around this afternoon and play the Arizona Wildcats. Arizona lost late last night to the Wisconsin Badgers 65 - 61. The game will be shown on ESPN2, 2:00 pm MT.

Colorado handled the Bulldogs for most of the game but lost a close one 76 - 72. Buffs G Cory Higgins scored 19, going 7 - 16 from the field. While the Buffs did a fantastic job against the Bulldogs' front court, holding C Robert Sacre and PR Elias Harris to 18 points and just 6 - 15 from the field, they struggled containing Gonzaga on the perimeter. Colorado had to pick their poison to crash the posts and the Bulldogs two most veteran players, guards Matt Bouldin and Steven Gray, took control. Gray, who struggled the first three games of the year, returned to his pure shooting form, scoring a game and career high 27 points, going 6 - 12 from the field and 4 - 7 from behind the arc. After a slow start, Bouldin came through clutch in the end, finishing with 21 points, 5 boards and 5 assists.

The major difference in the game was Gonzaga shot 19 more free throws than Colorado, as the Buffs shot a higher field goal percenatage than the team from the West Coast Conference.

In a losing effort, Arizona got a big performance last night from freshman Derrick Williams. The 6'7" forward scored 25 points, 13 which was from the charity strip. While Williams had a strong game, the Wildcats are led by G Nic Wise. Wise struggled yesterday, going 3 - 12 from the field. He picked up two early fouls in the first 92 seconds of the game and was forced to take a seat on the bench. He never seemed to recover after that. An astounding 54 fouls were called in the game between the Badgers and Wildcats resulting in four player foul outs, three from Arizona. The Wildcats had 30 fouls called against them alone. Sixty-six free throws were shot. Fifety-five were shot in the Buffs game yesterday.

The Buffs matchup much better against the Wildcats than they did against Gonzaga as Arizona's starting five yesterday did not feature a player taller than 6'7". The tallest player in Colorado's starting five is 6'9". Gonzaga featured three seven footers.

The key today will be redefining the game plan to focus on Arizona's perimeter in Nic Wise. The Buffs can't allow Arizona to have the day Gonzaga had on the perimeter.

Tuesday Buff Bites - Hawkins Talks About Mistakes Recruiting Son, Predicting 10 Wins

irish1611 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:11:46 -0000

CU Buffs coach Dan Hawkins says he regrets bringing son Cody to Colorado - Boulder Daily Camera
No matter how mad you are about the situation in Boulder, writing messages on Hawkin's facebook page is a pretty cowardly thing to do.

Dan Hawkins said his son has been attacked by angry fans on his Facebook page and in messages on his cell phone this season as the Buffs have produced a 3-8 record. Cody Hawkins also was booed several times by the home crowd at Folsom Field earlier this season.

Ringo: CU's Hawkins admits '10 wins' was too optimistic - Boulder Daily Camera

Guess it was just one of those days for Dan Hawkins on Monday. He has them occasionally, days when he decides to be a little more forthcoming and straightforward than usual. There weren't a lot of "We'll see," answers to questions when he met with reporters at the Dal Ward Center. Not only did Hawkins say he would not bring his son, Cody, into the Colorado program if he had it to do over, but he also acknowledged that he might have been a little too optimistic in the preseason when he challenged his team to win 10 games. Hawkins pointed to signposts that were there at the beginning of the season that he should have recognized as significant hurdles for the team just to get to the postseason, let alone win 10 games. He pointed to the overall youth of the roster and inexperience on the offensive and defensive lines as being the biggest problems that should have led him to a more cautious approach. Inexperience at wide receiver was another.

Coach, Kasa reveal conflicting plans - The Longmont Times-Call
Is this article telling at all? We have heard this before where position coaches and player have a differing take than what coach Hawkins says...

Coach Dan Hawkins said Monday that freshman defensive end Nick Kasa, the program’s highest rated recruit last February, is expected to play Friday in Colorado’s season finale against Nebraska (1:30 p.m., ABC). That was news Monday to Kasa. "I don’t know why he would say that," Kasa said following practice. "I really haven’t been practicing at all, and I’m trying to get that redshirt still. If I play, then definitely I’m not going to." Prior to the Missouri game on Oct. 31, doctors told Kasa he had mono and an enlarged spleen, and CU announced he would not play again in 2009. "(Bandison) knows I’m not playing," Kasa said.

Coach regrets recruiting son - The Longmont Times-Call

Speaking Monday during what might be one of his final days at Colorado, Dan Hawkins sounded more like a father than a head coach. Hawkins, whose future remains to be seen following CU’s finale Friday against Nebraska (1:30 p.m., ABC), discussed his program’s quarterback situation Monday. He revealed that if he had it to do over again, he would not recruit his son, Cody, to CU. His explanation was long, but it included his belief that Cody took too much of the blame when things went wrong. "It’s not fair to him," Dan Hawkins said. "Here’s a guy trying to do his best to win games and help his team, and he does everything right and he’s a good student, and he’s getting killed on Facebook and he’s getting killed on his cell phone. "The great thing about this job is, you meet some unbelievable people, great people. But you also see another side of humanity that’s not real fun.

Krieger: Father-son gig impossible to win - The Denver Post

Even Dan Hawkins now thinks it was a mistake to bring his son Cody with him to CU. That makes it pretty close to unanimous. Which is no reflection on Cody Hawkins, one of the most level-headed college kids I've met. In fact, I think he's more level-headed than his dad — and more accountable too.

Buffs Fall Short Against Gonzaga - CUBuffs.com

"I walked out of the locker room for the first time since I've been at Colorado and felt like our kids believed we were going to win that game," said Associate Head Coach Steve McClain. "I knew they'd (Gonzaga) come back and be even, and we would have to fight. But I give our kids lots of credit. I thought we showed passion. I thought we were prepared. They made a shot where we didn't."

Wisconsin defeats Arizona 65-61 in foul-plagued game | www.azstarnet.com ®
Arizona (2-1) fell into a consolation bracket game against Colorado today at 2 p.m while Wisconsin (3-0) will face Gonzaga in the semifinals.

Woelk: If Hawkins knows future he`s not showing it - Boulder Daily Camera

If you believe in numbers, history and trends, Friday`s Colorado-Nebraska game will turn out to be bad news for one of the coaches involved. It`s not hard to make an educated guess as to which one that might be. Since 2003, every Colorado-Nebraska game in Boulder has proven to be the last regular season game for one of the coaches involved: In 2003, Nebraska`s Frank Solich coached the Huskers to a 31-22 win in Boulder to improve NU`s record to 9-3. Nevertheless, he was fired soon thereafter. In 2005, Colorado`s Gary Barnett`s Buffs fell 30-3 to the Huskers at Folsom Field in the regular season finale. Barnett did coach in one more game -- a 70-3 loss to Texas in the Big 12 championship game -- but he also was fired a few days after that. And, in 2007, Bill Callahan brought the Huskers to Boulder, where they absorbed a 65-51 defeat. A couple of days later, Nebraska was again looking for a new coach. Which, of course, brings us to 2009 and another game at Folsom Field.

CU's Barringer fails in title bid - The Denver Post

CU impresses in Maui opener - Boulder Daily Camera

Bzdelik put the Buffs through some intense practices and had the game plan for Gonzaga in place before his sudden departure. CU was the sharper team and led by as many as 15 points in the first half after executing the offense to near perfection. "I thought Colorado did a phenomenal job preparing for us," Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said. "Steve McClain knows us and they were ready. It was obviously a game they were pointing towards. They spread us out and made shots."

Colorado, Gonzaga Quotes - CUBuffs.com—Official Athletics Web site of the University of Colorado

On Colorado's performance "We love our young players. (Cory) Higgins is going to be a really good player. Alec's (Burks) going to be a very good player. Again, our young players looked like they belonged out there. They weren't intimidated by it. Alec got a couple charges that I felt could have gone either way. But you know what, I know this: you expect your team to compete and leave it all on the court and I think our kids did that. We got a nice run going early, our kids kept their composure and got up, yet you knew they'd come back. I think Cory knows he's got help out there and it probably came down to one play. We pushed it, we had Casey (Crawford) wide open here, but the ball goes in and out. If we go up three it might have changed the whole thing. But he at least shot the ball like he believed he was going to make it and you live with the misses. I'm not going to fault our effort. We played like we believed in CU today."

Players seek success for CU coach Hawkins - The Denver Post

"The only thing we can do to help him, if his job is in jeopardy, is to go out and win on Friday," senior cornerback Cha'Pelle Brown said of the Buffaloes' home game against Nebraska. "I don't think he's doing a bad job," running back Rodney Stewart said. "I think he's doing a great job. I don't think Coach should go anywhere." Added wide receiver Scotty Mc-Knight: "It's kind of crazy to think about. If we're affecting so many people, we should take it as a pride thing and say if we're going to affect people, let's affect them in a good way. So let's win football games."

Lunch with Bo: Colorado is Nebraska's rival

In part, Pelini decides what a rivalry game is based on the fans. "I know this is a special game to our fans and to Colorado fans," Pelini said Monday during his weekly news conference. "The two states are close together and this game is important to our fans in western Nebraska, and they want bragging rights. They make a lot of sacrifices driving a long way to see us play, and we’ve got to have their back this week."

Brooks: When Bo Shouts/Chews, Huskers Listen - CUBuffs.com

Bo's answer: "I don't even want to talk about that. I know what we have in front of us. I know it's going to be a challenge. I know we have to play good football. I fully expect to go win this football game. "Texas - that means nothing to me right now. The only thing that matters to this football team is Colorado. I told our people in the offices (and) the coaching staff I don't want to hear about plans, about travel plans, about tickets or anything else about the Big 12 title game. "That means nothing. That time will come. Our full focus is on Colorado."

Pelini focused on Colorado game > The Independent > Sports > Huskers Hq

If game vs. Neb. is Hawkins' last stand, Huskers' Hickman knows what Buffs going through - KDVR

Center Jacob Hickman said he remembers the turmoil well. He said there's probably a split between players who like Hawkins and those who don't. Hickman says no matter how the players feel about their coach, it'll be an emotional game for them. Hickman said CU played tough in a 31-28 loss at Oklahoma State last week and that he expects nothing less than the Buffs' best effort Friday.

Monday Buff Bites - Coach Bill McCartney Delivers Team a Motivational Speech For Nebraska Game

irish1611 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:14:00 -0000

Nebraska Week - CUBuffs.com
Oh Bill McCartney, how we miss you dearly. I think this is the first time these players have been told to hit someone in the mouth:

Sophomore quarterback Tyler Hansen said McCartney, CU's winningest football coach (93-55-5, 1982-94), received a standing ovation from the team and staff at the conclusion of his talk. "He was awesome," Hansen said. "(Sunday) was the first time I'd ever heard him talk or met him . . . he really got us fired up." Since he retired, McCartney has not been a stranger to addressing CU teams; he's done it for every coach that followed him -- Rick Neuheisel, Gary Barnett and now Dan Hawkins. The thrust of McCartney's message on Sunday, said Hansen, was that physical play is a must if CU is to defeat Nebraska on Friday afternoon at Folsom Field (1:30 p.m., ABC). "His underlying message was, 'Go out and hit them in the mouth,'" Hansen said. "He told us, 'Those guys are good . . . but don't be afraid to go hit them in the mouth.'"

‘The real test of character’ Hawkins’ mentor defends program, coach - The Longmont Times-Call

Hawkins mentor Bob Foster said he normally doesn’t read newspaper coverage, but that his wife was in town over the weekend, and she wanted to get a paper and a cup of coffee. He read coverage of CU’s 31-28 loss Thursday at Oklahoma State. It prompted Foster to share some opinions. "A lot of people think everything’s based on ... whether you win or lose," Foster said. "See, I don’t buy that. A lot of the press feels that way, but I don’t buy that. "I think it’s a process. This team reminds me of my first year when I was in college. And we won one game that year, and we had a lot of freshman and sophomores, and we were young — but we were good guys. We were guys that worked hard. It reminds me of this team. We never gave up. We played hard every game, no matter what was going on. And then, two years later, we were playing for a championship. "That’s what this team is like. I see a lot of similarities. Anybody can be (of) good character and be good players and be positive when we’re winning. The real test of character is when things are tough, like they were this year. "These guys have never stopped trying and working and playing and giving their best, and that’s going to pay off in the future."

CU Buffs' expectations don't flag even when team fortunes sag - The Denver Post

Everyone strives. But can everyone grab the ring — even if it's a Champs Sports Bowl ring — every season without falling into a four-year abyss? Many Buffs fans say they should. Their voices are getting louder. "We've never done that (gone to a bowl game every year) in our history," said Bohn, a graduate of Boulder High School who then played at Kansas. "However, certainly our goal is to be consistently in the top half of the Big 12 Conference and periodically challenge for not only, obviously, the Northern Division championship but a conference championship from time to time. "But look at our history." From 1967-76, Colorado played in seven bowl games in 10 years and finished in the top 20 six times. From 1988-2005, the Buffs made a bowl all but three times in 18 years and finished in the top 20 10 times.

Colorado basketball team out to prove it belongs in Maui - Boulder Daily Camera

"I'll be honest with you, one of the reasons Colorado is here is because of him. He has a great reputation and so much respect around the country," Maui Invitational tournament chairman Dave Odom said during an interview with the Camera. "When the field was being aligned, one of the things when the University of Colorado's name came up was that they have a great coach there now, one who is reputable and does it the right way. He's highly respected from a tactical standpoint, and it's a good time to get them in here." Ironically, Bzdelik's young team must prove that it belongs in the field -- which also includes Arizona, Cincinnati, Maryland, Vanderbilt and Wisconsin -- without him on the bench.

Buffs turn attention to Bouldin - Boulder Daily Camera

Jeff Bzdelik was one of the first college coaches in the country to discover Matt Bouldin. "I knew of him when I was at Air Force because he lives right by my house," Bzdelik said Sunday before leaving the tournament later that day to see to his ill mother in Chicago. But after being named Colorado's high school player of the year as a junior and senior at ThunderRidge, Bouldin decided to leave the state and play for Gonzaga. "He knew he'd have to get a haircut if he came to Air Force, so he wasn't going to come there. I say that laughingly," Bzdelik said. "I think he's a terrific player and I just wish him well. He's a cagey, smart player who just finds a way to win."

Buffs' Miller set to tangle with Husker named Suh - The Denver Post

Having been requested for a post-practice interview, Colorado sophomore guard Ryan Miller smiled Sunday as a reporter approached. "Suh, right?" Miller said. Miller figures to face the biggest challenge of his college career Friday when he lines up against Nebraska senior defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (pronounced En-dom-ah-ken Soo), a 6-foot-4, 300-pounder who is a candidate for the Lombardi, Nagurski and Outland awards and undoubtedly will be a high first-round pick in the NFL draft next spring. "The guy is a complete football player," Miller said. "He's a big, strong guy that uses his hands extremely well. If you use good technique against him, he's still a heck of an athlete and will give you a challenge. But if you don't have good technique, you're going to have a long, long day."

Colorado football coach Dan Hawkins` situation similar to Callahan`s - Boulder Daily Camera

Job approval ratings change in a matter of days or weeks for coaches in major college and professional sports. This week`s Colorado and Nebraska football game provides a look at how much sentiment can change around programs in two years. At the end of the Buffs` 65-51 triumph over the Cornhuskers at Folsom Field two years ago, Colorado coach Dan Hawkins trotted to midfield to shake hands with former Nebraska coach Bill Callahan, who was under heavy fire from Nebraska fans for running a foundering program. The Cornhuskers had just missed a bowl game for the second time in four seasons under Callahan. The coach who came to Lincoln, Neb., after taking the Oakland Raiders to the Super Bowl had produced a winning record, but it was just 27-22 over four seasons and some of those losses included lopsided embarrassments.

Barringer's last run: CU Buff seeks one more title - Boulder Daily Camera

Winning North is just a start for Nebraska coach| Dallas Morning News

In 2006, as time ran out on Nebraska's Big 12 North-clinching victory over Texas A&M, fireworks lit the sky over Memorial Stadium as if winning the division were a monumental accomplishment. The hoopla was a reflection of how far Nebraska's program had slipped. After all, Nebraska fans once measured success in conference championships, not division titles. Bob Devaney, Tom Osborne and Frank Solich won championships. Bill Callahan did not, though he was rewarded for a 2006 division title with a new contract, only to be fired after the 2007 season. Pelini told his players after Saturday's game that they had not reached their ceiling.

The Associated Press: Nebraska beats K-State 17-3, clinches Big 12 North

Omaha.com - The Omaha World-Herald: Big Red Today - Getting to know Colorado

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING They say you can throw out the statistics when the Huskers and Buffs clash in their annual post-Thanksgiving duel. CU might prefer to just erase the stats and never see them again. It ranks 108th or lower in six of 17 major categories tracked by the NCAA — rushing offense (113), total offense (108), net punting (113), punt returns (117), passing efficiency (111) and sacks allowed (117). Colorado's average ranking in the 17 categories is 82.6. Nebraska, with no triple-digit rankings, averages 42.3.

MBB Takes on Gonzaga - CUBuffs.com—Official Athletics Web site of the University of Colorado

MORE HIGGINS & BURKS: Cory Higgins' 70 points through three games is the highest by any CU player through the first three since the formation of the Big 12. The previous high was David Harrison with 67 in 2002-03. Alec Burks' 54 points is the highest by a CU freshman in the Big 12 era and the most since Chauncey Billups opened his career with 64 points through his first three games in 1995-96 #Big 8#. The previous high in the Big 12 era was 53 for Richard Roby in 2004-05.

Preview: Colorado Buffaloes Take On the Gonzaga Bulldogs In the Maui Invitational

irish1611 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:17:49 -0000

3-0, 0-0
NR (AP)
NR (Coaches Poll)

November 23rd, 2009
Who: Colorado Buffaloes vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Where: Lahaina Civic Center
1:00 pm MT
TV: ESPN2
Live Stats: ESPN.com
Line: Gonzaga -10.5
Gonzaga Blog: Slipper Still Fits

2-1, 0-0
NR (AP)
NR (Coaches Poll)

The always prestigious preseason tournament, the Maui Invitational, kicks off tomorrow with the Colorado Buffaloes taking on the Gonzaga Bulldogs, a top five program in terms of wins over the past decade. Gonzaga has won 9 consecutive regular-season conference titles and has reached the NCAA tournament in nine consecutive years as well, something only nine schools have done over that time period. Now recruiting with the best of them in college basketball, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are a true perennial power, not just a nice story.

preview after the jump...

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are 2 - 1 in the early season with home wins against Mississippi Valley State and IPFW. The one loss was on the road to the #2 ranked Michigan State Spartans 75 - 71 in a game which they led until three minutes remaining. If you watched the game, you will have noticed three things. The Bulldogs are very talented, are playing a different style of basketball more conducive to the physical style of play they will see at tourney time and you may have needed a roster to see who all of the new players were. Amazingly, Gonzaga stuck with Michigan State after losing five seniors off of last year's team - F Ira Brown, F Austin Daye, G Micah Downs, F Josh Heytvelt, G Jeremy Pargo. Austin Daye was a first round draft pick in the 2009 draft while Downs, Heytvelt and Pargo were starters along with Daye for much of the year and all four were in the top five of the team in scoring. This off a team that went to the sweet sixteen a year ago. Because the Bulldogs were such an experienced team in 2009, Gonzaga has four upperclassmen and twelve underclassmen including nine freshmen. Five freshmen play and make solid contributions for this team. But don't expect much of a drop off from the Bulldogs as you can already tell, they have enough of a talented nucleus to be a contender, just ask Michigan State.

The two top returning players from a year ago is Colorado high school product, G Matt Bouldin and G Steven Gray. Matt Bouldin, a front runner for the West Coast Conference player of the year, leads the team in scoring this year with 17.3 points per game. The biggest difference between last year's team and this year's team is the early front court play from sophomore Robert Sacre (7'0"), freshman Elias Harris (6'7"), freshman Kelly Olynyk (7'0") and senior Will Foster (7'4"). Robert Sacre, hurt last year, has averaged 16.3 ppg and 7.0 rpg. His presence is a big improvement inside from a year ago when even Bulldog fans would admit that players like Heytvelt and Daye became too perimeter oriented. Sacre and Harris have truly solidified the post position on this team. If you are fortunate enough to watch the game tomorrow, you have to check out Elias Harris, a freshman from Germany who sort of flew under the radar in the recruiting circles but has Gonzaga fans salivating. A silky smooth player in the mold of Amare Stoudemire, he has come in and averaged 14.3 points per with seven rebounds.

This team might also have more depth compared to a year ago, especially with Sacre and Harris now available, which is making the Bulldogs more competitive on the defensive end, something Gonzaga fans have always wanted to see more of. If their past performances are indicative of the future, expect the Bulldogs to really get after the young Buffs on the defensive end.

As for the Colorado Buffaloes, this game will be a pretty big challenge for them. Gonzaga, although they have one loss, will probably be ranked when the polls come out tomorrow because of their impressive performance against MSU. Where the Buffs might have the most trouble is in the post where Sacre, Harris, Olynyk and Foster are all bigger and more talented than the Buffs down low. The tallest person on the Buffs top five is Austin Dufault who stands 6'9". True freshman Shane Harris-Tunks goes 6'11" but has only averaged 8.0 minutes a game. It will be interesting to see how the Buffs try and defend the Bulldogs. You will probably see a lot of zone as my guess is the biggest threat from the Zags is their penetration game and less on the perimeter as Steven Gray is their only bona fide perimeter shooter but he has struggled shooting only 40% from the field and 35% from the three point line. The biggest question for the Buffs the past three years has been its rebounding and that has come into question again this year as they were out-rebounded 31 - 23 by Texas Southern, who the next day went up and lost to University of Northern Colorado. The Buffs shot over 60% in that game to win but unless the Buffs hit the boards hard on Monday against the Zags, it could be a long day. Colorado averages 29 rebounds a game with junior college transfer Marcus Relphorde leading the Buffs with just 4.0 rebounds per game.

Tomorrow's game does have the potential for some great matchups, though. The best in my eyes is Gonzaga star Matt Bouldin against the Buffs' star Cory Higgins. Higgins is once again proving he is one of the best players in the Big 12, averaging 23.3 ppg and shooting an amazing 70%. Bouldin is a very physical guard who uses his strength to create shots. It will be a good battle of strength vs. speed. Another matchup that will be exciting is Buffs' freshman G Alec Burks against G Steven Gray. Gray is the Zags best perimeter threat. Alec Burks is averaging a strong 18.0 points per, a great number for a guy playing for the first time at the collegiate level. If the Buffs can out play the two perimeter players in Bouldin and Gray, they might be able to make things interesting tomorrow. I am very excited to see how Burks plays tomorrow in his first look at strong competition.

I am very worried about the matchups elsewhere on the court. Colorado G Nate Tomlinson will face a very tough and quick guard in sophomore Meech Goodson, who likes to push the pace and play tough defense on the perimeter. Look for more Dwight Thorne, Cory Higgins and Alec Burks to play the point tomorrow as well. One of the reasons the signing of Marcus Relphorde got Buffs' fans excited was his athleticism at 6'8" and his self acclaimed ability to guard four positions on defense. He might have to do that tomorrow and do it very well for the Buffs to have a chance when freshman Elias Harris is in the game. This will be a good barometer for Relphorde and I hope the coaching staff puts Relphorde on him as soon as he steps on the floor and tells him it is his job to make the freshman's life miserable.

As for the post position, your guess is as good as mine as to what the Buffs will plan to do but you can bet Gonzaga goes to the post often tomorrow. If Colorado can get Harris and Sacre in foul trouble, which is what Michigan State did to beat the Zags, CU will have a much better chance tomorrow, that and if they make it a goal to crash the boards.

It should be a fun watch and a great gauge for the young Buffs' team.

Thursday Zags Around the Web - Need more basketball!

Zach B — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:30:16 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Former Gonzaga Bulldog and current Detroit Piston Austin Daye had one of the better games of his young career last night against Portland. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Browse more photos »

It's never easy to find things to take your mind off Gonzaga basketball once it has started but here are a few articles and links for you to check out while waiting for Friday. Included in today's ZATW are a new potential recruit for 2011, some interesting Maui quotes, and a look at the WCC. We have a very exciting batch of stories lined up for the rest of the day so make sure to check in often or follow us on twitter for our latest updates!

With that being said, here is the news for the day...

--- Lincoln's Coley: Mended arm, amended game | TOP SPORTS - The News Tribune | Seattle-Tacoma News

Local Lincoln High School prospect Damani Coley had a nice article written about him in The News Tribune. Coley is a 6'7'' wing who has a ceiling of 6'10''. Sounds like an intriguing prospect, but like all kids destined to grow a lot in high school, he is wiry. Why does this article matter, you ask?

Pac-10 schools Cal and Washington State, as well as Gonzaga, Seattle University and others, have taken an interest.

I think we all know that, in terms of recruiting, there is interest and there is interest. I feel like the latter is going towards guys like Wiltjer, Bell Jr., and Nick Johnson but Coley seems like a nice prospect.

--- Colorado, Texas Southern Quotes - CUBuffs.com—Official Athletics Web site of the University of Colorado

No, we aren't looking past IPFW but with Colorado's victory last night over Texas Southern, there were some questions regarding their next game against Gonzaga in Maui. In this article are some quotes from Colorado coach Jeff Bzdelik, and guards Cory Higgins and Alec Burks about their upcoming match up with Gonzaga. None of the quotes are really worth mentioning here but it's a good read and should give you an idea of where CU is right now.

--- Colorado men's basketball team must get better on glass - Boulder Daily Camera

Colorado was outrebounded by Texas Southern last night. In fact, Colorado only grabbed 25 rebounds last night! I expect a heyday from the big men come Maui.

continue reading after the jump for Austin Daye news, a look at the WCC, and closing the book on MSU...

--- Portland 87, Detroit 81: Trail Blazers squeeze out a win | The Blazers Beat - OregonLive.com

Austin Daye with 7 points on 3-5 shooting with a couple of boards. Played great during the Pistons frenetic comeback in the fourth quarter. They fell short in the end but it was great to see Austin get the nod down the stretch.

--- UC Irvine rallies past Loyola Marymount 82-76 - San Jose Mercury News

Tough loss for LMU but Drew Viney scored 30 points in the losing effort for the Lions.

--- Toreros Put Away Point Loma, 84-65 - SAN DIEGO OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Matt Dorr had a career-high 18 points as San Diego dominated Point Loma. They'll get their first real test of the season as they travel to Alaska for the Great Alaska Shootout. Their first opponent: the Oklahoma Sooners.

--- Gonzaga Hoops: Young, but Good

Decent article from what is left of the Seattle PI. Basically a nice column about Gonzaga that says we should be in the top 25 that devolves into a discussion about the Gonzaga-UW series. It ain't gonna happen with these two coaches, time to get over it.

--- SLAM ONLINE | " Deconstructing an Early Season Game

A nice take by SLAM magazine on how to digest these early season games. Obviously the Zags impressed the author...and I love hearing the term "reloading".

--- Spokesman.com | Blogs | SportsLink | Day after Michigan State

Jim Meehan always puts out good reads at the Spokesman Review and he comes in with another following the MSU game.

Recap of "Five Questions For..."

Evan Pfaff — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:15:21 -0000

For the past 12 days we have asked “Five Questions For…” each Big 12 school. In case you missed one, after the jump you can read the questions we have for all the hoops programs in the conference.

Have more questions, or comments on the questions? Leave a comment.

Missouri

1) How can Mizzou replace the loss of DeMarre Carroll, Leo Lyons and Matt Lawrence?

2) Can Mizzou sustain the momentum that led them to a Big 12 tournament championship and Elite Eight run last season?

3) Now that Coach Mike Anderson has a squad made up entirely of his recruits, can the "Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball" be even better?

4) Who will step up in the frontcourt for Mizzou? Steve Moore, Laurence Bowers, Keith Ramsey, Justin Safford?

5) Will this be the year Mizzou beats Illinois for the first time in 10 years in the "Busch Bragging Rights" game?

Kansas

1) Can the Jayhawks meet preseason expectations of being ranked #1 nationally in a lot of publications?

2) Can Kansas put their offseason troubles behind them?

3) Exactly how good is freshman Xavier Henry?

4) Will Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins both perform at All Big 12 levels?

5) Can anyone tell the Morris twins apart?

Colorado

1) Now that Jeff Bzdelik is in his third year, can he bring a winning season to Boulder?

2) If not, how much longer will the CU AD go on with the Bzdelik experiment?

3) Can Cory Higgins perform up to his 08-09 level, when he placed fifth in the conference in scoring?

4) Who else steps up for the Buffaloes?

5) Will the Buffaloes improve upon last season's 1-15 conference record?

Iowa State

1) Can Craig Brackins get any help, or will it again be a one man show?

2) Can the Cyclones crack the top half of the Big 12 North division?

3) Is there still "Hilton Magic" in Ames?

4) One publication listed Greg McDermott as being on the "hot seat." What does he need to do to get off it?

5) After 4 straight conference seasons with a losing record, can the Cyclones better the .500 mark this year?

Kansas State

1) Frank Martin brings the 20^th ranked recruiting class to Manhattan. How can the 5 freshmen gel with the veterans?

2) Is Denis Clemente the most fun player to watch in the conference?

3) Can 6-10 UConn transfer Curtis Kelly shore up the frontline for the Wildcats?

4) Is K-State a legitimate program again after nearly a decade of meritocracy (sans the Bill Walker, Michael Beasley year)?

5) What can we expect from freshman Wally Judge?

Nebraska

1) Last year NU was the smallest team in college basketball. This year they brought in some size, will that help?

2) Will Doc Sadler's JUCO coaching experience help the three incoming JUCO transfers adjust to division 1 basketball?

3) Nebraska hasn't had a winning record this decade. Will they go 10 for 10 in losing seasons?

4) How will the team cope with two transfers leaving Lincoln?

5) Who wins more conference games, NU football or NU basketball?

Oklahoma

1) How does Oklahoma replace Blake Griffin?

2) Can Willie Warren be "the man"?

3) Can 6-8, 300 lb freshman Tiny Gallon play big in his first year in the Big 12?

4) Does Oklahoma mind being second fiddle in the Big 12 South?

5) Will inexperience in the frontcourt hurt Oklahoma's chances of making a deep run in the NCAA tournament?

Texas

1) Who will play the majority of the year, the Dexter Pittman who dominated the end of last season or the Dexter Pittman who was essentially non-existent for the first half?

2) Is freshman Avery Bradley as good as advertised?

3) Can the team get back to its first Final Four since 2003?

4) Did Damion James make the right move in returning for his senior season?

5) Between Dogus Balbay, Jai Lucas and J'Covan Brown, who will win the battle for starting PG spot?

Oklahoma State

1) Will Travis Ford's first full recruiting class bring a Big 12 championship to Stillwater?

2) With the loss of Byron Eaton, yet 4 of the top 6 scorers returning, can the Cowboys continue to put lots of points on the board?

3) How much better can James Anderson get?

4) Obi Muonelo played out of position last year. Will the right placement on the floor help the senior better his 12.7 ppg average from last year?

5) OK State will be bigger this year... but also slower. Will that hinder their ability to run with some of the Big 12 teams?

Texas Tech

1) Junior guard Mike Singletary lit up Texas A&M for a near conference tournament record 43 points last season. Will he continue to put the ball in the basket this season?

2) Will Pat Knight's second full season be an improvement over his first?

3) Is Pat Knight on the hot seat?

4) Do the Red Raiders have the personnel to match Knight's emphasis on defense this year?

5) Will all the new JUCO players pan out for the Red Raiders?

Texas A&M

1) How can the Aggies replace Josh Carter?

2) Some publications think the Aggies will finish in the top 4 in the conference. Can this team meet those expectations?

3) Mark Turgeon is in his third year in College Station. Now that he has a roster made up of mostly his guys, can the Aggies crack the upper 1/3 of the conference?

4) Will the four freshman have the impact Turgeon is hoping for?

5) The Aggies have made a school record 4 consecutive NCAA tournaments. Will the streak continue this year?

Baylor

1) Can the Bears rebound from the loss of 50% of their scoring and 2/3 of their assists due to graduation?

2) Coach Scott Drew can recruit, but can he coach those guys to a third straight post season tournament?

3) Can Michigan transfer Ekpe Udoh be the defensive force Bears fans are expecting from the 6-10 center?

4) Did highly ranked recruit Nolan Dennis make the right decision in rescinding his verbal from Memphis and commit to Baylor?

5) Who will be the go-to guy this year, LaceDarius Dunn, Tweety Carter or one of the freshman?