While many fans have focused on the number of players that have transferred out of the Gonzaga program, it looks like there may be a player the staff wants to bring in. After missing out on Trent Lockett, who elected to return closer to home, the Gonzaga coaching staff is bringing Gerard Coleman to campus for the next couple of days on an official visit. The Massachusetts native spent his first two years at Providence, where he averaged in double-figures as both a freshman and sophomore.

Although Coleman will be forced to sit out a year due to transfer rules, he has the length and athleticism to make a huge impact at Gonzaga. In order to learn more about the talented SF, who averaged 13.2 ppg and 5.0 rpg last season, we caught up with Marcus O'Neil, the head coach at the Tilton School, where Gerard played his prep basketball. Here is his breakdown of Gerard's game:

Gerard is explosive and slippery in the open court. He finishes well at the rim and can hit tough floaters, pullups and off balance shots in the paint. In an uptempo setting and with shooters around him, he is extremely dangerous. At Providence he rebounded the ball extremely well. Defensively, his length, quickness and inticipation allow help him to apply pressure on the ball and to get into passing lanes. He makes pretty good reads on side pick and rolls and is a good drive and dish player.

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Over the past few years, Gonzaga has extended its recruiting footprint into the Seattle area. Guys like Steven Gray and Gary Bell Jr. have come from the West Side of Washington and have immediately stepped in and made huge contributions to the program. Given this success, it wasn't surprising to hear that the Gonzaga coaching staff had started to express interest in D.j. Fenner, a talented 2013 wing from Seattle Prep.

Fenner is coming off an impressive junior season at Seattle Prep, as he averaged 18.2 ppg for a team that finished second in the 3A state tournament. Fenner has continued his impressive play this Summer with Seattle Rotary, which has led to a boom in his recruitment. In order to get the latest on his evolving game and recruitment, we caught up with D.J for a detailed update.

TSSF: You emerged as one of the scorers in Seattle during your junior season. How did your game improve this past season and what were the keys to your success?

D.J. Fenner: The first half of the season for me was terrible. I was just playing bad, but then I started buying into Coach Mike Kelly's system which definitely improved my game. Earlier in the season I was more worried about how many shots I'm going to take rather than how hard I was gonna set a screen or how quickly I was going to get into help on defense. Once i started getting my shots through the flow and rhythm of the offense I started playing way better.

Interview continue after the jump

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One of the keys to Gonzaga's success over the past decade has been great guard play. Whether it was Dan Dickau, or Jeremy Pargo or even last season with Kevin Pangos, the most successful Gonzaga teams have been anchored by versatility in the backcourt.

It shouldn't be a surprise that with the success, GU has become an option for many of the top young guards in the country. While fans are currently focused on the 2013 recruiting class, the Gonzaga staff is already looking for a point guard of the future, with one of the primary options being 2015 PG Kendall Small.

Small plays his high school basketball at Ocean View high school and plays for the Dreamvision AAU club, which is one of the elite clubs in the country. It just so happens that Small has the unique opportunity to play for his father, Don Small, who coaches the Dreamvision U-15 team that Kendall is playing for.

According to Don, Kendall is a throwback point guard that looks to setup his teammates and get others involved in the game.

"He is a pass-first point guard," emphasized Kendall's dad. "I was a point guard myself and played that way. He can really create for others and his court vision is out of this world. He is a complete player though. He can shoot the ball pretty well and he gets to the rim at will. He is also a tenacious defender."

for more on Kendall continue reading after the jump....

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Much has been made about how Gonzaga will close out the 2012 class. After the addition of Przemek Karnowski, the main question facing the Zags is how they will address the SF position. Unfortunately, there don't seem to be a ton of options that can immediately step in and provide immediate production. With that said, that hasn't stopped the Gonzaga staff from continuing to look towards the future, as after this season, both Guy Landry-Edi and Mike Hart will be out of eligibility.

One name that we reported last night as a potential option was Gerard Coleman, a transfer from Providence. Coleman averaged in double-figures in each of his two seasons at Providence, including 13.2 ppg last season. Coleman is a great slasher off the perimeter, but is also an excellent rebounder at the SF position. Coleman was the second leading rebounder on the Friars last season. He isn't a great perimeter shooter, but considering the fact that the Zags would still have Kevin Pangos, Gary Bell Jr and Kyle Dranginis on the perimeter when Coleman became eligible, it wouldn't be a huge issue.

At this point, we have just heard there is interest in Coleman, and no official visit has been setup. However, it will be interesting to see if Coleman does decide to make the trek out to the West Coast to see GU.

The other update we have is on key 2013 prospect Xavier Rathan-Mayes. We interviewed Xavier's coach at Huntington Prep last week and we continue to hear that Gonzaga is doing an excellent job with his recruitment, which is being spearheaded by Donny Daniels. Left Coast Recruiting was in attendance at the EYBL in Dallas this past weekend, and had this write-up on XRM:

Xavier Rathan Mayes (CIA Bounce) – The Canadian 2013 guard can shoot with the best in the nation. Not only can Mayes shoot but he can handle the ball well and find the open man.

After two live evaluation periods in April, which allowed Gonzaga coaches the opportunity to evaluate key prospects in person, there seems to be a clear sense of what the staff has in mind for 2013. One position that seems to be a priority is a Combo Guard of the future, with Xavier Rathan-Mayes of CIA Bounce and Huntington Prep impressing the coaching staff enough to earn an offer.

Rathan-Mayes is a native of Toronto and plays his prep school ball in West Virginia at Huntington Prep. In order to get a better sense for his game and his recruitment, we had our recruiting correspondent catch up with Rob Fulford, the head coach at Huntington Prep.

TSSF: Over the past month, Xavier has really seemed to blow up with his play on the AAU circuit. For people who havent followed his game before, what are some of his biggest strengths on the court that make him sucha coveted prospect?

Coach Fulford: Xavier is picking up where he left off during the High School season. He had a great Jr. year at Huntington Prep and has really played well the first AAU events. He is a pure scorer and is one of those kids, that once he gets a rhythm going, not much you can do about it.

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Over the past two weeks, we have provided lots of insight about Polish big man Przemek Karnowski. However, the one thing that we have yet to cover is the recruiting aspect of the story. Thankfully, that is what will be discussed today, as here is the third part of our interview with Rafal Juc.

Rafal Juc is an employee of the Polish Basketball Federation and a basketball scout for Eurohopes.com. We want to thank Rafal once again for taking the time to provide some terrific insight about this intriguing prospect. Here is Part II of the interview with Rafal. Be sure to check Rafal Juc out on Twitter (@rafjuc)

TSSF: With Gonzaga, can you talk a little bit about his relationship with Tommy Lloyd and what he likes about Gonzaga. How important is the success that Gonzaga has the success with previous Europeans been for Karnowski?

Rafal Juc: Honestly, I have never spoken personally with Tommy Lloyd or anyone from the Gonzaga coaching staff, but it seems that Lloyd is responsible for recruiting Karnowski. This is no surprise since Lloyd is considered as one of the top International recruiters, because as you mentioned, he landed Ronny Turiaf and Elias Harris. From what I know, for Karnowski, the most important thing is minutes during his freshman year. He wants to play at a place where the coaching staff runs a system and doesn't just play run-and-gun basketball. He wants to play for a program with a good tradition of developing big guys.

There is no doubt that Gonzaga is one of the best, if not the best school, in the last few years when it comes to working with European frontcourt players. Coach Lloyd traveled to Europe see Karnowski. He was one of two NCAA coaches who were in Poland last fall. Lloyd visited Karnowski, saw his practices and talked with his head coach. This visit definitely will pay off since Karnowski may not have the time to visit any schools in the States.

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After providing you guys with some background on Przemek Karnowski in the first-part of our three-part feature, this segment gives a little more background on where the Polish center needs to improve. We also gather some insight into just how coveted Karnowski is and what the future might hold beyond the college level.

In order to learn more about how Karnowski, we decided to check in with Rafal Juc, who is an employee of the Polish Basketball Federation and a basketball scout for Eurohopes.com. We want to thank Rafal once again for taking the time to provide some terrific insight about this intriguing prospect. Here is Part II of the interview with Rafal. Be sure to check Rafal Juc out on Twitter (@rafjuc)

TSSF: You have mentioned on Twitter that there have been NBA scouts who have come out and watched Karnowski. Is he still planning to come play basketball in the NCAA next season? If so, what schools is he really considering the hardest at this point?

Rafal Juc: That is correct. Several NBA scouts have come to watch him. I was told that at least 7 NBA scouts were in Warsaw in January, specifically to see Karnowski play. It shows how promising of a prospect he is. He is on the radar of many NBA teams, but it does not mean that he will immediately join the league. Scouts and coaches know that he has a long way to go to reach that level. Since his main goal is to reach the NBA, Karnowski is just looking at all of his opportunities and making sure he makes the right choice for his future. He still has not made a final decision, but it now seems that he is even closer to deciding on going to the states to play rather than sign a contract professionally over here.

When I spoke with his father last month, I was told that Karnowski has got at least 30 scholarship offers! Word on the street is that Karnowski has cut his list to his top 10 schools, which include: Gonzaga, California, Cincinnati, Washington State and Utah. Too be honest, Karnowski is really reserved about his recruiting process. He is most focused on finishing out this season and playing at the best level he can.

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As every Gonzaga fan has noticed, the roster has a very International feel to it. With guys from Canada, Germany, France, Ivory Coast and of course the United States filling up the roster, it should come as no surprise that the coaching staff is looking abroad for a key piece of the 2012 recruiting class. With Robert Sacre set to finish out his Gonzaga career, the Zags are looking to highly-skilled Polish center Przemek Karnowski to fill the void left in the paint.

In order to learn more about how Karnowski has developed over the past season while playing in the top division in Poland, we decided to check in with Rafal Juc, who is an employee of the Polish Basketball Federation and a basketball scout for Eurohopes.com. We want to thank Rafal once again for taking the time to provide some terrific insight about this intriguing prospect. Here is Part I of the interview with Rafal, who gives some background on how Karnowski has improved his game and how his season is going. Also, be sure to check Rafal Juc out on Twitter (@rafjuc)

TSSF: One of the areas that Przemek Karnowski has seemed to really improve is his conditioning on the court. How has his game changed since he has been able to get in better shape?

Rafal Juc: You are definitely right - Karnowski is still maturing and his body is still changing. It's important to note that he is a really focused player, who knows his weaknesses and is working hard to improve. It was not a secret that conditioning was an area where Karnowski was struggling. He has lost a few kilos, added some muscle and improved his running, jumping and mobile abilities.

He is more explosive and has improved his lateral speed. Two or three years ago, when Karnowski was competing only on the youth level, he was a rather slow player, who was using only his height. Now he is playing at the highest domestic level with professionals for Siarka Tarnobrzeg and it is a completely different story. The game is not only faster, but also more physical. However, it has not been a problem for Karnowski.

Losing a few kilos has improved his quickness and in comparison to other centers from the Tauron Basket League (first division in Poland - ed.) he has impressed with his love for up-tempo basketball. Standing around 7-feet, he is often the first man down the court on the fast break. Being in better shape has influenced all areas of his game. Now his repertoire is not limited to only playing with his back to the basket. Karnowski is now willing to get the ball on the high-post and is capable of going one-on-one off the dribble, as well as able to face-up to the basket, thanks to his better foot-work and mobility. It also pays off on defense, where Karnowski is now able to stop not only other big men, but also athletic centers or even power forwards. In addition he has improved his team defense and is dangerous on defense coming from the weak-side.

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Over the past six months, it has been clear that one area that the Gonzaga coaching staff is looking to upgrade heading into next season is the combo guard depth. With the Zags often employing a three guard lineup of David Stockton, Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr., the lack of a long and tall guard has been apparent. With that in mind, it should come as surprise that the coaching staff has its eyes on Amedeo Della Valle (Findlay Prep), one of the top uncommitted guards in the nation.

After an excellent performance at the European Championships this past summer, the Italy native made the decision to come over to America and play a year of Prep ball. The goal of playing college basketball outweighed the opportunity to sign a professional contract for the talented guard.

"I made the decision (to come to America) after the European Championships at the end of August," the Findlay Prep guard told Slipper Still Fits. "The main reason was because I really wanted to play college basketball because of the environment. I was supposed to sign a contract before the championship, but then I just changed mind because I came to work out in Chicago and just loved it here."

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With recruiting heating up for 2012, now is a good time to look at the needs for the Colorado Buffaloes. After only winning three games this past season and not having a winning season since 2005, upgrades are obviously needed across the board. Colorado is expected to take somewhere between 25 - 28 high school players with 28 seniors graduating this past year.

The Buffs currently have 59 scholarship players on their roster, 20 non-scholarship players. They have 18 verbal commitments including grey shirt OL Alex Kelley, so 77 scholarship players if all 18 verbals sign their LOIs with Colorado in February. The Buffs have 12 verbals on the offensive side of the ball, only six on the defensive side of the ball and that is with Colorado receiving two verbals this week from DE Kisima Jagne and DE John Stuart.

The highest profile verbals on defense are Justin Solis, a 6'3" 287 pound defensive tackle who ranks as the 46th best DT in the country and DE Kisima Jagne, a 6'5" 235 pounder from Arizona that had offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Purdue, Washington and Washington State. Jagne ranks as the 26th best defensive end in the nation according to rivals. Solis also had offers from Utah, Washington, UCLA, Arizona, Boise State and Georgia Tech.

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With recruiting heating up for 2012, now is a good time to look at the needs for the Colorado Buffaloes. After only winning three games this past season and not having a winning season since 2005, upgrades are obviously needed across the board. Colorado is expected to take somewhere between 25 - 28 high school players with 28 seniors graduating this past year.

The Buffs currently have 59 scholarship players on their roster, 20 non-scholarship players. They have 16 verbal commitments including grey shirt OL Alex Kelley, so 75 scholarship players if all 16 verbals sign their LOIs with Colorado in February. The Buffs have 12 verbals on the offensive side of the ball, only four on the defensive side of the ball. The Buffs have at least one verbal on the offensive side of the ball for each major position category so they have done a nice job filling out the class thus far.

The highest profile verbals on offense is QB Shane Dillon, who is ranked as the 13th best pro-style quarterback in the nation according to rivals.com and FB Clay Norgard, the fourth best fullback in the country.

Needs - Like we talked about above, the staff has filled holes on the offensive side of the ball already. They have players slotted so the big need is for players to emerge and replace key seniors who are now gone - QB Tyler Hansen, RB Rodney Stewart, WR Toney Clemons, OG Ryan Miller and TE Ryan Deehan. Each position group loses one of its key starts from a year ago. You can probably argue that only two of the eleven spots on the offensive side of the ball have starters locked in - WR Paul Richardson and OT David Bakhtiari.

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It's over. It's the final turn of the page, in my opinion, from the last regime to the new one. 23 road losses can be flushed down the drain and we can move on.

It has been the first thing many brought up when discussing the state of the program the last four years. It has been that gray cloud hanging over this team; a way to define the University of Colorado football program.

Done.

Coming into the game as 22.5 point underdogs against a team who had a great shot to win the Pac-12 South, it didn't seem like the Colorado Buffaloes would break the dubious road losing streak today.

But Jon Embree set a goal at the beginning of the season, he wanted this win when the Buffs took on Hawaii the first game of the year. He wanted the monkey off this program's back. He set a goal for this team and they accomplished it today against the odds. Embree got his first signature win of his career in the season finale.

Colorado led start to finish, never trailed. Coming out of the gates on the first drive of the game, the offense went 80 yards on 12 plays to take a 7-0 lead against the home team Utes. Shortly thereafter, the Buffs' defense responded and sent the Utah offense to the sideline after just three plays. A three and out. Colorado finally started a game well. Instead of getting behind like they did a week ago 21-0 to UCLA and like they have done so many times in the past, they set the tone, they put the pressure on the opposition. The defense played extremely well in the first half, allowing only 39 yards on 18 plays, forcing four punts.

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2-10, 1-7 NR (AP) NR (Coaches Poll)

November 25, 2011 Who: Colorado Buffaloes vs. Utah Utes Where: Rice-Eccles Stadium - Salt Lake City, Utah 1:30pm MT TV: Root Sports Radio: AM 850 KOA Live Stats: ESPN Line: Utah -22 Weather: Partly Cloudy, 48 degrees at kickoff

7-4, 4-4 NR (AP) NR (Coaches Poll)

Welcome to the Ralphie Report as the Colorado Buffaloes get ready to take on the Utah Utes in the 2011 season finale. The Buffs have one last chance to break the road losing streak this year. Make it happen Buffaloes!

 No need to go anywhere else today, The Ralphie Report has everything you need and we welcome you to weigh in with your live game analysis, critiques, observations and predictions.

Check out the game thread from the Hawaii game to see how it works. Throw all your comments about today's game below and let's get this thing rolling. If you don't have an account, sign up here for free and enjoy all that our site has to offer.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. Go Buffs!

2-10, 1-7 NR (AP) NR (Coaches Poll)

November 25, 2011 Who: Colorado Buffaloes vs. Utah Utes Where: Rice-Eccles Stadium - Salt Lake City, Utah 1:30pm MT TV: Root Sports Radio: AM 850 KOA Live Stats: ESPN Line: Utah -22 Weather: Partly Cloudy, 48 degrees at kickoff

7-4, 4-4 NR (AP) NR (Coaches Poll)

The Buffs finish up their first year in the Pac-12 against the Utah Utes, the other new team to join the conference this season. Both teams got off to a rough start but Utah responded and has rattled off four conference wins in a row while the Buffs have continued their downward spiral. Utah is in the driver's seat at home to win the Pac-12 South and play in the conference championship next week.

After a very disappointing loss last week to UCLA, Colorado has one last chance to snap the 23 road losing streak this year. If not, once again this team will be faced with the same questions about mental toughness, preparation and the desire to win this offseason. A win looks unlikely due to a Utah team that has developed a stellar running game and a defense that is ranked in the top three of the Pac 12 in all major categories.

Make Utah Win Through The Air

The last four weeks, Utah has won with a commitment to the running game. They have attempted at least forty rushes over the past four with two games over 200 yards. They have not thrown for over 200 yards in those four and have had under 70 in two of those games. Clearly, Utah wants to control the line of scrimmage, wear down the opposition's defense and control the clock. The Utes also have a great turnover margin so they don't beat themselves. Colorado needs to load the box and force QB Jon Hays to beat them. Hays has only completed 55% of his passes and has 7 interceptions to 8 touchdowns since taking over for former Colorado commit Jordan Wynn.

It doesn't help that the Buffs gave up 328 yards on the ground last week.

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Confirmed by head coach Jon Embree and reported through multiple outlets, sophomores Liloa Nobriga and Deji Olatoye will not be returning to the team next season. Only Olatoye saw action in 2011 before being suspended mid way through the year for off the field issues. Both were said to be working their way back on to the team according to Jon Embree as of late October, but in the end, will not be here next season.

LB Nobriga and DB Olatoye were two of the five suspended defensive players in week six of the season before the Buffs took on Stanford. DB Parker Orms, DB Josh Moten and DB Paul Vigo were the other three players, all of which have been reinstated. Olatoye played in four games, making 10 total tackles.

With 28 graduating seniors and attrition occurring with players like Nobriga and Olatoye, expect a huge recruiting class in 2012. This next class will be of monumental importance for Embree and his success at Colorado. The staff can't afford to whiff on this one given the huge number of scholarships available and holes all over the team. It will be interesting to see if Colorado struggles on the recruiting trail. Will Embree start taking risks on under the radar players or will he potentially carry some over into next year's recruiting class. Recruiting should be interesting to watch this offseason with well below average results in year one and a huge number of scholarships to give.

2-9, 1-6 NR (AP) NR (Coaches Poll)

November 19th, 2011 Who: Colorado Buffaloes vs. UCLA Bruins Where: The Rose Bowl - Pasadena, CA 5:30pm MT TV: Versus Radio: AM 850 KOA Live Stats:  ESPN Line: UCLA -10.5 Weather: Sunny, 57 degrees at kickoff

5-5, 4-3 NR (AP) NR (Coaches Poll)

Today, the Colorado Buffaloes try to get the monkey off the back against a UCLA team that is still fighting for a Pac-12 South title. The Buffs have lost 22 straight on the road dating back to 2007 but coming off a senior day blowout win against Arizona last week, Colorado is healthier and look to be playing at a higher level than they have all year. Yes, Arizona isn't Oregon or Stanford but we saw plenty of signs last week to hope they can bring down the streak at the Rose Bowl. Colorado vaulted itself last week on the backs of their seniors, UCLA will try to do the same today as it is their senior day. A win today will be a huge step forward and give Colorado a chance to finish the year and go into 2012 on a three game winning streak.

The Keys for today are simple. We have had 22 games in a row to think about what the Buffs need to do to get a win on the road, today it feels like a possibility. We may be putting too much into last week's win but I gotta feeling:

Perform To The Level Of Expectations

For the first time in a long time this year,  Colorado has some expectations to live up to. People are giving the Buffs a shot, the team believes they can win, something we haven't been able to say in a long time. But talk is cheap, guaranteeing victories and claiming the Rose Bowl is where the streak will end is just words. We know all too well that words have done nothing for this program the past five years. It's time to perform to some level of expectations and if possible, exceed them. Winning today would be performing to expectations, taking a step in the right direction.

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This is how senior day is supposed to be. A group of guys who have fought together for four or five years and go out on top. This one is a little sweeter though. It has been a tough year, a very tough first year for head coach Jon Embree but today his team played well and got their first Pac-12 win. It's great for the program and with two games, albeit on the road, that are indeed winnable, Buff fans have to hope Embree and Company can harness some momentum and finish the year strong.

But back to the game at hand, back to the players. The Colorado Buffaloes dominated the Arizona Wildcats 48-29 with the seniors leading the way. The Buffs did most things right today, they started fast, they built a lead and when Arizona looked like they were going to comeback on a few occasions, the offense responded with a long drive for a score or seniors CB/WR Jason Espinoza and S Travis Sandersfeld made an interception. This game is about making plays and today, the upperclassmen made plays. Senior QB Tyler Hansen went out and played exceptional today. He looked like the Tyler Hansen of old, running when he needed to, extending drives and when called upon, made great throws. He finished the day with 213 yards passing, 50 yards rushing, a receiving touchdown and two passing scores. Great line for the quarterback who has been through a lot his four years at Boulder.

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1-7, 0-4 NR (AP) NR (Coaches Poll)

November 12th, 2011 Who: Colorado Buffaloes vs. Arizona Wildcats Where: Folsom Field - Boulder, CO 12:30pm MT TV: FCS Pacific Radio: AM 850 KOA Live Stats:  ESPN Line: Arizona State 10 Weather: Partly Cloudy, 56 degrees at kickoff

2-7, 1-6 NR (AP) NR (Coaches Poll)

Paul Richardson

This is a winnable game for the Buffs, one of the few on the schedule. But they won't win with Paul Richardson catching two balls like he did last week. He missed the prior four weeks due to injury and against USC a week ago, he only had two catches. Before that, he was on pace for 12 touchdowns and 1,100 yards. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy needs to go back and watch the California game and throw the ball to Richardson at least 12+ times.

The good news is Arizona ranks 112th in the nation against the pass and rank 114th only averaging 0.89 sacks per game. Tyler Hansen and Paul Richardson have the opportunity to have a big game this week.

Pressure QB Nick Foles

For as much as this could be a big game for the Buffs passing attack, the Wildcats are much more potent than the Buffs through the air and the CU pass defense isn't that much better than Arizona's. Even though the Wildcats have struggled this year, Foles still has 3,200 yards passing and 22 touchdowns. He ranks second in completions per game in the NCAA and third in passing yards per game with 362. Expect the Wildcats to throw a ton today against a Buffs' secondary that is decimated by injury.

Buffs DE Josh Hartigan and DE Chidera Uzo-Diribe each have five sacks on the year and will be crucial today in getting pressure on Foles and slowing down the Wildcat passing attack.

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1-8, 0-5 NR (AP) NR (Coaches Poll)

November 4, 2011 Who: Colorado Buffaloes vs. USC Trojans Where: Folsom Field - Boulder, CO 7:00pm MT TV: ESPN Radio: AM 850 KOA Live Stats:  ESPN Line: USC -20 Weather: Partly Cloudy, 40 degrees at kickoff

6-2, 3-2 NR (AP) NR (Coaches Poll)

Welcome to the Ralphie Report as the Colorado Buffaloes get ready to take on the USC Trojans in Boulder, Colorado.

 No need to go anywhere else today, The Ralphie Report has everything you need and we welcome you to weigh in with your live game analysis, critiques, observations and predictions.

Check out the game thread from the Hawaii game to see how it works. Throw all your comments about today's game below and let's get this thing rolling. If you don't have an account, sign up here for free and enjoy all that our site has to offer.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Go Buffs!

Despite losing out on Demarquise Johnson, the Gonzaga coaching staff is still looking to land a wing in the 2012 recruiting class. One prospect that has garnered the attention of Gonzaga is Darrious Curry of Casper College. Curry, who arrived at Casper College after transferring from West Virginia, originally committed to UTEP before switching his commitment following the departure of UTEP head coach Tony Barbee.

In order to learn more about Curry and his unlikely path from West Virginia to Casper, Wyoming, we caught up with Casper College head coach Joel Davidson. Not surprisingly, according to Davidson, Curry is likely to have a big impact for the Thunderbirds this season thanks to his versatile skill set.

"Big impact!," Davidson said of what he expects from Curry. "He is a great scorer who can really shoot it as well as get to the rim. He is very athletic and long and can cause problems on defense as well."

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1-7, 0-4 NR (AP) NR (Coaches Poll)

October 29th, 2011 Who: Colorado Buffaloes vs. Arizona St. Sun Devils Where: Sun Devil Stadium - Tempe, AZ 4:30pm MT TV: Root Sports Radio: AM 850 KOA Live Stats:  ESPN Line: Arizona State -31 Weather: Partly Cloudy, 75 degrees at kickoff

5-2 3-1 #23 (AP) #20 (Coaches Poll)

Welcome to the Ralphie Report as the Colorado Buffaloes get ready to take on the Arizona State Sun Devils in Tempe, Arizona.

 No need to go anywhere else today, The Ralphie Report has everything you need and we welcome you to weigh in with your live game analysis, critiques, observations and predictions.

Check out the game thread from the Hawaii game to see how it works. Throw all your comments about today's game below and let's get this thing rolling. If you don't have an account, sign up here for free and enjoy all that our site has to offer.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Go Buffs!

Over the course of the past decade, players like Dan Dickau, Matt Santangelo, Blake Stepp and Matt Bouldin have excelled as versatile combo guards in the Gonzaga system. While each player had unique facets to his game, the ability to play multiple positions and create for teammates were qualities that each possessed. With a strong basketball IQ, and a versatile game that allows him to have an impact on the court in a multitude of ways, 2013 recruit Cullen Neal appears to have a similar skill set to some of these former GU guards. After taking an unofficial visit to Spokane for the first weekend of practice, we caught up with the New Mexico native to learn more about his game and his recruitment.

TSSF: What do you think are your greatest strengths on the court? What areas of your game do you need to improve the most over the next two years?

Cullen Neal: I think my greatest strengths on the court are my court vision and my ability to score(overall basketball IQ). I have the ability to score in many different ways, but I can also make the good pass, and dish the rock when I need too.

I think the main thing I need to improve is my strength, by hitting the weight room hard, and working out with my trainer. I think that once I get stronger and my body develops that will help me in all aspects of my game.

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This week Oregon comes to town, one of the more prolific offenses in the country. They're high tempo and highly variable in their formation sets which makes them very difficult to prepare for. From five receiver sets to shotgun options, as shown below, this is an absolute nightmare for defensive coordinators.

Below is the option play Oregon ran last week for a 16 yard touchdown against Arizona State. It's different than the usual option as the quarterback is in the shotgun with two running backs stacked behind him. The option play makes a defense read their keys and properly assume responsibility for each option man. If one of the defenders ineffectively reads their keys, an option can go a long way.

In this situation, QB Darron Thomas will fake to the first running back (red arrow) and run an option with the back running back towards the top of the screen. ASU middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict bites on the first fake to the running back. The outside linebacker (orange circle) and the safety (yellow circle) have quarterback and pitch man responsibility. Look how far that safety has to run to get to the running back. You can see the two wide receivers to the top of the screen against man to man coverage (green rectangles). Their blocks will be crucial in making this a three yard run or a touchdown.

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1-5, 0-0 NR (AP) NR (Coaches Poll)

October 15th, 2011 Who: Colorado Buffaloes vs. Washington Huskies Where: Huskies Stadium - Seattle, WA 1:30pm MT TV: Root Sports Radio: AM 850 KOA Live Stats: ESPN Line: Washington -16 Weather: Partly Cloudy, 59 degrees at kickoff

4-1, 0-0 NR (AP) NR (Coaches Poll)

Welcome to the Ralphie Report as the Colorado Buffaloes get ready to take on the Washington Huskies in Seattle, WA.

 No need to go anywhere else today, The Ralphie Report has everything you need and we welcome you to weigh in with your live game analysis, critiques, observations and predictions.

Check out the game thread from the Hawaii game to see how it works. Throw all your comments about today's game below and let's get this thing rolling. If you don't have an account, sign up here for free and enjoy all that our site has to offer.

If you need a refresher on Washington or the Buffs, check out our Tool Box post that has all you need from depth charts, stats, key match-ups and previews.

1-5, 0-0 NR (AP) NR (Coaches Poll)

October 15th, 2011 Who: Colorado Buffaloes vs. Washington Huskies Where: Huskies Stadium - Seattle, WA 1:30pm MT TV: Root Sports Radio: AM 850 KOA Live Stats: ESPN Line: Washington -16 Weather: Partly Cloudy, 59 degrees at kickoff

4-1, 0-0 NR (AP) NR (Coaches Poll)

Another Pac-12 game, another road game where the Buffs have lost 20 consecutive contests away from Boulder. The odds are once again against the Buffs who take on a Washington team with some talented offensive players in one of the more difficult places to play.

Need Someone to Step Up at Receiver

Washington comes into the game with a young secondary that is ranked 117th in the country giving up 323 yards a game through the air. Bad news is the Buffs best receiver, WR Paul Richardson, is out again with a knee injury. Behind Richardson, no one has emerged as a solid second option for QB Tyler Hansen and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. If a guy like WR Toney Clemons or TE Ryan Deehan could get some consistency going with Hansen, the Buffs might be able to score some points today.

Pressure Price

Washington QB Keith Price has exceeded UW fan's expectations this year by a long shot. He is the seventh most efficient passer in the country and has a whopping 18 touchdown passes. The Buffs rank 16th in the country with sacks per game with just over 2.8. Washington ranks 80th in sacks allowed. The opportunity is there for the Buffs to get some three and outs on defense. Rattling Price and containing RB Chris Polk is a must today.

Continue reading this post »

One of posts we are going to do on a weekly basis is an amalgamation of all the content we produce, some of the great stuff we receive from the Colorado Sports Information Department and other references to get you prepared for the Buffs' next game. It's a place you can go during the game if you need to look at a depth chart or want to look at a player's stats from a year ago. If you have other things you have read that you want others to see, post it in the comments section so the rest of us can view.

Game Time: 1:30 p.m. MDT
TV: Root Sports
Radio: KOA, 850am

Ralphie Report Stories and Information

- Colorado - Washington Q&A, Discussion With UW Dawg Pound
- College Football Hist-O-Graph Project - #8: Washington Huskies
- Weekly TRR Discussion - What Should We Expect Against Washington?
- Statistical Comparison - Colorado Buffaloes Vs Washington Huskies
- Wednesday CU Football Buff Bites - Pac12 North Midseason Reviews & Ted Miller's Christmas Wishlist
- Tuesday CU Football Buff Bites - Midseason Reviews Are In for Colorado, Pac-12

Colorado Sports Information Department - Washington & Colorado Links

- Colorado Football Notes
- Colorado Individual Notes
- Colorado Depth Chart
- Colorado Statistics (2011)
- Washington Football Notes
- Washington Depth Chart
- Washington Statistics (2011)
- Pac-12 Conference Notes

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Advantage	Conf	National	Actual	Category	Actual	National	Conf
	Rank	Rank				Rank	Rank
	11	109	94.5	Rushing Offense	149.4	60	5
	8	43	254.83	Passing Offense	241.8	49	9
	11	90	349.33	Total Offense	391.2	63	9
	11	93	21.5	Scoring Offense	34	36	6
	7	49	133	Rushing Defense	104	23	3
	10	108	147.12	Pass Efficiency Defense	132.83	70	5
	7	64	383.33	Total Defense	427	101	11
	11	100	33.33	Scoring Defense	29.4	83	8
	2	40	37.56	Net Punting	36.94	55	6
	10	99	4.33	Punt Returns	7.57	64	7
	12	116	17.34	Kickoff Returns	26.81	11	1
	6	T-60	0	Turnover Margin	1	15	2
	7	93	250.33	Pass Defense	323	117	12
	9	62	134.64	Passing Efficiency	172.45	7	2
	3	16	2.83	Sacks	1.6	84	10
	5	70	5.67	Tackles For Loss	4.2	110	11
	12	97	2.67	Sacks Allowed	2.2	80	9

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One of the fun aspects of covering recruiting as intensely as we do at this site is that we typically have a good feel for most of the guys on this team before they even take part in their first practice. A perfect example of this would be the highly-touted Gary Bell Jr., or GBJ as we have come to know him. With GBJ being a priority recruit for the Zags since the beginning of his sophomore year in high school, he has been discussed ad nauseam on this site. Thanks to his considerable talent and tremendous production in high school, expectations are through the roof for the Kentridge product.

For those that haven't seen Bell play, or have never visited this site prior to this article, there are numerous reasons to think that GBJ is capable of making significant contributions this season. Bell Jr is a solid athlete with a diverse offensive game. He can shoot the ball with consistency from everywhere on the court and possesses the strength to finish at the rim against contact. GBJ has also shown the willingness to be an excellent defender, which he is capable of thanks to solid lateral quickness and a propensity to play physical. Unlike the rest of the incoming recruits, GBJ played against elite competition at Kentridge high school and with Seattle Rotary Select during the AAU season. Despite being the primary scoring threat for his high school team, Bell Jr. projects as a combo guard at this level, as he has the court vision to find open teammates and the ball-handling ability to create off the dribble.

Continue reading this post »

1-4, 0-0 NR (AP) NR (Coaches Poll)

October 8th, 2011 Who: Colorado Buffaloes vs. Stanford Cardinal Where: Stanford Stadium - Palo Alto, CA 5:30pm MT TV: Versus Radio: AM 850 KOA Live Stats: ESPN Line: Stanford - 30 Weather: Partly Cloudy, 68 degrees at kickoff

4-0, 0-0 7th (AP) 4th (Coaches Poll)

Welcome to the Ralphie Report as the Colorado Buffaloes get ready to take on the 7th ranked Stanford Cardinal in Palo Alto, CA.

 No need to go anywhere else today, The Ralphie Report has everything you need and we welcome you to weigh in with your live game analysis, critiques, observations and predictions.

Check out the game thread from the Hawaii game to see how it works. Throw all your comments about today's game below and let's get this thing rolling. If you don't have an account, sign up here for free and enjoy all that our site has to offer.

If you need a refresher on Stanford or the Buffs, check out our Tool Box post that has all you need from depth charts, stats, key match-ups and previews.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Go Buffs!