The Ralphie Report - All PostsA Colorado Buffaloes Blog...Covering CU Sports Since 2008https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52670/trr_fav.png2024-03-17T18:51:41-06:00http://www.ralphiereport.com/rss/current/2024-03-17T18:51:41-06:002024-03-17T18:51:41-06:00#5 seed Colorado Buffaloes draw Drake in NCAA Tournament
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<figcaption>Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Buffs won’t be hosting tournament games</p> <p id="cjde2p">Selection Sunday was bitter sweet for the Colorado Buffaloes. CU is headed to the Big Dance, where the #5 seed Buffs will face off against #12 seed Drake. Unfortunately, that game will occur away from Boulder.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dancing in Manhattan <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoBuffs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoBuffs</a> <a href="https://t.co/aBPebvDw3G">pic.twitter.com/aBPebvDw3G</a></p>— Colorado Women's Basketball (@CUBuffsWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/CUBuffsWBB/status/1769518446260162992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a>
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<p id="4SW8dZ">It looked as though the dominos had fallen in just the right way for the Buffs to snag a top #4 seed and host tournament games, but the selection committee evidently didn’t see it that way. K State ended up with that last #4 seed and now the Buffs will hit the road for Manhattan, Kansas for the weekend.</p>
<p id="Dlcz3t">Despite seeding not going their way, making it to the tournament as a #5 seed is a huge accomplishment. Colorado has now made the tournament in three consecutive seasons, which is cause for major celebration.</p>
<p id="DMZlPs">The Drake Bulldogs, winners of the Missouri Valley Conference, will be Colorado’s first opponent in the tournament. The 29-5 Bulldogs have wins against tournament teams like Iowa State and Maine, meaning they’re no pushovers. The Buffs will be heavy favorites, but Drake is a good team and they won’t be easy to beat.</p>
<p id="A92GFA">If CU can beat Drake, they’ll likely have to face off against #4 seed K State in the Round of 32. Looking even further ahead, Colorado will likely have to play a Sweet Sixteen rematch with Iowa if they make it that far. </p>
<p id="jPlWZX">The draw certainly didn’t go in CU’s favor, but there’s nothing they can do about it now. All they can do is take care of business in Manhattan. The Buffs have their work cut out for themselves this weekend. A rested and hungry Colorado Buffaloes squad isn’t going to be a fun opponent to face, so let’s hope they can seize the moment. </p>
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https://www.ralphiereport.com/2024/3/17/24104400/5-seed-colorado-buffaloes-draw-drake-in-ncaa-tournamentRylandScholes2024-03-17T18:11:21-06:002024-03-17T18:11:21-06:00Colorado makes NCAA Tournament, will play First Four game vs Boise State
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<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="jb5izS">After a run to the Pac-12 conference tournament final, Colorado has officially punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">WE'RE IN ️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoBuffs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoBuffs</a> <a href="https://t.co/hHJAkAuPJK">pic.twitter.com/hHJAkAuPJK</a></p>— Colorado Men's Basketball (@CUBuffsMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/CUBuffsMBB/status/1769487903325859997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a>
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<p id="C3j6zw">The Buffs, who go into this year’s tournament as a 10-seed, will head to Dayton, Ohio for their first round game, a “First Four” matchup against Boise State. If they win that game, they’ll face off against Florida – the South region’s 7 seed – on Friday. </p>
<p id="4N5tpl">Boise State finished the regular season 3rd in the Mountain West standings, and lost in the conference tournament quarterfinals to 6-seeded New Mexico, who went on to win the whole thing. The Broncos have four players who averaged double-digit scoring totals this season, led by junior forward Tyson Degenhart, who averaged 17 and 6 in 31 games played this year. </p>
<p id="ZitHs8">As a team, Boise State finished the season 5th in scoring, averaging a hair over 75 points per game. They don’t shoot particularly well, as their field goal percentage (.452) was only the 8th best in the Mountain West. They do rebound well, though, leading the conference in both offensive and defensive rebound percentage, as well as overall rebounding margin. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shock and silence in the room as Boise State finds out it’s headed to the First Four in Dayton. Didn’t see that coming. Broncos will face Colorado. <a href="https://t.co/uLFhwv3OA1">pic.twitter.com/uLFhwv3OA1</a></p>— B.J. Rains (@BJRains) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJRains/status/1769488500238569895?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a>
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<p id="s0gwB7">Both teams were among the last four in, along with in-state rival Colorado State. While the official times aren’t set yet, the game will either tip off at 6:40 PM or 9:10 PM local time. </p>
https://www.ralphiereport.com/2024/3/17/24104371/colorado-makes-ncaa-tournament-will-play-first-four-game-vs-boise-statecamellis2024-03-16T23:30:43-06:002024-03-16T23:30:43-06:00Buffaloes fall to Oregon in Pac-12 title game
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<figcaption>Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Buffs just couldn’t get the job done.</p> <p id="S0ive7">All good things must come to an end, and the Colorado Buffaloes learned that the hard way on Saturday night in Las Vegas. CU’s eight game winning streak is no more, as the Buffs fell to the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 tournament finals.</p>
<p id="DvfSsT">Saturday night’s game was extremely close, but it felt like Colorado was playing catch-up for the vast majority of it. The Buffs roared out to a nine point lead midway through the first, but immediately relinquished it due to poor shooting and turnovers. After that, Oregon was in the drivers seat for the remainder of the game, leading for 24 minutes of game-clock. </p>
<p id="4QgVhJ">Colorado kept it close in the second half, even leading by one point briefly, but just fell apart down the stretch and couldn’t close it out. Untimely turnovers and Colorado’s inability to stop the Ducks from snagging their own misses proved to be too much for the Buffs to overcome. At the final whistle, Oregon bested Colorado by a final score of 75-68. </p>
<p id="7xwrrE">Not gonna lie, this one hurts, a lot. The stars were aligned for the Buffs, getting the opportunity to face off against Oregon in the Pac-12 finals, with a chance to bookend the now-dead conference. Colorado just couldn’t get the job done, as they tripped over their own feet all night long and succumbed to their own self-inflicted wounds. </p>
<p id="qnH2Fe">First off, the Buffs’ offense never truly got going. After going on a 13-0 run early in the first half, it began to sputter out and die. CU shot only 41.7% (20-48) from the floor. Most of that less than ideal percentage is due to Oregon’s lock down defense, as the Ducks rarely gave up any open shots and gave Colorado minimal room to work, especially in the low post.</p>
<p id="6I0bK1">To go along with their lackluster offensive showing, the Buffs just couldn’t take proper care of the ball. Colorado turned the ball over 13 times and Oregon really made them pay for it, cashing those takeaways in for 23 points. In comparison, Oregon only turned the ball over 3 times and Colorado didn’t score of any of those opportunities.</p>
<p id="SZEqix">When the Buffs played the Ducks in Eugene last Thursday, they got a taste of the N’Faly Dante experience, and it wasn’t very fun. Dante finished that contest shooting a perfect 10 for 10 from the field, trouncing Colorado down low. Tad Boyle and his team knew what was coming on Saturday and ultimately just couldn’t do anything about it. </p>
<p id="WoJZZb">Dante simply couldn’t be stopped in the Pac-12 title game, once again finishing with a perfect 12 for 12 shooting performance. Oregon’s big man had his way with Eddie Lampkin in the low post and the Buffs just had no answer for him. Dante finished Saturday’s contest with a game-high 25 points and 9 rebounds, which made all the difference for Oregon.</p>
<p id="fEwll2">Despite all the doom and gloom, Colorado fans have something to be proud of; KJ Simpson. The Pac-12’s best point guard put the team on his back, finishing the game with 23 points and 6 rebounds. No other Buff even cracked the 12 point barrier. Simpson did the heavy lifting on Saturday and had an extremely impressive game. Unfortunately, his teammates were unable to come remotely close to his level. </p>
<p id="cnSZen">The Buffs can do only one thing now; wait. Colorado’s NCAA tournament fate will be decided by the selection committee, and their decision will come Sunday afternoon. CU’s resume is set in stone and there’s nothing they can do to change it. Hopefully their performance this week was good enough to push them out of having to play in First Four games in Dayton early next week. We’re in for a stressful next 24 hours, so buckle up and get some rest. </p>
https://www.ralphiereport.com/2024/3/16/24103613/buffaloes-fall-to-oregon-in-pac-12-title-gameRylandScholes2024-03-16T00:36:54-06:002024-03-16T00:36:54-06:00Colorado defeats Washington State to advance to Pac-12 tournament finals
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<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Buffs are one win away from glory.</p> <p id="BvVAyE">The stars are aligning for the Colorado Buffaloes. With their 58-52 win over Washington State on Friday night, they’ve now advanced to the Pac-12 tournament finals.</p>
<p id="iSpxQy">This game was the definition of a nail-biter. Although Colorado led for a little over 30 minutes of game-time, every single Buffaloes fan was on the edge of their seat the entire game. Colorado’s largest lead all night was only nine points and their lead hovered between 1 to 3 points during the final ten minutes of the game. Wazzu pushed the Buffs to their limit, but they ultimately prevailed. </p>
<p id="V3FgSH">Shortly after the first whistle, it was clear that this game was going to be decided by who played better on the defensive floor. Both the Cougs and Buffs shot nearly identical figures in the first half. Wazzu shot 40% (10-25) from the field, while CU shot 41.4% FG (12-29). Both teams also opted to attack in the paint, with Colorado’s 20 points from inside slightly beating WSU’s 14.</p>
<p id="0CuKYm">What made all the difference for the Buffs was their ability to force turnovers. Colorado forced 9 takeaways in the first half alone, covering those into 6 points. J’Vonne Hadley, KJ Simpson and Tristan da Silva were all locked in on their defensive assignments, combining for 4 first half steals. </p>
<p id="Us877Q">Colorado’s stellar defensive showing in the first was what began to separate the two squads, but some clutch buckets from WSU’s Myles Rice and Jaylen Wells kept the Cougs well within reach of the game. The Buffs headed to halftime up 27-23, 20 minutes away from clinching a birth in the championship game.</p>
<p id="UjIPrn">To the surprise of very few, the second half proved to be much of a continuation of the first. Both teams once again shot the ball very comparably, with only a 1.1 difference in their FG% (CU 45.5%, WSU 44.4%). Same as the first half, this game was going to come down to turnovers.</p>
<p id="JnEkH5">Colorado proved to be a bit turnover prone in the second half, giving the ball away 7 times, resulting in 4 points for the Cougs. Thankfully, the Buffs’ craving for takeaways was not quenched in the first. CU forced a whopping 10 turnovers in the second half and cashed them in for 10 free points. </p>
<p id="l65yHJ">Those turnover points really made a difference, especially down the stretch. With Colorado clinging onto a lead of no more than three points until the final minute of the game, each and every one of those turnovers became more and more important. </p>
<p id="y7X0Yd">The Buffs didn’t look their best on the offensive floor on Friday, especially from three-point land, where they only shot 3 for 15. However, their 19 forced turnover helped make up for that and really turned the tide. At the final whistle, Colorado dispatched the Cougars by a final score of 58-52.</p>
<p id="baUaPF">KJ Simpson once again led the Buffs in scoring with 16 points, leading the team with 7 rebounds as well. Tristan da Silva had an extremely efficient scoring night as well, shooting 6 of 9 from the floor and netting 13 total points. </p>
<p id="TNdaPK">J’Vonne Hadley finished with a strong game both offensively and defensively, picking up 12 points and 3 steals on Friday. Eddie Lampkin once again established himself as a force to be reckoned with down low, picking up 9 points and 6 boards. There’s been some whispers going around about Lampkin maybe winning tournament MVP, and they’re honestly very warranted. </p>
<p id="hEEh6Z">The Buffs now move to the Pac-12 tournament finals and things couldn’t have turned out any better for them. Oregon bested Arizona today to also advance to the finals, meaning Colorado gets to duck the Wildcats, which they’re 0-2 against this year. Instead, CU gets to match up against a Ducks squads that they’re undefeated against in 2024. </p>
<p id="BNpuhl">The Buffs will likely head into Saturday’s championship game has favorites against OU. They now have a golden opportunity to snag their second Pac-12 title since joining the conference in 2011. Colorado might just make history today in Las Vegas when they face off against Oregon at 7:00 pm local time. </p>
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https://www.ralphiereport.com/2024/3/16/24102673/colorado-defeats-washington-state-to-advance-to-pac-12-tournament-finalsRylandScholes2024-03-15T00:41:17-06:002024-03-15T00:41:17-06:00Buffaloes advance in Pac-12 tournament with win over Utah
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<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Buffs probably just punched their ticket to the dance</p> <p id="41oGk4">The Colorado Buffaloes made quick work of the Utah Utes in Las Vegas on Thursday, beating them in a decisive 72-58 win to advance to the quarter-finals of the Pac-12 tournament. </p>
<p id="E01jT5">Fresh off six consecutive wins, the Buffs got off to a hot start. After trading buckets for the first few minutes of play, Colorado sprinted out on an 18-2 run to build up a sizable 24-10 lead. The Buffs followed that up by going ice cold, missing 9 consecutive shots from the floor, allowing the Utes to go on a 17-2 run of their own.</p>
<p id="oEp8zR">In the first half, the Utes attacked Colorado with the three-ball to great success. Utah shot 42.9% from deep in he first, making six clutch three-pointers to keep them within reach. Despite the Buffs’ cold streak, they shot the ball relatively well in the first. Colorado made 43.3% (13-30) from the field in the first, making three triples in the process.</p>
<p id="a0DbA4">Utah’s run to end the half made things interesting, but Colorado’s dominant first ten minutes of play really helped minimize that damage. The Buffs headed to halftime up 33-30, looking to regroup and regain the momentum going into the second.</p>
<p id="4N5hwT">Colorado started the second half out by going on an 8-2 run and never looked back. The Buffs doubled-down on the defensive side of the floor, which really turned the tides of this game. The three-ball, which Utah heavily relied on in the first half, got seemingly completely eliminated by Colorado. The Utes shot only 2 of 16 from deep in the second half, along with less than ideal 10 of 28 from the floor. </p>
<p id="Oz6csI">On the offensive floor, the Buffs didn't slow their roll. Colorado finished the game shooting 45% (28-63) from the field and an impressive 57.1% (4-7) from three. CU took smart shots and took great care of the ball, only turning the ball over 3 times in the second half. In the end, Utah had no answer for Colorado’s smothering defense and efficient scoring, as CU won by a margin of 14 points and will play Wazzu on Friday in the quarter-finals.</p>
<p id="3DRsUu">KJ Simpson once again proved that he’s the best player in the Pac-12 finishing with a game-high 18 points, 10 rebound double-double. Simpson shot 4 of 6 from deep on Thursday, most of which came at pivotal times to completely flip the game’s momentum. </p>
<p id="prkffz">Eddie Lampkin had what was probably his best game yet in a Colorado Buffaloes uniform, racking up 17 points and 12 rebounds. Along with his ninth double-double of the season, Lampkin absolutely crushed Utah in the post and pretty much got whatever he wanted, finishing the game shooting an impressive 8 of 14 from the field.</p>
<p id="0ArL7I">At long last, Thursday’s win over Utah has likely punched Colorado’s ticket to the dance. The Buffs will now have to face off against 22nd ranked Washington State Friday night in the semi-finals. A win over Wazzu would move Colorado further up on the bubble and help avoid a potential play-in game to make it to the tournament. CU will face off against the Cougs Friday night at 8:30 pm local time on the Fox Sports 1.</p>
https://www.ralphiereport.com/2024/3/15/24101555/buffaloes-advance-in-pac-12-tournament-with-win-over-utahRylandScholes2024-03-14T14:23:40-06:002024-03-14T14:23:40-06:00Opinion: KJ Simpson got robbed of Pac-12 Player of the Year
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<figcaption>Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Simpson was better than Caleb Love this season.</p> <p id="4OvM2j">When the Pac-12 announced their postseason awards on Monday morning, anybody who had been following Colorado Buffaloes basketball this season knew something was off. KJ Simpson, the conference's clear best player, lost out on Pac-12 Player of the Year. Instead, that honor went to Arizona guard Caleb Love.</p>
<p id="yvOFi3">Love had a good season in Tucson, but it doesn’t even really compare to KJ’s. Nobody has meant more to their team and been as good at their position as Simpson has in the Pac-12 this season. He got robbed of Player of the Year; plain and simple.</p>
<p id="oLsGEc">Statistically, it’s clear that KJ has been the better player this season. Simpson (19.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.9 APG) averages higher values in per game stats than Love (18.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.4 APG). KJ has also made a higher percentage of shots from the field (48.8% FG) than Love (43% FG), while attempting an average of 1.1 less field goals per game.</p>
<p id="cQqyYo">Those figures alone indicate that Simpson is more efficient offensively than Love, as he scores more than him on less attempts. Defensively, Love isn’t even in the same stratosphere as Simpson.</p>
<p id="6p0l5u">KJ averages 1.7 steals per game, good for third in the entire Pac-12. Love averages 1.2 steals per game, clocking in at 18th place in the conference. KJ was named as an honorable mention to the All-Pac-12 Defensive team, while there was no mention of Love being on that list.</p>
<p id="qMzMTm">Simpson is pretty clearly Colorado’s best player and it’s hard to make an argument against it, as he leads the team in points, defensive rebounds, assists and steals. Love isn’t even close to being the best player on the Wildcats, as center Oumar Ballo is probably the best hooper in Tucson right now. </p>
<p id="jcPO0g">Love might not even the best guard on Arizona’s roster either. Kylan Boswell, who is the Pac-12’s best defensive guard, is probably the more well-rounded player when stacking the two against each other. Hell, you could even make an argument that Pelle Larsson is a more efficient scorer than Love, but I’m not gonna go there.</p>
<p id="YoAYkw">These Player of the Year awards always seem to go the player on the best team who chucks up the most shots, and this year isn’t any different. Love has attempted 454 field goals this season, being the most by an Arizona Wildcat this season by a margin of a whopping 180.</p>
<p id="YQPyzU">If you look at the stats or even just watch the two players, it’s pretty clear KJ was the better player this season. He really, truly did get robbed of winning Player of the Year, which is really frustrating. We all wanted KJ to finally get some real recognition for how good he’s been this year, but I guess that wasn’t meant to be.</p>
<p id="XntQGF">Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about it other than spread the truth around that KJ is better than Caleb. This isn’t the first time that a Buffalo got snubbed of an award and it won’t be the last. In our heart of hearts, we all know that KJ is the real Player of the Year, and maybe that’s all that really matters.</p>
https://www.ralphiereport.com/2024/3/14/24098801/opinion-kj-simpson-got-robbed-of-pac-12-player-of-the-yearRylandScholes2024-03-12T18:53:21-06:002024-03-12T18:53:21-06:00Colorado’s KJ Simpson named to first team All Pac-12
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<figcaption>Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="xTLVfJ">The Pac-12’s regular season honors were announced today, and three Buffs were among the list of players given an award. </p>
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<p lang="et" dir="ltr">1st Team All-Pac-12: KJ Simpson <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoBuffs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoBuffs</a> <a href="https://t.co/veNiedTje4">pic.twitter.com/veNiedTje4</a></p>— Colorado Men's Basketball (@CUBuffsMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/CUBuffsMBB/status/1767581499862241649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2024</a>
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<p id="ch1iXc">For the first time in his career, KJ Simpson was named to the All-Pac 12 first team. In 31 games played this year, Simpson averaged 19.5 points per game, which was 4th best in the Pac-12. His three-point shooting percentage went from 39% in 2022 to 48% this season, and he raised his per-game averages for rebounds and assists as well. Besides points and assists per game, he also led the Buffs in average minutes played (34) and steals (1.7). Simpson was also given an honorable mention for Pac-12 First Team All Defense. </p>
<p id="lJ4mVp">Besides Simpson, both Tristan Da Silva and Cody Williams took home awards as well. Da Silva was named to the All Pac-12 second team, while Williams was one of five players to be named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team. Da Silva, a senior, has improved all four years in Boulder, and in 2023 set career highs in minutes, points per game, rebounds, assists, and free throw percentage. Williams, who entered the season as one of the highest basketball recruits in the history of CU’s program, was impressive for stretches but struggled to stay on the court, only appearing in 18 games this season. When he was on the court, Williams looked every bit of the NBA Lottery pick he’s projected to be, averaging 13 points, three rebounds, and two assists while being a major disruption on the defensive end. </p>
<p id="DXEfzA">The other major awards went to Arizona’s Caleb Love, who won Pac 12 Player of the Year, UCLA’s Adem Bona, who won Defensive Player of the Year, and Washington State’s Myles Rice, who was named Freshman of the Year. The teams will meet in Las Vegas for one last conference tournament this weekend, with the opening rounds set to begin on Wednesday. The Buffs first game – against the winner of Utah vs. Arizona State – will take place on Thursday night. Tipoff for that game is 9:30 PM local. </p>
https://www.ralphiereport.com/2024/3/12/24099127/colorados-kj-simpson-named-to-first-team-all-pac-12camellis2024-03-12T14:49:58-06:002024-03-12T14:49:58-06:00Bracketology: Colorado Buffaloes are in a great spot heading into March Madness
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<p>March Madness is fast approaching and the Buffs are sitting pretty</p> <p id="3VeFw4">We’re officially less than a week away from Selection Sunday, which means it’s time for one final bracketology update before it’s too late. We finally have a good grasp on the tournament situation for both Colorado’s men and women, so allow us to break it down.</p>
<p id="K8IkWP">Things were looking bleak for a minute for Colorado’s women. After losing 5 of their last 6 regular season games, the Buffs fell to #13 Oregon State in a game they led for over 40 minutes at the Pac-12 tournament in Vegas. 23</p>
<p id="Z056tL">With that loss to the Beavers, it felt as though Colorado had squandered their opportunity to host tournament games at home, falling all the way from a one seed to a five seed in the final two months of the season. Ranked 18th in the AP Poll and predicted to be a five seed by <a href="https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/30423107/ncaa-women-bracketology-2024-women-college-basketball-projections">ESPN</a> going into Monday, the Buffs looked for outside help to secure a 4 seed and the right to host tournament games.</p>
<p id="LvPfcB">Thankfully, outside help is exactly what they got. Monday couldn’t have gone any better for the Buffs. #17 Oklahoma was upset by Iowa State in a 17 point blowout loss, while #16 Kansas State fell to #5 Texas in the Big XII tournament.</p>
<p id="t4w6bK">All of a sudden, Colorado found themselves right back into consideration for the last two host spots. Those spots are likely between Indiana, Oklahoma and Colorado. <a href="https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/30423107/ncaa-women-bracketology-2024-women-college-basketball-projections">ESPN</a> posted a bracketology update Monday night with the Buffs as a 4-seed over the Sooners, but we’ll have to wait until Sunday to see if the selection committee agrees.</p>
<p id="EMCehP">After both K-State and OU’s losses, Colorado’s NET ranking sits at 16. A NET ranking in the top-16 paired with the amount of Q1 success that the Buffs have is a recipe for a top-4 seed in the NCAA tournament. If I was a betting man, I’d predict that Colorado will likely snag a host spot over Oklahoma on Selection Sunday. Needless to say, playing in Boulder would be a massive advantage for the Buffs as they have their eyes set on the Sweet Sixteen and beyond.</p>
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<p id="g5hWvJ">As for Colorado’s men, things are looking the best they have since their win over Miami in December. After exhausting their full margin for error, the Buffs ripped off a casual six-game win streak to close the regular season, including a Q1 road win over the Ducks in Eugene to bolster their resume in the process.</p>
<p id="ilv0iB">All of a sudden, CU is on the right side of the bubble and a good spot going into the Pac-12 tournament. <a href="https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/bracketology/ncaa-bracketology-2024-march-madness-men-field-predictions">ESPN’s Joe Lunardi</a> has Colorado in his last four in, playing Virginia for the right to make the tournament as an 11-seed. CBS also has the Buffs in their last four in, but playing Rick Pitino’s St. Johns instead.</p>
<p id="65BbBv">Tad Boyle and his team will head to play in the Pac-12 tournament in Vegas this week and in an advantageous position on the bracket Their three seed ensures they’re on the opposite side of one seed Arizona. They will likely play the injury-ravaged Utes on Thursday.</p>
<p id="GnnQFu">The Buffs have a likely Q2 win over Utah lined up and another Q1 matchup with Washington State in the semi-finals after that. Sportsbooks currently have Colorado pegged with the second highest odds to win their conference tournament.</p>
<p id="xQQOnk">By beating the Utes and Cougs, the Buffs would move themselves out of having to play a potential play-in game to a 9- or 10-seed. At the bare minimum, a win over Utah likely locks them into the tournament with an at-large bid.</p>
<p id="9NsE39">Overall, both of Colorado’s hoops squads are in good spots right now. The women look like they’ll be hosting home tournament games, while the men are just happy to go dancing. March is shaping up to be an eventful month for Colorado Buffaloes athletics and we’ll keep you in the loop every step of the way.</p>
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