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Recapping Colorado Buffaloes Basketball & Football News, Links, and Stories
The Rumblings of a Deranged Buffalo: Monday Grab Bag: Pride restored
Sending the Golden Bears back into hibernation - With the myth of #YouCantWinAtAltitude a little bruised post-Stanford, I was very worried about how the team would respond against Pac-12 Co-Leaders Cal. In fact, the Buffs got back to basics Sunday afternoon, playing a crushing level of defense combined with a solid and efficient offense.
The result totaled to a brisk 70-57 win which keeps CU in contention for a first-round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament. The Buffs came out hot, stayed in a nice groove, and I never felt they were that threatened by the league leading Golden Bears. CU out-shot (44%-38%), out-rebounded (39-30), and out-hustled Cal; all while only coughing up five turnovers. It was probably the best all-around Colorado performance of the season, especially considering the caliber of the opponent.
The defending national champion University of Colorado ski team finished second here Saturday in the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association Championships, but more importantly, qualified a full 12-skier squad for next month's NCAA Championships thanks to one of the greatest individual CU efforts in recent memory.
Utah, ranked No. 1 in the nation, won the title with 932 points, followed by the Buffaloes with 862.5. New Mexico pulled ahead of host Montana State by winning the men's slalom and finished with 768.5 points, while MSU was fourth with 750; Denver rounded out the top five with 716. The competition also doubled as the NCAA West Regional.
RINGO: Next step for CU? Win tough road games - Buffzone
When they show up focused and ready to play, the Colorado Buffaloes can hang with just about any opponent in the nation on their home court. They have proven it numerous times against ranked teams and conference title contenders over the past two seasons under coach Tad Boyle.
Now it's time for the Buffs and Boyle to take the next step and perform more consistently on the road, particularly when they're visiting tough opponents in difficult venues. "The next step for our program, and I've said it, is we have to beat a quality program on the road, and we have an opportunity to do that Thursday in Eugene," Boyle said.
The NCAA has moved both the kickoff yardline and your cheese. Which are you more incensed over?
NCAA moves kickoffs from 30-yard line to 35 - ESPN - Some old news, and some WTF news:
Kickoffs in major college football will move from the 30 to the 35-yard line next season, a change intended to keep players safer. The change was approved this week by the NCAA playing rules oversight panel, which also said the running start by players on the kicking team will be limited to 5 yards.
The NFL moved up kickoffs 5 yards this past season and touchbacks increased dramatically. Another new NCAA rule involving free kicks will move touchbacks from the 20 to the 25-yard line, a move intended to encourage more touchbacks.
I knew about the NCAA moving the kickoff line, but changing touchbacks from the 20 to the 25 is a drastic change. It's going to change the entire dynamic of play. If the NCAA thinks this will encourage more touchbacks, they are sorely mistaken. What this will do is encourage teams to train their kickers to boot it right to the goal-line and force a returner to make their way all the way up to the 25 (which they won't).
I know it's only on free kicks, but this seems like a 'test-pilot' for the rule to be implemented more broadly sometime in the future. Jesus.
CU's perimeter defense comes up big vs. Cal - Buffzone
Over the last four seasons there were times when Colorado fans wished they could trade Nate Tomlinson for a different point guard. Like, say, Jorge Gutierrez. Those opinions, for the most part, have changed in the last year as Colorado and Cal have met three times. During Sunday's home finale at the Coors Events Center, Tomlinson saved one of his best performances for last with 11 points, four assists and no turnovers in the Buffs' 70-57 victory over the Bears.
Gutierrez did not score and was 0-for-7 from the field. In the first meeting, a 57-50 Cal win in Berkeley on Jan. 12, the former Denver prep star (Lincoln High School) was 2-for-17 shooting with five points. "I don't want to jinx it," Tomlinson said with a grin when asked what is CU's secret to slowing down one of the Pac-12's best players. Spencer Dinwiddie, who will be the Buffs' starting point guard next season, defended Gutierrez on Sunday while scoring 15 points. "We've done a great job on him," said CU head coach Tad Boyle, who is one of Gutierrez's biggest fans. "Spencer's becoming a lock down guy. I thought Nate did a great job (defensively) on (Allen) Crabbe. ... I thought our perimeter defense was terrific."
The University of Colorado men's golf team resumed its spring schedule here this weekend, and while the sun and warm temperatures were a great respite from back home, the Buffaloes couldn't shake off all the rust and tied for 13th in the fourth annual Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate, presented by Cleveland Golf. No. 12 UNLV led from wire-to-wire, finishing up with 20-under par team score of 844. That was good for a seven-stroke win over Texas Tech (851), with second-ranked Auburn third (855).
The Buffaloes, ranked No. 66, moved up to a 13th place tie with Denver in the final round, closing with a 23-over 864 score. Colorado was in 15th place after the first round, and despite a two-stroke improvement in the second round, slipped a notch into 16th when the round was completed first thing Sunday morning after the second 18 holes were suspended due to darkness. Play was slower than even expected with 24 teams in the field, as all three rounds took between five-and-a-half and six hours to play.
The No. 17 University of Colorado women’s golf team sits in fourth place after the first round of the 2012 Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Golf Championship, hosted by Tulane here at the English Turn Golf and Country Club. The Buffs shot a 9-over par 297.
The Buffaloes were leading the tournament for most of the round until the final hole, which the four scoring players collectively shot at 5-over par. That hole played as the third-toughest of the day with just six birdies compared to 28 golfers playing it above par. As it stands, No. 4 Southern California leads the way at 5-over par 293, followed by No. 20 Oregon at 6-over par 294. No. 13 Duke sits two shots above the Buffaloes in third place at 7-over par 295 and No. 19 Baylor is tied with the Buffaloes at 9-over par.
Go Buffs!