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Recapping your Colorado Buffaloes' Athletics, Women's NIT, Men's NCAA Tournament, and Football Offseason News, Links, and Stories
Women's basketball: CU Buffs set to face hot-shooting Villanova in WNIT - Buffzone
Colorado's women's basketball team has gone up against teams that like to shoot the 3-pointer. Oregon hit 7.7 3-pointers per game this season; Arizona made 6.3 per contest. What the Buffs (20-13) see Thursday night from Villanova, however, will be different.
The Wildcats (19-14) have connected on 8.2 3-pointers a game this season and they shoot 24.1 times per game from beyond the arc. "This is the best 3-point shooting team that we've faced and probably will face all season long," CU head coach Linda Lappe said. "That's what they try to get. They run a lot of things to get open 3s. If your hands aren't up and if they're open, they make them."
The game's tonight, in Boulder. If you are elsewhere then you're doing it wrong.
Sabrina's Crossing - An athlete's life on the road: No Redos, No Regrets - On the topic of CU vs. 'Nova, Sabrina Scott shares her thoughts on playing alongside Linda Lappe and Tera Bjorklund against Villanova in the Sweet 16 in '03.
I've always played basketball without regret. You play hard, you leave it all on the court, and there's nothing to regret. But there's one play in my career that I've always wanted to have back. A redo so to speak. Ever since my senior year at Colorado, I've wanted to have one play, and one play only, back. If that play resulted differently, maybe the rest of the game would have gone differently.
"He's looks great . . . he's shown some good versatility playing the run and the pass (and) he's been the best player on defense this spring, the hardest for our offense to contend with." That's precisely what Uzo-Diribe, a defensive end/outside linebacker from Corona, Calif., went into spring practice hoping to accomplish - but particularly in the running game.
Uzo-Diribe can be (and has been) a ferocious pass rusher, a true force on the edge. He's 6-3, has a Boeing-variety wingspan, and has added about 15 pounds since last fall while retaining his speed. Now at 250, he's comfortable in either a stand-up or a hand-on-the-ground position on the line.
"They have me standing up some plays, sometimes I have my hand on the ground," he said. "I'm everything; it just depends on what coach Brown wants to call. I think I'm a versatile kind of player; I think I can do both and it's fun. I've kept my speed, and if anything, that's improved. I've got a good jump off the ball."
Ha ha, nebraska... ...no, but seriously; Tad Boyle's not going anywhere.
Tad Boyle not interested in Nebraska coaching job - Buffzone -
Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne reportedly had Colorado's head coach on his wish list to fill the Cornhuskers' vacant position. A source close to the situation told the Camera on Wednesday that Boyle has "no interest" in leaving CU for Nebraska.
Boyle is on the road recruiting. He will be back in Boulder on Friday to hold a press conference to reflect on the 2011-12 campaign and look ahead to a future that includes the arrival of a freshmen class ranked among the nation's best.
See? Just like I (and every other CU-centric blog, facebook or twit) said...
Women's basketball: CU Buffs' Brittany Wilson finally finds consistency - Buffzone
In the past four games, during which CU is 3-1, Wilson has averaged 16.0 points per game while connecting on 45 percent of her shots. It's the first time in her career that she has scored in double figures in four straight games.
"She's doing a great job and she's scoring in a lot of different ways, which is good," CU head coach Linda Lappe said. "It makes her tougher to guard." "I knew this year in order for us to win games I'd have to be a consistent scorer," Wilson said. "Better late than never."
Spring break begins this weekend on the Colorado campus, but women's basketball coach Linda Lappe is hoping her players want no part of it. "I want us to get used to playing during spring break; it's always in March and we want to play through March," Lappe said Wednesday.
"That's a good learning experience for us. It's exciting to be playing through spring break."
...She said even though the Buffs came up short of some of their season expectations - finishing 10t h in the Pac-12 and not making the NCAA Tournament, to name two - they are relishing a chance to finish strong.
..."We've come out and showed we're not your average tenth-place team," she said. "We can really play, and I feel like the last seven or eight games we've pushed our will, we've shown people we can really play and that Colorado basketball is actually back. It's a great experience to bring the tradition back to this school."
Women's golfer Jessica Wallace (senior) and men's basketball guard Askia Booker (freshman) are awarded CU Athlete of the Week for the week of Mar. 12-18.
Wallace earned medalist honors after beating out two of her teammates at the 2012 Clover Cup over the weekend.
Booker came off the bench to average 15.5 points per two games, leading the No. 11 seeded University of Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball team to the third round of the NCAA tournament in Albuquerque, N.M.
Also nominated for this week's award: Alex Kizirian (track & field), Kevin Kring (men's golf), Brianne Beemer (track & field), Kristina Schleich (women's tennis) and Brittany Wilson (women's basketball).
Go Buffs!