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Recapping your Colorado Buffaloes' Athletics and Offseason Football, News, Links, and Stories
CU Buffs receivers trying to catch on - Buffzone
When spring football practices began last month at Colorado, one of coach Jon Embree's priorities for the 15 sessions was finding out if any of the current wide receivers could fill the hole left by Toney Clemons or if coaches would have to rely on a true freshman this fall.
One wide receiver spot will obviously be manned by junior-to-be Paul Richardson, leaving a handful of players to make their case for the other side or niche roles in the offense. Nothing is settled yet, but wide receivers coach Bobby Kennedy said before the team broke for spring break 10 days ago that he has liked what he has seen from his group.
The Buffs return to practice today with seven practices remaining, including the April 14 spring game at Folsom Field. "Like I always say, we're a work in progress," Kennedy said. "We've just got to maximize their ability and get the most out of them. You know, I see us as so far ahead of where we were last year at this time.
What I keep telling Jon is we're better than at almost any time last year. We miss a big play-maker in Toney Clemons, but there are some other things that we're doing that we're way, far ahead on. It's an eclectic group but a group that can be good if they keep working."
"I'm pretty excited about where this group can go - if we stay healthy and can keep them on the field together," he said Monday before the Buffaloes resumed practice after a week of spring break. "They're going to be a young group, but I like where we are. We're much farther along as far as the knowledge of the offense and the things that we can do well and not do well. We just have to keep growing and playing together and being able to handle the run, the pass and all the multiple things we do."
The "staying healthy" part of the Marshall plan is key. His group didn't open spring drills last month with 100 percent participation, which is always a drawback when replacing two interior starters. Fortunately for Marshall, the replacements for guards Ethan Adkins and Ryan Miller weren't among the players who were limited or did not participate at all during the eight practices prior to spring break. Currently working with Marshall's first unit at guard are sophomores Alex Lewis (left) and Daniel Munyer (right). Lewis has moved inside from left tackle (he also played some tight end last season as a true freshman), while Munyer is seeing some spot duty at center (he opened the 2011 season there).
Said Marshall: "If we played in a week, (Lewis and Munyer) would be our starting guards."
Spring Practice Notes " CU At the Game - A CU Football blog by Stuart Whitehair
On whether bringing in Jordan Webb should be seen as an indication that he is unhappy with the play of the current quarterbacks – "No. I’m happy with what I’ve seen out of Connor (Wood). I"m excited to get Nick (Hirschman) back. When I got here, we had two quarterbacks, Tyler (Hansen) and Nick. That’s one place you can’t afford to not have depth. And we need to have someone who has played some football. Nick has had a few snaps; Connor hasn’t played; Shane (Dillon) hasn’t played. I don’t want to liken it to signing Steve DeBerg, but if it’s going to happen, it will be that sort of thing. Maybe it will be like with John Elway and Steve Young and all of those other guys he backed up. If Jordan comes in this summer, it doesn’t reflect on the guys and what they have done so far."
Who did Kansas State hire as a basketball coach? Was it Tad Boyle?!? It wasn't.
FOLLOW UP: Kansas State Wildcats hiring Bruce Weber as men's basketball coach - ESPN - In case any of you were wondering; this is the kind of coach K-State gets. (i.e. Not Tad Boyle)
Kansas State has hired Bruce Weber to be its next men's basketball coach, Weber told ESPN.com's Andy Katz on Saturday. Weber, fired March 9 after nine seasons at Illinois, is replacing Frank Martin, who left this week to become coach at South Carolina.
Weber led the Illini to the 2005 NCAA title game, where they lost to North Carolina. He finished 210-101 at Illinois, trailing only Lou Henson and Harry Combes in wins at the school. However, his teams were just 55-66 in the Big Ten the past six seasons, including 6-12 this season. The Illini closed the season 2-12.
John Schrock making push to be CU Buffs starting QB - Buffzone
John Schrock, a walk-on, has the same goal as Connor Wood and Nick Hirschman. "I know that different guys are getting more reps than other guys and stuff. It doesn't change how I look at it," Schrock said after Monday's practice in the crisp fall-like air.
"I'm still competing and trying to win the spot for sure." Most of us outside the CU practice fields trying to peek in already have made the assumption that Wood will be breaking the huddle on Sept. 2 when the Buffs play Colorado State in Denver. Through eight spring practices he is the leader of the pack. "I came in here last year and I didn't know anything," Schrock said.
"I was kind of taking a back seat just watching a lot and figuring out how to handle everything. This year, I know everything, so I'm competing a lot more."
Based solely on knowledge of the offense, Schrock would be the starter. Of course, there is a big difference between memorizing the playbook and executing the game plan in front of a hostile road crowd as the pocket is collapsing.
"I have a lot of respect for John. Mentally, he really understands it," Scherer said. "Of the three quarterbacks that are going this spring, he probably has a better grasp of it because he has had more reps at it than Stevie Joe and Connor."
CU Buffs' Parker Orms ruled out of spring ball - Buffzone
CU head coach Jon Embree officially ruled Orms out for the rest of spring on Monday as the Buffs returned to spring practices following 10 days off for spring break. Orms has been out since midway through the third practice last month when he pulled his right hamstring again.
Fort Collins, Colo. - Freshman Eileen Gehring sprinted to a pair of first-place finishes at the Fum McGraw Quadrangular to lead the University of Colorado track and field team on Saturday afternoon. Gehring won the 200 and 400-meter dashes. She clocked a time of 24.39 seconds in the 200, which tied the 12th fastest time in school history and is the fastest time run by a Buff since 2001. Gehring is currently the eighth fastest 200 performer in CU history. She also broke the tape in the 400 with a time of 55.28, tying for sixth on the all-time performers list.
Patience has rewarded Anne Kelly. So have hard work, good fortune and even better recruiting. The Aspen native is in her 15th year as Colorado's women's golf coach and if this season continues as she believes it should, it will be the best in school history. That last sentence requires a modest modification because it already is the best season ever in CU women's golf. But it could get better.
It has been an audacious, bodacious late winter and early spring for the Buffaloes, but Kelley and her players aren't content to stroll the fairways and let recent accomplishments carry them, even though their scorecards recently surpassed significant. Earlier this week, CU won the 2012 Anuenue Spring Break Challenge at Kapalua, Hawai'i, defeating California by two strokes and Tennessee by three.
Big win in a big field by a small margin. It was 180 degrees from their previous triumph - by a school-record 31 strokes - earlier this month in the 2012 Clover Cup.
The Rumblings of a Deranged Buffalo: Spencer Dinwiddie vs Alec Burks
On the Twitters, Alec Burks and Spencer Dinwiddie discuss who had a better freshman year.
Alec: @SDinwiddie_25 here u go talkin bout buckets u don't be gettin tho
Spencer: check the stats lil homie..
Alec: they wasn't like my stats my freshman year
Spencer: they were close enough, but I won a championship and went to the tournament..
Alec: man they wasn't close at all tho
Who do you think had the better freshman year? How awesome is it that Spencer Dinwiddie returns?
Go Buffs