Ultimate Buffalo Tournament: Basketball Round of 32

Last week, we introduced the Ultimate Buffalo Tournament, highlighted each of the 16 best basketball players in Colorado history, and you all got to vote on which Buffaloes were the Ultimate-est.

Based on the voting results, it seems that there wasn’t much debate as to which players were better. By far the closest call was #2 Cliff Meely beating #15 David Harrison by only 14 percentage points. This round isn’t going to be easy, and looking at a point guard matchup you’ll see shortly, some of these will be impossible to decide on.

Also of note, you voters have such a strong recency bias. The aforementioned Meely-Harrison matchup should have been a blowout! Meely is an all-timer but nearly lost to his lesser (but still awesome) opponent because Harrison happened to play in this millennium. You guys also eliminated Jay Humphries and Burdette Haldorson like they were nothing. This shouldn’t be a problem anymore because all the old-timers are eliminated now, so good job?

Anyway, here’s the updated bracket:

#1 Chauncey Billups vs. #9 Cory Higgins

We have the most dominant player in Colorado history up against the all-time scoring co-leader. Chauncey Billups was a marvel in his heyday as he carried Colorado to the NCAA Tournament, led them to the Round of 32, and earned himself a Top 3 selection in the NBA Draft. Cory Higgins was never really dominant, but he was always there scoring 20 points, facilitating the offense and played solid defense. Higgins also led Colorado to the NIT Final Four in Tad Boyle’s first ever season.

#4 Spencer Dinwiddie vs. #12 Derrick White

Yeah, this will be a fun matchup — fun for me anyway, since I’m the one running the Twitter polls and watching you freak out in our mentions. For you, this is a nightmare.

Spencer Dinwiddie may be the most beloved former Buffalo out there. Him being an incredible person has as much to do with that as his incredible performance on the court. Derrick While, on the other, may be the most beloved current Buffalo (you can fight for Phillip Lindsay if you want). He only played one year at CU, but it was the most dominant single season performance since Chauncey Billups’s All-American campaign.

Happy voting!

#3 Josh Scott vs. #6 Andre Roberson

This is the only matchup of the Round of 32 that involves former teammates; it’s also a battle between the second and third best big men in Colorado history.

Josh Scott was (and is) the consummate professional who was always there to put up 16 and 10, play lights out defense and lead the team by example. His dexterity on the block and intelligence in the paint made him a two-time First Team All-Pac-12 and one-time All-Defense selection, among many other awards.

Andre Roberson is known throughout the basketball world for both his versatile lock down defense and his otherworldly work ethic. On the latter, Roberson went from energetic sixth man as a freshman to First All-Pac-12 and All-Defense as a sophomore to Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year as a junior. Now in the NBA, he’s improved every year with the Thunder and is possibly the best defender in the world.

#2 Cliff Meely vs. #7 Alec Burks

Let’s talk about Cliff Meely. In his three-year career, he averaged over 24 points and 12 rebounds, which is absolutely insane. He was a three-time All-Big 8 selection, a First Team All-American as a senior and was drafted 7th overall in the 1971 NBA Draft. Meely also had his #20 retired by the Buffs, an honor CU has only given to him, Chauncey Billups (#4) and Burdette Haldorson (#22).

Alec Burks may be the best ever pure scorer in Colorado history. In his two seasons in Boulder, he electrified the Coors Events Center with pointplosions in which Burks seemed to float, slow down time, bend around defender and teleport the ball from an impossible angle through the net. Burks was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Big 12, and was a lottery selection in the 2011 NBA Draft.