Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Return To Work, Begin Preparation For UConn
March 15, 2016 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — One day after they celebrated their NCAA Tournament berth, the Colorado Buffaloes returned to business.
The party's over. The work has begun. Head coach Tad Boyle put the Buffs through a brisk afternoon workout at the Coors Events Center, and the theme was simple yet very much to the point.
“I'm not ready for Thursday to be my last game,” said CU senior Josh Scott, who will be participating in his third NCAA Tournament in his four years in Boulder. “I think of it as one of many to come.”
The first — whether it's the last or one of several more — comes Thursday, when No. 8 seed Colorado squares off with No. 9 UConn in their NCAA South Region opener at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa (11:30 a.m., TNT).
The winner will face either No. 1 seed Kansas or No. 16 seed Austin Peay on Saturday.
“We're going to be ready,” Boyle said after Monday's workout. “It wasn't the best practice we've had, but the effort was good. It's the middle of March, so I'm not sure their as in tune to practice as maybe I am … (but) we'll be ready to go on Thursday.”
The 22-11 Buffs spent much of their time working on what they expect to see from 24-10 UConn, and it's safe to say the Huskies have Colorado's full and undivided attention. UConn solidified its berth Sunday by beating Memphis to win the AAC tournament championship.
“They've got very good players, they're extremely talented,” Boyle said. “They're a lot like us in the sense that they pride themselves on defense and they have been inconsistent this year, just like we've been inconsistent at times this year. They're a team that can shoot the ball well from 3, they have some really good guard play and they've got shot-blocker inside that protects that rim. If I had to equate them to any team in our league, it would probably be Washington. A very good team, very talented.”
UConn opened the year ranked 20th in the preseason AP poll. But after an inconsistent nonconference schedule and the same in AAC play — they never won more than three games in a row in conference play — the Huskies finally hit stride down the stretch, winning their last regular season game and then running the table with three straight wins in the AAC tournament.
But, Boyle said, he's never been a strong proponent of “hot streaks” being a great indicator heading into the NCAA Tournament.
“You've got to go play the the next game,” Boyle said. “That's the way basketball is at tournament time. Doesn't matter if you've won three in a row or five in a row, or lost three in row or five in a row … it's about the next game, and the game that's going to be played on Thursday.”
The Huskies still have a handful of players remaining from their last NCAA appearance — and it was one to remember. UConn entered the 2014 NCAA Tournament as a No. 7 seed, then proceeded to win the national title, knocking off Kentucky in the final.
The Buffs also participated in that 2014 tournament, but it's not one they remember fondly. Colorado dropped a 77-48 decision to Pitt in the opener when CU was also a No. 8 seed.
“We got our butts kicked, plain and simple,” said CU sophomore George King, who will be making his second NCAA appearance after redshirting last year. “It's absolutely a motivation, most definitely. We know it's win or go home, and we need to be doing all the things we've done this far — only at a higher level.”
But Boyle said the last NCAA appearance isn't as much a motivation as it is simply a lesson.
“They remember it,” he said. “We're not dwelling on it, but we certainly recognize it and know what we're up against when we go to this thing. There's only one way to get that taste out of your mouth, and that's to go and perform well.”
Much like the Buffaloes, the Huskies pride themselves on their defense. UConn finished the year with the nation's 12th-ranked scoring defense, giving up just 63.1 points per game. Colorado, meanwhile yielded an average of 70.7 points per game.
The Huskies have a balanced offense with four players averaging at least 12 points per game, led by Shonn Miller (12.8 ppg), Rodney Purvis (12.5), Daniel Hamilton (12.4) and Sterling Gibbs (12.0). Hamilton, a 6-7 forward who had three straight double-doubles in the AAC tourney, is a rarity in that he leads the team in rebounding (12.4 per game) and assists (4.8 per game).
The Huskies are also deep — they have nine players that averaged at least 10 minutes playing time per game this year.
BILLUPS MOVING ON: The University of Denver made it official on Monday, announcing that CU assistant Rodney Billups had been hired as the Pioneers' head coach. Billups played for the Pioneers and appeared at a Monday press conference at DU.
“Rodney is well-deserving,” Boyle said. “He's worked hard. He's a big reason for the success we've had here at Colorado the last six years. Anytime one of your assistants gets an opportunity to be a head coach, you take some pride in that. We wish him the best.”
Billups, though, will remain with the Buffs through the remainder of their season.
“That is a testament to the kind of person he is and the character he has,” Boyle said. “He's not going to quit on these players. We're excited for him, but we want to make a run and hopefully keep him on the staff for at least two or three more weeks. When it's over with, he'll be the DU head coach and we'll wish him well and root for him.”
As for a replacement for Billups, Boyle said he's like to have someone in place by the first or second week of April, as there are open recruiting periods then.
“I know what direction I want to go, it's just we have to be able to execute the plan,” Boyle said. “If we could have someone on board first or second week of April, that would be ideal.”
PRACTICE PLANS: The Buffs will practice again in Boulder on Tuesday before departing for Des Moines after their workout via charter flight.
They'll have a closed practice Wednesday morning in Des Moines, then a brief afternoon workout Wednesday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Arena that is open to the public.
BROADCAST: Thursday's game will be televised on TNT with Jim Nantz, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson. KDSP 760 AM will carry the radio broadcast with Mark Johnson and Scott Wilke.
SUCCESS IN SOUTH: This is the Buffs' fourth appearance in the South Region in their last six trips to the NCAA Tournament. In their previous three South appearances, they are 2-1 in openers, with wins over Indiana and UNLV and a loss to Illinois.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
