Colorado
Kansas State
No. 17 Colorado Set for Matchup with Old Foe KSU
March 23, 2024 | Women's Basketball
The 5th-seeded Buffs (23-9) took care of business in the first round, dispatching Drake 86-72 on Friday. Now the team will turn the page and face KSU (26-7) for the first time since 2011.
The quick turnaround is nothing new for the Buffs. Colorado and the rest of the Pac-12 Conference have the identical Friday - Sunday schedule throughout the season that the Buffs have in the first and second rounds this weekend. CU has three two-game weekend sweeps this season in conference play, providing a comfortability of sorts.
"I think from personal experience I guess the last couple years playing in a conference [the Big 10] that didn't play Friday-Sunday and then having to come to a tournament that is Friday-Sunday where you only have one day of prep in between, this year with the Pac-12 having that experience I personally do think is an advantage because you're more used to recovering and getting your body ready, getting your mind right, and the coaches kind of know what to do within this one day of prep versus having two or three," graduate Maddie Nolan commented.
Bramlage Coliseum saw 9.642 fans come through the doors on Friday, almost all clad in purple to support the host Wildcats in their opening game against Portland. The same sellout crowd is expected to attend on Sunday, but playing in front of a hostile crowd is not something the Buffs will be fazed by. CU was in a similar position against Duke in the second round of last year's tournament and has played in multiple tough venues across the Pac-12.
"By far the best atmosphere is in Boulder at the Event Center," head coach JR Payne noted. "We've had great crowds all year long at home. That's been really incredible. Everywhere honestly in the Pac-12 has been really good this year. Corvallis for Oregon State has historically been great. They'll sell out a lot of games. USC was a great environment this year. Oregon always has big crowds, UCLA was a great crowd, Arizona always sells out. Lots of really tough environments we've played in."The Wildcats hold a 35-33 series lead over the Buffs, as the two schools were former and are about to become conference rivals again. The extended stay in Manhattan has been a kind of re-orientation into the Big 12 for Payne and the Buffs.
"At first when we realized we weren't hosting -- we were really excited to be in the tournament but really disappointed we'd put ourselves in the position not to host," Payne recalled from Selection Sunday. "But then about five minutes later, I was like, this is awesome, we're getting a taste of Big 12 Country, not just the game and the arena but the community and all of that.
So it really is a great opportunity to play a Big 12 team, play in the arena, get comfortable in this space so that next year maybe this will be the one Big 12 team that doesn't feel brand new next year when we play."
Brenda VanLengen and Holly Warlick will be back on the call for ESPN.
Cory Lopez and Carol Callan will have the call courtside on the Colorado Radio Network. Coverage will start on the Varsity app and AM 630 before shifting over the 850 KOA and 94.1 FM following the conclusion of the Colorado men's game.
