Colorado University Athletics
McConnell-Miller Era Officially Begins Friday Night
THE GAME: Colorado will open the 2005-06 season by hosting Cal State-Fullerton on Friday, Nov. 18, at 6 p.m. in the Coors Events Conference Center. The game is part of a CU womenGÇÖs-menGÇÖs double header as the menGÇÖs team plays UNC-Wilmington at 8:30 p.m.
BROADCAST: All Colorado womenGÇÖs basketball regular and post season games are broadcast live on KKZN AM 760, BoulderGÇÖs Progressive Talk station. Tim Smile will handle play by play duties and is joined by USA BasketballGÇÖs Carol Callan with the color commentary.
THE BUFFALOES: The Kathy McConnell-Miller era officially tips off Friday night in the friendly confines of the Coors Events Conference Center. McConnell-Miller, the sixth head coach in the 31-year history of CU womenGÇÖs basketball, spent the last six seasons at the University of Tulsa, compiling a mark of 91-88 and two WNIT postseason appearances. Junior forward Jasmina Ilic led the Buffaloes in overalll points last winter (280) and shined during CUGÇÖs two exhibition games, averaging 25.5 points per contest. She had 29 points against Colorado Mines, one more than the Orediggers has as a team in the BuffsGÇÖ 55-28 win on Nov. 3. Ilic turned around and put in 22 against Regis on Nov. 11. Sophomore JackieMcFarland averaged a double-double over the exhibition season, averaging 11.5 points and 10 rebounds in the two games. McFarland will start the preseason at center and junior Anna Nedovic will return to her starting spot at power forward. Nedovic started all but one game last winter and led CU in rebounding at 6.5 per game. Nedovic came off the bench and averaged 4.5 rebounds in the two exhibition contests. ColoradoGÇÖs back court will feature sophomore Yari Escalera at point guard and senior Whitney Law at the shooting guard spot. Escalera, who was second in steals and assists for the Buffs as a true freshman, averaged five points, two steals and 2.5 assists during the exhibition season. Law, who will play both point and shooting guard this year, had 10 assists in the two exhibition games while averaging 4.5 points and three rebounds. Sophomore Lauren Lubin will also play both positions and will serve as a key defensive stopper off the bench.
ON THE MEND: Sophomore center Kara Richards is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks after suffering a fracture in her left foot during TuesdayGÇÖs practice. Richards underwent surgery on Wednesday morning to repair the fracture to the fifth meta-tarsal, also known as a "Jones fracture." Richards started in 26 of 28 games for the Buffaloes as a true freshman last winter, averaging nine points, 5.3 rebounds and one block per game. She earned a spot on the Waco Tribune-HeraldGÇÖs All-Big 12 Conference Freshman team in 2004-05 and was named the BuffsGÇÖ Rookie of the Year. A native of Graham, Texas, Richards averaged 12 points and 6.5 rebounds in CUGÇÖs two exhibition games earlier this month.
Senior center Tami Garnett, missed the exhibition schedule, recuperating from preseason surgery on the meniscus in her left knee. Garnett has returned to practice but is not expected to be available for FridayGÇÖs game against Cal State-Fullerton.
FIRST TIME IN THE UNIFORM: ColoradoGÇÖs two freshmen -- guard Hannah Skildum and forward Caley Dow -- will officially usher in their collegiate careers on Friday. Skildum, who will primarily be used as shooting guard, played 33 minutes in the exhibition season averaging 1.5 points and three rebounds. With the recent injury to Kara Richards, Dow will be the first power forward/center off the bench. She contributed 10 minutes in exhibition play, but made the most of her time averaging two points and three rebounds.
ABOUT THE TITANS: Cal State-Fullerton will also be opening its season on Friday. The Titans have three starters and 10 letterwinners returning from their 2004-05 team that went 8-20 overall and finished eighth in the Big West Conference at 6-12. Junior forward Charlee Underwood is the TitansGÇÖ top returning scorer (11.8 ppg) and rebounder (5.3 rpg) and is joined by the junior backcourt tandem of Audrey Taylor, who averaged 4.1 assists per game, and Andrea Adams, who averaged 11.3 points and 2.6 assists per game, last season. Freshman forward Toni Thomas was Cal State-FullertonGÇÖs top performer in its two exhibition games, averaging 17 points and 10.5 rebounds. The Titans were picked to finish sixth in the Big West, in both media and coaches preseason polls.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the fourth meeting between Colorado and Cal State-Fullerton and the first in nearly 18 years. The Buffaloes have won all three previous meetings, the last a 77-63 win on Dec. 30, 1987, in Fullerton. The Titans have been to Boulder once, with the Buffaloes claiming a 77-51 decision on Dec. 12, 1986. The first meeting was a 89-77 CU win at a tournament in Berkeley, Calif., on Dec. 3, 1981. Colorado is 10-5 against current Big West teams, including a 45-42 win over Pacific in 2004-05.
Kathy McConnell-Miller has never faced Cal State-Fullerton in her six-year head coaching career.
BUFFS IN OPENERS: Colorado is 26-5 (.839) all-time in season openers and a whopping 30-1 (.968) all-time in home openers. The BuffsGÇÖ lone loss in a season-starting home game was a 77-63 setback to Michigan on Nov. 21, 1999. CU has won five straight season debuts and 18 of its last 19 with the lone loss in that span coming at Denver on Nov. 19, 1999.
NOVEMBER SUCCESS: Fast starts in November are common for Colorado. The Buffaloes are 88-22 (.800) all-time in the month of November and a stunning 73-9 (.890) at the Coors Events Conference Center. CU is 15-2 at home in November since 2000, with the two losses coming against Villanova in 2002 and No. 2 LSU in 2004.
BUFFS IN PRESEASON: Colorado has had five straight seasons with a record of .500 or better during the non conference schedule. The Buffs have only finished below .500 twice during the nonconference schedule in the Big 8/Big 12 era going 5-6 in 1999-2000 and 4-9 in 1984-85. A five-game winning streak last December allowed CU to keep the string alive at with a 7-6 preseason mark.
CLIMBING THE ?3GÇÖ LADDER: Juniors Jasmina Ilic and Anna Nedovic entered CUGÇÖs top 20 for all-time 3-point field goals last year and both have legitimate shots to enter the top 10 sometime this season. Ilic is currently tied with Linda Lappe (1998-03) for 15th on the all-time list with 39 and needs just three to jump into 14th place ahead of Nicky Anderson (1989-91). Nedovic is just behind Ilic in 17th place with 37.
BUFFS PICKED 12TH: Colorado was picked to finish 12th in the annual Big 12 Conference Coaches Preseason Poll. CU received 14 points meaning no less than eight Big 12 coaches picked the Buffaloes to finish in the 12th spot (coaches do not vote for their own teams). It is the first time the Buffaloes have been picked lower than eighth since the coaches poll began in 1997. Defending NCAA champion Baylor was picked to win its second consecutive Big 12 title, landing six first place votes and 113 total points to edge out second place Texas with two first place nods and 110 points. Texas Tech was a close third with the four remaining first place votes and 108 points. Oklahoma was fourth (91), followed by Nebraska (70), Kansas (66), Texas A&M (59), Kansas State (56), Iowa State (45), Missouri (37), Oklahoma State (23) and Colorado.
TOUGH SCHEDULE: Colorado once again faces a tough schedule, featuring at least 14 games against 2005 NCAA or WNIT tournament teams. Defending national champion Baylor, who the Buffs will face in Waco on Feb. 22, is the highest ranked team on the schedule, checking in at No. 6 in the Associated Press preseason poll and No. 5 in the seasonGÇÖs first USA Today/ESPN coaches poll. The Big 12 Conference Southern Division is prominent in the preseason polls. Texas is ranked No. 12 in both polls while Texas Tech is right behind at No. 13. Oklahoma begins the 2005-06 season at No. 25 in the AP poll and has climbed to No. 22 in the first USA Today/ESPN coaches poll. As far as the north, Kansas State and Iowa State are receiving votes in both polls, while Kansas is receiving votes in the AP poll. Oregon is CUGÇÖs only non conference opponent with recognition in either preseason poll, recording three votes in the coaches poll.
HOME AT THE CECC: Colorado is traditionally tough at home with a 289-78 all-time record at the Coors Events/Conference Center (.787). The Buffaloes have won 10 or more games in a season at the CECC in 18 of the previous 27 years including five undefeated seasons (1980-83, 1992-94). Colorado had a rare sub-.500 season last winter at 5-9, marking just the second time the Buffs have been below .500 for a season in the 27-year history of the CECC.
BUFFS ON TV: ColoradoGÇÖs schedule features seven games that will be televised either regionally or nationally by Fox Sports Net. All but one of the FSN games is in Boulder, with the lone exception at Colorado State on Nov. 30. Buffs fans will see a familiar face on their TV sets during those games as longtime CU coach Ceal Barry is scheduled to provide the color commentary on a majority of the broadcasts.
UP NEXT: Colorado will host the University off Wyoming on Monday, Nov. 21, at 6 p.m., at the Coors Events/Conference Center. The game will be televised live regionally on Fox Sports Net Rocky Mountain.