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AllBuffs.com - Covering CU-Boulder Athletics

Ralphie Report: Colorado to host Kansas for first time since Askia Booker buzzer

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Let’s get nostalgic over here.

In case you haven’t heard, the Buffs are back in the Big 12 and taking their lumps just like they did for more than 40 years of Colorado men’s basketball. And that’s right, that means the Kansas Jayhawks are coming to town to lay a beat down on the Buffs.

The Buffs have never fared well in this matchup. It’s the original blue blood against the basement dweller of the Big 8/12. Since 1987-88 — the year Danny Manning led Kansas to a title — the Buffs have won just three (3) games and lost fifty-four (54). But we don’t care about the losses, just those wins.

Each of those happened in a special season for Colorado. Led by Shaun Vandiver, the 1990-91 Buffs knocked off an 8th ranked KU, one of the Buffs’ 19 wins that season, their most successful campaign since 1968-69. Colorado wouldn’t win again until 2002-03, when David Harrison and Stephane Pelle overwhelmed #6 Kansas in a 60-59 win. The Buffs would reach the NCAA Tournament that year, one of two tournament berths in the 42 years between Sox Walseth’s last and Tad Boyle’s first appearance.

And then there’s 2013-14.

The Buffs had always been in the Big 8/12 basement, but no longer. Tad Boyle, a once proud Kansas Jayhawk, broke us out. His first year was a massive success — 24 wins, an NIT Final Four appearance, our best season since Chauncey Billups wore the uniform. Colorado lost Cory Higgins and Alec Burks and was picked to finish 11th in the brand-new Pac-12, but the resilient Buffs defied all odds and won the damn conference. They even won an NCAA Tournament game, then came a Brady Heslip short of the Sweet Sixteen.

That was 2011-12. Most of the conference champs were seniors, but a couple of them would stick around. Spencer Dinwiddie, the crafty, 6’5 point guard who would go on to play 11 years (and counting) in the NBA. Askia Booker, the mercurial combo guard who would carry the Buffs to the Charleston Classic, hang 27 on Oregon in a 100-91 win, and, uh, some other stuff that would figure into his complicated legacy at Colorado.

Not to be outdone, Tad Boyle landed a few prized recruits in the last two years. The best was a top-50 recruit from nearby Palmer Ridge, an ambidextrous, 6’10 center who could’ve started anywhere in the country by the name of Josh Scott. There was also Xavier Johnson, an inconsistent but extremely talented wing who could get hot at any moment. And finally, Wesley Gordon, a dominant rim protector and rebounder ... when motivated.

The bench was not very good — George King, a future pro, wasn’t ready, while future MAC Player of the Year Tre’Shaun Fletcher was never utilized — but there was a 7’1 Ben Mills waiting for his moment to shine.

Everything came together in 2013-14. The Buffs had built their brand of TadBall, playing positional defense, crashing the boards and pushing the pace in transition. They had the dynamic guards to keep up with high-scoring opponents, Dinwiddie with the court vision and Booker with the hot hand. All of that revolved around Scott, the teen big who played like a 10-year pro.

This team was built to do great things and that they did. Colorado hosted Kansas having won their last 8 games. Only Colorado State put up a fight, and they were undone by Dinwiddie’s 28-point masterclass. The Jayhawks were still the heavy favorites, as they had Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid, the first and third pick in the upcoming 2014 NBA Draft, as well as future Big 12 icons Perry Ellis III, Wayne Selden and “BIFM” Frank Mason.

We all know how that game went. Dinwiddie got to the free throw line at will, dished a few assists and controlled the game like always. Seldom-used reserve Ben Mills outplayed Embiid, as he made a turnaround fadeaway and then a lefty hook over for the future MVP. Scott, Johnson and Fletcher all had their moments as Colorado went hit for hit and took a 9-point lead with about 10 minutes left.

Kansas refused to go quietly. Wiggins was a handful. Naadir Thorpe and Mason hit clutch shots to inch the Jayhawks closer. And then Ellis, a soon-to-be enemy of every college fan from Albuquerque to College Park, tied the game at 72 with just four seconds left.

Now, I’ll leave it to Mark Johnson in the final seconds:

“XJ plays the ball into Booker, down to two, down to one, fires on the buzzer ... and it’s in! And It’s in! Askia Booker with the runner as time expires!”


CU fans rushed the court and mobbed the hero. It was not a celebration of just the shot, or the win over Kansas, but the arrival of Colorado basketball. We had already won the Pac-12 title, beat UNLV in the NCAA Tournament, and then reached the tournament the following year too. But it felt more like a magical run than an established program.

The Kansas win gave us that staying power, that we could not only upset top teams at home — as we had knocked off #5 Texas in 2011 — but that we could beat anyone in the country with this team and in this era of Colorado basketball.

Sadly, the 2013-14 Buffs never got a fair chance. They continued their stellar play for the next month, losing only to Marcus Smart’s Oklahoma State in an empty Las Vegas arena. The Buffs climbed into the Top 25 and reached #15 after a thrilling win over #10 Oregon. It looked like a team capable of a Pac-12 title and a Sweet Sixteen run, only for the slippery floors of Washington’s Alaska Airlines Center that claimed the ACL of Dinwiddie.

Dinwiddie never played again for CU and the offense fell apart without its floor general. They were a .500 team the rest of the season, bogged down by an inefficient offense that fell into 10-minute-long cold stretches. CU still made the tournament as an 8-seed, but rather than a Sweet Sixteen run, they suffered a humiliating 77-48 first-round loss to the Pitt Panthers.

The Buffs fell apart for a few years after that. Due to some recruiting misses and locker room drama, Boyle reached just one NCAA Tournament in the next six years. Only when the Buffs overhauled their coaching staff and recruiting strategy did they bounce back, and it was thanks to players like McKinley Wright, Evan Battey, KJ Simpson and Tristan da Silva that the program reached and even surpassed those same heights.

It might be a while before the Buffs are that good again. Boyle might retire sooner rather than later and the next coach might not find that same success on such a small budget, especially in this NIL environment. We should be careful not to fall back on nostalgia and mark these as the glory days, but they were in a way, and we should continue to celebrate the Ben Mills and Ski Bookers of that era of Colorado basketball.

by Sam Metivier
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CU At The Game: CU’s Top Ten Incoming Transfers

After two off-seasons in which over half the roster was turned over, Coach Prime has a solid base of returning starters ... To date, CU has 17 transfers who will make their debuts this spring ... Which are the most important additions? ...

Stuart
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Ralphie Report: Buffaloes pick up second Big 12 win against Baylor

NCAA Basketball: Baylor at Colorado

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Buffs are on a win streak at home!

Everyone, stay calm! The Colorado Buffaloes have won a second game in Big 12 play!

This win didn’t come against a Big 12 bottom-dweller like UCF either! CU picked up a quality quadrant one victory against the Baylor Bears, currently ranked 29 in NET, by a margin of 76-74.

The Buffs fought an uphill battle against one of the Big 12’s best teams. It wasn’t easy dealing with Baylor’s, specifically Norchad Omier’s, rebounding prowess in the offensive paint, along with the Bears’ front court length, but they prevailed regardless. Colorado’s defense shut down Scott Drew’s squad to win their second consecutive home game.

To open the game, Baylor immediately showcased their ability to grab their own misses, reset and score, snagging three offensive boards and scoring five second-chance points in the first three minutes of play. Colorado would combat Baylor’s putbacks by drilling some threes, courtesy of Julian Hammond and Andrej Jakimoksi, to stay neck and neck with BU.

Other than Baylor’s ability to get their own miss, the Bears were cold as could be from the offensive floor. BU started the game 2 for 12 from the floor, allowing the Buffs to dictate the pace early. Specifically, Jakimoski was CU’s engine, hitting three shots from beyond the arc in the first half to keep Colorado ahead by a slim margin.

Baylor would use their offensive rebounding to keep up with Colorado, snagging a concerning 10 o-boards in the first half alone and scoring easy points. The Bears finished the first period of play with 10 second-chance points, with 4 offensive rebounds from Omier alone.

After a six-minute slump where CU couldn’t make a shot from the floor near the end of the first half, Baylor would claw back at CU’s five-point lead. Jakimoski and Baylor’s Langston Love would trade long threes in the final minute before halftime, with the Bears headed to the locker room up 32-30.

The Buffs entered the second half knowing exactly what would win them the game: better shooting, elite defense and slowing Baylor and Omier’s offensive rebounding. Evidently, they were up for the task, as RJ Smith and Sebastian Rancik drilled back-to-back threes to open the period and take a six-point lead.

Colorado’s length in the paint was giving Baylor fits, as they couldn’t find a consistent way to score at the rim. Buffaloes like Bangot Dak, Assane Diop, Rancik and Elijah Malone made life hard on the Bears, who were only 9-26 on layups.

Short spurts of three-point shooting would put the Beats back in the game, as BU’s Jeremy Roach hit two threes and a jumper in a 30-second span to tie the game up at 62 with 6:22 to play. Colorado responded accordingly, ripping off a 9-0 run to put victory within reach. Rancik would prove to be the catalyst for CU’s resurgence, scoring 5 of those 9 points.

With a commanding 9-point lead late into the contest, Colorado looked to have the game in hand. A couple of unanswered buckets from Baylor would cut that lead to 7 with only 1:16 to play. Colorado would have to screw up catastrophically to blow this lead, which they’d never do, right?

In the last minute of play, Sebastian Rancik would turn the ball over right under the net on an inbound, leading to an easy two Bears points. Colorado would follow that up by lobbing an inbound pass to Bangot Dak, who took the fast break right to the rim uncontested where he missed a wide-open dunk. The Bears snagged that rebound and drilled a tough contested three to cut the lead to only four points. A missed shot by CU and quick layup from Baylor would cut CU’s lead to only four with only :29 to play.

With no choice but to foul, Baylor sent Julian Hammond to the line, where he’d hit both freebies to put CU’s lead back to 4. In desperation. Baylor passed the ball inbounds and put up an ally-oop to VJ Edgecombe, who’d posterize multiple Buffs to cut the lead back to two with only 4 seconds to play.

Colorado imbounded Trevor Baskin, who managed to chew about three seconds of the clock before drawing a foul. Baskin has an opportunity to put the game away, but instead bricked both freebies to give the Bears a chance to win with 1.8 seconds left on the clock. Thankfully, Baylor couldn’t get their full-court prayer off in time, sealing the Buffs’ second win conference win of the season.

Andrej Jakimoski was Colorado’s rock, hitting five three-pointers and finishing the contest with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Sebastian Rancik’s 10 second-half points also were pivotal to the Buffs’ win.

The key to Colorado’s victory was limiting Baylor’s ability to put in their own misses, which they did in the second half. CU held Baylor to only 5 o-boards in the second half, completely shutting down Omier, who didn’t snag a single offensive rebound after halftime.

Now with a record of 11-16, the Buffs will prep for a late-night battle with the #17 Kansas Jayhawks in Boulder on Monday night. Tipoff at The Keg will be at 9:00 pm local, televised nationally on ESPN.

by RylandScholes
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Ralphie Report: Buffaloes vs. Bears - Game Post

NCAA Basketball: Colorado at Iowa State

Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Join us for the Colorado Buffaloes - Baylor Bears game today at 2:00 p.m. MT in Boulder, Colorado.

February 22nd, 2025

Who:
Colorado Buffaloes vs. Baylor Bears

Where: CU Events Center - Boulder, Colorado

When: 2:00 p.m. MST

TV: ESPN+

Radio: AM 850 KOA

Baylor Blog: Our Daily Bear

Line: Colorado +6

Welcome to the Ralphie Report as the Colorado Buffaloes get ready to take on the Baylor Bears in Boulder, Colorado for the twenty-seventh game of the 2024-25 season.

No need to go anywhere else today, The Ralphie Report has everything you need and we welcome you to weigh in with your live game analysis, critiques, observations and predictions.

Check out the old game thread from the Hawaii game to see how it works. Throw all your comments about the game below and let’s get this thing rolling. If you don’t have an account, sign up here for free and enjoy all that our site has to offer.

Make sure to follow us on BlueSky, X and Facebook. Go Buffs!

by Jon Woods
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Ralphie Report: Five Buffs to attend the NFL Combine

Oklahoma State v Colorado

Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

A look at the standout stars from Colorado who were invited to this year’s combine

The Colorado Buffaloes will be well-represented at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, as five of their top players received invites to showcase their talents in front of NFL scouts, coaches and executives.

Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders, LaJohntay Wester, Jimmy Horn Jr. and Will Sheppard will all make the trip to Indianapolis next week, hoping to boost their draft stock and solidify their spots on NFL rosters. This is a major moment for Coach Prime’s program as the Buffs continue establishing themselves as a pipeline for NFL talent.

The combine kicks off on February 27th at Lucas Oil Stadium, with different position groups working out throughout the week. Players will go through drills, testing, medical evaluations, and interviews, allowing teams to get a closer look before the 2025 NFL Draft (April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin). With so much at stake, expect each of these Buffaloes to bring their best.

For Travis Hunter, all eyes will be on his drills, as he has been rumored to be competing in both receiver and cornerback drills, a rare feat that could boost his already sky-high draft stock. If he impresses at both, there’s a strong chance he will cement himself as a top-three pick. Shedeur Sanders will get a chance to show off his arm talent, but more importantly, his maturity, leadership, and deep understanding of the game, which NFL teams value just as much as physical ability.

The receivers—LaJohntay Wester, Jimmy Horn Jr. and Will Sheppard—will all have plenty to prove, as none are currently projected as first-round selections. A fast 40-yard dash, clean route-running and strong hands will be crucial for them to climb draft boards, as teams always look for hidden gems in the later rounds. With so much wide receiver talent in this draft class, strong performances in Indy could be the difference between an early or late selection.

With a strong showing in Indianapolis, all five Buffs could solidify their draft stock and continue what’s been an incredible run for Coach Prime’s program. No matter how things shake out, having five players at the combine is a testament to how quickly Colorado has turned into a legit NFL factory. Be sure to tune in starting February 27th on NFL Network to watch these Buffaloes make their case for the next level.

by Jacob.Thompson
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