AllBuffs.com - Covering CU-Boulder Athletics

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There’s a silver lining to everything.

There’s a silver lining to everything.

Although the Buffaloes just narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament, their season is still alive after being named as a one-seed in the WBIT.

The Buffs will host games in Boulder all the way until the quarterfinals, which will be held at Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Other one-seeds include St. Joseph’s, James Madison and Virginia Tech.

Being named as a one-seed in the WBIT means that Colorado was one of the first four teams to be left out of March Madness.

That sucks. There’s no way to cut around that, but it means that JR Payne and her team will get to play in front of Buffs Nation in Boulder at least one more time. Fans will get the opportunity to send off seniors like Frida Formann, Kindyll Wetta and Sara-Rose Smith with one last goodbye on their home floor.

CU’s first WBIT matchup will be against Southeastern Louisiana on Thursday, March 20. If the Buffs beat the Lady Lions, they’ll play the winner of Gonzaga vs. UTSA on Sunday, March 23 at the CU Events Center.

by RylandScholes
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The Buffs weren’t healthy enough to make their best case as an at-large bid.

For the first time in four years, the Colorado Buffaloes women’s basketball team has been left out of the NCAA Tournament.

The bracket was released Sunday evening, with at-large teams Columbia, Washington and Princeton being chosen over the 20-win Buffs. Bubble teams like Colorado were further squeezed by bid stealers Oregon State, San Diego State and George Mason, whose conference tournament wins turned

CU fans shouldn’t be too upset about this result, as the Buffs only had four wins combined in Quad 1 and 2 games. Things would have looked different if Colorado had won a few more games down the stretch — home vs. Baylor, at Texas Tech — but the team struggled with injuries at the time.

The Buffs should be one of the favorites in the WBIT. As a top-4 seed, they will host the first two rounds in Boulder, possibly more if they advance deep into the tournament. It’s a good way to send off seniors like Frida Formann, Kindyll Wetta and Sara-Rose Smith, who will play their final games in the black and gold.

We’ll keep you updated here at Ralphie Report as soon as there’s news about Colorado’s WBIT bid.

by Sam Metivier
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CU needed new coaches at crucial positions: Running back; offensive line; and defensive line ... Coach Prime, though, brought in inexperienced coaches, including another Hall of Famer ... Anyone betting against CU's chances? ...

Stuart
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The battle for starting QB will be much discussed, but which other position groups will see the most competition, which are most likely to need Transfer Portal help, and which are most susceptible to losing talent? ... Let's find out ...

Stuart
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The Buffs put up a fight against the second-best team in the nation.

Colorado’s season has officially come to an end, falling to the Houston Cougars 68-77 in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament.

The better team won in Kansas City on Thursday afternoon, as 16-seed Buffs couldn’t hang with the second-best team in the country.

The talent disparity was on display immediately after tip-off, as Kelvin Sampson’s signature defense swarmed the Buffaloes and clogged up lanes, resulting in a dreadful start for the Buffs. Colorado couldn’t make a bucket to save their lives, starting 3-11 on field goals, and quickly falling into a 7-21 hole against the Coogs.

Enter Andrej Jakimovski. The senior forward continued his tear from yesterday against West Virginia, nearly bringing the Buffs back into the game singlehandedly. Jakimovski drilled three first-half three-pointers and another three makes from the field for good measure, tallying 16 first-half points to keep Colorado alive.

Colorado’s defense also tightened up, forcing uncharacteristic Cougars turnovers. Houston, the team with by far the least amount of turnovers in the Big 12, turned the ball over six times in the first half thanks to some pesky on-ball defense by Jakimovski and Julian Hammond.

At the end of the first 20 minutes of play, Colorado found themselves in striking distance of the second-ranked Coogs, trailing only 33-38.

Houston started the second half off feeding Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year JoJo Tugler down low, who cashed in for six quick points to start the period. Colorado would answer back with some clutch free throws from Jakimoski.

Unfortunately, this is where the end begins for the Buffs. Both the Coogs and Buffs pride themselves in the two same areas: rebounding and defense. Houston’s roster is comprised of some of the highest-end talent in college hoops, while this year’s Buffs team was made of some duct tape, DII/NAIA transfers and some younger players looking to develop.

Unsurprisingly, Houston dominated in nearly all aspects of the game down the stretch. They outrebounded Colorado thanks to their superior size and athleticism. LJ Cryer and Emmanuel Sharp’s offense ability proved to be too much for Hammond, Jakimovski and company to handle. With all the cards stacked against them, the Buffaloes folded under pressure, as the Cougs waltzed to a 77-68 win.

Colorado’s season might be over, but they came around to give the fanbase something to cheer for in the end.

This season was obviously a disappointment for a myriad of reasons. Colorado could have easily packed it up and called it quits, and nobody would’ve batted an eye. Instead, this Buffs squad banded together and battled their asses off this last week, which is what they should be remembered for.

by RylandScholes
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