Colorado Buffaloes
AP preseason ranking: Not ranked
Head coach: Jeff Bzdelik (21-42 at CU, 96-89 overall)
Last season: 9-22 overall, 1-15 conference (12th)
Returning stars: Cory Higgins, 6-5, Jr., G (17.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg); Dwight Thorne, 6-3, Sr., G (12.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg).
Keep an eye on: The development of sophomores Nate Tomlinson and Austin Dufault will be the key to the season. Junior college transfer Marcus Relphorde and freshman shooting guard Alec Burks will have an immediate impact.
Stats that matter: CU has finished last in the Big 12 the past three seasons and has lost at least 20 games in each of the past three seasons. ... The Buffs have only one senior for the second consecutive season and return 86.9 percent of the scoring from last season. ... Defensively, CU has allowed less than 70 points per game in both of Bzdelik`s seasons on the bench.
Quotable: "We`ll be better. We`re in an unforgiving league called the Big 12, so we`ll just take it one game at a time. We will be prepared, we will play hard, we will be fearless, and we`ll see where that takes us," Bzdelik said.
Outlook: Bzdelik believes the Buffs can turn the corner this season and produce a winning record. That`s going to be very difficult considering this might be the best the Big 12 has ever been and CU also plays in the Maui Invitational, at Oregon State and at Tulsa during non-conference play.
Tonight: CU opens the season against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 7 p.m. at the Coors Events Center.
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The BDC has also run previews of the other 11 Big 12 teams.
http://www.buffzone.com/
AP preseason ranking: Not ranked
Head coach: Jeff Bzdelik (21-42 at CU, 96-89 overall)
Last season: 9-22 overall, 1-15 conference (12th)
Returning stars: Cory Higgins, 6-5, Jr., G (17.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg); Dwight Thorne, 6-3, Sr., G (12.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg).
Keep an eye on: The development of sophomores Nate Tomlinson and Austin Dufault will be the key to the season. Junior college transfer Marcus Relphorde and freshman shooting guard Alec Burks will have an immediate impact.
Stats that matter: CU has finished last in the Big 12 the past three seasons and has lost at least 20 games in each of the past three seasons. ... The Buffs have only one senior for the second consecutive season and return 86.9 percent of the scoring from last season. ... Defensively, CU has allowed less than 70 points per game in both of Bzdelik`s seasons on the bench.
Quotable: "We`ll be better. We`re in an unforgiving league called the Big 12, so we`ll just take it one game at a time. We will be prepared, we will play hard, we will be fearless, and we`ll see where that takes us," Bzdelik said.
Outlook: Bzdelik believes the Buffs can turn the corner this season and produce a winning record. That`s going to be very difficult considering this might be the best the Big 12 has ever been and CU also plays in the Maui Invitational, at Oregon State and at Tulsa during non-conference play.
Tonight: CU opens the season against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 7 p.m. at the Coors Events Center.
=================
The BDC has also run previews of the other 11 Big 12 teams.
http://www.buffzone.com/