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Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
CU will reunite with their former star center on Wednesday night
The Colorado Buffaloes’ game on Wednesday night is a BIG deal.
Currently ranked 62nd in NET, CU’s women enter Wednesday’s game against Baylor firmly on the bubble. Headed into their game against the Lady Bears, ESPN has Colorado listed as the first team on their Next Four Out, meaning they are a projected five spots away from an at-large March Madness birth.
The Buffs have a golden opportunity to beat a very good Baylor team, currently ranked 18th in NET and 19th in the AP Poll, at home in the CU Event Center. A win against Baylor would be a gigantic boost to their tournament resume, but that’s only part of why this game means so much to Colorado.
The real reason that this game means extra for the Buffs is because a former CU great is making her return to The Keg: Aaronette Vonleh.
Yes, Vonleh will be returning to Boulder wearing rival colors after transferring to Baylor over the summer, but her impact on JR Payne’s program is still widely felt.
Vohleh was one of the best players on Colorado’s teams from 2022 to 2024 and was a pivotal piece of the Buffaloes’ back-to-back runs to the Sweet Sixteen. In 2024, Vonleh was one of the best centers in the country, being named to the Pac-12 first-team All-Conference list for her historic season in Boulder. That’s doubly impressive, as the Pac-12 was easily the best conference in women’s hoop in 2024 and earned seven NCAA tournament bids.
Perhaps most important though, Vonleh was a key player that helped to establish a winning culture within JR Payne’s program, which this year’s team has continued.
After losing stars like Vonleh to the transfer portal and Jaylyn Sherrod and Quay Miller to graduation, Colorado and coach JR Payne have been forced to transform the team into something entirely new. 2024 mainstays like Frida Formann, Kindyll Wetta and Sara Rose-Smith have led the team, while newcomers like Jade Masagayo, Lior Garzon, Nyamer Diew and Tabitha Benson have been important assets to the new look Buffs.
Masagayo and Benson’s toughness has been a game-changer, as the two play hardnosed basketball that has no off switch. Garzon can go nuclear at any time, as she did against Utah State and Texas Tech, while Diew’s unprecedented length has allowed her to get to the rim in creative ways.
With a fourth consecutive tournament birth on the line, the Buffs have a golden chance to get closer to punching their ticket. This younger, faster Colorado team gets the opportunity to face off against one of the nation’s best teams and a former Buffaloes great tonight at The Keg, so make sure to tune in. Fans can watch the game at 7:00 pm local on ESPN+. Tickets are also still available.
by RylandScholes
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