TadBall Wins

[Scotch]

Defend, rebound and get to the FT line.

We didn't do any of those things consistently well this season and Tad still coached the team to the Dance. Amazing.

Next year should be a major step forward. Buffs will be a dangerous team.

:nod: Every player showed flashes of what they could be. Whether Spencer comes back or not, next season is the deepest and most talented team any of us have seen in Boulder. This will be with 4 talented schollie players from the state of Colorado. I've certainly had some criticism for TadBAll, but taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture, how do you not love what he's done here in only 4 seasons?

Wasn't trying to imply that I was expecting that, just that it could happen. Colorado, with a healthy Dinwiddie, could be an Elite 8/Final 4 type of team.

Was talking about this with a friend last week. Hard not to dream of what could be possible.

 

[Scotch]

Are people seriously trying to compare Colorado's basketball program to UConn's basketball program? As though with a bounce here or there, CU might have won this tournament?

Tad Boyle has built Colorado into a nice basketball program - but they are a long ways from an elite basketball program. CU as a team has gone 1-3 in the NCAA tournament in the past 10 years, and 2-5 in the past 20 years. Colorado hasn't made it past the 2nd day of the tournament since the 1950's.

UConn has won 4 NCAA tournament championships in the past 15 years.

You're missing the point. On Selection Sunday you'd have been laughed at if you'd picked UConn to win it all, or Kentucky to make it to the finals, considering who both teams had to beat to get there. Add Stanford to the Sweet 16, and Dayton to the Elite 8. It's not a stretch to think the Buffs could make a run next season with or without Spencer.

 

[psbrighton]

You're missing the point. On Selection Sunday you'd have been laughed at if you'd picked UConn to win it all, or Kentucky to make it to the finals, considering who both teams had to beat to get there. Add Stanford to the Sweet 16, and Dayton to the Elite 8. It's not a stretch to think the Buffs could make a run next season with or without Spencer.

I'm assuming Spencer is back and being from Connecticut see some real similarities to the champs.

1) With Dinwiddie back their free throw percentage shoots up dramatically but more importantly they go to the line more often. Dinwiddie, Ski and Scott will shoot most of them just as Napier, Boatright and Daniels did at UConn.

2) When Dinwiddie was out they missed his ability to get in passing lanes and get easy buckets. So much of the offensive stagnation was from being bogged down in a half court game. Both UConn and CU played Harvard last year and the games were eerily similar... half court games until around the 10 minute mark. At that point the guards put on more defensive pressure which led to easy hoops and the wins.

3) Spacing and penetration completely changes with Dinwiddie in the lineup. Although Dinwiddie doesn't have great assists numbers, observationally he had as many hockey assists as anyone I saw in the nation. Many of those hockey assists derived from their excellent spacing which collapsed into constant defensive cheating and double teams once he was gone. UConn had similar problems when Napier out of the game early in the season and would also get bogged down in a half court offense.

So do I see a Final 4 run... I'm not going to make that proclamation but if you look at their January lineups from this season... UConn and CU's backcourts were about even, CU's front court was better and UConn's bench had a slight edge. In my mind, they were incredibly similar in style of play and we know how it ended up for UConn.