Boyle's Buffs look to "advance and dance" in Pac-12 Tournament

It's time for Colorado to keep up the momentum that got them a first-round bye

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Tip your hat to the Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team. Tad Boyle’s band of Buffs, as was written about last week, were in the glass elevator. Nowhere to hide. The task is simple but foreboding. Win the final six games of the regular season and begin to Consistently show what has appeared too inconsistently this year: A talented and tough-nosed crew of athletic guys who can play with the best of them when playing their best.

After manhandling last-place Oregon State on the road to close out the final Pac 12 regular season, Colorado heads into the conference’s farewell post-season tournament playing its best basketball. Six straight to close it out. A school record 22 regular season wins. After a first-round bye, the stampeding Buffs play the final of four quarterfinals games in Vegas Thursday night.

“It’s a testament to our kids' toughness, both mental and physical,” says Boyle. “It speaks to the resiliency of this team,” Amen coach. Making this torrid stretch even more impressive? It’s been done largely without injured freshman phenom Cody Williams (ankle) and important reserve guard Julian Hammond (knee).

Let the record show your correspondent is a big Boyle fan. The young man who grew up in Greeley, Colorado as a prep star, went east to the University of Kansas and played for two of the program's legendary coaches, Ted Owens and Larry Brown. The Buffs in 14 seasons under Boyle have played the game much like their coach was taught at one of the nation’s premier basketball programs. The roots of basketball run deep on the hilly and beautiful eastern Kansas campus.

Allen Field House is considered among the best, if not the best, home venues in college basketball. “Feel the Phog (Allen) is the battle cry. It’s quite the place to watch a game. The Buffs return next year to the Big 12 conference. One of the highlights of moving to this stellar basketball conference is road trips to KU and vice versa.

Boyle’s Buffs have always been hard-nosed and resilient but recent recruiting success is bringing a lot of talented players to the foot of the Flatirons as well. The pipeline is full and the team plays with the intensity and character of its coach. The 61-year-old learned the championship way at KU and has built a wonderful program at CU on the way to 294 career wins, most in school history.

Allen Fieldhouse will always have a special place in my heart. Grandparents on my mother’s side lived on a farm in Baldwin City, Kansas, just south of Lawrence. Many a summer day/night was spent “Down on the farm” playing in the barn, riding around on a tractor and playing lots of Scrabble. Wonderful memories.

Another forever memory is tagging along with my Grandma who taught summer school classes on the KU campus. Her freckle-faced grandson would bring his football and basketball and while Ruth Perry taught kids this southpaw dreamer would shoot baskets at Allen Fieldhouse and wander over to the football field and throw the ball around to myself. This was the mid 60’s and campus facilities were open back then during the day. More wonderful memories. Boyle’s basketball acumen was nurtured greatly inside the 16,000-seat shrine. Mine was too.

The Colorado Events Center will never be compared to Allen Fieldhouse but the guy calling the shots on the recruitment and development of the players/staff entrusted to carry forth the pride and tradition of the Colorado Buffs? Not all good players make good coaches but the 1985 Jayhawk team captain checks each box.

The most regular season wins in school history. Perhaps the most talented and deep team in Boyle’s tenure in Boulder. The post season is upon us. The Buffs, after scuffling more than once during the regular season, have become one heart beat at the best time possible.

Missing from Boyle’s impressive resume? Never have the Buffs advanced to the NCAA’s “Sweet 16.” This team has the talent to make a deep run. Advancing to the finals of the final Pac 12 tournament is a realistic goal.

The Buffs are tough, talented and resilient. A mirror image of their mentor.