CU Buffs
Boulder CU B-BALLER ROBERSON NAMED TO JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD TOP-50 WATCH LIST
Nov 8th
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – University of Colorado junior forward André Roberson was named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 watch list by The Los Angeles Athletic Club, Thursday afternoon.
Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball media members, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who, based on last year’s individual performance and team records, are the early front-runners for college basketball’s most prestigious honor.
Roberson is one of two CU basketball players in the last three years named to the prestigious Wooden Top-50 watch list. Former Buff standout Alec Burks was named to the Top-50 watch list in 2010-11 and later made the final top-20.
Roberson is one of three Pac-12 players named to the watch list joining Solomon Hill of Arizona and Allen Crabbe California.
Last season, Roberson was a Pac-12 All-Conference first team selection, in addition being named to the conference all-defensive team. He was a key contributor in CU’s successful run winning the Pac-12 Conference Tournament championship in Los Angeles and the NCAA Tournament third round in Albuquerque last March.
Roberson enters his junior year 357 rebounds from breaking the CU career rebounding record held by Stephane Pelle (1,054, 1999-2003). Roberson shattered the single-season last season with 401 rebounds. He also ranked third nationally in rebounds per game at 11.1, and was fifth nationally with 20 double-doubles.
CU opens the 2012-13 season against Wofford, Friday, Nov. 9, 5 p.m. at the Coors Events Center. There are a limited number of tickets available for the season opener, in addition to season tickets for the 15 home games.
Creighton junior forward Doug McDermott was a Wooden Award All American a year ago after an outstanding sophomore campaign in which he ranked first nationally in field goals made, third in scoring, and seventh in field goal percentage. On the season, he averaged 22.9 points and 8.5 rebounds, taking the Blue Jays to a Missouri Valley Conference title and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Transfers, freshmen and medical redshirts are not eligible for the Preseason Top 50. The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the midseason list and the official voting ballot, both of which are open to freshman and transfer students. The National Ballot consists of approximately 20 top players who have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. The Wooden Award All American Team, consisting of the nation’s top 10 players, will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament.
The 37th annual Wooden Award ceremony will honor the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners, and will include the presentation of the Wooden Award All American Teams and the Legends of Coaching Award, which in 2013 will go to Kansas Head Coach Bill Self. The event will take place the weekend of April 12-13, 2013.
Nine upperclassmen return to the Preseason Top 50 list from a year ago: Allen Crabbe of California; Aaron Craft of Ohio State; Tim Hardaway, Jr. of Michigan; Elias Harris of Gonzaga; Solomon Hill of Arizona; Ray McCallum of Detroit; McDermott; Peyton Siva of Louisville; and Patric Young of Florida.
Louisville, a Final Four team a year ago, was the only school with three players on the Preseason Top 50 (Siva, Gorgui Dieng and Chane Behanan). Seven schools had two players named to the list: Duke (Seth Curry and Mason Plumlee), Florida (Young and Kenny Boynton), Indiana (Christian Watford and Cody Zeller), Kansas (Elijah Johnson and Jeff Withey), Michigan (Hardaway, Jr. and Trey Burke), North Carolina State (Lorenzo Brown and C.J. Leslie) and Ohio State (Aaron Craft and Deshaun Thomas).
Two 2012-13 preseason honorees are younger brothers of previous John R. Wooden All Americans. Duke’s Seth Curry is the younger brother of 2009 Wooden Award All American Stephen Curry of Davidson. Cody Zeller of Indiana is the younger brother of 2012 Wooden Award All American Tyler Zeller of North Carolina.
The Big 10 leads all conferences with nine selections to the Preseason Top 50, followed by the Big East with seven and the ACC and SEC each with six. The Big 12 has five selections, the Pac-12 boasts four, the West Coast Conference has three, and the Mountain West has two picks. Conference USA, Horizon, Missouri Valley, Mid-American, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Summit and Sun Belt each have one honoree.
About the John R. Wooden Award
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation’s best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97), Candace Parker (’07 and ’08), Kevin Durant (’09) and Maya Moore of Connecticut (’09 and ‘11). Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis won the men’s Award in 2012.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed close to a million dollars to universities’ general scholarship fund in the names of the All American recipients. The Award has also sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps in the Award’s name. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament, which brings together Special Olympic athletes and the All Americans, takes place at The Los Angeles Athletic Club the weekend of the John R. Wooden Award Ceremony.
Follow the candidates and get the latest news throughout the season by logging on to www.WoodenAward.com or going to the Wooden Award facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/WoodenAward. For more information on the John R. Wooden Award, please contact the Wooden Award staff at 213-630-5206 or via email atwoodenaward@laac.net.
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Former CU basketball standout Chris Copeland makes New York Knicks
Nov 6th
BOULDER – Former University of Colorado men’s basketball standout Chris Copeland, who played for the Buffaloes from 2002-06, has earned one of the 15 spots on the New York Knicks NBA roster. Copeland is one of two rookies on the team.
For the first time ever, four former CU basketball players are on 2012 opening day NBA rosters. Copeland joins Chauncey Billups (L.A. Clippers), Alec Burks (Utah Jazz) and Cory Higgins (Charlotte Bobcats). Last year, Billups, Burks and Higgins were the first CU trio since the 1992-93 season when Matt Bullard, Jay Humphries, Alex Stivrins were on NBA rosters.
“I think everywhere I have played at has been a major learning experience,” Copeland said. “I am blessed to have had the opportunities I have had. It’s very exciting to play in New York and a blessing to have made it this far. It’s an unbelievable feeling and hard to put into words, but yes a dream come true.”
Copeland (6’8, 225 pounds) was a four-year letterwinner from 2002-2006 helped CU to a pair of NIT Appearances (2003-04, 2005-06) and a NCAA Tournament berth (2002-03).
Copeland’s best season was his senior year finishing second in scoring at 12.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He also led CU with 32 blocked shots. Over his four-year career, he netted six games over 20 points and tallied three double-doubles, all during his junior year.
The Richmond, Va. and Hermitage High School native, also had a productive junior campaign finishing second in scoring (11.7 rpg.) while leading the Buffs on the glass (5.6 rpg.) and in blocks (36).
His best collegiate game was Jan. 4, 2005 returning to his hometown leading CU to a 75-69 win over the Richmond Spiders. Copeland scored a career-best 25 points (10 field goals made) with four three-pointers.
When he left CU, Copeland was eighth in career blocks (88), 30th in rebounding (425), and 33rd in scoring (848). He earned his psychology degree in the summer of 2009.
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Brooks: Cardinal overpowers punchless Buffaloes
Nov 4th
Release: 11/03/2012 Courtesy: B.G. Brooks, Contributing Editor
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BOULDER – From week to week in the Pac-12 Conference, if the method of extermination changes for the Colorado Buffaloes, the outcomes don’t. Oregon abused them with speed two games ago, Stanford took its turn with power on Saturday at Folsom Field. And for the record, it’s been a while since the Buffs have helped themselves offensively – try the fourth quarter of their Pac-12 opener at Washington State in late September. Saturday’s final: No. 15 Stanford 48, CU 0 – and that zero is significant. It marked the Buffs’ first home shutout since Nov. 15, 1986, when Oklahoma blanked CU 28-0. More dark news: It was the Buffs’ fifth consecutive loss, and in those five defeats they’ve been outscored 261-51. It also was CU’s 11th straight defeat by a ranked opponent. CU (1-8, 1-5) also remained winless at home this season, with two chances remaining – Nov. 17 vs. Washington, Nov. 23 vs. Utah – after next weekend’s final road trip to Arizona. “Stanford got after us with their defense and their offense made plays when they needed to,” CU coach Jon Embree said. “We just weren’t good all the way around . . . I don’t think something happened (as a turning point).” Embree had contemplated a quarterback change this week, replacing junior starter Jordan Webb with sophomore Nick Hirschman after the latter gave the Buffs’ offense some second-half life in the 70-14 loss at Oregon. A lukewarm week of practice by Hirschman kept Webb in the starting role Saturday. Hirschman replaced Webb for one first-half series, then opened the second half with the Buffs trailing 35-0 – 21 points better than last week’s score at intermission. Embree said Webb was “clearly the better guy” in practice, then deferred further comment until his weekly press conference on Tuesday. Through almost three quarters, neither Webb nor Hirschman was effective. So sophomore Connor Woodgot the call with 1:23 left in the third quarter — and CU trailing 45-0. Wood promptly connected with tight end Nick Kasa for a 14-yard completion – the Buffs’ longest play of the game to that point. He had fourth-quarter completions of 22 yards to Tony Jones and a 20-yarder to Kasa, which moved CU across midfield for the first time all afternoon. Immediately thereafter, Wood was sacked, fumbled and lost nearly all of that yardage. On the bright side, the Buffs recovered and avoided another 50-plus point loss. That’s the kind of homecoming afternoon it had been for CU. Webb finished with four of 10 passes completed for 19 yards (one interception). Hirschman went four of six for 12 yards, and Wood completed four of seven throws for 66 yards. Through three quarters, the Buffs had managed three first downs and 40 yards in total offense. They left Folsom Field with 76 yards in total offense on 44 plays – an average of 1.7 per play – and minus-21 yards rushing. The Cardinal has allowed minus-34 yards rushing in its past three games. Embree said his team’s offensive struggles resulted from a “perfect storm” brewed by one of the nation’s best defenses: “When we had people open we had protection issues and when we did have protection we couldn’t get people open. It was one of those things, but protection was a problem (seven sacks among his three QBs). “You know, there is a reason why they are No. 2 in the country against the run and why they are what they are as a defense. They are a very good defense and they showed it today.” Meanwhile, Stanford also juggled its quarterbacks, as expected using Josh Nunes first, then replacing him with Kevin Hogan. Nunes went three-of-five for 23 yards, while Hogan – touted as more of an option threat – was mildly surprising, completing 18-of-23 passes for 184 yards and two TDs. Hogan also ran seven times for 48 yards before he was replaced in the fourth quarter by Brent Nottingham, who eventually was spelled by Robbie Picazo. In what nearly has become a weekly occurrence for CU in Pac-12 play, this game had been decided by halftime. The Buffs trailed the Cardinal 35-0 at intermission, and their offensive stats showed why: 20 yards in total offense, one of eight third-down conversions and two first downs (one by penalty). Stanford, meanwhile, rolled up 13 first downs and 249 yards in first-half offense, 115 rushing and 134 through the air. The Cardinal finished 436 yards in total offense – 230 passing, 206 rushing. Both teams used two quarterbacks each before intermission, but the halftime stats offered a clear picture of which pair was most effective. Webb opened for CU and promptly went three-and-out – and that turned out to be a harmless series. On the Buffs’ next possession, facing third-and-six, he was intercepted by free safety Ed Reynolds, who ran untouched for 52 yards and Stanford’s first touchdown. Hirschman entered for CU’s next series, was the recipient of a first down on a fourth-down Cardinal holding penalty but couldn’t advance the Buffs in any other manner. Webb reentered on the Buffs’ next possession and played for the rest of the first half. CU’s defense was standing up to Stanford for almost the entire first quarter and might have provided a turning point. But freshman corner Yuri Wright dropped a sure interception on the Cardinal’s side of the field. The Buffs forced a punt on that series, but on the first play thereafter, Kasa bobbled a Webb pass and the ball was picked out of the air by inside linebacker A.J. Tarpley. Three plays later, Cardinal tailback Stepfan Taylor scored on a 26-yard run and the skids had been greased. Stanford’s other first-half TDs came courtesy of a 1-yard Remound Wright run, a 1-yard pass from Hogan to Zach Ertz and a 2-yard plunge by Taylor. Jordan Williamson kicked five PATs and the Cardinal had its 35 first-half points. At the end of three quarters, Stanford had opened its lead to 45-0 on a 31-yard field goal by Williamson and a 19-yard pass from Hogan to tight end Levine Toilolo. With 9:52 to play, Williamson added a 35-yard field goal to end the Cardinal’s stroll through Folsom at 48-0. BUFF BITS: Senior linebacker Jon Major suffered a hyperextended elbow in practice last week and did not play Saturday . . . . Junior nosetackle Nate Bonsu sprained an ankle in practice and wasn’t expected to play . . . . In what was termed a precautionary measure, freshman nosetackle Justin Solis was taken from the field on a gurney after suffering an apparent neck injury early in the second half. He was said to have movement in his extremities when he was carted off. Results of an MRI later were negative . . . . Saturday’s paid attendance was 44,138. [includeme src=”http://c1n.tv/boulder/media/bouldersponsors.html” frameborder=”0″ width=”670″ height=”300″] C |