Category: Colorado Buffaloes

Colorado club baseball advances to NCBA Division 1 World Series

The @CUBuffBaseball team is headed to the @The_NCBA Division I World Series

The University of Colorado club baseball team has had an incredible season and over the weekend, the Buffs punched their National Club Baseball Association Division 1 World Series.

Colorado finished its regular season at 11-1 and earned a No. 2 seed in the NCBA Mid-America Regional Tournament. After taking down Nebraska in the opening round, the Buffs lost to the No. 1 seed Iowa State Cyclones. They then defeated Nebraska again in the loser’s bracket to set up a rematch with Iowa State in which Colorado would need to beat the Cyclones twice to win the regional tournament.

The Buffaloes did just that as they downed ISU by scores of 5-1 and 13-3 to qualify for the NCBA DI World Series for the first time in program history.

Colorado earned a No. 4 seed in the eight-team NCBA Division I World Series with its first game set for May 27 against the No. 5 Florida State Seminoles.

The team is now looking for donations to help fund its travel to Alton, Illinois. You can donate to the club baseball fund here.

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Colorado’s Jaylyn Sherrod has ‘unfinished business’

Which starter is coming back for Colorado women’s hoops?

The University of Colorado went deep in the 2023 NCAA women’s March Madness tournament. For the first time in 20 years, the Buffs moved on to the Sweet 16 with a 61-53 overtime win against Duke.

The push into overtime was due in large part to Jaylyn Sherrod who recently announced she would use her fifth year of eligibility to play for Colorado. This means that a large portion of Colorado’s roster is still intact, something other programs including South Carolina cannot boast. While South Carolina’s Dawn Staley can always put together an exceptional roster, it is infinitely easier when all the pieces are already there and meshed together.

Colorado has that in their current roster. Sherrod, Quay Miller, Frida Formann, and Aaronette Vonleh accounted for 68.7% of CU’s scoring last season and they are all returning. That’s major.

While programs like LSU, the 2023 national champions, are working with a few key pieces and adding exceptional transfers, it’s not the same as keeping four of your five starters.

“Personally I just feel like we have a lot we can accomplish and I think with the core of the team we have coming back and we’re adding good pieces, ‘why not run the table and see how far we can get?’ We have a lot of unfinished business here and it doesn’t feel like it’s the end for me,” Sherrod told CBS News Colorado.

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Washington defensive line transfer Sav’ell Smalls commits to Colorado

Colorado picked up a big transfer portal commitment on Tuesday.

Deion Sanders and Colorado have landed another top player out of the transfer portal. On Tuesday, Washington defensive line transfer Sav’ell Smalls committed to the Buffaloes.

Smalls was a former five-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting cycle for Washington and was ranked as high as No. 15 in the country by ESPN. He initially committed to the Huskies over offers from Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, and USC.

During his time in Seattle, Smalls recorded 32 total tackles including one tackle for a loss.

For Colorado, the Smalls’ commitment is some much-needed positive recruiting PR for Deion Sanders and his program. The Buffaloes have obviously seen an exorbitant, 50 players enter the transfer portal since Sanders took over in December.

While the mass exodus was forewarned by Sanders himself, it has still come as quite the culture shock to the college football system. Many wonder if Sanders’ despite trying to improve his roster immediately is also hurting his own potential down the road as he potentially damages crucial relationships with various high schools across the country including some that produce top talent on a regular basis.

Either way, Smalls is the type of player that Sanders and Colorado will try to have their biggest successes with this year and the next few seasons. With so many overturn on their roster, the Buffaloes will have to take some chances on once high-regarded prospects who haven’t panned out in hopes that a change of scenery and new coaching staff could unlock that potential.

Overall, while Sanders’s tactics have been unusual, at least to this volume, if it proves to be successful, it could mark a turning point in how head coaches look to turn around struggling programs. Since a 10-win season in 2016, Colorado has won five games or less in each of the last six seasons. That 2016 season is also the program’s lone winning season since 2005.

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Colorado WR transfer Montana Lemonious-Craig becoming popular name in transfer portal

Colorado wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig is one of the hottest names in the transfer portal today.

Since entering the transfer portal shortly after Colorado’s spring game wide receiver transfer Montana Lemonious-Craig has become a very popular name in the transfer portal.

The junior wide receiver has picked up offers from throughout the FBS including in no specific order; Tulane, UConn, USF, Liberty, Washington State, Arizona, Colorado State, Penn State, Oregon State, Auburn, Cincinnati, BYU, Mississippi State, California, San Diego State, West Virginia, Arkansas, and Purdue.

Lemonious-Craig saw time in 18 games over three seasons with Colorado, recording 34 receptions for 497 yards and five touchdowns. This past season, he had his best year with the program, with 23 receptions for 359 yards and three touchdowns,

It was looking like he was in for a breakout season this fall, being paired up with Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. In Saturday’s spring game, Lemonious-Craig recorded three receptions for 154 yards and a touchdown. That performance made his portal entry on Sunday a shock to many.

The 6-foot-2 wide receiver is just one of nearly 20 Colorado players to enter the transfer portal since the Buffaloes’ spring game. Overall, nearly 50 players in total have left the program since Deion Sanders took over in December.

Originally a three-star athlete out of Inglewood, California, in the 2020 recruiting class, Lemonious-Craig committed to Colorado over notable offers from Arizona, Auburn, Boise State, and BYU as well as a myriad of additional Group of Five offers.

The California native will likely see more offers come his way in the upcoming days and weeks ahead as he continues to be one of the more sought-out transfer portal wide receivers.

Any NCAA football players who want to enter the transfer portal and be eligible for next season must do so by April 30 when the second offseason transfer portal window closes.

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Women’s Sweet 16: game predictions, who advances to the Elite Eight?

Only two No. 1 seeds remain in the women’s tournament and this is the first time since 1998 that the Sweet 16 will be without two of its No. 1 seeds.

Only two No. 1 seeds remain in the women’s tournament and this is the first time since 1998 that the Sweet 16 will be without two of its No. 1 seeds. We have a No. 8 seed in Ole Miss and a No. 9 seed in Miami matched up against No. 5 and No. 4 seeds respectively. This tournament is about to heat up and it feels like upsets are on the brink.

Sweet 16 games begin Friday, March 24 with four matchups on Friday and four matchups on Saturday. The frontrunners in the tournament are still the top-seeded teams, but lower-seeded teams are peaking at just the right time and anything can happen in March.

Here’s everything you need ahead of this weekend’s Sweet 16.

2023 NCAA women’s Sweet 16: Latest bracket, schedule, and how to watch

There are few surprises with Miami, Colorado, and Ole Miss in the mix of teams, but stalwarts are also accounted for in South Carolina, Iowa, and UConn.

The Sweet 16 is upon us and games begin Friday, March 24. There are four matchups on Friday and four matchups on Saturday. There are few surprises with Miami, Colorado, and Ole Miss in the mix of teams, but stalwarts are also accounted for in South Carolina, Iowa, and UConn.

Sweet 16 Schedule: (All game times are eastern)

Friday, March 24 — Sweet 16

  • No. 4 Villanova vs. No. 9 Miami | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN
  • No. 2 Utah vs. No. 3 LSU | 5 p.m. | ESPN
  • No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 6 Colorado | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
  • No. 5 Louisville vs. No. 8 Ole Miss | 10 p.m. | ESPN

Saturday, March 25 — Sweet 16

  • No. 2 Maryland vs. No. 3 Notre Dame | 11:30 a.m. | ESPN
  • No.1 South Carolina vs. No. 4 UCLA | 2:00 p.m. | ESPN
  • No. 2 UConn vs. No. 3 Ohio State | 4 p.m. | ABC
  • No. 1 Virginia Tech vs. No. 4 Tennessee | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN2

Only two No. 1 seeds remain in the tournament and this is the first time since 1998 that the Sweet 16 will be without two of its No. 1 seeds.

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Power ranking the 16 remaining teams in the women’s tournament

The frontrunners in the tournament are still the top-seeded teams, but lower-seeded teams are peaking at just the right time and anything can happen in March.

The tournament’s second round has come and gone with upsets galore busting everyone’s brackets. Ole Miss’s upset of No. 1 seeded Stanford shattered the last bracket.

The team field is a bit diverse with only two No. 1 seeds remaining in the tournament, South Carolina and Virginia Tech, respectively. Ole Miss, Miami, and Colorado shocked viewers when they took down their opponents and made it into the Sweet 16.

The frontrunners in the tournament are still the top-seeded teams, but lower-seeded teams are peaking at just the right time and anything can happen in March.

With that said College Sports Wire tried to rank the remaining teams in the Sweet 16.

College Football Roundtable: Top 12 most anticipated games of 2023

College Wire’s 12 most anticipated matchups of the 2023 season.

While we await the start of spring football, the College Wire network is looking forward to the 2023 season.

One of the biggest storylines to follow will revolve around the two-time defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs. Can they win a third-straight title? That hasn’t occurred since 1934-36.

First-year head coaches will be looking to make an impact as well with Luke Fickell in Wisconsin, Matt Rhule in Nebraska, and Deion Sanders in Colorado among others. We even get to see Rhule take on Sanders this season.

Speaking of matchups in the 2023 campaign, three wire editors joined me in a roundtable to discuss our most anticipated games in the upcoming season. Do you agree with these 12 games broken down by Adam Dubbin (Gators Wire), AJ Spurr (Roll Tide Wire), and Tyler Nettuno (LSU Wire)?

Colorado football preview: Buffs face Utah in season finale

The Buffs are heading into their final game of the season

The finish line has arrived.

Thanksgiving meals have been eaten, and you may or may not be about ready to sneak your third helping of leftovers out of your grandma’s fridge. Besides the feast in late November, with that comes the last week of the college football regular season.

While Colorado (1-11, 1-7 Pac-12) may not have a lot to play for results-wise against No. 14 Utah (8-3, 6-2 Pac-12) on Saturday, this game does provide one last afternoon at Folsom Field in 2022 and the chance to put an end to the Utes’ slim Pac-12 title game chances.

That would take a lot, though.

Colorado’s going up against the best defense in the Pac-12 when it comes to yards allowed, and Utah ranks second in the conference in points allowed, surrendering only 20 per game. Combine that with a Buffs offense that has been anemic in 2022, and that isn’t the greatest combination.

If Colorado is to have a chance, it’ll likely have to come from the legs of running back Alex Fontenot. The senior has had an impressive stretch over the last two weeks, including a 108-yard effort at USC. Equally important, though, will be Colorado winning the time of possession battle against the Utes, and Fontenot provides the best opportunity to do that.

Utah’s passing game under Cameron Rising has been a strength throughout the year — last week’s loss aside — and the fewer possessions that Colorado affords the Utes, the better its chances are at winning.

A major concern for the Buffs on Saturday will be their defense. Colorado has one of the worst defenses in Football Bowl Subdivision, allowing nearly 43 points per game while being ripped apart by both the pass and run games. The Buffs will have to go completely against that track record on Saturday if they’re to stand a chance, and their showing on defense will go a long way toward determining if Colorado has a chance to pull off a tremendous upset late.

Things don’t look great for Colorado as it stands, but if it can pull off a win, it would undoubtedly be the one of the greatest upsets of this college football season.

Best for last? We shall see.

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Sherrone Moore presents an intriguing head coach option for the CU Buffs

Although he’s young and without head coach experience, Sherrone Moore has turned some heads at Michigan

The Colorado Buffaloes football season is nearly over, which means the head coaching search should be complete soon.

Ryan Walters has been discussed as a favorite for the job, but nobody really knows what athletic Rick George and Co. are thinking. Bryan Harsin is another interesting candidate.

But one lesser-known name who makes a lot of sense is Sherrone Moore, the co-offensive coordinator at Michigan (h/t Adam Munsterteiger of Buff Stampede).

Moore is one of the hottest assistant coaches in college football after tutoring a Michigan offensive line group that won the Joe Moore Award in 2021. But Moore does not have any head coaching experience.

Moore is just 36 years old, which is a different direction than many expect the Buffs to go. He also has no head coaching experience, but working at Michigan shows how respected he is across the country. He also spent time at Louisville and Central Michigan before joining the Wolverines staff in 2018.

Do the Buffs roll with a first-time head coach? That remains to be seen, but the money to pay a top-tier name probably isn’t there due to the massive buyout for Karl Dorrell.

Pretty soon we should have an answer or at least an indication of who is officially in the running for the Buffs’ head coach job.

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