The No. 21 Colorado Buffaloes women’s basketball team is all set to make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament in what has been a strong year for the Pac-12 Conference.
The Buffs are back in the AP Top 25 and could even host a March Madness game in Boulder. Colorado is 20-5 on the year and plays Arizona State on Friday, and the Sun Devils have yet to win a single Pac-12 game this year.
As such, head coach JR Payne has been named a late-season candidate for the Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year.
The list includes 15 coaches, with two other Pac-12 coaches making the cut: Utah’s Lynne Roberts and Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer.
Game respect game 🦬🏆#GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/bwGEmOlTtC
— Colorado Women's Basketball 🦬 (@CUBuffsWBB) February 15, 2023
Here are the other candidates:
- Geno Auriemma, UConn
- Lisa Bluder, Iowa
- Kenny Brooks, Virginia Tech
- Denise Dillon, Villanova
- Lisa Fortier, Gonzaga
- Shauna Green, Illinois
- Niele Ivey, Notre Dame
- Kara Lawson, Duke
- Kevin McGuff, Ohio State
- Teri Moren, Indiana
- Kim Mulkey, LSU
- Dawn Staley, South Carolina
The Buffs have surpassed all expectations this year after being picked to finish eighth in the Pac-12. With two weeks left in the regular season, Colorado sits third and in real contention to make a run at a Pac-12 Tournament title.
The Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year candidates will be narrowed down to 10 on March 8 and then narrowed again to four on March 20. The winner will be announced during the Final Four on March 29.
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