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2024 NCAA Tournament: Boise State Basketball-A First Look at the Colorado Buffaloes
Who are the Buffaloes?
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Boise State draws First Four matchup in Dayton against Pac-12 foe Colorado.
The Mountain West Conference received a record setting six bids to the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday. Though after hammering each other twice a week, every week since January. The six teams that had their tickets punched, were given what many consider to be lower than deserved seeds.
For a conference that KenPom.com ($) has ranked as the seventh best in the entire country. With an extremely comfy margin between their Adjusted Efficiency ranking of +10.39 & the next best’s, the Atlantic 10 at +5.13. Even giving the Pac-12 a run for their money and their number 6th ranking of +10.94. Never the less, one of the Mountain West’s bigger seeding causalities on Selection Sunday was the Boise State Broncos.
After Leon Rice led his team to a second place tie with Nevada and a 22-10 (13-5, 2nd in the MWC) regular season record, top-30 NET Ranking (w/six Quad 1 wins) & a top-40 KenPom ranking.
It’s very frustrating, as the Broncos now have to earn their spot in the Field of 64. In a battle for the No. 10 seed against the Colorado Buffaloes, scheduled for Wednesday March 20th, in Dayton, OH with a 5:10 PM MT tip-off. The winner of that First Four contest goes on to face the Florida Gators as the No. 7 seed in the South region.
Who Are The Buffaloes
The Colorado Buffaloes have an extremely long history as members of the Big 12, dating all the way back to post-World War II, when the conference was known as the Big 7.
Possibly known for their gridiron dominance from the early eighties to mid-nineties under all-time great Buffaloes coach Bill McCartney. Who led them to nine bowl appearances in 13 seasons, not to mention the schools lone football National Championship in 1990.
On the hardwood though, Colorado hasn’t made a deep run since before the end of the Vietnam Conflict. Since, the program has seen five different head coaches come and gone.
With only two NCAA Tournament appearances to show for it, in over four decades. To say the program was a bit of an after thought in the Big 8 as well as out West is an understatement. But change was coming in Boulder, plenty of it.
As an announced move to what was then known as the Pac-10 was made public in 2010. The move also brought the program’s winningest head coach with them, in first year head man Tad Boyle.
Coach
Boyle took over at Colorado in their last season in the Big 12. Taking over from former NBA Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik, who left when he accepted his “dream job” at Wake Forrest in 2010.
Boyle had just led his hometown Northern Colorado Bears to a second place finish in the Big Sky behind a Damian Lillard led Weber State team. A mark celebrated after aiding Northern Colorado in their transition to the D-I ranks, beginning with a 4-24 season just three seasons prior.
After arriving in Boulder in 2010, he led the Buffaloes to a 5th place finish in their final season in the Big 12, their best in five years. He would then lead them to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances. For a grand total of six in fourteen seasons.
Their most recent trip coming in 2021, as a No. 5 seed, their highest in the tournament’s most modern iteration. A trip that is something fans in Boulder are coming to expect out of their basketball program. As they should, with a coach like Boyle in charge. With his local ties to the area, it’s easy to buy in to what the Buffaloes are selling every season.
Star Players
Jr. G-KJ Simpson (6’2, 190)
Stats: 19.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 4.9 APG & 1.6 SPG in 34 Games, 34 Starts
Sr. F-Tristan Da Silva (6’9, 220)
Stats: 15.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.4 APG & 1.1 SPG in 31 Games, 31 Starts
Fr. F-Cody Williams (6’8, 190)
Stats: 12.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG & 1.7 APG in 21 Games, 18 Starts
How Did They Get Here
Colorado was brought into the Pac-12 promise lands by Boyle almost immediately. But with conference realignment charged turmoil surrounding their home last year with the departures of UCLA, USC, Oregon & Washington to the Big Ten starting the summer of 2024, the Buffaloes had to act. Announcing a move back to the Big 12 last July, Tad Boyle will now be tasked with a move back to the conference where he cut his high major teeth in. So enjoying their last ride in the Pac-12 as fans everywhere know it, they went to work.
Using a strong yet short, 9-2 run through non-conference play with a pair of impressive wins over Richmond & Miami (FL) to prepare for their last run at a Pac-12 title. The ensuing 20-game conference slate would prove challenging.
As the Buffaloes battled their way to a 3rd place finish & 24-10 (13-7, 3rd in Pac-12) regular season record while earning the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament in Las Vegas.
Colorado earned a opening round bye & was slated to take on No. 6 seeded Utah in the quarterfinals on Thursday. They had split the regular season series with the Utes, but managed to post a solid 72-58 win over their conference foes to advance to the semifinals. Thanks to a great scoring performance from their trio of KJ Simpson, Eddie Lampkin Jr. & Tristan da Silva.
Next came Washington State on Friday, another team whom they had split their conference series with. The Cougars though, proved to be a formidable opponent for the Buffaloes. As Tad Boyle’s group narrowly advanced with a 58-52 win over Washington State, thanks again to an offensive effort spearheaded by Simpson with a game high 16 points.
That took them all the way to the championship game on Saturday night, against No. 4 seed Oregon. A game lost in the post, in part due to a flawless performance from Oregon big man N’Faly Dante who had 25 points off of 12-12 shooting from the floor.
With that Colorado was sent home without any hardware, though their fate as an at-large bid might have just been sealed in Vegas. As the Buffaloes were announced as a First Four selection on Sunday, pegged to due battle for a spot in the Field of 64 against a Cinderella-esque Bronco team on Wednesday.
Biggest Wins
Thursday January 18th, Home vs. Oregon 86-70
Saturday February 24th, Home vs. Utah 89-65
Friday March 15th, Neutral vs. Washington State 58-52
The Metrics
NET Ranking: 25th
KenPom: 26th
Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.
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