Kansas City, Mo ? A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
Maybe that’s why Colorado coach Ricardo Patton wanted only 20 minutes to savor Thursday’s plodding 67-60 victory over Colorado in the first round of the Big 12 Conference men’s basketball tournament.
“I’m going to take 20 minutes before I think about tomorrow’s game,” Patton said. “I need the 20 minutes.”
Patton needed every second because the Buffaloes have to meet No. 1 tourney seed and No. 1-ranked Kansas in a noon quarterfinal today.
“We don’t have the luxury of doing anything special,” Patton said about today’s clash with the Jayhawks. “What we have is what we have. That’s how we’ll approach the game.”
What Patton has now that D.J. Harrison is out with a broken finger is six players. He used nine players in Thursday’s win, but three of them, including Harrison, logged less than a minute apiece.
Patton may be short on bodies, but he isn’t short on talent. The Buffs exploded to early leads of 12-0 and 20-4 against the cold-shooting Cornhuskers.
“We knew we’d have to play defense to win,” said CU guard Blair Wilson, who led game scorers with 24 points, “and I think we did a decent job of doing that.”
Nebraska, a team that breathes with the three-point goal, had the hiccups from long range all day. Against Kansas a couple of weeks ago, the Huskers nearly pulled off a stunner by making 18 of 37 threes. Against Colorado, they were 7 of 31 from beyond the arc.
Senior guard Cary Cochran drilled 6 of 11 treys, but Brian Conklin and Jake Muhleisen were both 0-for-6 and John Robinson was 0-for-5.
Was it Colorado? Or were the Huskers’ sleepwalking?
“Colorado played very good defense,” NU coach Barry Collier said. “I don’t think it’s accurate to describe our team as flat.”
CU forward Stephane Pelle, who finished second to KU’s Drew Gooden in league rebounding stats, collected a game-high 14 boards Thursday.
“We stepped up our effort,” Pelle said. “It changed the whole aspect of the game and gave us a chance to win.”
Without Harrison to give him a breather, Pelle and fellow forward Michel Morandais, logged 36 minutes apiece. Point guard Mookie Wright went 37 minutes and Wilson 31.
“It has affected us,” Pelle said of Harrison’s absence, “but we did a good job to deal with what we had.”
Still, will Colorado’s half-dozen bodies be able to withstand the onslaught of the deep and talented Jayhawks today?
“There’s nothing complicated about it,” Pelle said. “If we play at a level of superiority to them we’ll beat them, but if they play superior they’ll beat us.”
Patton’s attitude wasn’t any different. Either the Buffs will beat Kansas or they won’t.
“We’re at the point where we don’t have any room to save energy,” Patton said. “If we run out, we run out.”
Colorado, 15-13, has no hope of earning an NCAA Tournament berth unless it wins the Big 12 meet, but the Buffs are believed likely to receive an NIT bid if they don’t.
Kansas City, Mo ? A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
Maybe that’s why Colorado coach Ricardo Patton wanted only 20 minutes to savor Thursday’s plodding 67-60 victory over Colorado in the first round of the Big 12 Conference men’s basketball tournament.
“I’m going to take 20 minutes before I think about tomorrow’s game,” Patton said. “I need the 20 minutes.”
Patton needed every second because the Buffaloes have to meet No. 1 tourney seed and No. 1-ranked Kansas in a noon quarterfinal today.
“We don’t have the luxury of doing anything special,” Patton said about today’s clash with the Jayhawks. “What we have is what we have. That’s how we’ll approach the game.”
What Patton has now that D.J. Harrison is out with a broken finger is six players. He used nine players in Thursday’s win, but three of them, including Harrison, logged less than a minute apiece.
Patton may be short on bodies, but he isn’t short on talent. The Buffs exploded to early leads of 12-0 and 20-4 against the cold-shooting Cornhuskers.
“We knew we’d have to play defense to win,” said CU guard Blair Wilson, who led game scorers with 24 points, “and I think we did a decent job of doing that.”
Nebraska, a team that breathes with the three-point goal, had the hiccups from long range all day. Against Kansas a couple of weeks ago, the Huskers nearly pulled off a stunner by making 18 of 37 threes. Against Colorado, they were 7 of 31 from beyond the arc.
Senior guard Cary Cochran drilled 6 of 11 treys, but Brian Conklin and Jake Muhleisen were both 0-for-6 and John Robinson was 0-for-5.
Was it Colorado? Or were the Huskers’ sleepwalking?
“Colorado played very good defense,” NU coach Barry Collier said. “I don’t think it’s accurate to describe our team as flat.”
CU forward Stephane Pelle, who finished second to KU’s Drew Gooden in league rebounding stats, collected a game-high 14 boards Thursday.
“We stepped up our effort,” Pelle said. “It changed the whole aspect of the game and gave us a chance to win.”
Without Harrison to give him a breather, Pelle and fellow forward Michel Morandais, logged 36 minutes apiece. Point guard Mookie Wright went 37 minutes and Wilson 31.
“It has affected us,” Pelle said of Harrison’s absence, “but we did a good job to deal with what we had.”
Still, will Colorado’s half-dozen bodies be able to withstand the onslaught of the deep and talented Jayhawks today?
“There’s nothing complicated about it,” Pelle said. “If we play at a level of superiority to them we’ll beat them, but if they play superior they’ll beat us.”
Patton’s attitude wasn’t any different. Either the Buffs will beat Kansas or they won’t.
“We’re at the point where we don’t have any room to save energy,” Patton said. “If we run out, we run out.”
Colorado, 15-13, has no hope of earning an NCAA Tournament berth unless it wins the Big 12 meet, but the Buffs are believed likely to receive an NIT bid if they don’t.
Kansas City, Mo ? A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
Maybe that’s why Colorado coach Ricardo Patton wanted only 20 minutes to savor Thursday’s plodding 67-60 victory over Colorado in the first round of the Big 12 Conference men’s basketball tournament.
“I’m going to take 20 minutes before I think about tomorrow’s game,” Patton said. “I need the 20 minutes.”
Patton needed every second because the Buffaloes have to meet No. 1 tourney seed and No. 1-ranked Kansas in a noon quarterfinal today.
“We don’t have the luxury of doing anything special,” Patton said about today’s clash with the Jayhawks. “What we have is what we have. That’s how we’ll approach the game.”
What Patton has now that D.J. Harrison is out with a broken finger is six players. He used nine players in Thursday’s win, but three of them, including Harrison, logged less than a minute apiece.
Patton may be short on bodies, but he isn’t short on talent. The Buffs exploded to early leads of 12-0 and 20-4 against the cold-shooting Cornhuskers.
“We knew we’d have to play defense to win,” said CU guard Blair Wilson, who led game scorers with 24 points, “and I think we did a decent job of doing that.”
Nebraska, a team that breathes with the three-point goal, had the hiccups from long range all day. Against Kansas a couple of weeks ago, the Huskers nearly pulled off a stunner by making 18 of 37 threes. Against Colorado, they were 7 of 31 from beyond the arc.
Senior guard Cary Cochran drilled 6 of 11 treys, but Brian Conklin and Jake Muhleisen were both 0-for-6 and John Robinson was 0-for-5.
Was it Colorado? Or were the Huskers’ sleepwalking?
“Colorado played very good defense,” NU coach Barry Collier said. “I don’t think it’s accurate to describe our team as flat.”
CU forward Stephane Pelle, who finished second to KU’s Drew Gooden in league rebounding stats, collected a game-high 14 boards Thursday.
“We stepped up our effort,” Pelle said. “It changed the whole aspect of the game and gave us a chance to win.”
Without Harrison to give him a breather, Pelle and fellow forward Michel Morandais, logged 36 minutes apiece. Point guard Mookie Wright went 37 minutes and Wilson 31.
“It has affected us,” Pelle said of Harrison’s absence, “but we did a good job to deal with what we had.”
Still, will Colorado’s half-dozen bodies be able to withstand the onslaught of the deep and talented Jayhawks today?
“There’s nothing complicated about it,” Pelle said. “If we play at a level of superiority to them we’ll beat them, but if they play superior they’ll beat us.”
Patton’s attitude wasn’t any different. Either the Buffs will beat Kansas or they won’t.
“We’re at the point where we don’t have any room to save energy,” Patton said. “If we run out, we run out.”
Colorado, 15-13, has no hope of earning an NCAA Tournament berth unless it wins the Big 12 meet, but the Buffs are believed likely to receive an NIT bid if they don’t.
Kansas City, Mo ? A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
Maybe that’s why Colorado coach Ricardo Patton wanted only 20 minutes to savor Thursday’s plodding 67-60 victory over Colorado in the first round of the Big 12 Conference men’s basketball tournament.
“I’m going to take 20 minutes before I think about tomorrow’s game,” Patton said. “I need the 20 minutes.”
Patton needed every second because the Buffaloes have to meet No. 1 tourney seed and No. 1-ranked Kansas in a noon quarterfinal today.
“We don’t have the luxury of doing anything special,” Patton said about today’s clash with the Jayhawks. “What we have is what we have. That’s how we’ll approach the game.”
What Patton has now that D.J. Harrison is out with a broken finger is six players. He used nine players in Thursday’s win, but three of them, including Harrison, logged less than a minute apiece.
Patton may be short on bodies, but he isn’t short on talent. The Buffs exploded to early leads of 12-0 and 20-4 against the cold-shooting Cornhuskers.
“We knew we’d have to play defense to win,” said CU guard Blair Wilson, who led game scorers with 24 points, “and I think we did a decent job of doing that.”
Nebraska, a team that breathes with the three-point goal, had the hiccups from long range all day. Against Kansas a couple of weeks ago, the Huskers nearly pulled off a stunner by making 18 of 37 threes. Against Colorado, they were 7 of 31 from beyond the arc.
Senior guard Cary Cochran drilled 6 of 11 treys, but Brian Conklin and Jake Muhleisen were both 0-for-6 and John Robinson was 0-for-5.
Was it Colorado? Or were the Huskers’ sleepwalking?
“Colorado played very good defense,” NU coach Barry Collier said. “I don’t think it’s accurate to describe our team as flat.”
CU forward Stephane Pelle, who finished second to KU’s Drew Gooden in league rebounding stats, collected a game-high 14 boards Thursday.
“We stepped up our effort,” Pelle said. “It changed the whole aspect of the game and gave us a chance to win.”
Without Harrison to give him a breather, Pelle and fellow forward Michel Morandais, logged 36 minutes apiece. Point guard Mookie Wright went 37 minutes and Wilson 31.
“It has affected us,” Pelle said of Harrison’s absence, “but we did a good job to deal with what we had.”
Still, will Colorado’s half-dozen bodies be able to withstand the onslaught of the deep and talented Jayhawks today?
“There’s nothing complicated about it,” Pelle said. “If we play at a level of superiority to them we’ll beat them, but if they play superior they’ll beat us.”
Patton’s attitude wasn’t any different. Either the Buffs will beat Kansas or they won’t.
“We’re at the point where we don’t have any room to save energy,” Patton said. “If we run out, we run out.”
Colorado, 15-13, has no hope of earning an NCAA Tournament berth unless it wins the Big 12 meet, but the Buffs are believed likely to receive an NIT bid if they don’t.
