Boulder, Colo. ? All of a sudden, Colorado’s men’s basketball team is having trouble winning at home.
The Buffs, who had a 15-game home win streak snapped Dec. 23 in a 77-57 loss to Utah, suffered yet another hangover on New Year’s Eve, a 75-62 loss to Richmond.
The setback to Utah was CU’s worst nonconference loss at home since 1987 — a 100-68 loss to Wyoming — and the frustration was evident on the Buffs’ bench during the Richmond game. Coach Ricardo Patton coached with his right hand bandaged with two fingers in a splint.
The Buffaloes’ coach, whose team takes a 6-3 record into today’s 8:05 p.m. battle against Kansas University (8-2), wouldn’t tell reporters exactly how he hurt his hand, but hinted it happened while coaching his team.
“We can’t get that game back,” coach Ricardo Patton told Colorado reporters after the Richmond loss. “But this hand will be OK.
“It’s part of teaching,” said Patton, who held a five-hour practice after the Utah contest.
The Buffs’ have one other injury of note.
Junior center David Harrison, who is the school’s all-time leader in blocks, landed hard on his right (shooting) shoulder late in the Richmond game.
“They say it’s a bruise,” the 7-footer told the Boulder Daily Camera, adding, “I’m not going to miss any time.”
  Kansas remembers last year’s setback in Boulder Buffs reeling on home court Woodling: Jayhawks’ Big 12 schedule has quirks Notebook Roster Schedule Live updates via cell phone |
The controversial Harrison, who has infuriated KU fans with some of his comments about former Jayhawk Drew Gooden, has had a love-hate relationship with his own fans.
Mobbed on the court by giddy CU fans after last year’s home victory over KU, Harrison recently blasted a crowd of 2,709 that attended the Richmond game.
“I’ve got fans in our gym heckling me,” Harrison said. “I’d rather play on the road and get booed than get booed by the people I see every day.”
“We might as well be playing on the road Monday. I’ll bet they gave Kansas fans about 20,000 tickets.”
¢
Morandais hopeful: CU’s hopes of nabbing a second straight NCAA Tournament berth likely will rest on an upcoming ruling by the Buffs’ compliance office regarding the eligibility of senior Michel Morandais.
Morandais, CU’s second-leading scorer who is considered an NBA prospect, will lose all eligibility unless he can get a summer-course grade changed. Patton said Morandais was given an incorrect grade for a class, which led to Morandais’ needing to pass two classes this fall. He passed only one.
“Certainly it’s got to be weighing heavily on his mind and can’t not affect his teammates,” Patton said of Morandais, who is 6-for-20 with 16 points in his last two games. “He’s got the possibility of his college career being over in a couple of weeks.”
Morandais — he told media he was under the impression he would be granted eligibility — scored 45 points in two games against KU last year.
¢
Simien on last year: KU’s Wayne Simien couldn’t play in last year’s game at CU because of injury.
“It was frustrating,” he said. “They made a big deal about the streak.”
