Stampede Magazine

VOLUME: 9 • ISSUE: 1

DEFENDING THE CROWN

AndrE roBErSon And thE PAC-12 ChAMPIon BuffS rEturn T.C. MCCARTNEY | VOLLEYBALL SPIKES BACK | MEEt thE BuffS: WOMEN’s BAskETBALL

Letter from the

Athletic Director

VOLUME: 9 • ISSUE: 1 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, BUFF CLUB Natalie A. Pigliacampo MANAGING EDITOR Doug Ottewill, Haas Rock Publications

O

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Marty Coffin Evans Nick Gerhardt Vanessa Hughes Brent New Chaz Mattson Daniel Mohrmann ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN Becky Antcliff

ur reason for being is our student-athletes.

We develop competitive excellence in our student-athletes by providing, through ethically-based programs, a premier academic, athletic and social experience that equips them as graduates of the institution to excel and achieve success in their life-long endeavors as highly productive members of society.

You have often heard me reference the CU Guiding Principles as our foundation. this distinguishing leadership position is threaded throughout the pages of this edition of our award-winning Stampede Magazine. With every photo, coach interview, student-athlete preview and donor profile, our desire is to pioneer the incredible strength of the Guiding Principles through the Colorado Athletic department, the University, alumni, friends and fans with pride and tradition of excellence. our Colorado Buffaloes are fortunate to have dynamic contributors such as heidi rothberg who believe in providing studentathletes with the building blocks essential to becoming successful members of society.

In the coming pages, you will enjoy learning more about this horse-loving, committed scholarship donor and the meaningful impact she has had on the numerous student-athletes she has supported.

Basketball and football take the spotlight this time of year; however, be sure to enjoy our other terrific fall sports currently in season. the student-athletes competing in women’s soccer, women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s cross country greatly appreciate your enthusiastic attendance at their events. thank you for your continued and

OUR DESIRE IS TO PIONEER THE INCREDIBLE STRENGTH OF THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES THROUGH THE COLORADO ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT, THE UNIVERSITy, ALUMNI, FRIENDS AND FANS WITH PRIDE AND TRADITION OF ExCELLENCE. tremendous Shoulder to Shoulder support as an active Buff Club member. Your passionate involvement makes a big difference for student-athletes, our reason for being at the University of Colorado athletic department.

PHOTOGRAPHERS CU Sports Information Chip Bromfield, Pro-Motion, Ltd. Getty Images Jathan Campbell Natalie Pigliacampo Tracy Ostrofsky ADVERTISING SALES Chris Dolge Casey Light Will McKinlay The Stampede is published and produced in association with: HAAS ROCK PUBLICATIONS, LLC PRESIDENT James Merilatt

PUBLISHER Doug Ottewill

PROOFREADERS Casey Light Chris Bianchi

The Stampede is published four times per year, as a 64-page quarterly.

Buff Club, 369 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 BUFF CLUB 800.621.2833 Subscription rate for The Stampede is a gift for $100 or more per year to the Buff Club.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Buff Club, 369 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any manner without written permission is prohibited.

Copyright 2012 / All Rights Reserved Printed in the U.S.A

THE STAMPEDE IS PROUDLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

mike Bohn

We want to hear from you! Comments regarding The Stampede can be directed to buffclub@cufund.org or 303-492-2200.

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STAMPEDE

Features 16 20 24

ProfiLe: LiZ KritZA (VoLLeYBALL) ProfiLe: roBert ASPiLLAgA (tenniS) ProfiLe: BUff ViSion (foLSoM’S neweSt ADDition)

44 DefenDing the Crown 4

STAMPEDE

THROWBACKS

Recognize these great Buffs? Both of them stalk the sidelines these days, but it wasn’t that long ago that Jon Embree (left) and Eric Bieniemy starred between the lines.

Photo courtesy of CU Athletics

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OUT ON THE DANCE FLOOR It seems like just yesterday the Buffs were dancin’ March Madness style. CU emerged victorious from this March 15 game against UNLV, which just so happened to be their opening game in the NCAA tourney – a place they aim to revisit come spring.

Photo by Getty Images

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STAMPEDE 10

BIG DAVE

At 6-foot-4 and 295 pounds, there’s no moving – and certainly no hiding – junior offensive lineman David Bakhtiari.

Photo by Chip Bromfield

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MEET TATE NELSON The new Executive Director of the C Club! providing a means for student-athletes to locate and communicate with old friends or hosting the various reunions we hold every year, we want to do everything we can to keep everyone as an active part of the Buff Family.

Connect the dots for everyone: How do the C Club, Buff Club and Athletic Department all work together?

We are all working towards a common goal – the success of student-athletes at the University of Colorado. For the Buff Club, that often takes the shape of soliciting financial contributions for the Athletic Department. For the C Club, it more often takes the shape of former student-athletes getting engaged by interacting with fans and donors, speaking at various events or talking to current student-athletes to share their experiences in life and in athletics.

Congratulations on becoming the new Executive Director of the C Club! How did you come to this role?

I had served on the Alumni C Club Board of Directors for a number of years, including two as President and Vice President. In May, I learned that the Executive Director position was opening up and I jumped at the opportunity. This is a dream job for me. As a volunteer, I always took great pride in the work I did for the C Club, and I always found the work so personally rewarding. Now, I get to spend all day, every day working for the C Club. For me, it just doesn’t get much better than that.

As a former Buff – especially as a national champion athlete – why has the C Club been important to you personally?

I’m not a former Buff; I’m a Buff! Twentyfour years ago, during my recruiting trip, I asked Coach Mac how one commits to play at CU. He responded, “You look me 12

in the eye, you shake my hand and you say, ‘I want to be a Buff!’” I did just that!

At that moment, I became a Buff and I will be a Buff for the rest of my life. The C Club is about honoring the rich history and tradition of Colorado athletics, and recognizing that every one of us that has ever donned a CU Buff uniform, in any sport, is a part of something so special.

What are three things you want ALL Buffs to know about the C Club?

First, I want everyone to understand that once you earn a varsity letter at CU, you become a member of the C Club for life (but it makes my life easier if everyone becomes a dues-paying member). Second, the success of the C Club is entirely dependent on us, the letterwinners. The more we participate and, yes, contribute financially, the stronger the organization will be. Finally, the ultimate goal of the C Club is to keep former student-athletes connected to each other and connected to the University of Colorado. Whether it’s

As the organization’s newest leader, do you have any specific new goals in mind?

One of my top goals is to bolster the career and networking (both personal and professional) aspects of the C Club. Many of our former athletes have been extremely successful in business and/or professional athletics, while others have had some difficulties. Working with the Career Services department at the university, we’re looking to expand the opportunities available to help former student-athletes advance their careers. I’m thrilled with the progress the C Club has made in social media and I want to continue to expand our presence on sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook. These sites provide a great way for our members to keep in touch with each other and stay up to date on the C Club and the university in general.

Every time you walk into Folsom Field, you see the national championship sign. Does it give you goose bumps every time?

Of course it does! But the moment that still gets me every time is when I’m driving up Highway 36, cross over the hill and get that full view of Boulder! It feels like I’m coming home every single time!

staMPeDe

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO

BasketBaLL sCHeDULe

meN’s BAsKeTBALL OppOnent

time

Date

OppOnent

time

11.09

WOFFORD COLLeGe

5:00 p.m.

11.15

at Dayton

10:30 a.m.

11.02

WeSteRn State (COLO.) (eXHibitiOn)

7:00 p.m.

10:30 a.m./12:30 p.m.

11.11

iDaHO

2:00 p.m.

11.18

at UMKC

Noon

11.16

at Baylor or Boston College

11.18

Auburn or Charleston or Murray State or St. John’s

TBA

11.23

Auburn vs. San Diego State

5:00 p.m.

11.25

aiR FORCe

6:00 p.m.

11.23

teXaS a&m-CORpUS CHRiSti

7:30 p.m.

11.27

teXaS SOUtHeRn

7:30 p.m.

11.24

COnSOLatiOn

5:00 p.m.

12.01

at Wyoming

8:00 p.m.

11.24

CHampiOnSHip

7:30 p.m.

12.05

COLORaDO State

8:30 p.m.

11.28

WYOminG

7:00 p.m.

12.08

at Kansas

Noon

12.01

at Illinois

1:00 p.m.

COLORaDO State

5:50 p.m.

12.12

at Fresno State

8:00 p.m.

12.05

12.21

nORtHeRn aRiZOna

6:30 p.m.

12.11

Denver

7:00 p.m.

12.29

HaRtFORD

noon

12.14

LOUiSViLLe

7:00 p.m.

01.03

* at Arizona

6:00 p.m.

12.22

UtaH VaLLeY

1:30 p.m.

01.06

* at Arizona State

6:00 p.m.

12.29

neW meXiCO

2:30 p.m.

01.10

* USC

8:00 p.m.

01.04

* StanFORD

8:00 p.m.

01.12

* UCLa

noon

01.06

* CaLiFORnia

noon

01.16

* at Washington

9:30 p.m.

01.08

* UtaH

6:00 p.m.

01.19

* at Washington State

8:00 p.m.

01.13

* at Utah

3:00 p.m.

01.24

* StanFORD

8:00 p.m.

01.18

* aRiZOna State

7:00 p.m.

01.27

* CaLiFORnia

1:30 p.m.

01.20

* aRiZOna

2:00 p.m.

02.02

* at Utah

12:30 p.m.

01.25

* at California

9:00 p.m.

02.07

* at Oregon

8:00 p.m.

01.27

* at Stanford

5:00 p.m.

02.10

* at Oregon State

7:00 p.m.

02.01

* at UCLA

9:00 p.m.

02.14

* aRiZOna

8:00 p.m.

02.03

* USC

5:00 p.m.

02.16

* aRiZOna State

7:00 p.m.

02.08

* OReGOn State

7:00 p.m.

02.21

* UtaH

8:00 p.m.

02.10

* OREGON

2:00 p.m.

02.27

* at Stanford

9:00 p.m.

02.15

* at Arizona

7:00 p.m.

03.02

* at California

3:00 p.m.

02.17

* at Arizona State

2:00 p.m.

03.07

* OReGOn

7:00 p.m.

02.22

* WaSHinGtOn State

7:00 p.m.

03.09

* OReGOn State

2:30 p.m.

03.13-16

* Pac-12 Tournament

*Pac-12 Conference Game. HOME GAMES IN BOLD CAPS All times are subject to change and listed in the Mountain Time Zone.

Check CUBuffs.com for the most up-to-date time and TV listings.

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02.24

* WaSHinGtOn

2:00 p.m.

03.01

* at Oregon

8:00 p.m.

03.03

* at Oregon State

1:00 p.m.

03.07-10

* Pac-12 Tournament

03.23-25

NCAA TourNAmeNT (FirsT Two rouNds)

26th annual Omni Hotels Classic

Charleston Classic, Charleston, S.C.

Date

womeN’s BAsKeTBALL

By Dave Plati

Come to Carelli’s for your PRE-GAME and POST-GAME hangout

STAMPEDE

Liz Kritza

CoaCh UPPING THE ANTE PRoFILE

CU volleyball coach Liz Kritza is in for more than she bargained for in Boulder

w

hen Liz Kritza accepted the head coaching position for CU’s volleyball team, she faced the monumental task of turning the Buffs into a consistent contender in the Big 12 Conference. Kritza left tulane University and Conference USa to embark on the unenviable task of returning the Buffs into an annual conference contender.

She was familiar with the schools in the Big 12 and aware of the volleyball tradition that runs through the conference. Within one year, however, her goals would go through a major shift. athletic director Mike Bohn would announce that Colorado was leaving the Big 12 and joining the new Pac-12 Conference. Some of what Kritza had prepared herself for when she accepted the job at CU had been thrown out the window, and she was forced to come up with a brand new plan to make the Buffs a winning program. “(Colorado) is a huge stage and i wanted to try my hand at building a successful program, which i know i can do and i have done at a certain level,” Kritza said. “it’s more different when you’re talking about a BCS conference.”

Kritza is no stranger to success, as she was able to lead tulane to its first-ever conference title and an NCaa tournament berth. Kritza was 76-39 overall while coaching the Green Wave. Her record and Colorado background – Kritza is originally from Colorado Springs, where she graduated from St. Mary’s High School – made her an ideal candidate for Bohn. the Buffs had struggled in the two years prior to her being hired, and Kritza’s ability to lead her alma mater to an NCaa 16

tournament berth proved that she could raise a program to new heights.

One of the biggest struggles in changing coaches for any collegiate athletic team is the adjustment of the players. When Kritza was brought on in 2009, players who had been recruited by former head coach Pi’i aiu suddenly found themselves without the person who convinced them to play for the Buffs. Kritza, like any new coach, had to first win over the current players on her roster before seeking out high school recruits to draw to Boulder. Her winning past and competitive nature were able to do just that, and it allowed her to start moving forward with her new team.

By Dan Mohrmann

team. Kritza has done an exceptional job attracting Colorado talent to Boulder and has filled out her roster with recruits hailing from California to Serbia. although the desired results have not been instant for the Buffs, Kritza and others know that success in a conference such as the Pac12 is going to require as much patience as it does recruiting and coaching ability.

Like the Big 12, the Pac-12 is no place for the faint of heart. From top to bottom, it’s widely considered to be the best conference for volleyball. another factor in Kritza’s desire to build Colorado into a national contender is the pride she feels as a native of the state. While

You want it fast and You want it now, but You have to build it correctlY, otherwise You don’t become a program; You just become one or two good teams.

Liz Kritza

“Coach has made this process so smooth,” senior Kerra Schroeder said. “She has made this a huge, easy process, especially with all the (assistant) coaching changes that come with it.” after gaining the respect of her incumbent players, Kritza then began her effort to build the roster into a competitive

she was a prep standout in Colorado Springs at St. Mary’s, the Buffs were the premier college team in Colorado. She, along with her friends and teammates, traveled to watch the state’s top program, and dreamt about one day playing volleyball for a major college program. “this is our flagship state university and

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growing up here, I remember Colorado was the school to go to; it was the place to watch matches as a young player,” Kritza said. “There is a sense of pride in trying to build the program back up to where I think it should be.”

Kritza accepted the job just as Bohn was making sweeping changes across the athletic department as a whole. National coaching candidates did not work out in Colorado’s favor as some had hoped, so as Bohn began to make changes, he placed an emphasis on drawing coaches with a background in the state of Colorado. Unlike women’s basketball coach Linda Lappe and football coach Jon Embree, Kritza did not attend CU, but she grew up as a prep player in the state. Her sense of pride in restoring Colorado to national relevancy comes from

her being raised in the state, and it was a major asset when Bohn was looking to fill the position.

It didn’t hurt that Kritza had earned several awards while coaching at Tulane. Not only was she the Conference USA co-head coach of the year in 2008, but she also won the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Coach of the Year award. When those honors were coupled with her guiding the Green Wave to its first conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance, it was hard for Bohn to pass up the former Colorado Springs standout.

Recruiting is never easy, even at a school like Colorado. The Buffs face stout competition from other big-name programs within the conference. California teams such as

Stanford and UCLA are consistently in the national championship picture, and, as such, regularly draw blue-chip recruits. Kritza knows that building a winning team will not happen immediately and understands the process by which it will have to happen.

“Patience is the biggest challenge. You want to have immediate success, but if you have to change and adjust like any other business plan, you need to have multiple options and multiple ways to get to that success. I say ‘patience’ for myself because most coaches are aggressive and competitive and they want it now,” Kritza said. “You want it fast and you want it now, but you have to build it correctly, otherwise you don’t become a program; you just become one or two good teams. We’ve had to be patient with our building here and we are looking forward

(I admIre) the way she takes care of her players.

Freshman Nicole Edelman

18

to the combination of this recruiting class and the next one coming in to be able to have continuity and longevity and build a program with these classes together.”

Freshman Nicole Edelman is a local player who was convinced to stay in Colorado and play for Kritza, who turned in 19th-ranked recruiting class. Edelman is a graduate of Fairview High School in Boulder, and with her six-foot frame, she had plenty of choices of teams for which to play. Kritza understands the value of getting top recruits from the home state, and was able to bring

Edelman into Boulder and convince her this was the best place for her – not only to play volleyball, but get her education, as well. “(I admire) the way she takes care of her players,” Edelman said. “She’s so passionate about us growing as individuals on and off the volleyball court, which is huge. We have a good vibe in the gym because we have a lot of Colorado girls and as a coach she’s been awesome.”

Kritza’s homegrown background and sustained coaching success are the ideal

components in a winning coach. It would seem that the transition from the Big 12 to the Pac-12 is a move that would create short-term challenges for any coach, but Kritza only saw the move as an even bigger opportunity than the one she had already signed up for. The Pac-12 may appear to be a daunting task, but Kritza and the Buffs won’t shy away from it.

When she came to Colorado, her goal was to build a winner, and to her it doesn’t make a difference how or where that happens.

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STAMPEDE

CoaCh

PRoFILE

A

RobeRto AspillAgA

TWO PEAS IN A POD

Nicole Kenneally welcomes associate head coach Roberto aspillaga with open arms

s she enters her 14th season in boulder, you could say Nicole Kenneally has been around the tennis coaching block more than a few times. so when her assistant coach left the program last spring, Kenneally tapped into her many connections in the tennis community and told them what she was looking for in a replacement – someone with successful recruiting experience, a great communicator and somebody who’s honest.

During her search, Kenneally came across an up-and-coming coach named Roberto Aspillaga, who spent the last two years as an assistant at purdue. she knew of the 27-year-old coach, but didn’t necessarily have him on her radar at first. “it was one of those moments of fate,” Kenneally says. “i was talking to somebody at the NCAAs (in Athens, ga., at the end of May) and they said, ‘Hey, you may want to look into this guy.’”

Kenneally was aware that Aspillaga helped turn around the women’s program at purdue in a short period of time, but she wasn’t sure if he was looking to leave his current gig.

“As a head coach, you always know who’s out there and what programs have taken a quick rise and what changes they had,” says Kenneally.

For the record, Aspillaga helped lead the boilermakers to their first big ten tournament championship and the highest national ranking in the program’s history (No. 22) last season. in addition, Aspillaga

was responsible for bringing in the country’s eighth-ranked recruiting class and was named the 2012 Wilson/itA Assistant Coach of the Year this past spring.

By Vanessa Hughes

mentored but also taking accountability and bringing a lot of ideas to the table. that to me was just a great thing.”

When the two coaches first connected in georgia, they actually collaborated about other candidates. but after spending some time with the Colorado head coach, Aspillaga, who’s from santiago, Chile, realized that he, too, was interested.

Adds Kenneally, “i hope that there’s a feeling of more ownership, more accountability, more of (a feeling that) this is really us; it’s really a partnership. sometimes, assistants may or may not feel totally engulfed in the program; so this way, it’s kind of stronger, i would say.”

“What was meant to be a 30-minute talk ended up being a five-hour talk,” Aspillaga recalls. “We went to grab dinner during quarterfinals of the NCAAs. We just happened to meet, then the next day we met again and it was like, ‘Wow, this is great.’”

Aspillaga says everything about the opportunity felt right from the start, and it wasn’t a tough decision for him. but while the decision was easy for Aspillaga, he had to convince his wife, Mo, to make yet another move.

the feeling was mutual from Kenneally.

“i said, ‘listen, it’s true, we are moving a lot, but we are moving to boulder, Colorado,’” he explains. “‘it’s not like i’m taking you to West Alaska state University. this is really nice.’ After awhile she was alright with it.”

“it just kind of worked. i wasn’t really searching him out,” says the head coach. “i was kind of asking people about him and everyone was coming back with the same (answer). it was him and a couple other people, but it was pretty quickly that (i realized) ‘You know what? this seems to be a great connection.’” in an effort to entice Aspillaga to join her staff, Kenneally asked the administration if they would be willing to make him an associate head coach instead of just an assistant. Keneally received the green light and Aspillaga was on board.

Along with looking good on a résumé, the associate head coach title means more responsibility for Aspillaga. but he says this is the ideal situation in his development as a coach.

Aspillaga had never been to boulder before his interview in early July, and when he arrived on campus, the first thing he saw was the Rocky Mountains. He says they reminded him of the Andes in his native Chile and how much he missed having that scenery every day. “it felt like home,” he admits. the couple moved from indiana to Colorado shortly thereafter and are now getting settled in a longmont home that’s less than 10 minutes from campus.

As Aspillaga gets acclimated to a new town and starts a new chapter in his coaching career, he faces some extremely tough “it’s just a really good balance between being challenges. For starters, he and Kenneally

It wAs one of those moments of fAte. Nicole Kenneally

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STAMPEDE have the task of turning around a program that finished in the cellar of the Pac-12 conference last season. It’s the strongest conference in the country for women’s tennis, which means competition is tougher and recruiting will be more difficult than in the Big 10.

Despite these obstacles, Aspillaga’s determined to help turn things around at CU, just as he did at Purdue. He touched on some specific goals he feels can be attained in a relatively short amount of time.

To begin, he (and Kenneally) want the Buffs to work their way up to the middle of the conference. On a national level, he’s looking for the program to move into the top 40-50 and earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

He says they can achieve this by attracting talented players who can play No. 1 at CU

versus playing in the bottom of the lineup at a stronger program.

“That’s how you get started,” he explains.

“You get your team loaded and then after a couple years when you are a lot stronger and you can’t really say that anymore, it’s a good problem to have.”

As for the current roster, there are just three upperclassmen – senior Erin Sanders from Parker, Colo., and juniors, Carla Manzi Tenorio (Cali, Colombia) and Winde Janssens (Peer, Belgium) – on the team.

In addition, Kenneally is excited about newcomer Mazy Watrous of Newport Beach, Calif., and feels the 5-foot-10 freshman will be a huge asset to the team and the program.

While Aspillaga learns new names and faces, he can rest assured his impressive tennis résumé and strong bloodlines will carry him a long way. His father, Eduardo, served as both an assistant and a conditioning coach for Chile’s Davis Cup team in the mid- to

It felt lIke home.

Roberto Aspillaga

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late-’90s. Eduardo worked with top-ranked players, including Fernando Gonzalez and Marcelo Rios. The elder Aspillaga was also a Chilean Federation Cup captain and is a well-known tennis speaker and author.

He’s currently a tennis and fitness coach at L’Academie de Tennis in Boynton Beach, Florida, which develops top junior players for college and professional tennis.

In addition, Aspillaga’s brother, Sebastian, who is three years older than Roberto, played tennis at the University of Louisville and was a top-100 player in the world.

Roberto was no slouch on the court, either. He admits he wasn’t good enough to play Division I tennis, so he opted for Georgetown College in Kentucky, which is an NAIA school. He had a full-ride scholarship, played No. 1 singles for the Tigers and earned his degree in sports administration in 2009. Aspillaga also played forward on the school’s soccer team during his time on campus.

Following his college career, Aspillaga worked as a volunteer coach for the

women’s team at Kentucky before his two years at Purdue. It was during his time at Kentucky that he started developing some tennis-specific conditioning and drills. Head men’s tennis coach Dennis Emery (568 career wins in 30 years at Kentucky) took notice and was thoroughly impressed with Aspillaga’s material.

“He’s one of the first guys that really gave me a lot of reassurance and a lot of confidence,” says Aspillaga. “He said, ‘Man, you need to get working on this stuff. This is really good.’”

So, Aspillaga uploaded some private videos on YouTube for the Kentucky players. Then

after his first year at Purdue, he made the videos public and they’ve been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. Just recently, Aspillaga received an offer from “Championship Productions” to produce a series of coaching DVDs; he shot them the last week of July on the CU campus.

Aspillaga will be the first assistant or associate head coach to ever produce a line of DVDs for the prestigious company.

Aspillaga says the videos will serve as a recruiting tool, as well.

“We’re selling the fact that we have a great training program,” he says. “We need to visually show the kids, ‘Okay, these are

some of the things we do.’ This is something you’re not going to get anywhere else.”

And even if Aspillaga’s dreams of turning the Buffs into a national contender do come true, he won’t be in a rush to send out more résumés.

“I feel like here I have a great opportunity to continue to learn as a young coach from Nicole and still I’m given a lot of space to bring a lot of my ideas,” he says. “It’s just a really good balance between being mentored but also taking accountability and bringing a lot of ideas to the table. That to me was just a great thing.”

We’re selling the fact that We have a great training program.

Roberto Aspillaga

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STAMPEDE

Field BEYOND THE FINAL SCORE Folsom

O

New scoreboards at Folsom Field put the Buffs in a bright light

n August 10, the University of Colorado unveiled its newest toy.

But it’s not really a toy. It’s a state-of-the-art video board system that highlights the inside of Folsom Field. And on that particular Friday night, the Buffs faithful got to see the new monitors in full color.

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By Brent W. New

Darian Hagan, who quarterbacked the Buffs to two straight national championship games in 1989 and 1990, was in attendance at the unveiling. Like Bohn, he was impressed with the new system – a major upgrade, he says, to his own playing days.

The picture, whether literally or figuratively, is getting a little clearer in Boulder.

“It’s a great day for our university,” he said with a chuckle in his voice. “I mean, when I played here (in the 1980s and early ’90s) the scoreboard was like a typewriter!”

“This is all for our fans,” Bohn said. “They are such a big part of this and I hope they enjoy what we are doing.”

“Pretty sharp, eh?” said athletic director Mike Bohn, as he addressed the crowd that had gathered to witness the unveiling. “We want to give our fans a better experience than what they already have in one of the best stadiums in America.”

Jashon Sykes, a former Buff who played after Hagan and currently CU’s Director of Football Operations, adds on to what Hagan has insinuated.

Folsom didn’t necessarily need anything to make it one of the country’s finest venues, but the new video boards certainly add to the “wow factor” upon entering the stadium.

“Yeah, in my day, it improved to a blackand-white TV,” joked Sykes, who played in the late ’90s and early 2000s for the Buffs.

“But now, it’s like a plasma flatscreen.”

CU’s $7 million upgrade proves to be another link in a chain of newfound commitment to restoring the athletic program back to being a national powerhouse.

It will be hard not to. The new video boards boast the very best of energy smart technology. PCL, the company that’s responsible for the renovations, left no stone unturned. Having recently completed the video board replacement project and the new basketball/volleyball practice facility, PCL is committed to being a long-term partner dedicated to building the future of CU Athletics.

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STAMPEDE The boards use LED technology and consume 66 percent less power than the old video boards. The boards are made up of 2,695 individual modules with 1,358,376 LED color pixels. And the control room, where the boards are operated, contains the most technologically advanced, state-of-the-art HD video equipment in the Pac-12. The boards are even more impressive than those found at Denver’s professional sporting venues.

“It’s amazing. This university is showing that we want to have the same advantages as 26

other schools. You have to keep up with the Joneses and we are definitely doing that with this new board,” said Hagan.

Also in attendance at the unveiling of Folsom Field’s newest addition was longtime Sports Illustrated columnist and CU professor Doug Looney. When discussing the new scoreboard system, Looney said he is 100 percent on board with CU’s decision to upgrade their facility.

“Don’t you think it’s kind of like the arms

race?” Looney posed. “Whether we needed it or not, we had to have it to compete.”

Hagan sums up what Bohn and all of those in attendance know to be true.

“The goal is to get to a bowl game,” said Hagan matter-of-factly. “We are going to get where we want to be. We will. I know it.”

And when they do, the new video boards at Folsom Field will show it in a crystal-clear format.

DID YOU KNOW...

Fun Fact #1 The new video boards use LED technology and consume 66

Fun Fact #3 The video boards consist of 2,695 individual modules with

Fun Fact #2 More than 3,000 wires were installed within the new video

Fun Fact #4 The new control room includes the most technologically

percent less power than the old video boards.

production system that stretch more than 26 miles in length.

1,358,376 LED color pixels.

Fun Fact #5 HD video cameras can now be connected to the new video replay control room from more than 20 locations throughout campus.

advanced and state-of-the-art HD video production equipment in the Pac-12 Conference.

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presents

DONOR

PROFILE

H

SPREADING THE LOVE Combining two passions works for donor Heidi Rothberg | By Marty Coffin Evans

eidi Rothberg (Arts and Sciences, ‘72) has a strong affinity for the four-legged. Count among her favorites Ralphie, Yoda, Xumbo Dos Diamantes, Honey, Vulcan, Paris and Stella.

Ralphie is the only non-resident on her mountain ranch in Allenspark, Colo.

Five days a week, Rothberg can be found working three of her horses with her dog, Yoda, patiently watching.

“This is my art,” she says of this full-time passion. She’s learned how to combine it with her love for CU, especially her football scholarship students.

Her personal relationship with these student-athletes started in 1996.

Roman Hollowell was her first football scholarship player, followed by Brian Iwuh, Thaddeus Washington and Brian Lockridge.

This year, she’s been paired up with Austin Ray.

WHen you find tHe connection WitH tHe Horse, it feels so unique.

Heidi Rothberg

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“At the senior banquet when I was congratulating Brian Iwuh, Thaddeus asked if I could be his donor,” Rothberg remembers.

Her answer was relationship began.

yes

and

another

Rothberg reasons she wants to give studentathletes a leg up. She enjoys knowing the person behind the player and watching him mature year after year. Her connections typically include meeting the player’s parents, most commonly their mother.

shape than how it was found. To her it’s “Tikkun Olam” – or translated from Hebrew, to repair the world. This becomes more spiritual than financial for Rothberg, although both matter.

Rothberg’s interest in horses goes back decades from an early involvement in jumping to her current dressage focus.

When living in Costa Rica at one point after graduation, she saw the renowned dressage instructor Nuno Oliveira in action.

“That’s what I want to do,” she remembers thinking, and subsequently spent two weeks in 1983 under “Mr. O’s” tutelage in Portugal.

This loyal CU donor enjoys modeling her own giving spirit and is delighted when a player follows in her footsteps. Brian Iwuh did just that when he started a “Fun in the Park” program for children in Houston. Rothberg is also very proud that Lockridge was honored last year as one of 11 players throughout the country for his charitable work. Locally, that involved playing the piano at Boulder Community Hospital and teaching children to read.

While she enjoys watching football and basketball competitions, both of which she regularly attends, dressage is different.

For Rothberg, ribbons and medals don’t matter as much as the process of training and retraining her horses. Most of them are Lusitanos, with the exception of Honey, the Mustang.

She believes in the importance of leaving her own corner of the world in better

“When you find the connection with the horse, it feels so unique,” she explains.

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There’s so much pleasure in knowing These sTudenT-aThleTes. Spiritually, she is one with the horse when she rides; it’s also great exercise. “It’s a calorie burner!”

Pictures of these athletes, human and equine, are found equally around the ranch.

A number of photographs of Rothberg with the student-athletes are proudly displayed in her home. Stained glass ones of each horse, with its name, are framed within the windows along a wall in the indoor riding arena. Included there is Jango, one of her earliest Lusitanos, who passed away recently.

Living on her 42-acre ranch provides Rothberg an offseason opportunity to invite her scholarship student to experience the mountain setting. A “Buffalo X-ing” sign is affixed to her entry gate. Just beyond, the road leads past her home to the barn, stables and the indoor riding arena. Her horses

Heidi Rothberg

come to the front of their stalls, curious and eager to greet their visitors.

and balance her passions. She knows her commitment to her horses is life-long.

When Rothberg trains Xumbo, she knows he likes an audience. She praises him as much as she does her football players, realizing the importance of encouragement and positive affirmations. They too appreciate a supportive fan base – win, lose or draw.

“I keep them forever – until death do us part,” she explains.

“I can be selfish with my players,” she concedes. “There’s so much pleasure in knowing these student-athletes.”

Rothberg ascribes to her father’s belief that education can’t be taken from you.

With that in mind, her first support of the students is to their education, followed by love and expressions of pride in their accomplishments.

Rothberg has learned how to comingle

Continuing her connection with her student-athletes is also long term. She enjoys knowing about their lives once they leave CU. During their time in Boulder, Rothberg’s support has an additional dimension.

Occasionally she makes brownies, which are given to her student-athlete for delivery to everyone in the athletic department.

Carrot cake might be the replacement after a special win.

Not to be forgotten, the horses enjoy a frequent treat of carrots, as well, just without the batter.

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LI’L MAC

T.C. MCCArTnEy BrIngS A FAMIlIAr nAME BACk To BoUldEr

By Natalie Meisler

C

all him Coach Mac 3.0.

“That’s good,” said Colorado grad assistant T.C. McCartney, the 23-year-old grandson of Colorado’s legendary coach Bill McCartney.

He’s back home, a place where he played quarterback at Boulder’s Fairview High School, which was coached by his uncle, Tom McCartney.

“I want to coach,” said 3.0, III, Trey or whatever people want to call the third generation. “It’s definitely in my blood.

Everyone in my family, my dad’s side, my mom’s side – it’s football all the way.”

Slide over to the paternal family tree. His father, former CU quarterback Sal Aunese, died tragically of stomach cancer at age 21 32

in September 1989. It was his junior year and teammates dedicated the 11-1 orange Bowl season to his memory.

with his dad’s no. 8 to fall practice as a staple on the sideline with his mom, kristy, and grandmother, lyndi.

Hall of Famer (and CU recruiting near-miss) Junior Seau is a second cousin. nephew Pisa Tinoisamoa was a second-round draft pick who played eight seasons in the nFl. His godfather and distant cousin, oakland Salavea was his father’s teammate and was written up in Sports Illustrated as a high school coach and recruiting conduit in Samoa.

He has seen pictures and scrapbooks of his father’s CU career. His own earliest Folsom memories are playing touch football with Jon Embree’s oldest son, Taylor.

“Samoan culture is all about football,” McCartney said.

T.C. McCartney has 100 percent Buffs dnA. His grandfather passed out cigars during spring practice the day he was born. He wore an infant-size t-shirt in black and gold

T.C. grew up going to team events with his grandfather, who was always proud to introduce him at functions such as the Buffs 4 life summer golf weekend.

Coming home after five years of playing at lSU was his goal. It brings him closer to his father’s legacy. Three of Aunese’s teammates – recruiting coordinator darian Hagan, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and defensive line coach kanavis Mcghee – are on Embree’s staff.

“That’s one of the main reasons I came back,” McCartney said. “It’s a special place; I always wanted to be here – especially now that all the guys here were there with my grandpa and my dad. That makes it more special for me to come back, more meaningful.”

a 6-foot-3 grown man sitting in during staff meetings.

Family was the main reason to come home.

GA jobs typically go to recent grads of a school (Cha’pelle Brown, Jeff Smart) or some other connection to a staff member, perhaps at a prior school. (Mike Pitre played for Embree at UCLA).

“Being around my grandma, my grandpa, my uncle at Fairview, that’s probably my main motivation for wanting to leave LSU,” he says.

He is also looking forward to being in the same program as his younger half-brother, Derek McCartney, who is grey-shirting. He expects to enroll in January.

“It makes you realize your age,” said McGhee, who counted Aunese among his teammates. As players, they tossed an infant T.C. around like a football. Now he’s

“It’s good to see the McCartney family is still in football,” McGhee said. “It makes you feel good being a part of this to see him being a part of this.”

“I wouldn’t be coaching if his grandfather hadn’t made me do it,” said Embree. He noted other family connections in the intern ranks including the sons of CU quarterbacks coach Rip Scherer and Denver Broncos assistant Dave Magazu.

From the day he was hired to steer his alma mater, Embree has regaled audiences with his own entry tale. Forced out of the NFL

by an injury, Embree started coaching at the high school level. Bill McCartney called, told him to come back to CU as a volunteer coach and there would be no pay. “(T.C.) approached me about it right after I got hired, so I knew it would be a year,” said Embree “We’ve had some good lineages. They have to do a lot of stuff.

They get zero thanks for what they do.

When you’ve been a coach’s son, you kind of know what you are in for. A lot guys think they want to coach and they see what it is. It’s a three-week gig and ‘I’ll see you.’ We know (coaches’ sons) will be in it for the long haul.”

These are coveted positions, Embree said, as the primary professional entry point.

Any recent college grad uses network connections for an entry-level job.

“I’ll probably hear about that no matter what I do because of who my

It makes you realIze your age.

Kanavis McGhee

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family is. I’m confident in myself and I’m confident in what I’ve done,” T.C, McCartney said. “Everything I’ve ever gotten, I’ve earned myself. I walked on at LSU and I earned a scholarship.”

Embree has described the GA position historically as a combination of an introduction to the profession and a fraternity initiation, complete with washing cars.

The youngest McCartney said GAs in Baton Rouge served as delivery drivers for every meal order and were the last to get lunch or dinner. If just for a chance to see the sunlight before practice each day, CU coaches, including Embree, usually escape the Dal Ward Center to buy their own lunches.

Although he barely saw playing time, and admits to homesickness at first, McCartney has no regrets about going to LSU: “College football is king down there. It was a really fun experience.”

For the first time in his life, he wasn’t “Coach Mac’s grandson or nephew.” The only person who knew his background was LSU coach Les Miles, himself a former McCartney assistant who recruited Aunese.

“No one else knew anything about me,” McCartney said. “I was just one of the guys.”

Embree insists his GAs get more than grunt work: “We give them some football here.

They do a lot of thankless work. A lot of playbook stuff, a lot of film breakdown, a lot of long nights.”

McCartney is prepared, having spent nights at the LSU facility.

“I’ve known Coach Embree for a long time, but now it’s going to be on a different level,” the youngest McCartney said. “It was the same way with coach Miles.”

And there’s still a little voice that if he ever messes up, someone will go right to his grandfather.

I wouldn’t be coachIng If hIs grandfather hadn’t made me do It. Jon Embree

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“I can’t do anything wrong, anywhere in this building,” said the grandson.

“Everyone knows me. Everyone reports back to (grandpa).”

McGhee looks at it another way.

“It solidifies that Colorado is about family.

It’s our motto,” he said. “It’s good to see him put the black and gold on.”

I can’t do anythIng wrong, anywhere In thIs buIldIng. everyone knows me. everyone reports back to (grandpa).

T.C. McCartney

STAMPEDE

A LITTLE SPIT AND POLISH The inside of dal Ward geTs a makeover

T

he history of the dal Ward athletic Center is a rich one.

The building is named for dallas Ward, the football coach who led CU into the Big seven Conference in 1948. Ward was the head coach for the Buffaloes for 11 seasons (1948-1958), compiling a 63-41-6 record, with his teams noted for the single wing offense.

But beyond Ward’s namesake, the facility – as its been argued – was a byproduct of the Buffs’ success in the late ‘80s and ‘90s. With construction beginning in december of 1990, the dal Ward athletic Center is well into its third decade of existence. it’s a beautiful place, one that has served CU well.

But Jon embree wanted it to be a little more.

While CU’s rich athletic tradition has held its place, embree wanted to call that excellence to the forefront even more. as such, he suggested that awards be more prominently displayed, photos be hung and reminders of the Buffs’ history in sports be everywhere.

Well, he got his wish. everything – from the heisman Trophy to complete listings of Buffs who made it to the pros – has its place. it’s a great building, and now it’s even greater. here’s a quick look at some of dal Ward’s new highlights.

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By Natalie Meisler

STAMPEDE

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The

STampede

Q&a Tad

Boyle Talkin’ hoops with the man who took the Buffs dancin’

By Natalie Meisler

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Presented by

T

he “offseason” seems like one long blur for Colorado men’s basketball coach Tad Boyle following the Buffs’ magical postseason ride to the Pac-12 Championship and NCAA Tournament.

Members of the program took the trip of a lifetime to Europe this summer, offering a talented incoming class a head start in the bonding process with the returning cast. Then, Boyle threw himself into the early fall recruiting frenzy, collecting three names in September for November’s early class.

The Stampede caught up with Boyle in late September to discuss that European excursion, the upcoming season, marquee attraction Andre Roberson and Boyle’s dream for packing the Coors Events Center for years to come.

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Did the trip to Europe – primarily what you saw in your new players – change how you are approaching the formal start of practice?

No. It has not changed how we are approaching things. Going into Europe, I knew that we would get some questions answered, but I knew there is only so much you can do in 10 practices and five games.

Coming out of Europe, the thing I’m probably most excited about is some of our young players will be able to step up and help us –which we are going to need to happen.

You look at the players coming back who have proven themselves; it’s a pretty limited number. The upside is the younger guys had a chance to get their feet wet and show some promise. The downside is guard Jeremy Adams and Shane Harris-Tunks weren’t allowed to step into the roles we would like them to take. (Both are coming off knee ailments). Overall, it was a great trip, great experience, especially off the court.

How are Shane Harris-Tunks (post-ACL recovery knee) and Jeremy Adams (tendinitis) coming along?

Probably the downside of the European trip is Shane and Jeremy weren’t able to participate. Because of that there are still question marks. Shane is back and going.

Jeremy is still an unknown. He has not responded (to rehab).

Was there more bonding, especially with the younger kids?

Yes. The freshmen had a chance to spend some time with the older guys; the older guys had a chance to really know them and their personalities. We always talk about recruiting great kids, great people.

Isn’t it different compared to the (2011) Puerto Rico trip or the postseason when the weight of the world wasn’t riding on the outcome?

Exactly. That doesn’t mean we weren’t taking it seriously. But even as a coach, you were able to approach the game with a different mindset. We’re trying to prepare rather than we have to win the game today or if we don’t beat this pro team out of Belgium it’s going to hurt our NCAA Tournament chances. You don’t have the pressure. You have the pressure of wanting to play well, represent well. From that standpoint, it was a relaxed atmosphere, which is conducive to learning, conducive to understanding if you make a mistake it’s not the end of the world. Sometimes, I think as players they function better. The pressure

that is placed on coaches and then on players sometimes is not fair. When you alleviate that pressure, sometimes the players will perform better. It did make me realize sometimes, as a coach, trying to alleviate the pressure off of the players can really result in a great learning environment.

What happened when you sat your starters for an entire game?

We added a fifth game. We were originally going to play four games. That fifth game was a great way to get our young guys in.

We need all of them to step forward. I’m not saying all six are going to have to do it.

We need two or three to step up. It was a great opportunity to throw them in the fire where, hey, guess what, you don’t have Askia (Booker) or Spencer (Dinwiddie). You don’t have Andre (Roberson). You guys have to figure it out on your own. That was a good learning experience.

Some schools don’t play f ive games on their trips. What’s the point of going?

Ten practices at home. You only do it once every four years. Make it special for the kids.

It’s a philosophical thing when it comes to these foreign trips. We are going to start right now preparing and planning for the next trip financially and budgetary. How are we going to save X number of dollars per year for the next four years? You have to find money when you want to do something special for our team.

How did the (NBA Draft early entry) experience with Alec Burks prepare you for what’s ahead with Andre Roberson?

Absolutely it’s helped Andre. They were teammates and good friends. Alec is a sounding board to Andre. He can relate to what Andre is going through. He can tell him what to expect. Alec is going to be a part of that educational process. At the end of the day, Andre has to make the best decision for Andre, like Alec did for Alec. What we want to do is we want to facilitate the process and get the information that is reliable in his hands and let him make that decision when the time is right.

Until those papers are signed in November, you can’t name names in recruiting. But what kind of overall reception have you gotten in recruiting as far as welcoming and what doors are open since the spring?

I’ve never experienced momentum with

recruiting like we’re experiencing right now, wherever I’ve been. When we did what we did in Los Angeles, we’re not satisfied with that. Our aspirations for this program are to be in the Sweet 16 and in the Final Four someday. But what’s really opened my eyes is the reception that we’ve gotten when we walk into a gym now – especially on the West Coast – high school, an AAU event, whatever the case may be. The reception that we’ve gotten based on what we did last spring has been eye opening to me. It’s starting to pay dividends in who we are recruiting.

What about all those lofty star ratings attached to some published reports of individual verbal commitments?

It’s fun to read. That’s what people get excited about. At the end of the day, none of that matters. I don’t know how many stars Andre had. I don’t care. He fit the profile and the criteria that we look for. That’s all that matters. We don’t get caught up in stars. We get caught up in what his make up is like.

What’s his skillset like? How badly does he want to get a college degree? All the criteria we use in identifying future Buffs is what’s important. If they happen to be a four- or five- star, great. If they are not a four- or fivestar (rating), it doesn’t mean they can’t play. It doesn’t mean they won’t be a great player here.

It just means we saw something that someone else didn’t see. We tell the one or the two stars the same we tell the four or the five stars. We don’t change our story based on who we are recruiting or who we sign.

Could you talk about the freshmen?

Based on the European trip, Josh Scott obviously has a knack for putting the ball in the basket. He averaged 17 points and seven rebounds over there. He’s a guy who likes physical contact. For a lot of big guys coming out of high school into college, that’s the biggest adjustment they have to make. That’s going to be a pretty seamless adjustment for him. Now, he’s going to have to get stronger and put on some more weight. The thing I love about Josh is he’s coachable, he wants to be a player and he’s always looking to get better. Xavier Johnson is a guy who physically is going to transition well. He has the size and the strength to absorb a lot of contact. He’s also a guy who can play inside and out. Of our two guards, Eli Stalzer is a guy who showed a lot of steadiness for a freshman. He’s a guy who’s very dependable.

He can make plays. I wasn’t sure about his

ThaT’s The goal of This program – To be sold ouT before The season sTarTs. Tad Boyle

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playmaking ability but he showed ability to make a play for his teammates. Xavier Talton, the kid from Sterling, showed the ability, too.

I’ll say this about Wesley Gordon: He’s got a very good basketball IQ. His skillset is going to transition to the Division I level very well.

Chris Jenkins plays a position we have the greatest need for which is that tall wing (like former Buff Carlon Brown).

are signing in November, how does that bode for the program?

Our program has good young players.

We’re attracting more good young players.

We’re staying away from junior college recruiting. We’re trying to develop a pipeline where guys can come and develop, graduate, experience hopefully a lot of fun along the way.

What is Carlon doing?

He’s in the Golden State Warriors camp. He’s passed on some really, really good European offers. He’s going to take this year and chase the NBA dream, whether it’s making Golden State or getting on a D-League team. If that doesn’t work, he’ll have Europe.

So it sounds like people should jump on those tickets while they are available?

Until every seat in the Coors Event Center is sold out before the season starts, we still have a lot of work to do. That’s the goal of this program – to be sold out before the season starts and for our fans not to care who is on the nonconference schedule. It’s going to be worth it to go watch the Buffs play this year.

We’re going to play games the fans will be excited about but the bottom line is they need

With what you are saying about these incoming freshmen and the type of kids we’ve been reading about on the recruiting sites that you

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to be excited about the Buffs – not who the Buffs are playing.

Don’t you still need good non-league opponents for scheduling strength in the RPI? We’re not going to shy away. That’s why we’re in the Charleston Classic with Baylor, Boston College, Auburn, Murray State (which played Marquette in the NCAA first weekend), who might be the best in the field. You got Kansas, at Fresno State, Colorado State. This schedule should be for next year’s team. We should have an easier schedule for this year’s team. But you know what, you play the games that are on there and see where it takes you.

Are you looking forward to going to Las Vegas for the Pac-12 Tournament?

Our kids have been to Paris and Amsterdam.

I’m not worried about Vegas.

2425 CANYON BOULEVARD BOULDER, CO 303-449-2626

STAMPEDE

MEET THE BUFFS! The 2012-13 UniversiTy of Colorado’s BaskeTBall Team 31

0

Jeremy AdAms

AskiA Booker

Position Guard HeigHt 6’ 5” Year Junior (Redshirt) Hometown Madison, Miss. (Madison Central H.S./ Navarro J.C.) major Psychology DiD You Know Adams averaged 27.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game during his senior season at Madison Central.

BeAu GAmBle

Position Guard HeigHt 6’ 0” Year Sophomore (Redshirt) Hometown Boulder, Colo. (Fairview H.S. / Santa Clara) major CommunicationDiD You Know As a senior at Fairview High School, Gamble led Class 5A in assists his senior year, scored 29 points in three games and had 10 or more assists in six games.

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sABAtino Chen

Position Guard HeigHt 6’ 1” Year Sophomore Hometown Los Angeles, Calif. (Price H.S.) major Communications DiD You Know Booker collaborated with fellow teammate Spencer Dinwiddie (360 pts.) to form the best 1-2 freshman scoring pair in school history with 677 points.

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spenCer dinwiddie

Position Guard HeigHt 6’ 4” Year Senior Hometown Louisville, Colo. (Monarch H.S., University of Denver) major Mathematics DiD You KnowSabatino was named a 201112 All-Pac-12 Conference Academic first-team selection.

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wesley Gordon

Position Forward HeigHt 6’ 8” Year Freshman Hometown Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sierra H.S.) major Communications DiD You Know At Sierra High School, Gordon participated in two 4A state championship games; winning as a sophomore, and coming up just short as a senior.

Position Guard HeigHt 6’ 5” Year Sophomore Hometown Woodland Hills, Calif. (Taft H.S.) major Integrative Physiology DiD You Know As a member of the Pac12 All-Freshman team, Dinwiddie was the only freshman in the conference (and one of just four Pac-12 qualified players overall) to shoot over 40 percent from the field, over 40 percent from beyond the three-point arc, and over 80 percent from the free throw line.

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shAne hArris-tunks

Position Forward / Center HeigHt 6’ 11” Year Junior (Redshirt) Hometown Liverpool, NSW, Australia (Australian Institute of Sport) major Advertising in the College of Journalism DiD You Know Harris-Tunks was named to the 2011-12 Pac-12 Conference Academic Honorable Mention team.

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Chris Jenkins

Position Forward HeigHt 6’ 7” Year Freshman Hometown Detroit, Mich. (University of Detroit Jesuit H.S.) major Biology DiD You Know Jenkins’ primary goal after college is to attend medical school as he hopes to become an anesthesiologist.

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Xavier Johnson

Position Forward HeigHt 6’ 6” Year Freshman Hometown Los Angeles, Calif.

(Mater Dei H.S.) major Open Option DiD You Know Johnson averaged 18.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks per game as a senior helping Mater Dei to 34-2 record en route to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Division I title.

Ben Mills

Josh scoTT

Jean Prioleau

Assistant Coach Hometown Teaneck, N.J. alma mater Fordham (’92) exPerience 3 years DiD You Know Prioleau spent five seasons on the coaching staff at Wichita State (2000-05) where he played a vital role in the resurgence and success of the Shockers in the Missouri Valley Conference.

During that time, he signed former Colorado Player of the Year Sean Ogirri.

eli sTalzer

Position Guard HeigHt 6’ 3” Year Freshman Hometown Brea, Calif. (Mater Dei H.S.) major Open Option DiD You Know Stalzer and Johnson are the first CU student-athletes hailing from the same high school as incoming freshmen since 1980 (Jay Humphries and Vince Kelley); and first high school teammates on the CU roster since 2002-03 (Matt Greenwald and Blair Wilson, Westminster H.S. [Colo.]).

Assistant Coach Hometown Colby, Kan. alma mater McPherson College (’90) exPerience 3 years DiD You Know Rohn was named McPherson’s Male Athlete of the Year in 1989.

andre roBerson

Position Guard HeigHt 6’ 2” Year Junior Hometown Albuquerque, N.M. (Albuquerque Academy / Missouri State University West Plains) major Business DiD You Know At Missouri State University West Plains, Nelson played and started all 30 games at the point-guard position in 2011-12, leading the Grizzlies in assists.

5

Mike rohn

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kevin nelson

Position Center HeigHt 7’ 0” Year Junior Hometown Hartland, Wisc.

(Arrowhead H.S.) major Open Option DiD You Know Mills’ great uncle was the starting center on the 1947 Wisconsin Big Ten championship team.

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Position Forward HeigHt 6’ 10” Year Freshman Hometown Monument, Colo. (Lewis-Palmer H.S.) major Open Option DiD You Know Scott scored a state-leading 799 points as a senior during the 2011-12 season and led Lewis-Palmer to a 4A state title.

13

Position Forward HeigHt 6’ 7” Year Junior Hometown San Antonio, Texas (Wagner H.S.) major Open Option DiD You Know In addition to many Pac-12 honors, Roberson was named the Male Athlete of the Year Award winner at the 12th Annual CUSPY Awards (CU Sports Performers of the Year).

3

Xavier TalTon

Position Guard HeigHt 6’ 1” Year Freshman Hometown Sterling, Colo. (Sterling H.S.) major Business DiD You Know Talton holds the Sterling High School record for points, assists, steals, games played and games won; he says winning the state championship his junior year was biggest moment of his prep career.

rodney BilluPs

Assistant Coach Hometown Denver, Colo. alma mater University of Denver (’05) exPerience 3 years DiD You Know Rodney, the younger brother of CU great Chauncey Billups, led George Washington High School to a runner-up finish in 2001.

Tad Boyle

Head Coach Hometown Greeley, Colo. alma mater Kansas (’85) exPerience 2 years DiD You Know Boyle is the first CU coach to win 20 or more games in back-to-back years, and his 48 wins are a school-best in any two-year span of the program (CU has six 20-win seasons, Boyle has two of them).

ToM aBaTeMarco

Director of Player Development Hometown Brooklyn, N.Y. alma mater Dowling College (’74) exPerience 3 years DiD You Know From 1982-86, Abatemarco served as assistant at North Carolina State when the Wolfpack won the 1983 NCAA championship under the late Jim Valvano.

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Rachel haRgis

lauRen huggins

Position Center HeigHt 6’ 4” Year Junior Hometown Robinson, Texas (Robinson H.S.) major Undecided DiD You Know Hargis enters her junior season tied with Jenny Roulier (1998-02) for 17th in career blocked shots (50).

BRenna MalcolM-Peck

Position Guard /Forward HeigHt 6’ 2” Year Junior (Redshirt) )Hometown Boulder, Colo. (Horizon H.S.) major Business DiD You Know Malcolm-Peck was a Street & Smith honorable mention All-American.

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chucky JeffeRy

Position Guard/Forward HeigHt 6’ 1” Year Freshman Hometown Littleton, Colo. (Heritage H.S.) major Biochemistry DiD You Know Huggins starred at the 2012 edition of “The Show,” Colorado’s annual high school basketball All-Star game played at the Pepsi Center. She was named MVP of the contest, scoring a game-high 15 points, hitting on 5-of-6 from three-point range.

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lexy kResl

Position Guard HeigHt 5’ 10” Year Senior Hometown Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sierra H.S.) major Sociology DiD You Know Jeffery earned the Most Improved Student-Athlete Award at the 2012 Academic Banquet, one of three recipients across all 16 of Colorado’s varsity sport programs.

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Meagan MalcolM-Peck

Position Guard/ Forward HeigHt 6’ 2” Year Senior Hometown Boulder, Colo. (Horizon H.S.) major Business DiD You Know Meagan is the younger of the Malcolm-Peck twins, having been born just 27 minutes after Brenna.

Position Guard HeigHt 5’ 11” Year Sophomore Hometown Paradise Valley, Ariz. (Shadow Mountain H.S.) major Physiology DiD You Know Kresl’s brother, Logan, is a brain cancer survivor, having been diagnosed at age seven and fought through surgery and chemotherapy treatments. He serves as one of Kresl’s biggest inspirations.

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Jen Reese

Position Forward HeigHt 6’ 2” Year Sophomore Hometown Clackamas, Oregon (Clackamas H.S.) major Advertising in the College of Communications DiD You Know Last season, Reese ranked second on the team in rebounding (6.0 rpg) and fourth in scoring (7.8 ppg) as a first year Buffalo, earning honorable mention to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team.

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aRielle RoBeRson

Position Forward HeigHt 6’ 1” Year Freshman (Redshirt) Hometown San Antonio, Texas (Wagner H.S.) major Communications DiD You Know Arielle is the younger sister of Andre Roberson, a junior on the men’s team; their parents were both star athletes at New Mexico State.

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Jasmine sborov

Jamee swan

Position Guard HeigHt 6’ 0” Year Sophomore Hometown Round Rock, Texas (Round Rock H.S.) major Sociology DiD You Know As a freshman last season, Sborov shot 47 percent (8-of-17) during CU’s WNIT run averaging 5.8 points and 4.3 rebounds.

Position Forward HeigHt 6’ 2” Year Freshman Hometown Tucson, Ariz.

(Marana H.S.) major Open Option DiD You Know Swan was ranked as the eighth best forward in the nation and the 38th best overall player by ESPN HoopGurlz.

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Kyleesha wesTon

Position Guard HeigHt 5’ 7” Year Freshman Hometown Kansas City, Mo. (Park Hill H.S.) major Sports Medicine DiD You Know Weston was a finalist for the DiRenna Award as a senior, given to the top boys’ and girls’ high school basketball players in the Kansas City metro area.

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ashley wilson

Position Guard HeigHt 5’ 8” Year Junior Hometown Long Beach, Calif.

(Poly) major Sociology DiD You Know Wilson enjoys writing poetry.

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briTTany wilson

Position Guard HeigHt 5’ 7” Year Junior Hometown Long Beach, Calif. (Poly) major Sociology DiD You Know Brittany was born just five minutes after her twin sister, Ashley.

laTonya waTson

Assistant Coach Hometown Milwaukee, Wis. alma mater Eastern Michigan (’92) exPerience 2 years (Second Stint) DiD You Know Ironically, Watson’s first season at Colorado coincided with the formation of the Big 12 Conference in 1996 and she rejoined the Buffaloes as they entered the Pac-12 Conference for the 2011-12 season.

linda lappe

Head Coach Hometown Burlington, Iowa alma mater Colorado (’02) exPerience 2 years DiD You Know In the 2010-11 season, Lappe, then 31, was the only rookie NCAA Division I head coach with wins over ranked teams.

Jonas ChaTTerTon

Assistant Coach Hometown Salt Lake City, Utah alma mater Utah (’00)exPerience 2 years DiD You Know During Chatterton’s eight years in Provo as an assistant with BYU women’s basketball, the Cougars compiled a record of 157-89 (.638), won two Mountain West Conference regular season titles (2006-07), one MWC Tournament crown (2002) and participated in five postseason tournaments, including four NCAA championships (2003-03, 2006-07).

Kelly rae Finley

Assistant Coach Hometown Minneapolis, Minn. alma mater Colorado State (’08) exPerience First year DiD You Know A native of Minneapolis, Finley was a three-year team captain for The Breck School, helping her team to a Minnesota Class 2A state championship in 2004, runner-up finish in 2003 and a third-place showing in 2002.

Jenni benningField

Director of Operations Hometown Louisville, Kent. alma mater Vanderbilt (’04) / Boston U. (’10) exPerience First years DiD You Know Benningfield was drafted by the Charlotte Sting in the second round of the 2004 WNBA Draft (22nd pick overall) 47

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HOMEGROWN

With three local freshmen leading the Way, cU bUilds a neW tradition in the state

By Jonathan Huang, CU Sports Information Student Assistant

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I

n the world of collegiate athletics, it isn’t often that homegrown talent stays home. Frankly, it’s probably a bigger story when it does.

Just don’t tell that to three of Colorado’s prized rookie basketball players: Josh Scott, Xavier Talton and Wesley Gordon.

All three grew up in the state, starred at their respective high schools and snubbed plenty of glamorous out-of-state offers to stay close to home.

were interested in adding a player of Scott’s caliber. Nevertheless, the softspoken center opted to end his recruiting process early and verbally committed to CU as a junior in high school. When asked why he chose to stay in Colorado, Scott described an opportunity to create a Colorado-born legacy.

“The main thing was that the CU program was improving under coach (Tad) Boyle.

We need to have the talent to keep improving. I feel like my predecessors – all of the stars in the state – all left,” Scott explained. “I figured it was time for a Colorado kid to give it a chance and try to start (something new).”

Perhaps the most-heralded player from CU’s recruiting class this year, big man Josh Scott was ranked the top recruit in the state of Colorado by ESPN and the 65th-best in the entire nation

by Rivals.com. He led Monument’s Lewis-Palmer High School to a 27-1 record and a 4A state championship in his senior year. During the campaign, he averaged a state-best 28.5 points, 11 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 1.2 steals and 1.2 assists per game.

He’s right. Time and time again, many of the best in-state players have opted to leave to play for non-Colorado schools. High school standouts such as Matt Bouldin and Nick Fazekas left town to play for schools like Gonzaga and Nevada. Even last year’s Pac-12 Player of the Year, Jorge Gutierrez, played at Lincoln High School in Denver. He signed with Cal.

Holding a résumé thick with gaudy stats and flashy accolades such as Colorado’s Gatorade Player of the Year and Mr. Colorado Basketball, plenty of schools

But that’s why these freshmen are different. Like Scott, Talton boasts plenty of basketball acumen and tons of Colorado loyalty.

Josh Scott

Wesley Gordon

Talton led Sterling High School to a 22-2 record as a senior, averaging 18.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 4.2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. In Talton’s junior season, he led Sterling to 27 wins and a state championship. He was named All-4A firstteam All-State both years.

Even with the talent to go anywhere he wanted, there’s an obvious sense of pride swelling up as Talton spoke about choosing CU over other schools.

“I grew up in Colorado and I like the traditions. I honestly have known (head coach) Tad Boyle for quite a while because he used to coach at UNC; it’s about a half hour from Sterling,” Talton said. “I honestly just like the way the program is headed and just want to be a part of it. Like people say, actions speak louder than words.”

You can imagine what a breath of fresh air it is for the Colorado basketball program to finally get to keep some of its own.

And it goes both ways – the trio has plenty to offer, as well. Yet, part of making a successful transition from high school to the collegiate game is humbling yourself

Xavier Talton

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and being able to learn from your mistakes.

That’s something all three rookies have taken in stride.

For Sierra High School graduate Wesley Gordon, it quickly became apparent that he wasn’t at the top of the food chain anymore.

“For the first couple of practices, we would always do freshmen versus the veterans and we’d get killed in the competitions. It pretty much showed that we are starting over again. In high school, we were the best and now we’re back at the bottom,” he said.

Even so, the freshmen have possessed a keen understanding that the veterans are there to help push them to become better players. Talton felt the impact immediately.

“The vets definitely push me; they know where I stand and what I need to work on. I just need to come in and contribute whenever I’m called upon,” Talton said.

They may not be at the top anymore, but all three are confident of what they can bring to the table.

A point guard, Talton knows his primary roles are to run the team, take care of the basketball and be a leader.

“As a freshman, I can handle the ball and be a point guard. It’s being the floor general and decision making. I will also shoot when I get open shots – just taking care of the ball really. Coach said I have a pretty good assist/turnover ratio,” Talton said. “For me, (I want to improve) on being more vocal as a leader.”

While Gordon sees himself as a versatile small forward capable of stuffing the stat sheet, he is especially proud of his ability to get others involved. When asked how he could immediately contribute to the team, he answered with a smile: “My ability to pass. I really like passing, much more than I like to score. Also, (I can) block shots, pass from the post-up angles and see the floor.”

As enthusiastic as he was, Gordon was also realistic in his assessment: “But I need to work on my jump shot, my ballhandling, my ability to change (gears) and pulling up faster.”

Although he was a big-time scorer in high school, Scott knows exactly what Boyle and

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his coaching staff are looking for – guys who can do the sport’s dirty work.

“I just have to rebound and play defense,” Scott said. “I think scoring would be an added benefit but that’s not really what the (coaching staff) is looking for from me. I just need to work hard and get stronger and keep developing my skills.”

To prepare for the season, the team took a five-game, 10-day trip to Europe in August for exhibition matches against professional teams from France, Belgium and the Netherlands. With a modest 2-3 finish, the trip provided the opportunity for the freshmen to evaluate themselves and discover what it takes to play an elevated level of basketball.

For both Scott and Talton, the trip was an eye-opening experience – both in terms of basketball and the culture.

“I’ve never been to Europe before, seeing all the different sights; all the stuff that you see in magazines like the Mona Lisa. That was probably one of the highlights,” Scott said. “Against these pro guys, I got to see what I have to work on. I also got to see my strengths play out so that was good. I ran the floor really, really well. I rebounded well and scored in the post.”

Said Talton: “It was an experience of a lifetime. Some people get to go there multiple times. It was definitely a good opportunity to see what we need to work on. Besides basketball, the cultural sights were cool.”

The trip certainly didn’t come without its surprises.

“It was definitely different having the opposing teams speaking different languages other than English,” Talton said. “Other than that, some of the rules about how you can just grab the ball out of the rim instead of waiting for it to get out of the cylinder; and catching the ball on the run, you have to stop and take a dribble.”

The European tour was a good start, but looking to improve on last year’s NCAA Tournament appearance brings a whole new set of challenges – for the freshmen, as well as the returning players.

The team has been hearing a lot from Boyle regarding what it will take to go to even greater heights this season.

“One thing that sticks out in my mind is that last season doesn’t mean anything anymore. We obviously have to work our way to get back to (the NCAA Tournament) and beyond it, hopefully,” Talton said. “That’s really motivated us.”

If last year was any indication of Boyle’s coaching style, he’s shown a willingness to give first-year players extended runs; that is, if they’ve proven themselves.

Guards Spencer Dinwiddie and Askia Booker both received solid minutes during the regular season, as well as during the NCAA Tournament.

That certainly bodes well for the newest trio of faces for Colorado basketball.

Though the freshmen haven’t had a chance to prove much yet, they’ve at least demonstrated this much: Home is where the heart is.

I feel lIke my predecessors – all of the stars In the state – all left. I fIgured It was tIme for a colorado kId to gIve It a chance and try to start (somethIng new).

Josh Scott

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Get to know...

LATONYA WATSON womens’ BAsketBALL AssIstAnt CoACH

You’ve now coached under both Ceal Barry and Linda Lappe. What similarities do the two coaches have? What makes them each unique?

Both Linda and Ceal are coaches who value hard work and effort as two important cornerstones to success. Developing and creating sound fundamental skills as well as good habits is another similarity between their coaching philosophies. what makes them unique is that although Coach Lappe has evolved through Coach Barry’s system, she has established her own way of doing things that work better with a new generation of players. essentially, Coach Lappe taps into her experience as a player more to get players. Another difference is in how they approach conditioning. Coach Barry liked distance running to work on our conditioning, while Coach Lappe prefers a more varied approach with interval training along with shorter more explosive runs.

Why did you decide to come back to the University of Colorado?

I was very happy at American. therefore, the only situation that could have piqued my interest was here at Colorado. I had invested so much of my professional coaching career into a program that I love, that I wanted to be a part of helping Coach Lappe elevate the CU women’s basketball program to inspire a new generation of CU Buffs to excel on a higher level than ever before. this is why I coach.

on our team, you appreciate getting to know how different a set of twins is.

Talk a little bit about Chucky Jeffery.

Is she almost like having an additional coach on the floor?

Although Chucky is a very gifted player, she still hasn’t reached her full potential. that’s scary! we continue to work with her on being a leader in more ways than one.

Because she’s one of our most experienced players, she has the insight to help younger players in various situations on the court.

Besides, she is a fierce competitor who doesn’t back down from a challenge. with that being said, it will be fun watching her mentor kyleesha weston this year.

You played at Eastern Michigan in the mid ‘90s. In your opinion, how much has women’s college basketball evolved in the past two decades? women’s college basketball has changed leaps and bounds in the past two decades. when I was coming up through high school, wisconsin really didn’t have an AAU

influence as it did in the mid- to late- 90s and beyond. we mostly competed in local and state events and that was it. there was more emphasis on developing fundamental skills and working on our individual game.

A few players attended camps held by nike, Reebok, and Blue star back in my day. with the increased television exposure and rankings by scouting services, the percentage of young girls who play organized competitive basketball has reached an all-time high. And, they are starting to do so at a much younger age.

Good or bad, today girls play a whole lot more games over the course of their high school careers because of club basketball.

Ultimately, I hope there will be more of an emphasis on playing with a tremendous passion and respect for the game than playing for personal accolades and such. the former will always outlast the latter. It runs a lot deeper and is more impactful on others. that is how our game will continue to grow as the purest form of basketball that the legendary John wooden admired so much.

Assistant coaches are sometimes the ones who players will talk to, even more regularly than the head coach. What do you like about the personality of this year’s team? we have good people in our program.

And, I like how everyone brings something different to our team on all levels, not just with basketball. whether our players are from the city or the country, the southwest or the northwest, graduated from a small high school or a big high school, they all bring unique experiences that help us bond together like a family. For instance, you have Rachel Hargis (waco, texas area) giving the wilson twins (Ashley and Brittany from Long Beach, Calif.) a lesson on line dancing! even having two sets of twins 53

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COACH ON THE FLOOR

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CHUCkY JeFFerY PrOvIDeS TAleNT AND leADerSHIP IN BOUlDer

he basketball world saw Brittney Griner, perhaps the biggest and brightest star ever to play the women’s game, win the Final Four in Denver last spring. Seated nine rows up behind the Baylor bench at the Pepsi Center, Colorado point guard Chucky Jeffery focused instead on all the little things that go into creating a champion.

“To be in the crowd, to see how the atmosphere is and the environment, and see how they all play,” Jeffery said of the chance to observe the greater picture. “You see what it takes to be a championship team.”

She sat with CU teammates Ashley and Brittany Wilson, longtime friends of Baylor’s Cherish Wallace. The outcome was securing some of the best seats in the house.

“It was the little things,” said Jeffery, who is “Chucky” to friends, fans and coaches.

Her given name is Janeesa. She heard it only when incurring her mother’s wrath for forgetting chores. But Janessa is all focus these days.

“We break down the difference between a regular team – a team that just gets by – and a championship team. A championship team does all the little things. They bring focus every day.”

The list goes on: “They don’t take days off. They pay attention to details. It’s the little things. It’s very cliché, but hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.”

Jeffery and her teammates may not be expected to join Griner and Co. in the 2013 Final Four. But the road to New Orleans starts in Boulder. CU is the predetermined host school for a first weekend bracket segment. A WNIT team the last two seasons, the Buffs are primed to crash their own party.

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By Natalie Meisler

The school submitted the bid anticipating senior leadership from Jeffery as a four-year starting point guard and Meagan MalcolmPeck a guard/forward with 81 career starts.

Coach Linda Lappe is in the third year of her program and there’s a talented nucleus of newcomers ready to make their debut.

“When you bid, you want to have a shot to be in it,” Lappe said. “It doesn’t mean 100 percent you’re going to be in it. A lot of things have to play out. But to have the seniors we have with Meagan and Chucky.

We have that leadership now. We’re starting to understand what it takes to get to that point.”

Now, it’s up to the Buffs to earn the bid.

“It’s motivation for sure,” Jeffery said.

“For us to host the first and second round in our home gym, that makes us work hard every day. We may not bring it up every day, but it’s in the back of our minds.”

Jeffery is very much aware of the increase in crowd support. An NCAA bid would be payback for the groundswell shown by the C-Unit student brigade.

She said she got chills just talking with coaches and teammates about playing a home NCAA game.

“If we do get that ticket, that chance, this place is going to be sold out. It’s going to be rocking,” Jeffery said. “That’s my dream to play in front of a crowd like that.

That would be huge. That’s a challenge every day.”

The dynamic senior from Sierra High School (Colorado Springs) has her goals in order for her final year as a Buff. She has the physical talent. She is also gifted with all the intangibles that go into creating a successful point guard.

She has averaged 4.0 assists and 2.4 steals the last two seasons and also blocked 27

For us to host the First and second round in our home gym, that makes us work hard every day. we may not bring it up every day, but it’s in the back oF our minds.

Chucky Jeffery

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shots last year, while averaging 15.5 points and 8.0 rebounds. She was also selected to the Pac-12’s all-defensive team.

When the Buffs bowed out of the WNIT in the quarterfinals at Oklahoma State, the All-Pac-12 selection had her second career triple-double (12 points, 12 boards, 10 assists).

She is far more than numbers. The senior – with a considerable assist from Lappe – made herself into a player and, more significantly, a student-athlete. Jeffery has won an award for most improved studentathlete in the department.

“I take a lot of pride in that,” the sociology major said. “My freshman year, I came in thinking it was going to be like it was in high school. I let some of my grades slip. Coach Lappe came in and instilled a great academic program to help me turn things around.”

Jeffery said it all starts with getting to class.

She is on track to graduate in May. Lappe never thought she’d get the chance to coach Jeffery when Lappe was at Metro State and Jeffery was putting up

stratospheric numbers in high school.

But the year before Lappe arrived, CU didn’t have too much Division I recruiting competition, because Jeffery didn’t get very much exposure in the all-important AAU circuit.

“I was very ‘off the radar,’” Jeffery said. “Most players do AAU and go to tournaments. When I was in high school, I didn’t see that as important as it really was.”

However, it didn’t hurt her athletic future when she lettered twice in track as a sprinter/hurdler.

She uses her quickness to push the ball all over the court, split defenders and shoot from any range. This summer she went through some refinements, looking ahead to the best possible senior year.

Lappe first credits her with transforming her body, getting into great shape.

“Second, she’s transformed her mental state in how she approaches practice and the competitive side of the game and how she deals with her teammates. She’s really grown up in all of those three areas,” Lappe

said. “No one is 100 perfect all the time, but the amount of excellence we see from her mentally and physically is far greater than what it was when we first got here.”

Jeffery has matured into every coach’s dream of having the point guard as a personal extension on the floor.

“Chucky’s learned the game,” Lappe said.

“She’s learned the game from a point guard’s view. She can talk the game. She understands the game.

“And so there have been times I look at her and I start to coach and she says, ‘I got you coach. That’s exactly what I was thinking.’”

Lappe takes it even a step further: “She’s one of our best players in terms of understanding the scouting report and being able to talk about it with teammates on the floor. A lot of players can see and understand in the film room, but then transferring it onto the court is a whole other new ball game. She can transfer and see it on the court as a coach would see it.”

Her younger teammates also respect her influence.

CoaCh Lappe Came in and instiLLed a great aCademiC program to heLp me turn things around.

Chucky Jeffery

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“She’s someone we can look up to as far as her game and how hard she works,” said Ashley Wilson, a junior guard.

Redshirt freshman forward Arielle Roberson, who has plenty of influence from her older brother, Andre, on the CU men’s team, offered a teammate’s perspective on the relationship with Jeffery.

“She expects greatness out of you all the time, even if she’s not doing so great herself,” explained Roberson. “If you are not doing something right, she is going to get on your butt. She really pushes you, as does Coach Lappe. She’s like a coach on the floor.”

I’m lookIng forward to startIng off on the rIght foot and not havIng any hIccups lIke we had last year.

Linda Lappe

Jeffery also serves as a go-between with an aim of making life easier for both her teammates and the coaches.

“If you have a question you can always ask her,” Roberson said. “She knows the game. She knows what Coach Lappe is expecting, and what I personally need to do as a player. She helps you understand things.”

If it sounds as if Jeffery has all the makings of a future coach, Lappe said she does. But Jeffery will have more immediate career options as a player at the professional level, certainly in the international field, if not the WNBA. “I don’t want to look too far ahead,” Jeffery said.

There’s nothing that doesn’t excite her about her senior season. The schedule is committed to memory and she knows it’s a slate designed to boost CU’s résumé for the NCAA Selection Committee.

“I’m looking forward to starting off on the right foot and not having any hiccups like we had last year,” she said. “The first game, the second or the third can easily be the difference in making it or not.”

Louisville comes to Boulder on Dec. 14 as a likely top-10 team. The Buffs host a Thanksgiving weekend tournament with NCAA aspirants Auburn and San Diego State. The Pac-12 schedule opens with perennial Final Four contender Stanford in Boulder, followed by Cal. The schedule is tough, but Jeffery believes her team has the right mindset for meeting the challenge. There’s a little more energy in the early practices. The

floor leader is paying attention to all the little things, such as encouraging the post players at the other end of the floor.

senior and this being my last year,” she said.

“You never want it to be over. I never want it to be over before it starts.”

“We’re making the transformation because we want to be something different this year,” Jeffery said.

Well, there is one downside approaching the 2012-13 season.

The last two years, CU played at home in the NIT long after the seniors had their senior day pregame walk to center court with their parents. This time, the Coors Events Center is already reserved for the biggest dance of all.

“I have a different feel with me being a

And Chucky Jeffery plans on dancing.

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*EPA-Estimated. Class is Full-Size Pickups under 8,500 lbs. †Optional.

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hey ventured nearly half a world away, cruised scenic rivers, posed for an endless amount of european postcard team photos, braved new cuisine and somehow crammed in five basketball games while learning international rules on the fly.

It all translated into what everyone knew before leaving home: Andre roberson is a double-double in any language.

Colorado’s All-Pac-12 forward averaged 14.2 points and 13.7 rebounds in four international games, one board away from a sweep of doubles. the 6-foot-7, 210-pound junior achieved doubledoubles 27 times in Cu’s 24-12 nCAA tournament season. He had another seven as a freshman off the bench. take it from the person on campus who knows him best – and certainly the longest. roberson is a special person, well beyond his gaudy statistics. He is also the world’s most protective big brother.

His younger sister, Arielle, is a redshirt freshman for the Cu women’s basketball team. the 6-foot-1 willowy forward has a similar build and nearly identical highschool scoring double-double profile (18.2 points, 9.7 rebounds as a senior). “the way he gets his boards is he’s actively moving,” she said. “He’s always in the right spot. I think he worries about everyone else before himself. He wants everyone else to succeed before he does, which I think helps him succeed.”

THE BIG EASY Andre roberson mAkes double-doubles look effortless

By Natalie Meisler

Arielle roberson’s buffs debut was postponed by a hip injury in the preseason a year ago. she credits her brother for making it bearable. He, in turn, is inspired by her attitude despite the setback.

Instead of going on the road with her team, Arielle was able to watch all the home men’s Pac-12 games. she saw a transition from her recollection of Andre in high school.

“He has definitely changed,” she said.

“Andre’s more confident now. He’s a leader, but he’s a silent leader. He’s accepting his roles now.”

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“He’s still humble, but he looks so much more confident about himself and more appreciative,” she said.

Boyle, with the late addition of a fifth game, was able to play newcomers for an entire game. The much anticipated freshman class had a head start playing with the CU veterans.

Approximately one-fourth of all schools take advantage of the NCAA rule allowing 10 on-campus summer practices and an international competition once every four years.

The two share a spectacular gene pool.

Their parents, John and Lisa Roberson, were basketball and volleyball players,

For Roberson, it was a chance to demonstrate his leadership. He is the upperclassman who sets the example for

Competition varies from a hop across the Canadian border to a trip to Europe or a journey down under, where coincidentally more teams mine Australian talent.

One of those roles is as the go-to player.

He’s continuing to add different facets to His game. His jump sHot and His ball Handling Have gotten better.

Tad Boyle

respectively, at New Mexico State. Older sisters Ashlee and Amber played for Texas Tech and Texas, respectively. There are three younger siblings, all with the first initial “A.”

the freshmen in games and practice. The sooner the freshmen mature, the sooner Roberson and experienced hands can plan a return to the NCAA Tournament.

Of the family games in the driveway, Arielle said, “I was picturing him and my dad as (Baylor All-American) Brittney Griner.”

Freshman newcomer Xavier Johnson says Roberson has helped transition the younger Buffs into the fold. “That’s his job,” said Johnson.

Andre ran errands and picked up his sister’s spirits when she was mending from hip surgery. Now fully recovered, she will sometimes cook a meal for her brother.

Neither appears fazed by his growing stardom.

The Division I third-leading rebounder (11.3) and CU season rebound record holder (401), is on the brink of national renown.

As Tad Boyle’s first recruiting coup within two weeks of taking the job in April 2010, Roberson lights up campus with his smile.

He approaches every game with the same mindset: Every ball coming off the boards has his name on it.

“I have to stick to what I do best. It’s what got me in this position, and try to improve my scoring, as well,” Roberson said.

The ultimate statistical goal? An elusive triple double of points, rebounds and blocked shots. He came up just three blocked shots short against Oregon last season.

CU’s 2012 “European adventure” was all things to all members of the program.

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“The Europe trip was made for us,” Roberson said. “I think one of the main objectives was to get some team chemistry, get the freshmen used to the college game. It helped all of us out. We got a feel for each other.”

This wasn’t all about basketball. The staff planned ample non-basketball activity during the Paris-Belgium-Holland trek.

Said Roberson: “It was a pretty cool trip.

There were some great sights over there.

It’s good to see another part of the world.

I know everyone enjoyed that. I appreciate all the support we got.”

One of the innumerable advantages of the trip was the chance to work out some of the early season bugs and ease the way for a faster start. The Buffs go to the Charleston Classic the second weekend of the season

to face a field that includes a potential NCAA rematch with Baylor.

“Hopefully, this helps us down the road,” Roberson said. “We’re trying to have good practices and have it carry over to the games. That’s one of the main things now – keep the intensity up and play for a full 40 minutes.”

Moreover, Europe provided a chance to get some tape of team members – old and new – matched up against a fresh set of opponents in a competitive situation.

“There’s nothing bad about having it on film; you can always see what you did wrong and correct things,” Roberson said.

There’s no question Roberson is dedicated to improving his game and the games of everyone surrounding him. The question remains how he will handle the inevitable distractions.

For the second time in three seasons, a CU underclassman will be the subject of early NBA draft entry discussion.

Two years ago, it was sophomore guard Alec Burks who led the Buffs to the NIT semifinals in Colorado’s final Big 12 campaign. Burks all but reluctantly left and was picked 12th overall by the Utah Jazz.

Burks and Roberson remain close.

Before the first formal practice of the year, Roberson had his draft response sharpened to midseason form.

“I can’t say right now,” he said. “The NBA is not a guarantee. I’m going step by step.

Play the season out. I want to enjoy what is going on with college.”

He doesn’t have to look far for opinions.

Early versions of 2013 mock drafts are a Google click away. Very preliminary versions rate him a potential late first-round pick.

Draft guestimates evolve rapidly depending on a prospect’s season, postseason, NBA workouts, number of players coming out early and the unknowns of the international talent pool.

“I don’t really look at it,” Roberson said of the draft buzz overload. “I heard they’re not accurate at all. I don’t really go on the internet. If you get into too much of that stuff, it’s not good.”

As far as the distractions, he learned from his former teammate: “‘You can never avoid them. You can always just limit them.’ That’s one thing Coach (Boyle) and I are working on right now – trying to limit distractions and have a good season. We’re trying to do the best for the program.”

Boyle considers it a plus that ex-teammates Roberson and Burks remain in close contact.

“In the world we live in with the internet, Facebook and Twitter, it takes even more self-discipline from a guy like Andre to stay focused,” Boyle said. “That’s something we talk about on a bi-weekly basis. When the season starts, it will be more often. He’s done a very good job staying focused.”

Boyle wants to keep it that way – and work on his star pupil’s continued development and improve his mid-range offense.

“He’s continuing to add different facets to his game.” Boyle said. “His jump shot and his ball handling have gotten better. Andre has always been a guy who can really face the basket and put the ball on the floor.

Now, we are challenging him to go to his left as well as he goes to his right and become a more consistent outside shooter, maybe pulling up in traffic.”

Roberson is Exhibit A for the rewards of coaching at the college level.

“The greatest thing about my job is to watch young men develop as 17-year-old freshman and watch how much progress they make – not just with their basketball game, but their maturity off he court, their social skills, you name it,” Boyle said. “Andre is a joy to coach.”

And in turn, Roberson can’t wait to finally cheer on his sister in a game.

“Hopefully, it plays out for the best and she has a fantastic year,” he said.

Arielle can’t resist sharing that sometimes she will drive past her brother in pickup games.

For all his brotherly pride, he won’t hear any of it.

“They think they get by me, but when the shot goes up, it’s out of there,” he said. “I just clean it off the backboard.”

The Pac-12 will soon be reminded of what Arielle knows all too well in the family driveway.

Andre’s more confident now. He’s A leAder, but He’s A silent leAder. He’s Accepting His roles now.

Arielle Roberson

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THOUGHTS, OBSERVATIONS, NEWS, NOTES AND MUSINGS FROM…

BUFFALO BILL …A BUFF TO THE CORE

Dave Plati is regularly regarded as having one of the best sports information departments in all of college sports. But the other day, a piece of his crew’s handiwork came across my desk. To make a long story short, they’d discovered that CU head coach Tad Boyle is practically a direct “coaching descendant” of Dr. James Naismith (yes, that Dr. Naismith). Through a series of connections, there are two routes where Boyle is just four generations removed from Naismith. The first route goes from Larry Brown to Dean Smith to Phog Allen to Naismith. The other goes from Ted Owens to Dick Harp to Allen to Naismith. And those are just direct connections. Other names on the same “family tree” include George Karl, Gregg Popovich, Frank McGuire, Roy Williams, Adolph Rupp, John Calipari and Bill Self. I’m no genealogist, but even I can tell you that Boyle has some strong bloodlines. Next time you see Plati, ask him to show you the “Tad Boyle Coaching Tree” diagram – interesting stuff.

Justifiably, everyone is excited about Boyle’s ball club this fall. And they should be. But let’s not forget that Linda Lappe’s squad was dangerously close to dancing as well. The ladies represented CU very well in the WNIT, and they’re largely the same team as they were a year ago – but better and more experienced. I wonder if the folks at the Coors Events Center would mind if I set up a cot on the concourse; no matter who’s playing, I’ll be there.

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I must admit: I’m a sucker for tradition, especially when it comes to sports. Give me “old” Yankee Stadium over “new” Yankee Stadium every day; I’m just that kind of guy. And that’s exactly why I couldn’t be happier with new improvements to Folsom Field.

Look, every great venue needs a little TLC, and every Division I football program has to keep up with the Joneses at some level.

CU not only managed to do that, but they did so without losing the character and feel that Folsom has boasted since day one. It’s the same place – just better.

I get as excited about football and basketball season as anybody.

But in the midst of football season, let’s not forget that both men’s and women’s cross-country teams are defending Pac12 champs. Not only will Mark Wetmore’s bunch be in defense of their conference championship, they’ll be keeping their eye on the “usual” prize – a national title. No matter the year, or the conference, Wetmore and his team is always in the hunt for No. 1.

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