Basketball
Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ’s basketball teams were predicted to finish tied for 10th and 11th in their first seasons in the Pac-12. But the Buffs weren’t falling into line at the beginning of conference play.
The basketball and volleyball teams moved into their $10.8 million practice facility attached to the north end of the Coors Events Center this summer.
Billy Lewis, the school’s first African-American varsity basketball player, passed away in his Sarasota, Fla., home on June 14. He was 72.
Tad Boyle completed his first season as head coach of the Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ men’s basketball team with a record 24 wins and a trip to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) semifinals.
The women’s basketball team, picked to finish last in the Big 12 Conference by the league’s coaches, saw its season end in the quarterfinals of the Women’s NIT where the Buffs lost 87-70 to future Pac-12 foe Southern California.
The men’s basketball team, coached by Tad Boyle, started its Big 12 Conference season in style, winning back-to-back games against nationally ranked opponents for the first time in program history.
The women’s basketball team went 9-4 in nonconference play in Linda Lappe’s (Mktg’02) first season as head coach.
Two members of the Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ men’s basketball team were among the 50 players named to the preseason list for the John R. Wooden Award.
Linda Lappe, named Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ women’s basketball head coach in the spring, filled out her staff by adding Jennie Baranczyk, Johnna Pointer and Jonas Chatterton as assistant coaches.
Rodney Billups, younger brother of former Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ standout Chauncey Billups, was named director of basketball operations.