Colorado University Athletics
Boyle's Buffs Set To Host Billups' Pioneers
November 13, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — It's not often that Colorado coach Tad Boyle leaves a scheduling decision up to an opposing coach.
But then, it's not often that the opposing coach is one of Boyle's former assistants who has set up shop just down the road.
That will be the case Tuesday when the 0-1 Denver Pioneers, coached by former Boyle aide Rodney Billups, pay a visit to the Coors Events Center for a 7 p.m. meeting with the 1-0 Buffaloes.
"We're playing DU because of Rodney Billups," Boyle said Monday morning. "I told him we'll play this game if you want to play this game. … I think he felt it was good for his program this year so we're playing it. The same will be true next year. If he wants to play, we'll honor that because I do respect him, because I want to help him in any way that I can."
Billups, who also played at DU, is in his second year at the helm with the Pioneers after a six-year stint as an assistant under Boyle.
He isn't, however, the only CU connection on the Pioneers' staff. One of Billups' assistant coaches, Ricardo Patton, served as Colorado's head coach for 11 years, including two seasons that produced NCAA Tournament appearances. And, Billups' director of operations, Dwight Thorne II, played four years for the Buffs, including one under Patton.
"Obviously I'm always pulling for Rodney and his staff," Boyle said. "He also has Ricardo Patton on his staff, who was the head coach here for many years, and I'm always pulling for those guys. (But) when the ball goes up, all that stuff goes out the window."
Indeed, friendship — even close friendship — has its limits. With Tuesday night's game serving as the latest chance for Boyle to accelerate the learning curve for his young team, his hopes for Billups' success will no doubt be taking a one-night hiatus. His main focus will be on seeing whether a team that includes four true scholarship freshmen can take another step in the development process.
"We're expecting them and challenging them to elite-level effort and elite-level concentration," Boyle said. "If you get those two things early in the year, usually good things happen. We're going to have to eventually get to elite-level execution. But right now give me elite-level effort and elite-level concentration, I'll take it. We'll work on the execution as we go along."
The Pioneers, who dropped an 83-69 decision to Cal-Irvine in their opener, will present a different challenge that that posed by Northern Colorado in the Buffs' season opener. DU depends on 6-10 center Daniel Amigo (13 points, 10 rebounds in the opener) and guards Joe Rosga (15 points) and Elvin Rodriquez (11 points). Amigo's presence means a much different look for the Buffs than they saw in their 66-51 opening win over the Bears, who brought a guard-heavy lineup to Boulder.
"It's an opportunity for our young guys to switch gears," Boyle said. "We had plenty of time to prepare for Northern Colorado because it was our first game (a 66-51 win last Friday). We've had two days to prepare for Denver because it's less prep time. We have to make sure our guys are dialed in to what we want to do. That's going to be a test for us, especially with this young group."
Tuesday's game will be just the beginning of a heavy week for the Buffs, as they will hit the road for the first time this season later in the week to participate in the Paradise Jam in Lynchburg, Va. Colorado will play three games in three days there, beginning with Friday's 4 p.m. matchup with Quinnipiac.
It is, Boyle said, a chance for Colorado's young players to learn how to adjust to new game plans with a rapid turnaround.
"I can see some of our guys still playing the UNC game plan today and it's like no, we have to shift gears," Boyle said. "We're not playing UNC, we're playing DU, and DU is a different animal. The game plan changes and we have to adjust. And guess what, Quinnipiac is going to be different than Drake or Wake Forest (the Buffs' opponent in the Paradise second round). And then whoever we play that third day ... It will be another opportunity for our guys with really quick turnarounds."
Tuesday night, Boyle will be looking for more of what he saw in the last 10 minutes of the win over UNC. Colorado broke open a tight game to outscore the Bears 21-7 down the stretch, fueled by a 20-5 rebounding edge in that span.
"It was just focus and effort, and it was just going and getting it," Boyle said of CU's dominance on the boards in the final 10 minutes. "Rebounding is a function of two things — boxing out No. 1, but then it's going and getting it. George King went and got rebounds in that second half. Tory Miller-Stewart went and got rebounds. Namon Wright got a big time rebound up above the rim with two hands. It's just focus."
King, one of three senior starters, led Colorado with 12 points — all in the second half — as well as eight of his nine rebounds after intermission. Miller-Stewart added five rebounds and Namon Wright and McKinley Wright IV each had four.
"George is that guy on our team — not the only guy, but certainly a guy who has to understand where his strengths are given the matchup," Boyle said. "He's got the ability to play inside and outside and as a wing player."
YOUNG BUFFS: Colorado's three senior starters — George King, Tory Miller-Stewart and Dominique Collier — represent 128 career starts and 282 games played. The remaining roster represents just eight career starts and 88 games played.
YET MORE CU CONNECTIONS: Denver's Rosga is the nephew of former CU football standout Steve Rosga. … DU's Billups is the brother of former CU star Chauncey Billups.
NUTS AND BOLTS:
Tipoff: 7 p.m., Coors Events Center
Tickets: Available at CUBuffs.com
TV: Pac-12 Network with Drew Goodman and Matt Muehlebach
Radio: 850 AM KOA with Mark Johnson and Scott Wilke
Watch online: Pac-12 Now
Listen online: CUBuffs.com
Live statistics: CUBuffs.com
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
