Colorado and Tech

[Bball Girl]

Onward!

So Buff fans (and Tech fans) tell us what you think will be the keys to the game.

1) Higher altitude..but you know here on the caprock, we sit above 3,000 ft...so it's not quite as bad on us as it might be on those closer to sea level...is the elevation of Boulder still on the free throw line?

It sounds like Tera is getting back in the groove...still averaging 53% from the field. How's Lappe's body doing? Looks (from the interactive stats) that Tera and Sabrina are doing a good job on the boards and Sabrina and Kate have nice 3pt %.

Looks like you have a freshman Amber Metoyer getting some decent PT.

What do you think the matchups will be?

Believe me...Tech takes this game very seriously...we haven't forgotten last year and any trip to Boulder is a tough one.

[Press]

Well, since Coach Sharp has now changed her starting lineup, replacing Cisti Greenwalt with Toya Davis, this will be interesting. Will Pierson and Davis' speed and athletic ability be able to stop Bjorklund, giving up some height?

I haven't seen Tera play this year, but have always thought she would be a whale of a player. Who else is in the paint for CU?

I'm anxious to see how Greenwalt responds to this and comes off the bench. She kind of reminds me of Shawn Bradley, Dallas Mavericks, she has to really work to be mean and tough. This should be a wakeup call for her, it'll be interesting to see how this shakes out.

I'm glad this one is televised on Sunday!

[Go Buffs]

Bball Girl

They took the elevation level off of the court when the new court was installed a few years ago.

Lappe's body is holding up as well as can be expected. Besides her ankle struggles which will be life long, both of her shoulders are popping out of joint regularly. I swear the girl is a walking medical experiement. She brings such intangible values to the team though. I am so glad she came back for her senior year!

Seems as if Tera, Sabrina, and Kate have all snapped out of their doldrums. We need all three of them to be in double figures every game.

Metoyer is a great athlete, much in the same mold as Kendra Wecker at Kansas State. She is learning under fire, but she wants to be on the floor, especially at crunch time. She is a local kid, from Boulder Fairview High School, so I am hoping this gets more people to come to the games!

I am very worried about the match-ups with Pierson and Davis. They are quicker and more athletic than our primary posts....Bjorklund, Scott, and Wirt. CU usually sticks with their primary defense (player to player) no matter who they are playing, so I just hope that help-side is there when it needs to be on Sunday.

We do have 3 rather quick point guards who I hope can harass Grant some....she doesn't seem to fluster easily though.

I know CU is looking forward to the game as well, and I hope this year's has all the drama of last year's! With two of the best coaches in the country going at it, I am sure it will be a great game.

[carolann]

I haven't seen the Buffs this year so there is a lot I don't know. I'll be very interested in how this games goes. I'm giving the edge to Texas Tech but I know more about Tech.

Ceal Barry seems to be indecisive about the point guard position. She hasn't evidenced complete confidence in any of the players available for that position. That is never good and it is particularly bad for Colorado which generally relies on a highly organized, disciplined offensive scheme.

Erin Grant - She is hard to bother. Texas followed the philosophy that it is better to let Grant shoot than to let her pass. It think this was fairly effective. Grant did score some points but the Tech offense was never in sync.

Jia Perkins - Being 'quick' is not enough if you are trying to guard Jia. You have to be mentally quick, tough, smart, a good anticipater who is constantly alert. She'll still probably score on you. You just try to keep her from going off completely.

Tera Bjorklund - How has Tech handled her in the past? She has always scored a boatload against Texas. She has not been known for her defense or tough rebounding though. So even if Bjorklund scores, that leaves the door open for the horde of talented Texas Tech forwards/posts to do some damage of their own. This might be a night that Cisti Greenwalt can contribute for Tech.

I look forward to seeing Metoyer in Austin. I'll be able to enjoy her talent more, of course, if Texas maintains a comfortable lead.

[Bball Girl]

Last year's game in the USA was one of the low points of the season for me (and I think the team), it was the first time CU beat us in Lubbock and it just left a bad taste. No flies on CU, they were great...but we came back from a deficit to go into OT and then CU came out firing threes...I will never forget Nightingale's 35 footer and Roulier's terrific play.

I remember being impressed with Tera's shot but I couldn't remember the details..

I just checked the recap see http://texastech.ocsn.com/sports/wbaskbl/recaps/020302aaa.html

and Box score from last year http://texastech.ocsn.com/sports/w-baskbl/stats/020302aaa.html


and Tera had 18 points

Ayers had a terrific game with 22 pts and 16 boards for Tech

Frankly I'd start Ayers instead of LT...LT brings that spark off the bench and the old Jolee showed up in Austin and I think Jolee and Tera would be a great matchup.

I'd bring LT in to bring her passion and energy...course if she & Jia can start the game with that tone..then that's all to the good.

Jia is impossible to guard IMO...she has the quickest first step I've ever seen...her head, body, feet and hands can all be pointing in different directions and off she goes. She does so many intangibles...she reminds me of Swoopes in the way she can just appear out of nowhere...with Swoopes...she slides in...Jia darts in...but then they're gone.

I've seen Grant get only a tad (and just a tad) frustrated...but never really flustered.

Natalie's shot hasn't been consistently falling...but that girl is the most improved player on this team. She's playing great D on the perimter, she's quicker (lost some weight) and just committed herself to improving every aspect of her game and her knees are both bouncing again. Watch her feet...Bob Knight says you play defense with your feet and whether or not that has anything to do with it...the LR's have been spending a lot of time on footwork drills and it shows...especially with Nat.

Ceal's one of my very favorite coaches...she's a kick to watch on the bench...CU played against (LSU?) in the USA a couple of years ago, my seat is behind the team basket so I had a great time watching her...a couple of times, I thought she was going to grab some sneakers and dash onto the court...she's got to be one of the most active coaches on the sideline.

I hope it will be a well played game by both teams...I think CU deserves a bit more notice than they're getting and the LR's need another well played game.

[Jennifer]

I'm looking forward to watching this game (well, I hope to get to watch it). This is a match-up of 2 of my favorite, most respected non-OU teams.

Some of my earlier college basketball memories are of the Shelly Sheetz era...and a college boyfriend was from Lubbock and his mom was a huge LR fan, so I paid attention to them then (of course, watching Swoopes was a pleasure no matter what).

May the best team win. http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

[unkiemark]

The three players that should concern the Buffs the most are Pierson, Perkins and Grant. It's not that the TT doesn't have other excellent players, it's that these three are excellent athletes and basketball players -- and thus they are exactly the type of player CU has traditionally had the most trouble with.

In the "Boulder Daily Camera" this morning it was reported that CU will start juco Maria Billingsley and it should be assumed she will have Grant. Lappe will start off on Perkins and Scott on Pierson. This means that Fagan will have Ritchie and Bjorklund, Davis.

This is a game where Metoyer could see a lot of playing time in an attempt to counter TT's athleticism on the interior. She is not by any means a refinded offensive talent, but she will get to rebounds and loose balls that no other Buff could thus giving the Buffs a couple more possessions than they would normally have.

Okay, this is not rocket science, but Bjorklund has to have her "A" game on both ends of the court for CU to have a chance. She has to attact the basket and when double teamed find the open player. She was highly succcessful at both prior to the start of conference play.



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MarkW

[Bball Girl]

...add Ritchie as one of the players to take care of. Nat's having a whale of a game....5 3pters...21 points total so far

and we're making our FT's (7 for 8) and Cisti came to play today!

13:34 to go...Tech up 64 to 34 CU

it's nice to see Nightingale..especially in the stands and not on the floor causing havoc..

[Bball Girl]

Bjorklund gets her 1,000th point! She's got such a great touch..

[Bball Girl]

Tech wins it 80 to 58..but CU came back and played some scrappy basketball. Bjorklund had 26 pts and 10 boards.

Pierson had 22, Perkins with 19, and Ritchie with 21...'
and Cisti had 8 boards, 4 blocks and 7pts

[elfdenmom]

I think Cisti received the message loud and clear.

[Press]

I thought they have a great game today, but I'm still not pleased with the way they let post players have their way in the paint. They need to tighten that up in a major way. Jolee bodies-up better than Cisti, but gets called for the foul every time.

[Go Buffs]

Wow! Was Tech ready to play, or what????? I think CU was a really overwhelmed by Tech's superior athleticism.

It is clear that CU is definitely a step behind the Top 3 (KSU, TTU, and UT). We will find out where CU is in the 4-6 range over the next two games against Baylor and Missouri.