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Despite enduring its share of hard times, including three consecutive 20-loss seasons, the program still receives some positive national exposure thanks to its most famous ex-player.
When Mr. Big Shot was knocking down 3-pointer after 3-pointer to lead the Denver Nuggets to an impressive victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles last week, ESPN commentator Mark Jackson pointed out that Billups proudly played at CU.
Billups is an NBA All-Star once again and has the Nuggets in position to make another run at the Lakers. Thanks to the leadership and drive of George Karl`s point guard, this might be the franchise`s best opportunity to make its first appearance in the NBA Finals.
Fourteen years after Billups arrived on the CU campus from Park Hill, the Buffs have found another super freshman who makes the game look easy.
Alec Burks wasn`t highly recruited like Billups, but the 6-6 guard has brought some much-needed skill and attention to Jeff Bzdelik`s program.
The coaching staff knew it had stolen a special player from Grandview, Mo., as soon as Burks stepped foot in Boulder.
"When we started individual workouts at the beginning of the school year, he made plays look easy," CU associate head coach Steve McClain said during Monday`s Big 12 coaches teleconference. "He immediately grasped the system and knew how he could get his shots and help the team. Sometimes young guys can`t do that."
After scoring a career-high 27 points against Missouri on Saturday, Burks is averaging 16.8 points per game this season, tops among Big 12 freshmen. Billups averaged 17.9 points as a true freshman during the 1995-96 season.
Rounding out the top five freshmen scorers in CU history are Richard Roby (15.8 ppg, 2004-05), Emmett Lewis (15.0 ppg, 1975-76) and Donnie Boyce (14.9 ppg, 1991-92).
"He is truly a wonderful young man. He`s very quiet, he`s very humble, he`s very mature, he`s very polite, he`s very respectful," Bzdelik said recently. "He has the total package both on and off the court."
Burks -- despite missing 38 minutes of the Iowa State game and sitting out against No. 1 Kansas with a sprained left knee -- has scored 370 points this season.
To put that into perspective, David Harrison, the last Buff to be taken in the first round of the NBA draft, scored a total of 375 points as a freshman during the 2001-02 season.
Roby scored the most points (480) of any CU freshman. Burks will only have to average 13.8 in the final eight games to ascend to the top of the list (Billups is currently second, 465 points).
Even more amazing is the fact that Burks currently leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage (.526). Roby shot 44.5 percent from the floor as a freshman, and Billups shot 41.3 percent.
"He gets his points, but you never feel like it`s because he takes shots he shouldn`t," McClain said.
Burks is currently eighth in the conference in scoring. Cory Higgins (18.0 ppg) is quietly fifth in that department.
"As you build a program, guys like Cory Higgins understand that as we get other good players it`s going to do nothing but help you," McClain said. "Our guys have done a good job of understanding that as we evolve and recruit it`s going to change the dynamic of our team, but it`s going to change it in a good way."
Bzdelik believes next season the Buffs, led by Burks and Higgins, will have a chance to return to the NCAA Tournament. The program hasn`t won a game on that stage since Billups was the active face of CU basketball.
Dance cards
Coaches are already starting to lobby for six or perhaps seven Big 12 teams getting into the NCAA Tournament field this March. And it`s a pretty easy sell considering the conference is No. 1 in RPI with seven teams in the top 40 and eight teams in the top 50.
"We`re 28-12 against the other major conferences and there`s only one other conference, the ACC, that`s over .500," Baylor coach Scott Drew said after doing his homework. "It just shows how talented and how tough the league is. You could have seven or eight teams hovering around the .500 mark (in conference play), and it`s not because they`re bad teams, it`s because of how strong the home-court advantage is."
The Bears (17-5) have an impressive non-conference resume with wins over Xavier, Arizona State and Arkansas. Drew`s team also beat South Carolina 85-74 on the same court the Gamecocks upset then No. 1 Kentucky on.
Yet Baylor sits just 4-4 in the Big 12, tied for sixth with Oklahoma. Will 8-8 in this conference be good enough to get in?
"I definitely think 8-8 should get you in," Texas Tech coach Pat Knight said. "I wouldn`t be surprised if guys keep beating each other up the way we are that a 7-9 team is on the bubble."
Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, only 33 teams have made the field with losing conference records.
Who`s hot?
Texas A&M. The Aggies snapped Missouri`s 32-game home winning streak last week and then beat No. 24 Baylor on Saturday.
Mark Turgeon`s team is an amazing 8-3 since losing standout Derrick Roland to a season-ending knee injury and has won five of its last six games since an overtime loss at then No. 2 Texas.
"I just told the kids after we lost to Texas that we were a pretty good team and I thought we could go on a roll," Turgeon said. "You look at the five out of six and four of them could have gone the other way. We`ve done the little things to win close games and that has been the difference."
Who`s not?
Nebraska. The Huskers continue to fight hard but are just 1-7 in the Big 12 after finishing their non-conference schedule 12-3.
"We`re just playing better teams when you get right down to it. We seem to be defending like we always do," Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said. "Unfortunately, we`re playing as well as we probably can right now and it`s just not good enough. We have to find a way to win some games."
No catching KU
Before Texas hosted No. 1 Kansas on Monday night, Rick Barnes said even if the Longhorns pulled off the upset, the chances of chasing down the Jayhawks and getting a piece of the Big 12 regular season title were slim and none.
"It`s pretty much impossible," Barnes said. "I don`t see them dropping three games, so it`s going to be very hard. They would have to give it back. ... It will be extremely tough for anybody to catch them."
KU is seeking its sixth consecutive Big 12 title and the 53rd conference championship in program history.
Road rage
Oklahoma is 11-0 at home this season, 1-4 on neutral courts and 1-5 in true road games (including 0-4 in conference play).
That`s good news for Colorado, which hosts the Sooners on Feb. 17. The Buffs are 10-3 at the Coors Events Center but have lost 33 consecutive Big 12 road games.
"Most teams feel more comfortable at home," OU coach Jeff Capel said. "You feed off the energy of our crowd, and we`ve had very good crowds this year, especially the students."
Kansas is 5-0 in conference road games and Kansas State is 4-1. The other Big 12 teams are a combined 8-33.
"In this conference there is no such thing as an easy road game," K-State coach Frank Martin said. "Our guys somehow to this point in the season have figured it out a couple times and that has a lot to do with experience."
Notable
Baylor leads the Big 12 in rebounding margin (+7.9) and blocked shots per game (7.32). ... Kansas State`s Denis Clemente was the Big 12 player of the week and Oklahoma`s Tommy Mason-Griffin was the conference`s rookie of the week.
Quotable
"It`s going to save a lot of coaches` jobs, I know that. I think it could be something that`s good," Missouri coach Mike Anderson on the possible future expansion of the NCAA Tournament field.
Big 12 rankings
Ranking team previous ranking/overall record/conference record
1. Kansas (1/23-1/ 9-0) -- Jayhawks are making it look easy in the No. 1 RPI conference. Up next: Saturday vs. Iowa State.
2. Kansas State (2/19-4/6-3) -- Denis Clemente had 53 points last week as 'Cats went 2-0. Up next: Saturday vs. Colorado.
3. Texas A&M (7/17-6/6-3) -- Mark Turgeon's teams play their best basketball in February and March. Up next: Saturday at Texas Tech.
4. Texas (4/19-5/5-4) -- Rick Barnes' team may have played its best basketball in December and early January. Up next: Saturday vs. Nebraska.
5. Missouri (5/17-6/5-3) -- Tigers were all-business during Saturday's blowout of the Buffs. Up next: Wednesday vs. Iowa State.
6. Baylor (3/17-5/4-4) -- Bears, after losing in Boulder, probably need to win in Lincoln to avoid bubble trouble. Up next: Wednesday at Nebraska.
7. Oklahoma State (6/16-7/4-5) -- Pokes will try to get back on track in the Bedlam series. Up next: Saturday vs. Oklahoma.
8. Oklahoma (9/13-9/4-4) -- Jeff Capel's team could very well go 8-0 at home and 0-8 on the road in conference play. Up next: Tonight vs. Texas Tech.
9. Texas Tech (8/15-7/3-5) -- John Roberson's Red Raider assist record might never be broken. Up next: Tonight at Oklahoma.
10. Iowa State (10/13-10/2-6) -- Greg McDermott has to regret leaving Northern Iowa for Ames at this point. Up next: Wednesday at Missouri.
11. Colorado (11/11-12/2-7) -- Buffs licking their wounds after another tough week in the Big 12. Up next: Saturday at Kansas State.
12. Nebraska (12/13-10/1-7) -- At least spring football isn't far away. Up next: Wednesday vs. Baylor.
-- Ryan Thorburn
