2010-11 College Basketball Predictions: Colorado

November 23, 2010

Bet at 5dimes

Former Buffalo head coach Jeff Bzdelik left for Wake Forest this past Spring, but he actually left behind a good team in Boulder. Colorado went 15-16 last year and they have been missing from the NCAA Tournament since 2003. Still, with what new head coach Tad Boyle has to work with gives Colorado hope to stop this streak. Boyle came over from Northern Colorado and managed to keep around the three key players that led Colorado last year. Last year’s Big 12 Freshman of the Year in Alec Burks returns, as do seniors Cory Higgins and Marcus Relphorde. The three combined to average 47.0 points per night last season. This team equals the talent of that 2003 team that made it to the Big Dance, and with a new practice facility and a transfer to the Pac-10, interest surrounding the team is at an all-time high. First and foremost, the Buffaloes need to improve their defense (74.2 PPG) and hitting the glass (-7.5 margin) to reach their ultimate goal this year.

Colorado is +2000 to take home the league this year. That translates to a $100 wager would win you $2,000 if this were to come true. I certainly don’t think it’s likely, but viewing they bring back more scoring than any other school in the league it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Check out these NCAA basketball spreads for futures betting at BetUS. This reliable book will give you up to a $500 bonus on your initial deposit simply by signing up for a new account and depositing $500 or more.

Trust in Jack Jones to take your bankroll to the next level this season. Jack is on a 37-23 (62%) Run with his college basketball picks dating back to last year.

Frontcourt:

The team had a -7.5 rebounding margin last year, and it was even worse in league action at -11.4. A big reason was the play of first-year center Shane Harris-Tunks, as well as sophomore forward Austin Dufault playing out of position. An extra year for each should mean the teams gets better in this area. Boyle was able to sign 7-foot freshman Ben Mills last May who should see time right away as long as he can hold his own in the paint. Senior Marcus Relphorde put up 11.0 PPG and 4.1 RPG last season, but he is recognized for his slashing offensive skills more than his defense. Junior Trey Eckloff will be one of their reserves after not finding much playing time last season. Burks led the Buffs in rebounding at 5.0 RPG, and when a guard is leading the team in rebounding there’s clearly a problem. The Buffaloes will obviously return to square one as Boyle teaches rebounding and defense a lot more than Bzdelik.

Backcourt:

Burks ended up seventh in the Big 12 in points at 17.1 PPG and was tops in the Big 12 in shooting percentage at 53.8 percent. He could not have had a better freshman season, but for him to reach his full ability he needs to get stronger. Boyle was lucky when he convinced Burks to remain at Colorado instead of entering the NBA Draft, telling him how his passing offense would help Burks in the future. Higgins was fourth in the Big 12 in scoring at 18.9 PPG and ended up second behind Burks in field goal percentage at 50.5 percent. It’s hard to conceive how Colorado could have a losing year with two remarkable players like Burks and Higgins on the outside who were able to make more than 50% of their shots even though opposing teams game-planned around stopping them. The wild card is freshman point guard Shannon Sharpe, who was forced to redshirt last year after hurting his knee in the preseason and undergoing microfracture surgery. He’ll fight it out with junior Nate Tomlinson, who made 21 starts last season at point guard despite being inconsistent.

Jack’s Pick: 6th Place in the Big 12 – There hasn’t been much excitement around Colorado basketball in recent seasons, but there is promise of a breakout in 2010-11. Boyle was able to get Higgins, Burks and Relphorde and their huge offensive contributions to come back, and that’s a win within itself. He has plenty of talent to seriously make a run at a conference championship, but must get this squad to rebound and defend. The Buffaloes averaged 74.6 PPG last season and can score with any team, but a lack of depth and a question about how seriously these returning players want to buy in on the defensive end makes it hard for me to pick Colorado to end up any higher than 6th in the standings. I do see the Buffaloes sneaking into the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid, reaching the Big Dance for the first time since 2003.

Written by admin · Filed Under College Basketball Predictions