Buffs fade, KU escapes, flight grounded

Didn't we see this movie before -- Colorado hanging tough with a bunch from Texas only to let go and get beat by double figures?

After losing to the Texas Longhorns last week in Boulder, the Buffs dropped another one at home Saturday to Texas A & M, 87-69.

CU had no answers for the Aggies' best players as forward Joseph Jones, a 6-foot-9 softie who averages less than seven rebounds a game, managed to grab 15 boards to go with his 18 points; steady guard Acie Law, a team leader, finished with 21 and hot sophomore forward Josh Carter added additional balance to the Aggies' offense with 19 points.

Billy Gillispie's team is now off to its' best beginning since 1959-60 (15-2, 3-0 Big 12).

The Buffs, as expected, had extreme difficulty scoring against the Texas A & M defense, hitting but 38 percent of its' shots while letting the Aggies convert at a 53-percent clip.

53 percent.

Dominique Coleman, lacking only consistency to go with his talent, had 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Jermyl Jackson-Wilson had 13 points and Xavier Silas and finished with 11 each.

Black and Gold Truth: CU must play defense to compete in the Big 12. Never a strong point of Buff teams, it is mandatory now if a young team like Ricardo Patton has is going to have an opportunity to win a minimum of conference games.

Coleman can really help the Buffs the rest of the way if he can find what's necessary to do it every game. Jackson-Wilson, while hyped by Patton last season, just hasn't lived up to it. He has ability but he's not there yet. He has time left at CU to become as advertised. Silas is getting the seasoning he needs. He is also rebounding better lately, averaging five per game in his last four contests. As everyone knows, if Roby doesn't excel, the Buffs are in trouble. This was his least impressive conference game to date.

The sixth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks were the first Big 12 team into the locker room with a win Saturday, rejecting Iowa State's upset hopes with a 68-64 overtime triumph in Ames.

Brandon Rush scored two baskets in overtime to keep KU rolling on the season (15-2, 2-0 Big 12).

Offensively, the Jayhawks were not as dominant as they were earlier in the week in a dismantling of Oklahoma State but defensively, KU remains a conference bully. The Cyclones only converted on 37 percent of its' shots from the floor.

Four Jayhawks finished in double figures. Mike Taylor scored 21 for ISU but needed 23 shots to get that total. Freshman forward Wesley Johnson recorded his tenth double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

BGT: Kansas is not the offensive juggernaught it has been in the past. It still has the prep stars all over its' roster and athleticism but something is missinghich, which should be alarming to fellow scholls that the Jayhawks are winning without being at their best yet. Bill Self's team is winning now on defense, outstanding defense. If he can build continuity with his talent, then KU will easily win this conference and be a handful come postseason.

High-flying Texas bounced Oklahoma, 80-69 in Austin, as future NBA-All Star Kevin Durant scored 28 points and pulled down 13 rebounds, his tenth double-double of the season.

Durant was aided by guard A.J. Abrams 20 points and two other Longhorns' in double figures.

The Sooners got a combined 33 points and 12 rebounds from its' frontcourt of Nate Carter and
Taylor Griffin.

BGT: The Longhorns offense makes them difficult to stop. Until they are challenged on that end of the court by Kansas, Texas A & M or Oklahoma State, they might just keep that sports'-car engine racing by people. Durant is the best freshman to touch down in the Big 8 or Big 12 in years. He should be a first-team All American. That coach Rick Barnes got him and will watch him go pro in months will likely entice other preps who desire the big stage for one season to follow Durant's steps at UT. The Sooners, despite roughing up Colorado, are way down from previous years.

Baylor, a dangerous group struggling to get over on someone, bit Bob Knight's Texas Tech team, 73-70, in Waco.

The Bears' guards ate up the Red Raiders' strength in the backcourt as Aaron Bruce and Curtis Jerrells combined for 47 points, 11 rebounds and five assists while the touted tandem of Jarrius Jackson and Martin Zeno were held to 30 points.

Baylor did commit 19 turnovers but shut down Texas Tech on offense (41 percent) and outrebounded them (42-30), with forward Kevin Rogers, an underrated player, doing the most damage (13 boards, 14 points).

BGT: As we've said in this space, Baylor can play. They are well coached, disciplined, effective on offense and with a solid group of guards. Throw Rogers in at forward and the Bears are a solid team, and a strong candidate to contend for an NIT berth. The Red Raiders are competitive but likely due for a slump and are projected here for an end-of-the-season trip to the NIT.

Kansas State surprised slumping Missouri in Columbia, 85-81, in a game featuring, get this, 73 free throws.

Five Wildcats finished in double figures in a balanced scoring attack with Clent Stewart leading the way with 19. David Hoskins was next in line with 18.

Junior forward Marshall Brown is heating up for Missouri, as he scored 28 points, and now has 47 points and 15 rebounds in his last two games.

BGT: This was a big win for coach Bob Huggins' team, who hasn't been cohesive on offense. Defensively, they struggled, which is likely not pleasing to him, but improvement was shown and winning on the road has to appease him for a night. The Tigers look lost right now.

Ninth-ranked Oklahoma State looked at the weather, said "no way" and did not travel to Lincoln to play Nebraska, especially having first-hand experience as a university on bad-weather travel leading to a tragic result six years ago when a flight home from Colorado crashed.

The Huskers wanted to reschedule for Sunday but fearing the weather would not improve, OSU declined, according to a report by ESPN's Andy Katz.

BGT: Foolish of Nebraska, not matter the scheduling or financial implications, to request the game be played Sunday. It wasn't their athletes getting on the plane. Smart decision by Cowboys' coach Sean Sutton.

Interesting sidenote for BGT readers': Missouri guard Stefon Hannah is only in Columbia because his momma said "don't let your babies grow up to be Wildcats."

Seems an Associated Press story reports that Hannah's mother would not allow her son to go to Manhattan despite his desire and verbal commitment to do so. By the way, Hannah was held to seven points, almost nine under his average. Huggins lost Hannah the tough way but got the last laugh for a day, at least.



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