Courting Excitement
In six foot-nine senior Austin Dufault (Psych’12), who was lighter and faster in 2011 compared to 2010, the men’s basketball team had a player who took his game up a notch.
In what was supposed to be a rebuilding season, the CU men’s basketball team lowered the boom on many an unsuspecting opponent.
And when the dust cleared, coach Tad Boyle’s Buffs had amazed just about everyone.
CU matched the school record for wins in a season (24, set last year), posted back-to-back 20-victory seasons for the first time in program history, won the Pac-12 tournament in its first season in the conference and recorded the Buffs’ first NCAA tournament win in 15 years.
Not bad for a team picked in the preseason to finish 10th in the Pac-12 by the media.
“Everything that we’ve accomplished has been really special and something I’ll never forget,” says senior Austin Dufault&Բ;(ʲ⳦’12).
As for coach Linda Lappe’s (Mktg’02) CU women’s team, it recorded its first 20-win season since 2003-04 in going 21-14 and advancing to the quarterfinals of the Women’s NIT for the second consecutive year.
During the season, Boyle and Lappe received contract extensions that will run through April 30, 2016.
In April, Lappe lost one of her assistant coaches when Jennie Baranczyk landed the head coaching job at Drake University.
| Former CU-Boulder standout offensive lineman John Wooten (PE’59) will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December, becoming the sixth Buff to earn the honor. Wooten was the second black player to play at CU. He had a successful NFL career as a player with the Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins and as an NFL administrator. |
| In the seventh round of the NFL draft, Pittsburgh called receiver Toney Clemons (Soc’11), pictured left. He was the round’s 24th pick and the 231st player selected overall. The Cleveland Browns drafted Ryan Miller (Anth’11) at the fifth round’s No. 25 spot, making him the 160th player taken overall. |