Men’s basketball players say they remain optimistic
After falling 72-59 to the Kansas Jayhawks, the Buffs found themselves in the midst of a 1-6 conference rut with the season winding down.
Despite the dark shadow that appears to have fallen on them, the team will have a chance to close out the season on a high note, as all of their nine remaining games are within the Big 12.
With the opportunity to beat some of the teams they have fallen to in past weeks, the Buffs still control their future.
Most would assume that following their loss to Kansas, the Buffs would be a little discouraged by their performance. Instead, they appeared anything but gloomy over their prospects in the Big 12 at practice on Tuesday.
As the players trickled onto the court, most were even smiling as they took turns shooting the ball.
“We know we’re better than a 1-6 team,” said senior guard Marcus Hall. “We’re just going to try and play it game by game.”
True to his word, the Kansas game was all but forgotten by Hall and head coach Jeff Bzdelik as they looked towards their game against Oklahoma State on Wednesday.
Coach Bzdelik knew that this year would be one of transition for his team, and his team has made a lot of progress, but that the progress has not yet been reflected in wins.
“As the talent level increases . we can turn these competitive games into wins,” Bzdelik said. “But it won’t happen overnight.”
Though the team lost to Kansas, he said it was a good experience for his team because they remained competitive against the No. 2 Jayhawks throughout the game.
“We play with passion, energy and leaving it all out there,” Bzdelik said. “Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of (wins) to show for it.”
Bzdelik said the Buffs’ strong performance against Kansas gave the players a sense of confidence in what they can accomplish in the future.
Senior guard Richard Roby also said he felt like the team can play with confidence against Oklahoma State.
“They’re a team that’s in the same boat we’re in, trying to turn things around, so we got to jump out early and have a great start,” Roby said.
Along with Roby, senior guard Marcus Hall said he still felt positive about their prospects in future games. When discussing his team’s season so far, he compared their efforts to the Colorado Rockies.
He recalled that although the Rockies started slow, they performed well through their final games.
“(The Rockies) were the only ones who believed, and right now, we’re the only ones who believe,” said Hall, summarizing his thoughts on the season so far. “We know that we can beat the other teams in this conference.”
The Buffs did not defeat Oklahoma State Wednesday, falling in a 63-64 heartbreaker. However, with their optimism in tow, the Buffs snapped a six-game losing streak Saturday with a win over Oklahoma.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Rachael Fischer at
rachael.fischer@colorado.edu
