Alec Burks dunks the ball against Texas-Pan American on Nov. 30, 2010. (CU Independent file/Phil McMichael)
Colorado topples another ranked opponent to open Big 12 play.
The Kansas State Wildcats (12-5, 0-2 Big 12) are the second straight victim to fall beneath unheralded CU (13-4, 2-0 Big 12), losing 74-66.
On Wednesday night, in a purple-stricken Bramlage Coliseum, one team entered as the preseason favorite to win the conference. The other, dressed in black and sporting a less than stellar road record, resided near the bottom of the same poll.
The unranked Buffs took the Wildcats by surprise as Levi Knutson lead the team with 20 points, including six three-pointers. CU showed versatility even though the team’s leading scorer and star sophomore guard, Alec Burks, only finished with 12 points after a career-high of 36 points against Missouri last Saturday.
Preseason polls also voted KSU senior guard Jacob Pullen for Player of the Year. Pullen and his beard did nothing to disappoint. He scored 22 points, including a pair of old fashioned three-point plays as the game was winding down.
With 12 minutes left in the game, the Buffs finished an unanswered 12-point run to take their largest lead of the night, 51-40.
Pullen and his teammates tried to crawl back with a home crowd of 12,528 looking on, according to CU Buffs game attendance records.
Continuous big plays down the stretch from freshman guard Andre Roberson, senior guard Marcus Relphorde, and Burks quelled any hope for KSU.
Head coach Tad Boyle entered his first year at CU as an unproven commodity from Northern Colorado of the Big Sky Conference. Leading his team to 2-0 in the Big 12.
The road does not look any brighter with approaching matches against Kansas, Texas A&M and Texas, all top-25 teams.
CU plays Oklahoma State next Saturday at the Coors Events Center with an afternoon tip-off scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
Contact CU Independent Sports Writer Michael Krumholtz at Michael.krumholtz@colorado.edu.
