Pac-12's rousing NCAA tourney run a fight of emotional states for CU Buffs

Check out this article by Pat Rooney from The Denver Post discussing several important events for the week. Pat Rooney recently published this and I thought it was a great post for posting here.

Even the picturesque view that greets Colorado men’s basketball coach Tad Boyle upon arrival at his office every day failed to soothe Boyle’s recent bout with March sadness.

It has been a few busy days around the office, as Boyle recently concluded his year-end, one-on-one interviews with the Buffaloes following a season that ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. With two scholarships at CU’s disposal and the transfer portal bursting with possibilities, there hasn’t been any downtime in the basketball offices.

Still, as Boyle and his staff dived into the critical offseason business like recruiting, it has been difficult to fend off a few pangs of regret. While it has been a remarkable run for the Pac-12 Conference in the tournament, and one much-needed for a league that has trended the wrong direction nationally for years, the Buffs probably can’t watch the games without thinking how easily it could have been them playing in the Big Dance’s final acts.

Against the four Pac-12 teams that reached the Sweet 16, the Buffs posted a 7-3 record this season, including regular-season sweeps of USC and Oregon State. One the one hand, it shows a CU program still loaded with young talent isn’t that far away from college basketball’s elite. On the other, such opportunities don’t arrive every year.

“I parked my car (Monday) morning and saw the Flatirons and the beautiful sunshine, and I just had a pit in my stomach like, ‘Aw, we should be playing still,’” Boyle said. “We were 6-2 against Elite 8 teams, 7-3 against Sweet 16 teams. We’re good enough to be playing this weekend. But we’re not. That’s the irony of the NCAA basketball tournament.

“Creighton loses to Georgetown by (25) in the Big East tournament and we turn around and beat Georgetown by whatever the number was (23) in the first round. And there Creighton is in the Sweet 16. That’s the beauty and the agony of the NCAA Tournament. As I walked from my car to the office, it was agony. We should be playing right now. And we could be playing right now. But we’re not. But you know what? There’s a lot of teams that aren’t playing. That’s the fine line between winning and losing. The same is true of the NCAA Tournament. It’s a fine line between getting in the tournament and not getting in the tournament. A fine line between Sweet 16 and final 32.”

The Pac-12 went a perfect 5-0 in the First Four games plus the first round (not including Oregon advancing after VCU was unable to play due to coronavirus issues) and the Buffs’ loss against Florida State proved to be the league’s only misstep in the second round. Oregon State’s stirring run ended in the Elite Eight on Monday night, and on Tuesday both UCLA and USC were set to play for spots in the Final Four.

It isn’t lost on Boyle, or his team, that the Trojans have made a historic run while having not beaten the Buffs since 2018.

“The Pac-12 has had an unbelievable showing and I’m really proud of our league and happy for everyone who advances,” Boyle said. “You beat up on each other during the season, so I’m glad the league is doing well and gaining some respect nationally. But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t (tough).”