Hopes are high, spirits are up, legs are fresh. The Colorado, Colorado State and Denver men’s basketball teams open their seasons today.
Colorado, 14-16 last season, opens in Boulder with an 8:30 p.m. game against North Carolina-Wilmington. The Seahawks won the BCA Invitational in Laramie, beating Butler, Wyoming and Northwestern.
John Goldsberry, a 6-foot-3 senior guard, earned tournament MVP honors after averaging 11.7 points and 6.3 assists.
“They’re a good team and will be a test for us,” CU coach Ricardo Patton said. “We have to be ready to share the ball on the offensive end.”
Colorado State opens with a road game, but it’s a short hop. The Rams play at Northern Colorado at 7 p.m. UNC (0-2) lost to Lipscomb and South Dakota State in the Guardians Classic at Lexington, Ky. After consecutive losing seasons, including 11-17 in 2004-05, CSU coach Dale Layer has switched to a more up-tempo offense. He has also made some lineup changes. Three new starters are expected to join 7-foot forward Jason Smith, the 2004-05 Mountain West Conference freshman of the year, and senior Freddy Robinson, a 6-5 small forward who sat out last season with an injured Achilles tendon.
The top newcomers include two junior college transfers, 6-foot point guard Cory Lewis and 6-9 forward-center Michael Harrison, and redshirt freshman Ryan Brown, a 6-1 shooting guard.
Lewis, from Dodge City (Kan.) Community College, has impressed Layer with his ability to speed up the tempo. “He’s making an immediate impact on the team,” Layer said.
A raucous crowd is expected in UNC’s Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion. Although the campuses are located only 30 miles apart, this will be CSU’s first visit to Greeley since 1956. A bright spot for the Bears has been 6-9 sophomore Kirk Archibeque, averaging 16.5 points and 12 rebounds after two games.
Led by 6-11 senior center Yemi Nicholson, Denver is a favorite to win the Sun Belt Conference after going 20-11 last season. The site of the Pioneers’ opener tonight is anything but balmy, however. The Pioneers face Kennesaw (Ga.) State in the first round of the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska. Kennesaw State, a longtime Division II power, is making its debut in Division I.
Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-820-5456 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
