Boulder – In reflecting on his four years at Colorado, senior forward Chris Copeland remembered when coach Ricardo Patton singled him out after the squad completed a shoddy practice.
Copeland, then a skinny sophomore, was ridiculed for his lack of toughness.
The exchange went something like this.
“Copeland!” Patton yelled. “If you don’t get more physical, I promise I’ll recruit players over you. In fact, I’m looking at a couple of post guys right now who would throw you into the third row – headfirst.”
“Yes, sir,” was Copeland’s response.
Copeland, 6-feet-8 and now 235 pounds, still prefers to shoot jumpers rather than pound inside. But he has grown from a lightly recruited prospect from Richmond, Va., to a solid Big 12 Conference player and the team’s second-leading scorer.
Playing in their final regular- season home game at 7 p.m. Saturday against Iowa State will be special to all 10 Buffs seniors. But during the “Senior Night” ceremony after the game, Copeland’s eyes may become a bit more moist than most.
“Coach P. was hard on me,” Copeland said. “But you know what they say, when a coach stops saying something, that’s when they’ve given up on you.
“He expects a lot of me and wants me to do well. I think that’s why I progressed so much.”
Copeland, Glean Eddy, Antoine McGee and Jayson Obazuaye became Patton’s first four-man recruiting class to remain with the program four years. They helped Patton shed a reputation for running a transient program high in attrition and unhappy campers.
“These four guys have stayed the course,” Patton said. “Hopefully, they’ll leave here with a degree. That’s the reward at the end.”
Eddy, a 6-6 swingman, and McGee, a 5-10 point guard, are former starters who accepted reduced playing time.
“They probably had ideas of leaving, but they stuck it out,” Patton said. “I think they’re better men for it.”
No Division I program has a bigger senior class. Jacksonville State is next with eight seniors. Villanova lists seven.
“We’ve been through a lot together, with 6 a.m. practices and through all the grind,” Obazuaye said. “It made you want to just stay together and roll with these guys.”
The seniors hold out hope of finishing their college careers on a high in the NCAA Tournament. Colorado (18-8, 8-7 Big 12) likely must defeat Iowa State and make a run in next week’s conference tournament in Dallas to get an at-large bid after five consecutive road losses. Texas A&M has passed CU into fourth place in the league, and the Aggies defeated the Buffs.
On the other hand, there’s a chance Colorado could get a rematch with A&M in the conference tournament.
“In four years, we’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of great things,” Copeland said. “And there is still more to do.”
CU’s departing seniors
LAMONT ARRINGTON, C, Detroit: Junior college transfer never worked his way into the rotation.
JULIUS ASHBY, C, Trinidad and Tobago: Team’s strongest post player has shown only glimpses of the form he displayed in 2005 Big 12 Tournament, averaging 4.9 points, 4.5 rebounds.
BILLY BOIDOCK, G, Dallas: A walk-on and fan favorite, Boidock got little playing time but was named all-academic Big 12 first team.
CHRIS COPELAND, F, Richmond, Va.: Smooth shooter has ranked second on team in scoring the past two seasons, averaging 12.0 points, 5.0 rebounds this season.
GLEAN EDDY, F, Nashville, Tenn.: Reserve who never developed the offensive skills to become a regular.
MARTANE FREEMAN, F, Kansas City, Mo.: Junior college transfer is one of the team’s most improved players this season, averaging 8.2 points, 3.2 rebounds.
ANTOINE McGEE, G, Moreno Valley, Calif.: Made 29 starts as a freshman, but lack of an offensive game has limited time since.
JAYSON OBAZUAYE, G, San Jose, Calif.: Fiercely competitive and a leader, Obazuaye is a warrior on defense but has never developed a consistent jump shot. Averaging 6.9 points, 3.7 rebounds this season.
ANDY OSBORN, F, Longmont: Osborn’s main contribution has been his 3-point shooting, but that has deserted him of late.
SCOTT SENGER, F, Louisville: Walk-on scored six points Wednesday at Kansas.
Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-820-5456 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
