Colorado’s Minnesota import, Kelly Jo Mullaney, can go home again, to Colorado State’s Moby Arena.
She led the Rams with 17 points in 2006 against CU as a freshman. Two years later, she turned in a career- high eight assists to go with 14 points for CU against the Rams.
Tonight, Mullaney returns to Moby for the first time since she was suspended from CSU for a prank gone awry in January 2007. She and three former teammates wanted to create a loud noise outside a teammate’s apartment. Instead, the plastic bottle filled with dry ice made a bigger bang than expected.
At season’s end, she transferred to CU. There was no going back to the cold in Minnesota. Her dad, Mark, played 12 years for the Minnesota Vikings, but the CSU alum is a Denver native.
“Obviously, CU is a great school and I was moving up to the Big 12, so that was a positive,” she said.
No coaches or players remain at CSU from Mullaney’s one semester spent there.
The 5-foot-8 guard broke into CSU’s starting lineup as a first-semester freshman, and she started half of CU’s games last season. This season she’s a reserve.
“Things happen, new players come, the team changes. You have to go with your role,” Mullaney said. “It’s a team game. You can’t focus on if you’re the starter or not.”
CU coach Kathy McConnell-Miller said: “We feel we can start seven or eight players. It’s a luxury we’ve never had.”
Both programs were NCAA Tournament regulars through the early part of this decade, then slumped badly. They are now on the way back.
CU’s 6-1 record is the best since its 12-1 start in 2004, which is also the last time the Buffs made the NCAA Tournament. CSU (6-3) hasn’t opened this well since 2004-05, the last time the Rams finished over .500.
“It’s great for the state,” McConnell-Miller said.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
