Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn said Wednesday he expects to engage in negotiations to extend the contract of men’s basketball coach Jeff Bzdelik soon after the season has concluded.
Bzdelik is completing the third year of a five-year agreement signed in April 2007. The present contract guarantees annual compensation of $650,000 and includes incentive clauses that could boost the salary to $1 million in a given year. Performance objectives include win-loss record, academic achievement, citizenship and postseason awards.
Colorado (14-15, 5-10 Big 12) can secure a No. 8 seed in next week’s conference tournament in Kansas City, Mo., with a home victory Saturday over Texas Tech.
“Jeff has a very clear understanding about how we feel about him,” Bohn said Wednesday. “One of the great things about Jeff is his focus on Colorado basketball, and right now on trying to put this team in the postseason. We will have an opportunity this spring to talk (about a contract extension) and continue ways to support him.” Tom Kensler, The Denver Post
DU pulls off upset in lacrosse.
Kara Secora’s hat trick, including two goals in overtime, helped the University of Denver women’s lacrosse team upset ninth- ranked Loyola (Md.) 13-12 in double overtime at DU’s Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium.
Secora, a sophomore from Kent Denver, scored an unassisted goal with five seconds left in the first overtime period to give DU (5-2) a one-goal advantage, but Caroline Hager scored for the Greyhounds (2-2) just 10 seconds into the second overtime period to tie the game. Secora scored the final goal with 1:55 remaining.
Big Sky salutes pair of Bears.
Big Sky Conference men’s basketball coaches named Northern Colorado senior Yahosh Bonner the league’s defensive player of the year Wednesday and teammate Will Figures was selected for the all-Big Sky first team.
Bonner, a 6-foot-1 guard from Mesa, Ariz., earned the award for holding some of the Big Sky’s best scorers well below their averages. His defense also earned him MVP honors at the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu, a tournament the Bears won in mid-November.
Figures, a 5-9 senior guard from Smoky Hill High School, was one of four unanimous selections on the all-Big Sky first team. He is averaging 16.7 points and 2.6 assists and has made 85.3 percent of his free throws, helping the Bears (24-6) earn a bye into the Big Sky Tournament semifinals Tuesday. They are two wins from a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
