In 2006, the seven scholarship freshmen on the Colorado men’s basketball team called themselves the “Young Guns” and were featured in a promotional group photo, each wearing a cowboy hat and a scowl. Four years later, only guard Dwight Thorne remains.
Mass attrition followed a coaching change. Ricardo Patton signed that 2006 freshman class and coached them for one season. Patton’s successor, Jeff Bzdelik, determined within weeks of taking over that only Thorne and 6-foot-7 forward Jeremy Williams could fit in his system. Williams stayed another semester but could not overcome academic issues and transferred to UTEP.
“It’s amazing that I’m the only one left,” Torne said this week. “It’s been a journey. There have been a lot of ups and downs, a lot of uncertainties. But I stuck it out. I’m proud of myself for doing that.”
Thorne will be honored today during CU’s Senior Day activities in the Coors Events Center that will follow the 2 p.m. regular-season finale against Texas Tech. CU has not won as often during the past four years as Thorne or anybody around Boulder would have liked. But no regrets, he said.
“You always want to get better at your craft, and I’ve done that with basketball,” Thorne said. “I’ve gotten better each year.”
Among the former Young Guns, two followed Patton to Northern Illinois — swingman Xavier Silas (19.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, .373 shooting) and center Sean Kowal (10.3, 6.2). Williams averages 10.5 points and 5.0 rebounds for UTEP, the Conference USA regular-season champ; guard James Inge averages 4.5 points at Cheyney (Pa.) University; point guard Kal Bay is thought to be seeking a place on an overseas professional team; and center Marc Van Burck quit basketball after last season to concentrate on his studies for his senior year at Cornell.
A proud Texan from Arlington, Thorne keeps in touch with Silas and Williams. He still has a copy of that Young Guns photo.
“It says a lot about Dwight that he stuck it out,” junior guard Levi Knutson said. “He’s become a great leader on our team.”
Bzdelik said he is thankful Thorne stayed. A starter last season, Thorne has become a valuable contributor off the bench this season. He lost playing time to freshman sensation Alec Burks, but he never became bitter about the change in his role and even has helped Burks, Bzdelik said.
“Dwight defines what we want in a basketball player,” Bzdelik said. “He carries himself with great class.”
Also saying goodbye to the home crowd Saturday will be forward Trent Beckley, a fourth-year walk-on from Battle Mountain High School in Vail. Beckley has not played for two seasons because of injuries and illness. First things first.
While some like to say the sixth-seeded Denver Pioneers men’s basketball team needs four wins in the Sun Belt Tournament to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, coach Joe Scott views it differently.
“It’s a one-game season,” Scott said, “. . . because if you win that first game, anything can happen.”
DU opens at 7:45 p.m. tonight against No. 11 seed Florida International.
Good-looking genes.
If the last names of two Air Force freshman forwards sound familiar, they should. Iowa native Zach Bohannon (6-7) is the brother of standout Wisconsin guard Jason Bohannon, and 6-10 Taylor Broekhuis, from Colorado Springs Christian, is the brother of 2009 national high school girls volleyball player of the year Morgan Broekhuis, who signed with Nebraska.
Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds said he looks at family history when he recruits, although that is never his primary focus. Bohannon and Broekhuis (pronounced brook-hice) come off the bench but have bright futures, Reynolds said.
