BOULDER — With more dips than climbs, the roller coaster of this Colorado women’s basketball season has convinced first-year coach Linda Lappe that instilling “The Colorado Way” on her team still has a ways to go.
“It just takes time to change the mentality,” said Lappe, a two-year captain for Ceal Barry’s Buffaloes during a 1998-2003 playing career that included three trips to the NCAA Tournament. “Our players have gotten parts of the Colorado Way. It’s still a process for other parts.”
The Colorado Way, Lappe explains, is an all-encompassing philosophy woven around common threads of excellence and consistency.
Often, Colorado (12-13, 3-9 Big 12) has lacked both. Promising performances have been followed by duds.
• An overtime victory at home over then-No. 17 Iowa State on Jan. 15 gave Lappe her first Big 12 victory. Three nights later, the Buffs went on the road and lost by nine points to an Oklahoma State team that has fought all season to stay out of the league cellar.
• After defeating Missouri 58-48 at the Coors Events Center on Jan. 22, the Buffs had a chance to get on a mini roll with another home game, against Kansas State. The Buffs lost 72-59.
• Colorado celebrated Super Bowl Sunday with a stunning 70-45 home victory over Nebraska. But equally stunning was the 72-44 loss six days later to Texas Tech, also in Boulder.
Lappe said the lopsided blowouts are the toughest because it can cause players to lose confidence. Another difficult challenge awaits when No. 16 Oklahoma (19-7, 9-3) arrives here for a Wednesday night game.
During every practice, Lappe and her staff try to impress the Colorado way of “playing hard, playing fundamentally, playing great defense, playing together and being competitive.” But bad matchups and a lack of depth are sometimes too much to overcome.
Former coach Kathy McConnell-Miller did not leave much size in the post. In the backcourt, the team is asking a lot of 5-foot-8 freshman Brittany Wilson, who understandably has good days and bad days.
“The teams that we’re playing are better than us,” Lappe said. “At the same time, losing is not easy. I’ve never been a patient person. But you have to trust in what you’re doing as a coaching staff, as a team. You have to know that doing these little Colorado way things are going to get us there — maybe not this year, but in the future.”
In looking to the future, Lappe frequently talks to her team about the past. It’s important, she said, that today’s players learn about Buffs players who came before them.
“You can see her passion when Coach Lappe talks about Colorado’s tradition,” junior forward Julie Seabrook said. “I like hearing about that stuff.”
One of Lappe’s philosophies is that it’s easier to return to the top if you’ve been there before. It has been a while, but Colorado has a rich tradition in women’s hoops.
As a 6-foot guard, Lappe was a no-nonsense player who prided herself in contributing to the team in all facets. She was named CU’s offensive MVP for the 1998-99 season as a freshman after averaging 10.7 points. But she sat out the next season after fracturing a kneecap in the second game. Lappe returned as a do-everything glue player, finishing her Buffs career with averages of 7.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. CU reached the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight in 2002.
CU sophomore guard Chucky Jeffery said Lappe’s coaching style is “way more intense” than that of McConnell-Miller.
“There’s really no slacking off at any point,” Jeffery said. “She doesn’t like us to be late. Five minutes early, you’re on time.”
Three high school seniors signed with Colorado in November during the early signing period: 5-11 guard Lexy Kresl of Paradise Valley, Ariz.; 6-1 guard Jasmine Sborov of Round Rock, Texas; and 6-2 forward Jen Reese of Clackamas, Ore. Kresl led the state of Arizona in scoring as a junior (27.6), Reese was named Oregon’s Gatorade player of the year as a junior and Sborov will be a difficult matchup as a tall guard.
Lappe intends to sign two or three more players in the spring, with a post player and a ballhandling guard being top targets.
“We’re getting a good response in recruiting,” Lappe said. “Recruits may not remember when Colorado was regularly going to NCAA Tournaments, but high school and club coaches do. Colorado is still a name to them. And everybody knows Boulder.”
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
