BOULDER — If a game comes down to a last shot, who takes it?
That’s the question confronting Colorado basketball coaches Tad Boyle and Linda Lappe, whose teams open the season in a home doubleheader tonight, with the CU women facing Northern Arizona at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Buffs men going against Fort Lewis at 8.
In a rarity, both CU teams had to replace their all-time leading scorer in the same season — this season.
Gone is Brittany Spears, who finished with 2,185 career points to break the mark of 2,067 owned by Lisa Van Goor since 1985. And for the first time since 2007, Cory Higgins won’t be suiting up for CU’s men’s team. Higgins finished his college career last spring with 2,001 points — matching the career record set by Richard Roby three years earlier.
And, oh, by the way, Boyle also must do without Alec Burks, who declared for the 2011 NBA draft after two spectacular seasons in Boulder and was selected No. 12 overall by the Utah Jazz.
So, with that loss of star power, who takes that last shot?
“I think you’re going to see it in the hands of (guards) Nate Tomlinson and Carlon Brown, two of our seniors,” said Boyle, coming off a 24-14 first season at CU. “Those guys are pretty good decision makers. They can make plays for themselves and for others. Early on, you’ll see it in their hands, and (in those of forward) Austin Dufault. You always look to your seniors.”
Boyle then mentioned sophomore forward Andre Roberson, who has improved his shooting.
Lappe’s team has more depth than last season’s 18-16 squad.
“We’re going to be more balanced on offense this year,” senior center Julie Seabrook said. “Last year, teams tried to stop Spears and we struggled.”
Both coaches stressed that defense is the way to stay in a game, especially when the offense sputters.
Said Lappe: “Transition defense is something we’ve been working hard on the past couple of weeks. And defensive positioning, moving our feet. I’m always going to focus on defense.
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