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Colorado
2010-11 record: 24-14 overall, 8-8 (tie for fifth in Big 12)
Returning starters: F Austin Dufault, Sr., 6.6 points, 4.2 rebounds; G Nate Tomlinson, Sr., 3.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists.
Key players lost: Alec Burks, 20.5 points, 6.5 rebounds; Cory Higgins, 16.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg; Levi Knutson, 11.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg; Marcus Relphorde, 11.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg.
Things to remember about last season: The Buffs opened Big 12 play with wins over Missouri, which was ranked No. 8, then at Kansas State, which was No. 20; it was the first of three wins over K-State last season. CU also beat Texas 91-89 when the Longhorns were No. 5. After getting snubbed for the NCAAs, CU made the best of its postseason run, getting to the NIT semifinals in New York.
Big games this season: Gone are the trips to Kansas and Kansas State in the Big 12, but those are replaced by Pac-12 trips to UCLA (Jan. 28) and Arizona (Feb. 9). The Bruins don’t make the trip to Boulder until next season, but the Wildcats play at CU on Jan. 21. The Buffs face a pretty good field in the Puerto Rico Tipoff later this week.
Colorado State
2010-11 record: 19-13 overall, 9-7 (fourth in Mountain West)
Returning starters: G Dorian Green, Jr., 7.1 points, 3.0 rebounds; G Wes Eikmeier, Jr., 9.1, 1.5.
Key players lost: Andy Ogide, 17.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg; Travis Franklin, 11.8 ppg, 43 steals; Adam Nigon 6.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg.
Things to remember about last season: CSU won four consecutive conference road games for the first time since 1954. The Rams made it to their second consecutive postseason tournament. Coach Tim Miles received a five-year extension and is signed through the 2015-16 season. Hosting a first-round NIT game, the Rams shot 22.9 percent in the second half and lost to Fairfield 62-60.
Big games this season: Perhaps the biggest will be the Dec. 7 trip to play at Duke. During the preseason NIT, CSU could face Syracuse or George Mason. San Diego State is at Moby Arena on Jan. 28 and New Mexico on Feb. 21.
Air Force
2010-11 record: 16-16 overall, 6-10 (sixth in Mountain West)
Returning starters: G Michael Lyons, Jr., 13.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg; G Todd Fletcher, Jr., 4.8, 2.5; C Taylor Broekhuis, Jr., 7.5, 3.4.
Key players lost: Evan Washington, 7.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg; Tom Fow, 11.8, 3.5.
Things to remember about last season: The Falcons played in their sixth postseason event, going to the tournament, which takes 32 teams after the NIT field is picked. G Michael Lyons’ 424 points were the most by an AFA sophomore since Ray Dudley (444) in 1988. Lyons made all-MW third team.
Big games this season: The Falcons have one of the locals back on the schedule this season, playing at Colorado on Nov. 23. AFA’s other big nonconference game is a Dec. 22 trip to Gonzaga. The trip to New Mexico is on Feb. 29, before the season finale against CSU on March 3 at Clune Arena.
Denver
2010-11 record: 13-17 overall, 9-7 (third in Sun Belt West)
Returning starters: F Justin Coughlin, Sr., 3.0 points, 1.4 rebounds; G Chase Hallam, Jr., 12.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg; G Travis Hallam, Sr., 8.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg; F Rob Lewis, Sr., 8.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg (in 2009-10); G Brian Stafford, Sr., 12.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg.
Key players lost: Trevor Noonan, 4.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg.
Things to remember about last season: After opening 2-9, DU put together an eight-game win streak, including 6-0 to open the conference season. The Pioneers had to play without center Rob Lewis, who missed the season because of a knee injury suffered in preseason practice. They ended on a four-game losing streak.
Big games this season: Nonconference road games include a trip to Cal and last season’s local darling, Northern Colorado. St. Mary’s plays at Denver on Nov. 23. The home game against Arkansas-Little Rock, which made it to the NCAA Tournament, is New Year’s Eve.
Northern Colorado
2010-11 record: 21-11, 13-3 (first in Big Sky)
Returning starters: G Elliott Lloyd, Jr., 7.5 points, 2.9 rebounds.
Key players lost: Devon Beitzel, 21.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg; Neal Kingman, 10.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg; Chris Kaba, 9.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg; Taylor Montgomery, 5.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg.
Things to remember about last season: That big run in the Big Sky regular season and hosting the conference tournament to win the spot in the NCAA Tournament. With as much senior leadership as they had, the Bears were able to rebound from a 4-7 start, which included losses at Arizona, Illinois, Denver and CSU.
Big games this season: Nonconference schedule again has its challenges with home games against DU and Colorado State, and trips to Mar- quette, Wyoming and Iowa State.
WOMEN
Colorado State
2010-11 record: 14-16 overall, 7-9 (fourth in Mountain West)
Returning starters: G Hayley Thompson, Soph., 5.3 points, 3.5 rebounds; G/F Kim Mestdagh, Sr., 17.1, 5.5; F Sam Martin, Soph., 13.0, 6.5.
Key players lost: Chantel Kennedy, 3.3 points, 4.2 rebounds; Sara Hemmings, 2.2, 2.1; Meixandra Porter, 7.7, 2.0.
Things to remember about last season: With her breakout performance last season, Mestdagh gained the notice of the conference. She was named the preseason player of the year to start this season. CSU’s fourth-place finish in the conference was its highest since 2004.
Big games this season: The Rams head to Cancun for a holiday tournament that includes Michigan State and Indiana. After the game Nov. 20 against Colorado, the Rams play four in a row on the road, including games at Denver (Nov. 23) and UNC (Dec. 2). TCU, which was second in the MW last season to now-departed BYU, is at Moby Arena on Feb. 11, and Wyoming is on campus Jan. 21.
Colorado
2010-11 record: 18-16 overall, 6-10 (tie for eighth in Big 12)
Returning starters: F Julie Seabrook, Sr., 5.3 points, 5.4 rebounds; G/F Meagan Malcolm-Peck, Jr., 7.0, 4.6; G Brittany Wilson, Soph., 7.8, 3.4.
Key players lost: Brittany Spears, 19.2 points, 8.1 points; Britney Blythe, 4.0, 1.4.
Things to remember about last season: With a late-season push, first-year coach Linda Lappe got the team into the WNIT and to the quarterfinals. Wins over top-25 teams Iowa State and Oklahoma were big, especially the one over OU in Boulder to start the run to the postseason bid. Brittany Spears graduated as the program’s all-time leading scorer.
Big games this season: The Buffaloes have a relatively mild nonconference schedule, with no big teams of note before they start their inaugural Pac-12 season. While the Big 12 was loaded with talented women’s teams, the Pac-12 has three in the preseason top 25, including Stanford, which plays at Boulder on Jan. 14. The others, USC and UCLA, play Jan. 26 and 29 at CU, respectively.
Denver
2010-11 record: 19-12 overall, 11-5 (second in Sun Belt West)
Returning starters: F Kaetlyn Murdoch, Sr., 16.3 points, 7.0 rebounds; G Emiko Smith, Jr., 4.6, 3.0; F Quincey Noonan, Soph., 6.7, 2.4.
Key players lost: Brianna Culberson, 14.3 points, 7.0 rebounds; Britteni Rice, 13.8, 3.0.
Things to remember about last season: With a trip to the postseason for the first time since 2001, the Women’s NIT was a postseason bonus. The early spark was beating No. 23 Vanderbilt on Dec. 5, the program’s first win ever against a top-25 team.
Big games this season: The Pioneers have a variety of games against major-conference teams, including Vanderbilt, Oregon, Minnesota and Colorado. The Ducks (Dec. 11) and Gophers (Dec. 14) play at DU before the Pioneers head to Hawaii for a holiday tournament. Sun Belt NCAA reps Arkansas-Little Rock (Dec. 31) and Middle Tennessee (Feb. 4) are the better home conference games.
Air Force
2010-11 record: 9-22 overall, 3-13 (ninth in Mountain West)
Returning starters: F Dymond James, Jr., 11.5 points, 6.8 rebounds; G Alicia Leipprandt, Jr., 9.0, 3.0; G Megan Munitz, Jr., 6.5, 2.5; F Katie Hilbig, Jr., 4.7, 2.4; F Jamela Satterfield, Sr., 2.6, 4.1.
Key player lost: Raimee Beck, 11.4 points, 5.2 rebounds
Things to remember about last season: In her first season, coach Andrea Williams won more games than AFA did in the previous two seasons combined and won three conference games, which was the most since 2008. Air Force broke school single-season records for points scored, field-goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage and assists. The first conference win snapped a 40-game MW losing streak.
Big games this season: The Falcons have a tough December schedule with road trips to Minnesota, San Jose State and Alabama. AFA gets Denver and Northern Colorado at home later this month.
Northern Colorado
2010-11 record: 17-14 overall, 12-4 (second in Big Sky)
Returning starters: G D’shara Strange, Soph., 11.2 points, 6.5 rebounds; F Lauren Oosdyke, Jr. 13.4 points, 5.5 rebounds; F Kaisha Brown, Sr., 9.0, 4.1.
Key players lost: Courtney Stoermer, 8.3 points, 4.2 rebounds; Brittany Fernandez, 2.8, 2.9.
Things to remember about last season: Strange, who finished with 76 steals, was a unanimous choice for Big Sky freshman of the year. UNC made a postseason trip to the WBI Invitational.
Big games this season: An early West Coast trip includes games at Santa Clara and San Francisco. The Bears play Front Range foes Denver (Nov. 30) and Colorado State (Dec. 2) in back-to-back home games, and Big Sky champs Portland State are in Greeley for the season finale March 3.
