Buffs lose in second round, but team’s
thoughts are elsewhere
By Vinny Lupo
Editor’s Note: The Bold has been following Monday’s tragic events in Boulder since the beginning. Please follow us on Instagram or Twitter @theboldcu for any breaking news and live updates, or bookmark theboldcu.com as we will be publishing continuous coverage on our website over the next few days.
Although it was the Colorado men’s basketball team’s most important game of the year, matching up against No.4 seed Florida St. in the second round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament was not the first thing on any Buff’s mind on Monday afternoon.
“Some coward went in and shot up a King Soopers,” said senior guard McKinley Wright IV, who was playing his last game in a Colorado uniform. The incident that Wright was referring to was the mass shooting at the King Soopers grocery store near Table Mesa in south Boulder, leaving at least 10 victims dead, including a Boulder police officer, and many questions remain unanswered.
The events of Monday occurred while the team was away from home, in Indiana, due to the NCAA’s bubble set-up for this year’s tourney to limit the risk of an individual contracting COVID-19. Colorado and Florida St. tipped-off approximately three hours after the first reports of an active shooter scene in the Boulder area. The Seminoles controlled every facet of the game from the jump, playing smothering defense against the Buffaloes on their way to a 71-53 victory. Wright IV finished with 10 points, while fellow senior guard D’shawn Schwartz led the team in scoring with 13. The team’s last lead in the game came with just over 11 minutes left in the first half, an 11-9 advantage.
Coming off of an impressive win over Georgetown in the first round in which Colorado scored 96 points, the No. 5 seed struggled to make shots and hold on to the ball, shooting just 24% from behind the arc and committing 19 turnovers, almost the same amount as made field goals for the team. Meanwhile, Florida St. shot over 50% from the field and got to the free throw line 21 times, almost double the Buffaloes. Junior guard Anthony Polite scored a career high 22 points, making four of his seven three-pointers. Colorado finished the season with an impressive 23-9 record overall, with a 14-6 record coming in PAC-12 Conference play.
“We just lost the season we had, which was such a special season with such special young men in that locker room,” Buffaloes coach Tad Boyle, who was seen embracing Wright IV as they came off the court for the final time in the second half, said. “Seven unbelievable seniors. The most connected and closest groups I have ever coached.”
Boyle mentioned the atmosphere around the game was very weird and emotional, and it was an odd position for a coach to have to be in.
“It puts basketball in its proper place. Win or lose tonight, I felt an emptiness in my stomach. Another senseless act of violence that we have experienced as a country many, many times.” He continued, “Even if we would have won this game and celebrated going to the Sweet 16, it would have put a damper on it. My heart goes out to the families that were affected and those that lost their lives.”
According to Boyle, team members were aware of the situations pregame, as they were getting the news alerts on their phones like everyone else, but the coaching staff decided not to address the situation before tip-off. It wouldn’t have been possible for the team to focus, the team felt, and rescheduling wasn’t an option.
One of the most memorable moments from the game itself was when McKinley Wright IV, who was playing in his final year with the team, exited the game for the last time with about a minute left in the second half. Before walking over to his teammates, he and Boyle shared an extended hug, with the tears streaming down Wright’s face. It was an emotional end to an emotional day.
As he always has been during his time in Boulder, Wright was the leader of the team last night, this in a time of tragedy, and closed off by putting everything into perspective.
“Life is so much bigger than basketball. Basketball is just a game. People lost their lives today.”
