In the News - 1/27/11

DENVER - As the Pioneers made a nice run with an eight-game winning streak, more and more people started to take notice, including some sports writers across the country.

While the team knows it needs to continue playing well through the end of the regular season and postseason, it's nice to see these guys that work so hard get a little recognition. Here are just a few.

Tom Kensler of the Denver Post took notice of how well freshman Chris Udofia has been playing lately:

Udofia (rhymes with utopia) offers the kind of explosive athleticism that most programs covet. But after a so-so junior season and unimpressive performances at summer camps - "I'm a late bloomer, I guess," Udofia said - he began his senior year at Dallas Jesuit wondering if anybody wanted him....Udofia is bright and humble, and he comes from a strong family unit (his parents fled Nigeria before he was born), so Scott figured the kid would do whatever it took to smooth out the raw, rough spots in his game. Can you say recruiting steal?

CBSSports.com noticed basketball making its presence felt at DU:

For now, Scott and the Pioneers are focusing on maintaining the lead they've built. After six straight wins, Saturday brought a road loss to Middle Tennessee State. The head coach says his kids need to focus on winning the regular season in the Sun Belt, after which he believes postseason success will come.

"The tournament's a crapshoot. The truth is you should be playing your best basketball rolling into March so you give yourself the best chance in those three days. We're here all year long, and sixteen regular season games are important, and over those sixteen games you can put yourself in the mix to challenge for a conference championship. That's critically important."

Baby steps are important. Asking this program to ever win an NCAA championship might be asking too much, but you can bet they'd like to shoulder aside some of those hockey banners and hang a few Sun Belt and, eventually, WAC banners in Magness Arena.

RushTheCourt.com picked up on a story Alanna Rizzo told during the FSN broadcast of the Florida International game - a story which caused the generous and compassionate Kyle Lewis to shrug and claim anyone else would have done the same thing, if put in that situation:

It's not often we get to relay a human interest story to our Sun Belt fans, so let's take this opportunity to recognize Denver guard Kyle Lewis for his heroic actions this month. According to Fox Sports Rocky Mountain, Lewis encountered a man in need of medical attention while walking on campus and called 911. Lewis told a sideline reporter for the television network that he actually kicked the man in the chest to resuscitate him. Lewis, named a team captain this year, had started for three seasons before taking on a bench role this year as a senior. So he's an unselfish guy in more ways than one.

We have talked before about the challenging nonconference schedule that the Pioneers faced this season. If you hadn't noticed, St. Mary's (17-3) and Utah State (18-2) are in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll at 24 and 25, respectively.

Earlier this week, ESPN senior college basketball writer Andy Katz gave his suggestions for the 11 BracketBuster games that should be televised this year, and there are some familiar teams included:

1. Utah State at Saint Mary's: This has been a BracketBuster game in the past, in large part because these two teams are the two best teams in the field. Utah State and Saint Mary's are en route to being at-large candidates, even if neither wins the WAC or WCC, respectively. Organizers shouldn't let anything influence them on this decision, if either coach doesn't want to the other again. This is important to make the event work. This game has to happen since it is the most obvious of the 11 to occur.

11. Boise State at UC Santa Barbara: The Broncos have been one of the surprise teams in the WAC behind first-year coach Leon Rice. Boise State just won at rival Idaho, and that should be enough for it to get one of the final televised games. Rice took over an experienced team, which lacked quality wins in the conference. But the Broncos are 5-2 in the league this season and have matured. Santa Barbara is 3-3 in the Big West, but it does have road wins at UNLV and at Santa Clara -- which Gonzaga couldn't get -- so that should elevate the Gauchos ahead of Cal Poly.

The Pioneers faced all four of those teams earlier this season.

Suits and Sneakers: Don't forget to wear sneakers when you come to cheer on the Pioneers against North Texas this Saturday in support of Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers.

This marks the seventh year that coaches across America will wear sneakers instead of dress shoes with their suits in an effort to spotlight the fact that while cancer remains a major health concern, everyone can take daily steps to reduce their risk of the disease. Not smoking, weight control, exercise and a healthy diet are the best ways to improve health and reduce cancer risk. In the U.S., overweight and obesity contribute to 14-20 percent of all cancer-related deaths.

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of college and high school coaches across the country, Coaches vs. Cancer participants have raised more than $60 million since 1993 to help the Society fund groundbreaking cancer research, provide up-to-date cancer information and education, advocate for public health policies that benefit communities, and deliver services that improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Additional information is available at coachesvscancer.org.  

Yearly travel totals:       
Total Flights, regular season only - 11

Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 9,647

Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 19,925

Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 1,051

Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 2,611

Total Number of Hotels - 7

Total Number of Different Airports - 7

Total Number of Airline Delays - 1

Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0

Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 1