Since the tourney expanded to 40 teams in 1979, no Colorado school has made it to the regional semifinals. That's no Buffs, no Rams, no Falcons, no Bears, no Pioneers -- again.
And, as near as can be determined after scouring the 36 Sweet 16 fields in that span, Colorado is one of 11 U.S. States without a regional semi rep since '79. The others are (in alphabetical order of course):
- Alaska
- Delaware
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Vermont
To be honest , a number of these states either don't play D-I hoops (Alaska) or are so small with only a single D-I rep (Delaware, Hawaii, N.H., Vermont) that it's almost unfair to include them here.
Suffice it to say, Colorado -- with its five D-I programs and estimated 5.3 million residents -- is easily the largest state in the U.S. without a Sweet 16 appearance since '79.
Ouch.
So when was the last time a Centennial State school played in the regional semis?
Glad you asked.
It actually was a double dip in the 32-team 1969 tourney, when Colorado State beat Colorado, 64-56. The Rams then fell to Drake, 84-77, in the Midwest regional title tilt.
So when was the last time a Centennial State school played in the regional semis?
Glad you asked.
It actually was a double dip in the 32-team 1969 tourney, when Colorado State beat Colorado, 64-56. The Rams then fell to Drake, 84-77, in the Midwest regional title tilt.
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