Literally surrounded by -- but shut out of -- the Madness

Watching Wichita State and Kansas battle Sunday in the NCAA Tournament with a Sweet 16 berth on the line drudged up the familiar pangs of March Madness withdrawal here in the Centennial State.
No less than seven schools (Wyoming, Utah, BYU, Arizona, New Mexico State and Kansas and Wichita State) from five bordering states were among the 68 Big Dance qualifiers while Colorado's five DI programs were left out -- again.
We were literally surrounded by -- yet shut out -- of the Madness.
Overall, 34 states and the District of Columbia were represented in the field of 68 while Colorado joined fellow have-nots Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, South Dakota and Vermont on the sideline.
But, as aforementioned, it's an all-too familiar feeling here in the Rockies.
Of the last 50 men's NCAA Tournaments, including the current one, the Centennial State has fielded a representative in only 12 years. That's 16 total appearances in all during that half-century span with a 6-16 combined tourney record.
Ugh.
Here's the 50-year rundown by school (and it won't take long):

• Colorado State University: 1966 (0-1), 1969 (2-1), 1989 (1-1), 1990 (0-1), 2003 (0-1), 2012 (0-1), 2013 (1-1). Total 7 appearances, 4-7 record
• University of Colorado: 1969 (0-1), 1997 (1-1), 2003 (0-1), 2012 (1-1), 2013 (0-1), 2014 (0-1) Total: 6 appearances, 2-6 record
• Air Force: 2004 (0-1), 2006 (0-1). Total: 2 appearances, 0-2 record
• Northern Colorado: 2011 (0-1). Total: 1 appearance, 0-1 record
• University of Denver: 0 appearances.

Pro Bowls few, far between for Colorado college draft picks

Weston Richburg, Paul Richardson . . . welcome to the club.

According to Pro Football Reference, the Colorado State center (2nd round, 43rd overall, N.Y. Giants) and the University of Colorado wide receiver (2nd, 45th, Seattle Seahawks) on Friday night became the 306th and 307th players, respectively, from a Colorado college or university to be selected in the regular NFL Draft since the institution of the common draft in 1967.

CU, of course, easily boasts the most selections with 199, and is followed by CSU (75), Northern Colorado (9), Air Force (7), Adams State (5), CSU-Pueblo/Southern Colorado (4), Colorado Mesa/Mesa State (4), Colorado College (2), Fort Lewis (1) and Colorado Mines (1).

They also upped the number to 57 of Colorado products to be selected in the first two rounds since '67. Forty-eight of of those 57 high-round picks have hailed from CU, while CSU now has eight. UNC has the other in 2005 second-round pick Vincent Jackson.

But what would really separate Richburg and Richardson from the Centennial State pack is making the Pro Bowl.

Of the aforementioned 305 previous Colorado school draftees, only 19 (6.2 percent) have made it to the Pro Bowl. Former CSU running back Lawrence McCutcheon (3rd round, 1972, L.A. Rams) and CU center/guard Andre Gurode (2nd, 2002, Dallas Cowboys) top that pack with five Pro Bowl selections apiece.

Of the 74 CSU players previously drafted, only three -- McCutcheon, DE Al Baker (2nd, '78, Detroit Lions) and LB Joey Porter (3rd, '99, Pittsburgh Steelers) -- have earned Pro Bowl nods at the next level.

Left out (again)

Another NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament Sweet 16 tips off tonight, and once again the Centennial State will be a no show.

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):