BOULDER, Colorado
When I was a kid and the Yankees were at the end of a 40-year run, my dad packed four kids into an old Pontiac and drove us 500 miles to watch what was left of the crumbling dynasty.
It was the summer of 1966. The Yankees finished dead last, 10th in the American League, 26ยฝ games out of first place. In one of the games at old Angel Stadium, Mickey Mantle, his legs giving out, was moved to first base.
I couldnโt conceive of a happy life without the Yankees in first place.
Thatโs the best Iโve got when it comes to putting perspective on whatโs happening to Arizonaโs basketball team. College basketball isnโt always about happy endings, either.
When the Wildcats lost to Colorado 67-60 Sunday at the CU Events Center, I was thinking of Mickey limping off the field, surrounded by a lineup of fill-ins like Horace Clarke and Dooley Womack.
For a minute, it was 1966 again, when Angels fans hooted and hollered as the Yankees stumbled to another loss. On Sunday, the 7,899 Buffaloes fans hardy enough to show up on a night it was 15 degrees and snowing, didnโt care who wore Arizona uniforms. The CU fans stood and roared every time the Buffaloes expanded their lead.
Leading 59-49 with six minutes remaining, CUโs pep band sang โWeโre not gonna take it anymore.โ
Touchรฉ.
โThere was a big difference (in Arizona) from last year to this year,โ said CU forward Lucas Siewert, who scored a team-high 15 points. โMaybe theyโre not as good as they used to be, I donโt know, I donโt try to focus on that.โ
In its first six visits to Coors Events Center, Arizona had a composite record of 102-16 on game day. Thatโs a 20-3 average. No wonder it is considered a Really Big Thing when CU beats Arizona.
But this time, when the Wildcats left on a late-night charter flight to Tucson, they were 14-12. Thatโs Arizonaโs worst record through 26 games since Sean Millerโs first season, when the UA lost to ASU at McKale Center to go 13-13.
Hereโs the point Iโm trying to make: This stuff doesnโt last with powerhouse teams.
The Yankees were back to their old selves in the 1970s, and if all goes well and the creek donโt rise, the Wildcats should return to Colorado next winter in the familiar role of bully.
Remember this: A year ago, UA forward Ryan Luther played for a Pitt team that went a hopeless 0-18 in the ACC. This year Pitt is ranked 81st in the Kenpom standings. Thatโs a few spots ahead of No. 86 Arizona.
Colorado coach Tad Boyle didnโt modify his postgame remarks to say that this isnโt your typical Arizona team. Boyle did anything but that.
โThis was another great victory by the Buffaloes,โ he said. โI just want to say that Arizona played well, they are a good team. They played well tonight; we took their best shot.โ
And maybe heโs right.
As the Wildcats did in last weekโs loss at Utah, they seemed to get the most out of their ability for 30 or 32 minutes. On Sunday, Arizona stretched that to 35 minutes.
But ultimately, the UAโs lack of manpower, size and strength becomes too much to overcome on the road. Getting to the finish line has become a road too far.
That may change when Arizona gets home. Given the recent dogged nature of Sean Millerโs reconstructed lineup, it gives hope that the Wildcats may win a game or two in Tucson, maybe against Cal and Arizona State, before moving on to a more optimistic future.
I mean, Colorado has come back from 2-6 start in the Pac-12 to win five consecutive games, putting the Buffaloes in the hunt for a bye at the Pac-12 Tournament.
Iโm not sure the Buffaloes have any all-conference players, but they are making the most of what they have.
One thing for sure, it wasnโt difficult for Boyle to get his team psyched to play the Wildcats.
โThis is an important game for us,โ he said. โThe reason Arizona has become a rival is because theyโre one of the best teams consistently in our league. I want our players and our fans to expect to compete with these guys. Iโd like to beat them down at McKale โ we havenโt won down there, technically โ and weโve got to get that one off the list.โ
But thatโs a story for another day.
One telling difference Sunday was that CU fans did not rush the court, dance and sing late into the night after beating Arizona. After 40 minutes, even long-suffering Buffaloes fans who havenโt seen their team win a conference championship since 1969 understood that they had not chopped down a giant they way they did in 2013, 2016 and 2018 games against Arizona.
You donโt need to have great knowledge of college basketball to understand that the team you just beat has lost seven consecutive games and is firmly in 10th place.
Just like my โ66 Yankees.
