GREAT POST-SEASON MOMENTS IN CU MEN’S BASETBALL HISTORY THAT EVERY FAN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

[Note from John: On this most holy day, the start of the NCAA basketball tournament, contributing blogger Chris wanted to remind folks that Colorado has a richer post-season basketball history than you probably think. Read up, Buff Hoops Fans! ]

Nobody would call CU a basketball blue blood, but the Buffs have a surprisingly deep history of postseason success dating back to the earliest days of the NIT. From historic tournament wins to unforgettable upsets, BuffsBlog takes a look at some of the program’s best postseason moments:

1938 NIT Runner-Up

In the inaugural NIT, Head Coach Frosty Cox (yes, really) led the Buffs to a semifinal win over NYU, 48-47, before falling to Temple in the finals. On the floor, CU was powered by All-Americans Jack Harvey and Jim Wilcoxon. Now, an important history lesson about the NIT Tournament —- the NIT tournnament was the most prestigious post-season college basketball tournament in college basketball until the mid-1950s, at which point it was overshadowed by the NCAA tournament. Thus, folks can think of CU as a national championship runner-up in 1938.

1940 NIT Champions

Two years later, the Buffs claimed their first major postseason title, defeating DePaul 52-37 in the semifinals and Duquesne 51-40 in the championship game. Not a bad way to put CU on the national basketball map, with the (if you squint) rough equivalent of a basketball national championship.

1942 Final Four Appearance

Still under Coach Cox, the Buffs reached their first NCAA Final Four. Led by standout player Bob Doll (not that one — that Bob Dole had a hard time going to his right), CU made a run to the championship game before falling to Stanford, finishing as national runners-up. This remains the closest CU has come to an official NCAA title.

1955 Final Four Appearance

The Buffs made their second Final Four appearance in 1955, once again guided by Coach Cox. This time, CU was led by the legendary Burdette Haldorson, who averaged 23.9 points per game. The Buffs fell to Bill Russell’s San Francisco squad in the semifinals but rebounded to beat Iowa for third place. Haldorson, a future Olympic gold medalist, remains one of CU’s all-time greats.

1963 Elite Eight Run

Under legendary Coach and floor namesake Sox Walseth, CU leaned on stars Ken Charlton and Wilky Gilmore to power their way to the Elite Eight before running into defending champion Cincinnati.

1991 NIT Semifinal Charge

Led by Shaun Vandiver (21.8 PPG), point guard Bill Laws, shot-blocker Poncho Hodges (“PONCHO SAYS NO!”), and BuffsBlog favorite Rodell “House” Guest, CU made it to the NIT semifinals before falling by 10 to Oklahoma. The Buffs bounced back in the third-place game, beating UMass 98-91. While not on par with some of the other tournament runs mentioned, any time Buffsblog can mention Poncho Hodges and House Guest, we do.

CU folks may not know that Poncho Hodges went on to an acting career and appeared in Law & Order season 15’s episode “The Sixth Man.”

1997 First Round Upset Over Indiana

The King of Park Hill, Chauncey Billups, put CU on his back in their first-round matchup against Bobby Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers. Billups dropped 24 points to lead the Buffs to an 80-62 victory—their first NCAA Tournament win in 28 years. Though they fell to North Carolina in the next round, this game remains one of the defining moments of modern CU basketball.

2024 First Round Thriller vs. Florida

One of the most electrifying NCAA Tournament performances in recent Buffs history came last year, when CU edged Florida in a 102-100 classic. KJ Simpson stole the show, dropping 31 points, including a clutch baseline jumper with one second left to seal the victory. Instant classic.

So take heart, Buffs fans. While we won’t steal any glory this year, we are only a year removed from owning one of the best moments in the tournament. And who knows, maybe the Crown Tournament will produce a cool moment or two. Maybe. 

Go Buffs!