As Monday night was to Oklahoma State, so Tuesday night was to Colorado, albeit with slightly different results.
Alec Burks fought through illness to score 25 points and grab 10 rebounds in a 81-74 home victory over seventh-seeded Kent State in the NIT quarterfinals — and the Buffs needed every bit of it.
This particular KSU gave Colorado more trouble than our more familiar variety.
Justin Greene led the Golden Flashes with 20 points and CU didn't put them away for good until there were less than two minutes remaining in the game.
The Big Dance-spurned Buffs, whose season now has stretched on longer than any Big 12 team other than Kansas, now advance to Madison Square Garden for an NIT semifinal contest against either Alabama or Miami.
That winner will be decided tonight in one of three NIT games. Wichita State and Washington State, coming off quick turnarounds, will be playing for the other two spots on the opposite side of the bracket.
Associated Press Ranking = 21
ESPN/USA Today Ranking = 24
Overall Record = 23-11
Big 12 Record = 10-6
Top 50 Record = 4-7
Big 12 Seed = 4
NCAA Seed = 5
RPI = 23
SOS = 11
Region (Site) = Southeast (Tucson)
Signature Wins (RPI 1-30) = Kansas, Texas, Utah State
Quality Wins (RPI 31-100) = James Madison, Virginia Tech, Gonzaga, Washington State, Baylor, Nebraska (2), Missouri
Bad Losses (RPI 101 or greater) = none
- James Madison (21-12, 10-8 CAA) | RPI = 88
- Virginia Tech (22-12, 9-7 ACC) | RPI = 62
- Presbyterian (13-18, 7-11 Big South) | RPI = 204
- Gonzaga (24-10, 11-3 WCC) | RPI = 56
- No. 1 seed Duke (32-4, 13-3 ACC) | RPI = 4
- Texas Southern (19-13, 16-2 SWAC) | RPI = 192
- Emporia State (16-14, 12-10 MIAA**)
- No. 2* seed Washington State (21-12, 9-9 Pac-10) | RPI = 82
- Alcorn State (4-24, 4-14 SWAC) | RPI = 337
- Loyola-Chicago (16-15, 7-11 Horizon League) | RPI = 197
- No. 2 seed Florida (28-7, 13-3 SEC) | RPI = 8
- UNLV (24-9, 11-5 Mountain West) | RPI = 25
- UMKC (16-14, 9-9 Summit League) | RPI = 212
- North Florida (15-19, 10-10 Atlantic Sun) | RPI = 149
- Savannah State (12-18) | RPI = 252
- Oklahoma State (20-14, 6-10 Big 12) | RPI = 61
- No. 1* seed Colorado (24-13, 8-8 Big 12) | RPI = 65: Win over No. 7* seed Kent State (81-74 in the NIT quarterfinals)
- Texas Tech (13-19, 5-11 Big 12) | RPI = 165
- Missouri (23-11, 8-8 Big 12) | RPI = 37
- No. 24 Texas A&M (24-9, 10-6 Big 12) | RPI = 30
- Baylor (18-13, 7-9 Big 12) | RPI = 94
- No. 1 seed Kansas (34-2, 14-2 Big 12) | RPI = 1
- Nebraska (19-13, 7-9 Big 12) | RPI = 89
- Iowa State (16-16, 3-13 Big 12) | RPI = 138
- Oklahoma (14-18, 5-11 Big 12) | RPI = 126
- No. 8 Texas (28-8, 13-3 Big 12) | RPI = 11
- No. 19 Utah State (30-4, 15-1 WAC) | RPI = 15
- No. 4 seed Wisconsin (25-8, 13-5 Big Ten) | RPI = 16
*NIT
**Division II