The Colorado Buffaloes, coming off a season that saw them reach the semi-finals of the NIT, kick off the 2011-12 season on Friday night when they host the Fort Lewis College Skyhawks on Friday night. Tip off comes at 8:00 p.m. MT inside the Coors Event Center.
The Skyhawks don't figure to give the Buffs much trouble to start the season. Fort Lewis was chosen to finish in a tie for fourth place with Colorado Mesa (PDF release) in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Metro State Roadrunners were chosen to finish No. 1 in the RMAC. Six-foot-six center Matt Morris could be a pain for the Buffs, as he was chosen for the all-conference preseason team. The Skyhawks won the RMAC Shootout and advanced to the third round of the Division II Central Regionals.
The Buffs, meanwhile, will be able to see how the team will play without Alec Burks (drafted by the Utah Jazz) and Cory Higgins (graduated and drafted in the NBA D-League). The starting lineup is expected to be Nate Tomlinson and Carlon Brown at the guard positions with Spencer Dinwiddie, Andre Roberson and Austin Dufault. Shannon Sharpe will come off the bench.
This game will not be on television, but tune into KKZN (AM 760) on the radio.
For more on the Buffs, visit the Ralphie Report. Check out SB Nation NCAA Basketball for more college hoops.