As if everyone already doesn’t know, there has been a lot of disturbing news lately. Not just nationally with COVID-19 and the racist murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and most recently, George Floyd, but in our own backyard as well. A photograph showed a prospective DU student, who was slated to enroll this fall, wearing blackface with a racist caption (his admission was later rightly revoked by DU), and a 40-year-old DU yearbook photo resurfaced showing a DU residence hall floor dressed in white robes surrounding a black student. In response, current DU students have initiated a petition and are demanding special accommodations for students of color during this time. Continue reading DU’s own response to racism juxtaposed with national reaction and reflection→
The first sign of sports returning to DU comes from an unusual (but not unexpected) place – eSports.
The club participants will be playing League of Legends tournament in mid-June. League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games for Microsoft Windows and macOS. Inspired by the Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne mod Defense of the Ancients. eSports connect students and bridge social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former DU and Dallas Stars head coach Jim Montgomery had a recent interview with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic ($). While Montgomery did not reveal the specific event(s) that led to his firing by the Dallas Stars, he opened up about his addiction to alcohol and his understanding and acceptance of his dismissal. Continue reading The Athletic: Jim Montgomery Facing His Demons Head-On→
Dave Brown of Midco Sports Network tweeted this afternoon the contents of email communication from the Augustana administration to their constituents. The letter acknowledged that Augustana University’s application had been rejected by the Summit League presidents, thwarting their plan to move from Division II to Division I NCAA competition. The decision was swift following a ‘virtual tour’ of the Augustana campus by member University presidents over the weekend.
Last week, forward Alperen Kurnaz (6’8″, 220 lbs.) announced his intention to transfer from DU. Kurnaz was a positive force on the squad but his overall contributions on the floor were modest last season with 3.4 ppg. and 2.8 rebounds in 16.6 minutes per game. Then, this week, center/forward David Nzwekwesi (6’9″, 240 lbs.) joined Kurnaz in the transfer portal. He scored 5.7 points last season with 3.3 rebounds in 16.6 minutes. Kurnaz and Nzekwesi mark the third and fourth Pioneers to transfer this offseason, as the first transfer was sophomore shooting guard Joe Lanzi, and the second was little-used freshman forward Owen McGlashan. None of the four have announced a destination after leaving DU. Continue reading Nzekwesi and Kurnaz Enter Transfer Portal→
Last week set off a chain-reaction of schools dropping athletic teams as the result of COVID-19 and other cost factors. Augustana had a ‘virtual’ campus tour with Summit League Presidents this past weekend. Expect a decision on the Vikings application for admission within several weeks. Add to all this, Summit League commissioner Tom Douple said last week that he expects some members to drop sports as well as several members to add teams. Continue reading Examining the changes on the collegiate sports horizon→
Earlier this week, the NCAA gave clearance for schools to bring football and basketball players back to practice on campus on June 1st. In the wake of the NCAA’s announcement, the Joint Council of the Summit League, which is made up of school athletic directors and senior woman administrators, recently agreed to keep the current conference schedules, tournament qualifier criteria, and tournament structure in place for the upcoming school year despite the crippling financial implications of COVID-19 across the country. That means that eight teams will continue to qualify for the Sioux Falls basketball tournament which determines the Summit League representative for the NCAA tournament. Continue reading Summit League Announces 2020-2021 Plans→
A crowded roster just got more so as 6’10”, 240-pound sophomore center/power forward Frank Ryder transferred to DU. Denver basketball focused on recruiting perimeter players this offseason until news of the Ryder move was reported by Chase Howell on Buffs Country.
Ryder started his collegiate playing career at the University of San Diego but moved back home to Boulder to play with the Buffs. Health issues plagued Ryder who underwent two open-heart surgeries. Last season his playing time was extremely limited at CU but he is now said to be fully recovered. He entered the NCAA transfer portal recently and DU offered him a scholarship which he accepted. Because he was a walk-on at CU, he will be immediately eligible to play for the Pioneers.
Ryder attended Fairview High School in Boulder for his prep career. He will join DU center Robert Jones in the frontcourt along with David Nzekwesi, Tristan Greene, Alperen Kurnaz and Javonni Bickham.
Athletic-department cuts have forced Bowling Green State University to drop its baseball program, saving the school a half-million dollars annually. The move will eliminate two full-time coaches and a part-time coach. There are also 34 student-athletes affected by the move. Continue reading College Athletics Adapt to New Financial Realities→
The University of Denver announced a Day of Recognition graduation event along with a local photo opportunity at Mary Reed Circle scheduled for Friday, June 12th. A more traditional graduation ceremony for DU grads as been rescheduled for the spring of 2021.
