KJ Hunt played a big part in the Denver men’s basketball turnaround this past season. Hunt announced his intention to turn professional, however, forgoing his extra COVID season. Hunt averaged 15.1 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game, along with 103 assists, all team-leading numbers for the Pioneers.
Hunt was not the only Denver basketball player to announce their intention to play elsewhere. Continue reading KJ Hunt Going Pro, Departs DU
Authored by LetsGoDU Contributor Jill Cattrysse-Larson
Injury-riddled Denver gymnastics delivered one of its finest efforts in program history at the Big 12 Championships Saturday afternoon at Magness Arena. DU garnered an All Around individual title, won two of four event titles and finished second to #1 Oklahoma by less than a point. This was not a meet to pine about what might have been with DU’s raft of season-ending injuries but a dazzling display of Pioneer heart and depth when short-handed DU earned their second-highest score of the season. All this despite only having the minimum number of gymnasts, five, available to compete in two of the four events. Continue reading DU’s Hutchinson and Mundell go One-Two at Big 12 Conference Championship
Authored by LetsGoDU Contributor Jill Cattrysse-Larson
It’s March Madness again!
I know many people may be thinking about basketball and, especially at DU, hockey. But to thousands of gymnastics fans, this is our March Madness, too. Almost exactly a year ago, DU won their first Big 12 Championship Title. It was an upset of the, then #1, Oklahoma Sooners and a huge accomplishment for the Pioneer’s gymnastics program. This year the Big 12 Conference Championship is being held in Magness Arena for the first time. But if you didn’t get tickets (they are still available, guys), it is also being broadcast on ESPNU at 5:00 pm MT. Continue reading Preview: Big 12 Gymnastics Championships at Magness Arena
St. Paul, MN – The #3 Denver Pioneers’ (27-9-1) season wasn’t going to end in St. Paul but it certainly would have been nice to come back to Denver with another trophy to add to the Magness Arena trophy case. Unfortunately for the Pios, the #8 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (20-15-4) were standing in their way in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Semifinals, both literally and figuratively, and the Pioneers couldn’t find their way around them or their goaltender Ryan Fanti as they were shutout 2-0 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. Continue reading Pioneers Shutout by Bulldogs in Frozen Faceoff Semifinal, Await Seeding for NCAA Tournament
ST. PAUL, Minn. — No matter what happens this weekend, the #3 and top-seeded Denver Pioneers’ (27-8-1) season will continue in the NCAA Tournament next weekend. In fact, in 88% of the scenarios, including some in which Denver loses to fourth-seeded Minnesota Duluth tomorrow night, simulated by College Hockey News in their Pairwise Probability Matrix, DU will be the #1 seed at the Loveland Regional in the NCAA Tournament next weekend and will be no lower than the #5 overall seed. In a lot of ways, that’s a comforting thing, knowing the season will continue next weekend. But don’t mistake it for a lack of desire to win a third trophy (Gold Pan, Penrose Cup) for these Pioneers. They’re hungry for a third Frozen Faceoff championship and to enter the NCAA Tournament on a high. Continue reading Top-Seed Pioneers Ready for “One-and-Done Hockey” at Frozen Faceoff
LetsGoDU‘s Nick Tremaroli is leaving the comforts of home and heading to St Paul, Minnesota to cover the NCHC Tournament LIVE at the Excel Energy Center. Continue reading LetsGoDU to Cover NCHC Tournament LIVE
The Hobey Baker Top 10 was revealed on Wednesday morning and NCAA leading scorer Bobby Brink, one of #3 Denver’s alternate captains, was named to the list. Brink, who has 55 points on 14 goals and 41 assists in 36 games this year, is the first Pioneer named a finalist since Henrik Borgström (23-29-52 in 40 GP) was named to the 2018 Hobey Hat Trick (Northeastern’s Adam Gaudette won the award). Continue reading Bobby Brink Named Hobey Baker Top 10 Finalist
An unlikely hero has emerged for North Dakota hockey and its fans. “Ever since someone put this on our bus at Western Michigan in late January, we have taken him everywhere we go,” stated head coach Brad Berry. “Chucky is a perfect fit for Fighting Hawks hockey and our fans.” Continue reading Unlikely Ally Chucky Spurs Fighting Hawks’ Success
Authored by LetsGoDU Contributor Jill Cattrysse-Larson
The Pioneers gymnastics team closed out their regular season at home with a quad meet versus #12 Oregon State, #18 Arkansas, and Nebraska. Thanks to a hockey sweep over Miami, gymnastics was in Magness. Had the hockey teams split games on Friday and Saturday, gymnastics on Sunday would have been in Hamilton. But the bad news about the scheduling was that gymnastics tickets didn’t go on sale until late Saturday night. What should have been an easy sellout of Magness (we had four Olympians in the house after all), ended up being maybe half full. Continue reading Short-Handed DU Qualifies for NCAA Regionals in Final Meet Before Big 12 Tournament
Yale (3-1) jumped out to a 4-1 lead at Peter Barton Stadium and put the Pioneers (3-4) in an early deficit. Denver fought back but could never forge a tie or lead the remainder of the game and fell, 16-13, to the Bulldogs. Yale was led by preseason All-American Matt Brandau who scored 5 goals and 3 assists on the day. While the teams had a similar number of shots-on-goal, Yale took advantage of close-in snipes for 64% efficiency while DU could only score on 46% of their shots on frame. Continue reading Yale Leverages Early Lead to Defeat DU
