SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Questions to ponder as the Rockies near Thursday’s season-opener against the Diamondbacks:
Will fans be able to watch games via traditional cable?: The Rockies continue to say that negotiations are ongoing to find a way for fans to watch games on systems like Comcast, Dish Network or DirectTV. I was originally told that a deal would hopefully be worked out before the regular season begins. However, there are no guarantees that’s going to happen, leaving some fans in limbo.
Will fans pay to stream games via Rockies.TV?: That’s the multi-million-dollar question facing owner Dick Monfort. The club launched its online streaming service last month. Rockies.TV will show all Rockies games this season, with Major League Baseball producing and distributing the games.
MLB will also remove blackouts for fans, meaning that for the first time, fans in the Rockies’ traditional TV territory can live stream all of the club’s games. To stream Rockies games only, the cost will be $19.99 per month or $99.99 for the season.
Streaming all sports, not just baseball, is the wave of the future. But several disgruntled fans have told me they won’t pay $19.99 monthly to watch a team that lost 103 games last season. I’m not sure I believe many of them. Baseball is part of the fabric of summer, and I think fans would miss tuning in to the local team more than they realize.
Still, it’s going to be a hard sell. Two years ago, the Rockies drew an average of just 15,000 household viewers per game via traditional TV, according to Forbes and Nielsen Media. Only the Miami Marlins and Oakland Athletics had worse ratings.
Will attendance tumble at Coors Field?: A little bit, but I don’t see a giant slide. Last season, the Rockies averaged 32,196 fans per game at Coors Field, down only slightly from the 32,467 average from 2022. Even if the Rockies stumble early — a distinct possibility — they have the Red Sox coming into town for three games after the All-Star Game and they end the season with the Cardinals and Dodgers coming to LoDo for what could be meaningful games for the visitors.
Which Rockies will make the All-Star Game?: We know every team sends at least one player to the Midsummer Classic, but I’ll give you three Rockies who could end up at Globe Life Field on July 16 in Arlington, Texas.
Topping my list is left fielder Nolan Jones, a terrific athlete who has a chance to be an impactful power hitter. On deck is second baseman Brendan Rodgers. He’s had an excellent spring, and his confidence is sky-high.
My wild-card choice is veteran lefty Kyle Freeland. Manager Bud Black said recently that he’s never seen Freeland pitch better. That’s saying something, considering that Freeland went 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA over 33 starts in 2018.
Will the “real” Kris Bryant finally show up?: I want to say yes because he’s very well-liked by his teammates and he’s a class act. He’s got a beautiful swing and is a graceful athlete. But I don’t know what KB has left at age 32 following two years of injuries that limited him to 122 games in a Rockies uniform.
If he stays healthy and plays 145-150 games, I could envision him hitting .280 with 20 homers and 80 RBIs. But he’s never going to hit .292 with 39 homers and 102 RBIs as he did in 2016 when he was named National League MVP and helped lead the Cubs to their first World Series title since 1908.
After a successful week on the road, the defending NBA champions treated Ball Arena to a quintessential Denver Nuggets game.
Michael Porter Jr. continued his hot streak with 31 points on 13-of-16 shooting, and Nikola Jokic amassed 30 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in a 113-100 win over the New York Knicks on Thursday night.
Jamal Murray added 23 points before going to the locker room early with an apparent leg injury in the last minute of regulation, as Denver (49-21) was pulling away for its 13th win in 15 games since the All-Star break.
“Just turned his ankle a little bit,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said, not seeming too concerned despite the prolonged amount of time Murray took to get up after an awkward landing.
The Nuggets and Thunder are tied atop the Western Conference standings, though Oklahoma City possesses the edge in win percentage as well as the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Porter is averaging 21 points per game since the break.
When they visited Madison Square Garden at the end of a five-game January road trip, the Nuggets sleep-walked through their worst assist-to-turnover game (20 to 19) of the season. New York’s formidable defense stood tall, with OG Anunoby snatching six steals.
“When you get your (butt) kicked,” Malone said pregame Thursday, “they have our full attention.”
Except this time, the Knicks were wrapping up a four-game Western Conference trip, and Anunoby (among other key players) was out with an injury.
Denver’s extraordinary starting five feasted. Jokic was one rebound shy of his 22nd triple-double of the season by halftime. Porter had a 6-for-6 shooting half, reminiscent of his recent perfect game in Los Angeles. Murray combined unlikely off-hand finishing with adventurous play-making. Aaron Gordon spun around defenders for a transition dunk. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope minimized Jalen Brunson as much as possible, keeping his 26 points to 23 shot attempts.
“I just really, sincerely hope that the national media and everybody else following this great league really takes into account the great job he does every night,” Malone said. “We see it. I see it every day. … But he is an incredible defensive player You don’t stop a guy like Jalen Brunson. He had two 40-point games on this road trip. But I thought he made him work for everything tonight.”
In a particularly breathtaking third-quarter sequence, Gordon initiated a set from the left wing by passing to Jokic, who was stepping up toward the top of the key. He thrives when he can operate from the middle of the floor with his back to the basket. From the right wing, Porter motioned to his right to push his defender (Donte DiVincenzo) back a step, to the same level as Jokic — basically creating a screen for himself. Porter slid back to the left, received a dribble handoff as DiVincenzo went underneath Jokic, and shot-faked as DiVincenzo left his feet to contest. Gordon’s man, Josh Hart, was stuck in no man’s land as Gordon slipped to the basket. Porter passed to him, and Gordon kicked to Caldwell-Pope in the corner as Brunson collapsed. Two extra passes, three points.
Less than a minute later, Jokic swung a cross-court pass over his back to Porter in the same corner for another three. There were so many highlights that Porter’s self-alley-oop off the glass was almost an afterthought.
But Denver’s second unit execution struggled to keep up with the starters. The Knicks started the fourth quarter on a 10-2 run that got them within 90-88 as Malone brought Jokic and company back in with 8:19 to go.
He had one highlight to rule them all still saved in the tank. With 5:13 left and the lead still somewhat precarious at 98-92, he lofted a short baseline fade-away shot from behind the basket, over the top of the backboard (or perhaps grazing the top) and in. He was fouled, too.
“Whether it’s from half court against Golden State or behind the backboard tonight, he has an uncanny ability to make tough shots,” Malone said. “Again, I just caution everybody not to take him for granted. Not that anybody does. But another triple-double. … He’s an MVP candidate every year for a reason.”
On Saturday morning, March 16, 2024, thousands of parade goers flocked to lower downtown Denver to enjoy the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade which had over 120 floats and entries that featured dancers, marching bands, dignitaries, police and fire departments, clowns, car clubs and many other organizations.
Disbarred Denver attorney Steven Bachar died Friday at the Rifle Correctional Center, where he was serving a three-year sentence for defrauding an investor of $125,000.
Bachar, 58, apparently had a medical event and became unresponsive, according to the Garfield County Coroner’s Office.
First aid and CPR were given and emergency medical responders arrived at the scene, but Bachar died at the prison. The coroner’s office was called to the prison Friday morning.
Bachar’s cause and manner of death are still pending, but it appears to be “most consistent with a natural death,” Garfield County Coroner Robert Glassmire said in a statement.
The Department of Corrections confirmed Bachar’s death on Friday but declined to release further information, stating his death was under investigation, “as is the normal course of action,” spokesperson Alondra Gonzalez said in an email.
Bachar had ongoing health problems, he told a Denver District Court judge during his sentencing hearing in November.
“As your honor knows, I have some significant health issues that focus me on the need to live a good honest life going forward,” Bachar said during the November hearing.
Before moving to Colorado in 2015, Bachar was an Army reservist, graduated from Georgetown University Law Center and worked in the U.S. Treasury Department and the White House under President Bill Clinton, according to his LinkedIn and previous reporting.
He also worked with Sen. John Hickenlooper, serving as counsel for Hickenlooper’s campaign for Denver mayor and on his transition team before moving to Denver to join the law firm Moye White’s business section.
He left the firm in August 2017, according to previous reporting.
Bachar was then charged with three counts of theft and one count of fraud in June 2022 for defrauding an investor of $125,000 in December 2017, according to court records. He was also disbarred in June 2022.
According to the Denver District Attorney’s Office, Bachar misrepresented and omitted information in order to secure $125,000 in funding from an investor for his firm, Empowerment Capital. Bachar never invested or repaid the money, instead spending most of it for personal use.
While prosecutors asked for two years of prison during Bachar’s November sentencing, Johnson sentenced him to 3 years in prison, stating during the hearing that he wanted to push back on the criminal justice system’s tendency to be more lenient on wealthy, well-connected and well-educated defendants.
If Casey Mittelstadt scores a huge goal or sets one up with a beautiful pass for the Colorado Avalanche this spring, there is one member of the organization who will probably feel an extra twinge of pride.
Mittelstadt’s career hit an unexpected low point in 2019-20, when the Buffalo Sabres sent their recent top-10 draft pick and a player who carried such high expectations to Rochester in the American Hockey League. Toby Petersen, now a skills coach for the Avalanche, was an assistant coach on that team.
Things had not gone according to plan with the Sabres after joining the club after his freshman season at the University of Minnesota and a full rookie season in the NHL at 20 years old. Mittelstadt played 36 games with Petersen and the Americans.
“I think that was a big turning point for myself,” Mittelstadt said. “I was able to go down and just play really freely. The coaches were really supportive. I think I started to really enjoy being at the rink with the guys and having fun again. I realized that I love this game and this is what I want to do. Having Toby on the staff was huge for me. He and Chris Taylor, they’re great guys and great people and they helped me a lot.”
Mittelstadt’s rise, fall and rebirth as an NHL player is a reminder that not every prospect, not even the phenoms, has a smooth, linear path to fulfilling their potential. He is one of the best players in Minnesota high school hockey history. He was the No. 8 pick in the 2017 NHL draft.
Players picked that high, particularly forwards, often never see the AHL. And when they do after spending 114 games in the NHL, it’s seen as a disappointment. Mittelstadt said there were a lot of people who deserved credit for helping him get to this point — in the midst of a second-straight productive season and the No. 2 center on a Stanley Cup contender after the Avs traded defenseman Bo Byram for him this past week.
Hockey is a small world, and Mittelstadt, now 25 years old, is reunited with one of those people.
“I was pretty excited when I heard (Petersen) was here,” Mittelstadt said. “He’s a familiar face and someone that I can bounce things off. We had a great relationship in Rochester. He’s obviously a smart hockey mind, so definitely excited to have him here.”
The Avalanche believes Mittelstadt can solve what has been the organization’s toughest riddle: Who can be the next center on the depth chart after Nathan MacKinnon? It worked with Nazem Kardi, and there’s a Stanley Cup banner at Ball Arena as a reminder.
It has not worked to varying degrees with several others, most recently Alex Newhook, J.T. Compher and Ryan Johansen. Mittelstadt began his Avs career Friday night next to Valeri Nichushkin and Jonathan Drouin, and both his new coach and general manager have made it clear that’s the spot in the lineup they expect him to help upgrade.
“We’re not trading Bo Byram for a 31-year-old or a 30-year-old. We’re not trading Bo Byram probably for a winger,” Avs GM Chris MacFarland said Friday. “Defensemen are really hard to get, and top-two line centers, top-three line centers are really hard to get. You’ve got to draft them or you’ve got to pay a big price to get them, whether that’s in free agency or via trade. So the fact that we traded a player and a person of Bo’s stature for Casey tells you what we think of him.
“We think an awful lot of him. We think he’s going to have a big role here. Hopefully it will be a good marriage, but we’re excited to have him.”
Mittelstadt’s breakout didn’t happen directly after his time in Rochester, but injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic were factors. He played 81 games across two seasons, and the production did tick upward.
A bigger jump came last season. He finished with 15 goals and 59 points. He followed that up this year with 14 goals and a team-leading 47 points in 62 games before the trade. If he can produce at a similar level for the Avalanche, Colorado will have its most productive No. 2 center since Kadri left.
But the Avs believe there could still be more for Mittelstadt to unlock. MacFarland mentioned it the day they traded for him. Mittelstadt has taken longer to blossom into an impact player, but the jump from high school hockey to the NHL with just one season at the NCAA level might have been too much, too fast.
His body needed time to develop, and he needed time to figure out how to translate his sublime skills to the pace and physicality of the NHL.
“He’s got good hands. He’s a very good playmaking center with really good vision,” MacFarland said. “We think the last two years, his game has taken a jump. He’s gotten stronger with experience, and we think there might even be another level to his game.”
There’s another reason to dream a little more on Mittelstadt. Several young players have left Buffalo in recent seasons, a franchise that hasn’t reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2011, and found a new level of performance elsewhere.
Sam Reinhart, Evan Rodrigues, Brandon Montour and Linus Ullmark, who were all teammates of Mittelstadt’s when he broke into the NHL, have all reached new heights after moving on.
“He’s just emerging as a really good, high-end player in the league,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “Sometimes it takes guys different lengths of time to kind of get to that spot. I do think there’s lots of growth left in his game, though. I think he could be a more consistent player, a player that can contribute on a nightly basis. Not that he’s not now, but even more so and being more of an impact player. That’s just maturity, etc., etc. Just watching him a couple of years ago to where he is now has been huge gains. Hopefully he can continue to do that.”
Mittelstadt’s greatest strength is his playmaking ability and how he sees the ice. He made a pass during the morning skate Friday while the Avs were practicing the power play — a cross-ice dish through several defenders — that drew oohs and aahs from media in attendance. He had a slick no-look pass from the left point to a teammate near the edge of the crease in his debut.
He’s found a way to be more than a flashy pass here or there as he’s carved out an NHL career with the Sabres. Now the Avs think he can be the last key piece of their ferocious attack and help secure a second championship in three years.
For Mittelstadt, a guy who has spent most of his life in Minnesota and Western New York, there are many sunny days ahead in Denver away from the rink. He and his new club hope that is true on the ice as well.
For the second time in as many games, Tommy Wight put on his green cape and played hero.
The senior forward’s buzzer-beating put-back propelled ThunderRidge into the Class 6A championship, the Grizzlies’ third appearance in the title game in four years after capturing the Class 5A crowns in 2021 and ’22.
It was the difference in a dramatic 64-62 win over Eaglecrest and marked Wight’s second game-winner at the Denver Coliseum after his lay-up with five seconds left helped ThunderRidge beat rival Rock Canyon in last week’s Great 8.
“This is even a little bit better feeling (than the Great 8 game-winner),” said Wight, a Point Loma commit. “It was the same plan as against Rock Canyon. High ball screen, let Andrew (Crawford) do his thing. He’s the best in the state at getting downhill, and I was right there in the right moment.”
Wight’s score came off Crawford’s miss on a contested lay-up, and after Eaglecrest star junior point guard LaDavian King sank three free throws on the other end to tie the game with 9.9 seconds left.
King’s clutch free throws capped his 31-point night, but that wasn’t quite enough to topple ThunderRidge, which had four scorers in double figures. Crawford paced the Grizzlies with 22 points, while Wight had 14, senior guard Charlie Spann had 14 and senior guard Ryan Doyle chipped in 10.
The quartet helped ThunderRidge avenge last season’s first-round playoff loss at home to Eaglecrest, a 75-56 setback that remains the Grizzlies’ lone playoff defeat over the last four seasons. ThunderRidge won on Friday despite going down 11 points in the first quarter, which was punctuated by a 12-0 Eaglecrest run.
“Just like the Rock Canyon game, we have great resolve, and we know what it means to come back and fight,” said Crawford, the team’s senior leader at point guard and a CU commit. “We made the plays when it was most important.
“LaDavian had four threes in the first half, and the game plan at half was to step up on him. He’s most of their production, along with (junior center Garrett) Barger. They were offensive rebounding over us, so we had to rebound and get stops on LaDavian in the second half, and we did that just enough.”
Eaglecrest Raptors Ladavian King (1), right, passes against ThunderRidge Grizzlies Ryan Doyle (1) in the first quarter of the 6A boys Colorado state high school Final Four game at the Denver Coliseum in Denver on Friday, March 08, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Barger finished with a double-double, with 15 points and 12 rebounds, and had a handful of impressive put-backs in the fourth quarter to help the Raptors rally after ThunderRidge went on a third-quarter scoring spree to take command. That spree came after the Grizzlies decided in the locker room to stop running set plays.
“All those buckets we took the lead on, there was no sets,” ThunderRidge head coach Joe Ortiz said. “There was structure, but it was our guys just playing.”
The Grizzlies dominated in the paint to take control in the second half and ultimately finish, outscoring the Raptors there 44-18. ThunderRidge was up 12 points late in the third quarter, but King and Barger wouldn’t let Eaglecrest go quietly. King poured in seven 3s total while shooting way beyond the arc.
“We had a couple mishaps down the stretch — missed an easy shot we should’ve made, then we had a sloppy turnover on the sideline that really hurt us, and they made shots,” Ortiz said. “Garrett made some phenomenal put-backs, and then LD can hit from 25 (feet out). He’s just something special.”
For Eaglecrest, the heartbreaking loss comes with a silver lining, as the Raptors graduate just one senior and figure to be an immediate contender again next season. Their deep run in the state tournament was unexpected to many, even head coach Jarris Krapcha.
Eaglecrest Raptors Ladavian King (1) is dejected after the ThunderRidge Grizzlies won the 6A boys Colorado state high school Final Four game 64-62 at the Denver Coliseum in Denver on Friday, March 08, 2024. Eaglecrest Raptors Kris Coleman (11) can only watch and walk past the celebration. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
“There was a pretty big stretch in our year where I didn’t think there was any chance we’d be in this spot,” Krapcha said. “We had problems on and off the court, injuries, etc. We came together at the right time and we were in a position to win a Final Four game. I’m proud of them, because we’ve got a lot of guys back next year, and we can come back here (to the Coliseum).”
ThunderRidge’s composure in the game’s tensest moments shows this year’s Grizzlies’ DNA is like the title teams in ’21 and ’22, albeit with a different cast minus Crawford, who is set to play in his third title game.
“Two years ago in the state finals, we were down 12-0 to start the game,” Ortiz recalled. “Then we were down eight at half, and Fossil Ridge thought they had it, and we came out and scored 12 straight (to open the third). And we had 11 or 12 straight stops. So the resolve is phenomenal, and it’s similar this year to those title teams.”
Saturday will mark ThunderRidge’s ninth appearance in the title game under Ortiz, who is 4-4 in those bouts. With a win, the longtime Grizzlies’ boss — who earned his 500th career win earlier this season — can move into a tie with Greeley Central’s Jim Baggott for fifth all-time for the most championships at one school.
“It’s just about one,” Ortiz emphasized. “This one.”
ThunderRidge takes on Valor Christian at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The Grizzlies beat the Eagles earlier in the season, 62-55 at Valor Christian on Dec. 9. It was one of two losses for the Eagles, who avenged the other defeat with a 67-56 win over Smoky Hill in Friday’s second Class 6A Final Four game.
ThunderRidge Grizzlies Andrew Crawford (42) gets fouled by Eaglecrest Raptors Kris Coleman (11) in the second half quarter of the 6A boys Colorado state high school Final Four game at the Denver Coliseum in Denver on Friday, March 08, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
The semifinals of the Colorado high school basketball state tournaments for Classes 4A-6A take place Thursday and Friday at Denver Coliseum. Our staff will be there throughout the weekend providing live coverage. Refresh this page for the latest updates and results.
Class 4A girls: No. 2 D’Evelyn (23-3) vs. No. 3 Riverdale Ridge (23-3)
11 a.m.: Off we go in the first Final Four matchup of the day. Keep an eye on the Ravens’ sophomore sensation, Brihanna Crittendon, who averages 29 points and 11 rebounds. Yup, you read that right. — Braidon Nourse
10:50 a.m.: Welcome back! Snow is falling in downtown Denver and the Class 4A Final Four is about to heat up here inside the Coliseum. First up is the No. 2 D’Evelyn girls vs. No. 3 Riverdale Ridge. a rematch of a Great 8 game from last year that saw the Jaguars prevail over Brihanna Crittendon and Co. en route to a championship game appearance. As Kyle Newman wrote earlier this week, Crittendon is on pace to take down the state scoring record. But first things first: Can she get past D’Evelyn in the state tournament? — Matt Schubert
Schedule and results
Class 6A boys, Friday No. 8 Eaglecrest (20-6) vs. No. 4 ThunderRidge (21-5), 5:45 p.m. No. 7 Smoky Hill (20-6) vs. No. 6 Valor Christian (24-2), 7:15 p.m.
Class 4A boys, Friday No. 1 Kent Denver (24-2) vs. No. 5 Colorado Academy (21-5), 12:45 p.m. No. 2 Resurrection Christian (24-2) vs. No. 3 Lutheran (23-3), 4 p.m.
Class 4A girls, Friday No. 1 Holy Family (24-2) vs. No. 4 Resurrection Christian (23-3), 2:15 p.m. No. 2 D’Evelyn (23-3) vs. No. 3 Riverdale Ridge (23-3), 11 a.m.
Years ago, Chauncey Billups carved out his place as a Colorado prep basketball legend. Later, at the University and in the NBA, he gained fame as “Mr. Big Shot.”
Well, move over Mr. Billups, and make some room for Ms. Big Shot.
That would be Valor Christian junior point guard Quinn VanSickle, who poured in 33 points and made her presence felt in nearly every key moment of the Eagles’ 71-59 win over Cherokee Trail in Thursday’s Class 6A state girls basketball Final Four matchup at the Denver Coliseum.
“Quinn is a big shot type of kid and she rises to the occasion in key moments,” said Valor coach Jessika Caldwell. “I knew she was a little bit disappointed in how she played in the last round, so she hit the gym early, every day, and worked on her shooting.”
No. 4 Valor (22-4), seeking its first state title since 2021, will play for the championship at 1:15 p.m. Saturday against the winner of Thursday night’s late semifinal between No. 7 Regis Jesuit (19-7) and No. 3 Legend (24-2).
“I do want the ball,” said VanSickle, who has scholarship offers from Marquette and Utah State, among others, but hasn’t committed yet. “It comes down to hard work and all of the hours I put in. And so much of it comes from my faith in God.”
Quinn played all 32 minutes, shot 9 of 18 from the field (including 5 of 12 from 3-point range), made 10 of 11 free throws, handed out four assists and had six steals. She was everywhere, all at once.
She had to be because junior guard Rylie Beers went down with a left knee injury in the second half and didn’t return. Caldwell didn’t know the extent of Beers’ injury, but said, “It doesn’t look promising.” Beers, who scored seven points, was in tears at the end of the game as she congratulated her teammates.
Cherokee Trail was led by junior forward Delainey Miller’s 21-point, six-rebound performance. Her powerful inside game caused major problems for Valor, especially in the second quarter when the Cougars outscored Valor to take a 33-27 lead. But VanSickle kept the Eagles in the game and she had 26 points by the end of three quarters when the Eagles carved out a 50-48 lead entering the final frame.
Valor was excellent from the foul line — making 24 of 30 shots — and also got a big game from sophomore Peyton Jones, who scored 13 points.
The Valor Christian Eagles, lead by Quinn VanSickle (11), right, celebrate their victory over the against the Cherokee Trail Cougars to win the 6A girls Colorado state high school Final Four game 71-59 at the Denver Coliseum in Denver on Thursday, March 07, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
The Eagles soared to start the game. Behind VanSickle’s eight points — including two 3-pointers — the Eagles jumped out to an early 8-2 lead, but the Cougars worked the boards and their tight defense kept them in it. After one quarter, Valor’s lead had shrunk to 13-10.
The Cougars, paced by junior Miller’s physical play, seemed to be on the verge of taking control several times but Valor had an answer every time it needed it.
The top-seeded Cougars, who saw their season end with a 24-3 record, also got an 18-point, six-rebound performance from senior Damara Allen in her final game.
Homeowners associations’ foreclosure filings on thousands of Coloradans’ houses over unpaid fines and fees have spurred fresh attempts by lawmakers to better regulate HOAs and metropolitan districts with the hope of preventing more people from losing their homes.
Lawmakers have introduced several reform bills that would restrict foreclosures from delinquent fees and require HOAs and metro districts to adopt written policies, enhance notifications to homeowners and add licensing requirements for professional managers. The legislation would also set regulations on how much homeowners can be charged. HOAs would be required to work with homeowners before beginning any foreclosure proceedings.
“As more Coloradans find themselves living in HOAs and metro districts, it is more important than ever that homeowners be protected from losing the largest asset they will ever invest in through unnecessary foreclosure,” said Rep. Iman Jodeh, an Aurora Democrat who is sponsoring two bills.
Homeowners associations in Colorado legally have the power to place liens on residents’ homes that supersede even those of the banks that hold their mortgages. An HOA can then sell a property to collect the money a resident owes — and the owner still would be left with mortgage debt and none of the equity they had built.
About half of Colorado residents live in communities overseen by an HOA.
The associations’ power drew more scrutiny in 2022 following media reports, including by The Denver Post, about the Master Homeowners Association for Green Valley Ranch in far-northeast Denver. That HOA filed nearly half of all HOA foreclosures in Denver the prior year.
Neighborhood residents who are Black, Asian or Latino said they sometimes weren’t notified of the fines or would continue to accrue new fees and interest even after resolving the violations. In some cases, residents didn’t even know their homes had been placed in foreclosure proceedings until someone showed up at their door and said they now owned the home.
The legislature passed a law in 2022 to protect homeowners from accumulating HOA fines and fees that they may not be aware of by requiring HOAs to provide written notice to residents, in their preferred language, about any violations. It also capped the fees HOAs could assess.
“We want to make sure people stay housed in Colorado”
But lawmakers say there is much more to be done for communities across metro Denver to limit HOA-driven foreclosures and protect homeowners from predatory or mismanaged companies.
“We’re fighting for homeowners,” said Rep. Naquetta Ricks, an Aurora Democrat, adding that this was especially important amid the state’s ongoing housing crisis. “We want to make sure people stay housed in Colorado.”
A statewide committee, the HOA Homeowners’ Rights Task Force, was charged with studying issues related to metro districts and HOAs, and its members recommended multiple areas of focus for the 2024 session. Lawmakers have incorporated at least two recommendations into new bills — creating an alternative dispute resolution process and addressing licensure of community association managers.
The task force is expected to release a final report by April 15.
The new bills introduced so far during the 2024 session include:
HB24-1267, which would require metro districts that conduct covenant enforcement like HOAs to adopt written policies on fines and fees and on governing disputes. It also would prevent the metro district from foreclosing on any lien because of delinquent fees.
HB24-1158, which would require changes to HOA notifications to owners on delinquent accounts and before lien foreclosures, and it would establish a minimum bid.
HB24-1337, which would limit a homeowner’s reimbursement of collection costs and attorney fees to 50% and prohibit an HOA from foreclosing on a lien until it has tried to serve an owner with a civil action within 180 days or obtained a personal judgement in a civil action. It also would prohibit the purchaser of a home in foreclosure from selling for 180 days, with the former owner having first priority of buying the home again.
HB24-1078, which would reestablish license requirements for HOA community association managers (a program that expired in July 2018).
So far, just two bills have been considered by committees. HB-1267 passed 10-0 in a House committee Wednesday, and no one spoke in opposition to the bill. Jodeh said she worked with metro districts when crafting the legislation.
HB-1078, the licensure bill, passed 8-3 in a House committee Feb. 14, eliciting support from homeowners who had faced HOA foreclosures and opposition from community management associations.
Vicki Souder, left, and Linda Wilson protest against foreclosures in front of the Master Homeowners Association for Green Valley Ranch offices on Friday, April 1, 2022. The HOA filed 50 foreclosures in 2021, nearly half the total of all HOA-initiated foreclosures in Denver that year. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)
Arvada Democratic Rep. Brianna Titone, a former HOA president, is one of the sponsors of the bill. The legislature passed a similar bill in 2019, but Gov. Jared Polis vetoed it. At the time, Polis’ office said he was concerned about costs to get licensed that would then be passed to consumers, even though a 2017 report from the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies recommended an extension, and a 2021 report also recommended regulation.
Titone said the new licensing bill would “make sure that people are educated about the law and make sure that no felons are getting involved in having full access to communities’ money.”
The bill would also ensure managers know how to do their jobs, Titone added, so that they don’t have to hire attorneys to help, costing residents even more money. And it would require companies to disclose relationships that include identifying whom they’re providing kickbacks to, she said.
The requirements would apply only to professional management companies, not employees directly hired by HOA boards.
“I’ve come here with licensing in 2019. I’ve come with licensing in 2022. And I’ve come with licensing today,” Titone said at the committee hearing, and “nobody has ever suggested an alternative. … They just say no. … You should ask yourself why they don’t want this. It’s because because they’re making a lot of money off of the backs of the people they work for and they’re hired by.”
Licensing bill draws opposition
Despite the bill’s similarity to the 2022 bill Titone worked on with Colorado’s Division of Real Estate, Deputy Director Eric Turner testified against the bill at the hearing, calling it “well-intentioned.” He said it “does not address the various issues about living in an HOA, imposes barriers to entry into the profession and increases costs for homeowners.”
John Kreger, who testified for Associa, the largest community management association in the country, jokingly said that “after the unflattering characterizations of our industry today, I feel compelled to assure the committee that on behalf of Associa and the hundreds of Coloradans we employ, we are not crooks or idiots.”
Kreger and other community association managers argued the bill would not be effective at protecting consumers but instead would just raise costs. Kreger said there wasn’t enough data to show a widespread problem, and any theft of funds or misuse should be handled within the criminal justice system.
Homeowners and nonprofit foreclosure attorneys have attended committee hearings to describe horror stories about themselves or their clients losing their homes over fines and fees from HOAs and metro districts, even if they’d never missed a mortgage payment.
Monica Villela, who lived in a Green Valley Ranch home with her family for 19 years, choked back tears at Wednesday’s hearing. She told lawmakers that during the COVID-19 pandemic, it became difficult to keep up with maintenance and HOA fees that ballooned.
Her family had never missed a mortgage payment and had never even refinanced their home, she said, but they didn’t have the money to pay the $8,000 in fees they owed or for an attorney to fight them.
They lost their home, just as her son would have started college.
“We no longer have that option,” she said. “Our family has honestly been deeply affected. It really hurts seeing my kids being depressed by this horrible situation. We have been hurt.”
She urged lawmakers to pass reforms “to keep families in their homes all across Colorado so we can keep our most holy possession: our homes.”
While a majority of the HOA and metro district legislation introduced at the Colorado statehouse this year centers around protecting homeowners, at least two bills aim to make processes easier on HOAs: HB24-1233 would reduce some of the requirements placed on HOAs when collecting delinquent payments, while HB24-1091 would allow HOAs to set standards for (though not prohibit) the use of fire-hardened building materials for fencing.
Polis’ office declined to comment on the specifics of pending HOA bills or to discuss the HOA task force’s recommendations. Spokesperson Shelby Weiman issued a statement that said his office would monitor the bills’ progress, adding that Polis commends lawmakers’ efforts to provide more flexibility for homeowners.
“Governor Polis believes that burdensome HOA policies shouldn’t be so restrictive that they reduce fire safety, drain individuals and families of their finances, or force people from a home they love over something like untrimmed grass,” she wrote.
After winning its first Continental League title and making its first appearance at the Denver Coliseum, Legend girls basketball isn’t done on its march toward ultimate history.
The Titans easily dispatched of Front Range League champion Horizon, 62-35, to open the Great 8 games on Thursday at the Denver Coliseum.
“We knew what we were capable of at the start of our season, but we didn’t know fully what we could do with our talent,” junior guard Maley Wilhelm said. “Now we do.”
Morgan Ives (2) of Horizon Hawks drives as Maley Wilhelm (5) of Legend Titans defends during the first half of a Colorado state high school basketball tournament Great 8 game at the Denver Coliseum on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
Legend used a dominant first quarter in which the Hawks didn’t score a field goal to take an early 11-2 lead, weathered a Horizon rally in the second quarter, and then pulled away in the second half. It was the Titans’ second win over Horizon this year after beating them 70-53 in a tournament at the beginning of the season.
Wilhelm’s three fast-break lay-ups on Titans’ steals was a turning point in the third quarter, and Wilhelm finished with a team-high 13 points. By the time junior guard Ava Gavi drained a pair of threes to start the final frame, Legend had the game in the bag, and Horizon never got close again.
“We had the intensity on defense, and we were pretty good on the glass today, but the one big, glaring weakness was not having composure on offense (in the second quarter),” Legend head coach Darren Pitzner said. “We played the second half with much more composure, and much more under control. You can’t come to the Coliseum and force tough shots. That’s Rule No. 1 coming here.”
Head coach Darren Pitzner of Legend Titans works against the Horizon Hawks during the first half of a Colorado state high school basketball tournament Great 8 game at the Denver Coliseum on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
Pitzner, in his first year as the Legend coach, is headed to his fifth Final Four. He also made school history at Green Mountain, leading the girls to their first three Final Four appearances there, and was an assistant coach on the 2017 Lakewood girls team that lost in the state championship game to Grandview.
The Titans (24-2) blew the doors off opponents for much of the season with a high-octane approach on offense while also placing a premium on defensive pressure. Their lone setbacks came via forfeit to Lutheran (due to a player eligibility issue) and on the road to No. 1 Cherokee Trail, 52-42 on Jan. 8.
The Cougars haven’t lost to an in-state team all season and appear to be the Class 6A championship favorite, but not if Legend has anything to say about it. The Titans’ win over Regis Jesuit in the Continental League championship on Feb. 16, 68-53, underscored the team’s belief it could make a deep tournament run.
Grace Stanley (3) of Legend Titans drives against the Horizon Hawks during the first half of a Colorado state high school basketball tournament Great 8 game at the Denver Coliseum on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
“The girls knew they could be in the mix, but we also knew we had to prove we could play with the top teams,” Pitzner said. “That’s where the Regis win was really big, because it showed we were in that top group.”
Gavi, the team’s top three-point threat at 39% coming in, started slow on Thursday before draining a pair of decisive threes in the fourth. She finished with 10 points, seven in the fourth, while senior forward Katie Lamb (a Fort Lewis commit) led the team with eight rebounds and five assists. Horizon was paced by 13 points from junior center Kaitlin Schumann.
“At halftime, my teammates came up to me and told me, ‘Don’t stop shooting,’” Gavi said. “‘We’re going to keep finding you.’ That’s what they did, and I finally hit them.”
The Titans, who play either Regis Jesuit or Cherry Creek in next week’s Final Four, aren’t satisfied after Thursday’s big win. Junior forward Mason Borcherding finished with nine points, while junior guard Aislyn Korella had seven in a balanced scoring effort.
“We’re ready to prove ourselves even more,” Borcherding said.
Diamondbacks 6, Rockies 2 Saturday at Salt River Fields
On the mound: Right-hander Noah Davis, competing for a spot in the back of the rotation, pitched two scoreless innings, allowing three hits, walking one and striking out three. Davis threw 40 pitches (with 23 strikes) while mixing in all five of his pitches. He said that his game plan going into his first Cactus League start was to work on all of his pitches — sinker, curve, cutter, slider and curveball. Manager Bud Black said he wants to see more pitch efficiency from Davis. … Lefty prospect Joe Rock had a rough two innings, yielding five runs (four earned) on four hits, with one walk, one strikeout and a wild pitch that allowed a run to score. He’s pegged as a starter in the minors to begin the season.
At the plate: Outfield prospect Yanquiel Fernandez, who boasts intriguing power, hit a 419-foot solo homer to right in the sixth inning off of lefty Andrew Saalfrank. Fernandez nearly hit another homer in the ninth but just got under the ball and lifted it to the right-field warning track.
Injury update: Starting third baseman Ryan McMahon made a nice play by diving and throwing out a runner at second base in the third inning, but stayed on the ground for a couple of minutes after tweaking his lower back. He stayed in the game, however, and got another at-bat. “It was just a small spasm and I waited for it to calm down,” McMahon said. “It’s fine now.”
Prospect watch: Right-hander Jaden Hill, who’s been converted from a starter to a reliever, threw a perfect seventh inning, striking out two. Hill’s hottest fastball was clocked at 99.2 mph.
Rockies 5, A’s 1 Saturday at Hohokam Stadium
Peter Lambert (20) of the Colorado Rockies works against the the Oakland A’s during Colorado’s 5-1 Spring Training win at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
On the mound: Right-hander Peter Lambert, the favorite to win the fifth spot in the rotation, pitched two scoreless innings, allowing no hits while walking two. … All told, seven Colorado pitchers combined to limit Oakland to three hits and two walks while striking out six.
At the plate: Michael Toglia, trying to stake his claim in the crowded position battle at first base/right field, hit a solo homer off Osvaldo Bido in the fourth. … Outfield prospect Jimmy Herron had two hits and drove in two runs.
Jimmy Herron dives towards second against the the Oakland A’s during Colorado’s 5-1 Spring Training win at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
Prospect watch: Infielder Aaron Schunk, who’s pegged to begin the season at Triple-A Albuquerque, hit 1-for-1 and scored a run.
Up next: Rockies at Brewers, 1:10 p.m. Sunday
Rockies probable pitchers: RHP Karl Kauffman, RHP Anthony Molina, RHP Justin Lawrence, RHP Chance Adams, RHP Riley Pint, RHP Matt Koch.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Nikola Jokic was in a rush to leave the building last Sunday after his sixth All-Star Game. His abbreviated version of a break was finally about to begin. But he made time for one of his biggest fans.
In the hallways beneath Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Jokic stopped to dap up Hall of Famer Bill Walton. The day before, during a public practice, Walton had sought out Jokic on the sideline to chat. Their interactions at All-Star weekend are becoming something of an annual tradition by now.
“Big man to big man,” Jokic said.
What does the 71-year-old Walton tell the Nuggets big man?
The same stuff he eagerly tells everyone else who’ll listen.
“His celebration of life through basketball, his focus on the team … he’s better than perfect. He’s Nikola Jokic,” Walton told The Denver Post. “He’s the best player in the world. I watch a lot of Denver Nuggets basketball, and every time I watch, I just get a smile on my face. It’s fantastic.”
Walton, a winner of two championships and an MVP during his celebrated but injury-shortened career, has long remained a fixture of the college and professional basketball communities. He is famous for his out-there analogies and asides while providing enthusiastic color commentary of Pac-12 games for ESPN, but he is especially moved by Jokic — so much that he’s practically a spokesman for the Serbian center. In the last year, he has raved about Jokic everywhere from The Pat McAfee Show to The New Yorker.
The admiration runs so deep that Walton needs to share it with Jokic directly, whenever possible. Whenever they’re face-to-face.
“Joy and happiness. And hope. And optimism. And purpose,” Walton said. “He plays with purpose. He plays to win the games. And he does it with beautiful style, grace, dignity, professionalism. Nikola Jokic represents the conquest of substance over hype.”
“He just told me (his) appreciation. Nice things about me,” Jokic told The Post. “I really appreciate it. Just a nice thing when a legend can talk to you. I think it’s amazing.”
As minor as their interactions might be, they’re also a window into a side of Jokic that is seldom highlighted: his respect for NBA history, particularly the Hall of Famers who dominated at the center position in the generations before him. Over the years, he has developed a mutually appreciative on-air relationship with Shaquille O’Neal, who attempts to say something in Serbian every time Jokic joins TNT’s Inside the NBA for a postgame interview.
Jokic has also grown increasingly introspective about his All-Star appearances. He said after making the team this season, “I will say to the guys in the locker room when I go there, it’s always a pleasure to be around them, in that group of people. It’s an honor and a legacy that me or the guys over there are going to appreciate when we’ve finished (our) career.”
Speaking of legacy: There’s a point Walton wants to make about Jokic’s.
Presented with the common notion that Jokic is one of the greatest passing big men of all time, Walton scoffed.
“He’s one of the great basketball players ever,” he said. “It’s a disservice to (Jokic) to limit him. He’s an incredible scorer. He’s a fantastic rebounder. He’s an incredible passer. He’s an incredible teammate. He has it all. Don’t try to limit him. Don’t try to box him in. Because with Nikola Jokic, there are no limits.”
Jokic emerged from his break (or lack thereof) by earning triple-doubles by the end of the third quarter in back-to-back games. He has shot 81.5% from the field in consecutive wins (including one over Walton’s Trail Blazers), averaging 25 points, 17 rebounds and 14.5 assists. He’s up to 122 career triple-doubles entering Sunday’s clash with Golden State.
And the Nuggets (38-19) are back within 1.5 games of first place in the West.
Consider Walton along for the ride from afar.
“You have the best basketball player in the world on your team, you’ve got an incredible fanbase, you’ve got a fantastic city, a great state, great community, great ownership in the Kroenke family,” he said. “And it’s a wonderful scenario.
“It’s a privileged opportunity to be a part of it as a fan and to see what (Jokic) and the team mean to the game of basketball. Because this team will inspire new generations of fans, of players, of business opportunities, of realization what a special place Colorado and Denver are. You know, Colorado, it’s the launching pad to the universe.”
INDIANAPOLIS — No matter how many All-Stars the NBA filed into a packed room Saturday to talk over one another in simultaneous news conferences, a silence reverberated loudest. Loud enough to be heard in at least a few of the questions.
The most significant absence in Indianapolis this weekend is the one that’s shaking up the 2023-24 MVP race.
Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid was the presumptive favorite until early February when he underwent surgery to repair his lateral meniscus. The left knee injury has rendered him ineligible to repeat as league MVP under new NBA policy, which requires players to appear in a minimum of 65 games to be considered for end-of-year awards such as MVP and All-NBA.
The procedure will sideline Embiid long enough that he almost definitively wouldn’t have won MVP even without the new rule. However, his situation has still sparked debate in league circles about whether or not the 65-game minimum should have been instituted in the first place. Why? Because there was wide speculation Embiid felt pressured to play through a pre-existing knee injury in order to maintain awards eligibility, especially after getting ridiculed for missing his fourth consecutive road game against the Nuggets — and MVP adversary Nikola Jokic — in late January.
Two games later, Embiid was back in the lineup when Golden State’s Jonathan Kuminga fell on his leg and caused the injury that required surgery.
Jokic is perversely positioned to benefit from Embiid’s unfortunate situation. The Nuggets center is the new betting favorite to win his third MVP in the last four years. But he takes no joy in that. He was asked about the 65-game rule Saturday during his media session at All-Star weekend.
“Definitely forcing players to play, even when they’re injured or whatever,” Jokic said. “But we saw what happened with Joel. … I don’t know. I just don’t like it, how it forces players to play even if they’re injured, if they want to achieve something.”
Arguments against the rule largely depend on the arbitrary nature of the league’s chosen number. No data-driven evidence was provided to explain why 65 makes more sense as a games-played minimum than, say, 67 — one more than the number of games Embiid played last year when he won MVP. In 2022-23, Jokic finished second in voting with 69 games played. Giannis Antetokounmpo was third with 63.
With the door wide open now, Jokic’s biggest challenger for the 2023-24 crown is his All-Star teammate, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Thunder guard, who ranks second in the league in scoring (31.1 points) and first in steals (2.2), wasn’t as quick to condemn the rule as Jokic was.
“I’m not too sure. I think no matter what, there’s like a fine line,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Like, when it comes down to it, there’s always a fine line in games played and availability. And I think the league has the right intention in trying to make that line a little bit bolder and easier to make a decision. Now, I try to be as available as I can every night, not only for that but just for the love of the game. But as far as how the rule goes, I don’t really have an opinion. I’m gonna try to be available for my team to win basketball games every night, and if I can’t be available, then I just can’t, and it is what it is.”
The last remark in Gilgeous-Alexander’s answer operates as a rebuttal to Jokic’s point: Players can and should be responsible for their own decision-making when their health is involved, regardless of what a rule incentivizes.
Beyond the MVP layer of the debate, Indiana All-Star Tyrese Haliburton has said recently that he felt rushed to return from an injury this season because his eligibility to sign a supermax contract depends on him making an All-NBA team. Boston’s Jaylen Brown, who signed a supermax last offseason after making his first All-NBA team, suggested lowering the minimum to around 58 games.
“Honestly, I do believe that if you win any type of award, I think you should have to play a significant amount of the season,” Brown said Saturday. “… But maybe 65 games might be a little too severe, you know?”
The total number of passengers involved in the crash is unknown, but three people were taken to the hospital, one with serious injuries, the post stated.
West Metro Fire Rescue crews responded to the scene.
While the Nuggets didn’t change their 18-man roster at the 2024 NBA trade deadline, other contenders around the league made a variety of moves — mostly on the margins — in an effort to steal the throne from Denver.
From the view at altitude, here are the winners and losers of the deadline:
Winner: New York Knicks
The leader of every other winners-and-losers think-piece is the leader of this one, too. New York landed Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks on deadline day at relatively low cost, but the Nuggets already got a close-up view of the new Knicks when O.G. Anunoby registered six steals against them at MSG. With Milwaukee reeling and Philadelphia hedging after Joel Embiid’s injury (Buddy Hield was a solid middle-ground acquisition), New York suddenly transformed into the most proactive win-now team in the East this deadline.
Loser: Dallas Mavericks
In arguably the highest-profile trade on actual deadline day, Dallas overpaid for P.J. Washington, whose 13.6 points per game felt somewhat like empty calories in Charlotte. The trade was simultaneously an admission of failure in the Grant Williams Experiment and a brand-new roll of the dice. More importantly, the Mavericks did what the Knicks avoided: They traded a precious first-round pick (2027). Future: mortgaged. Draft assets are close to extinct now for Dallas, a franchise throwing darts at the wall and hoping one will stick before it’s too late to salvage and extend the Luka Doncic era.
Winner: Boston Celtics
Is Xavier Tillman going to be a significant role player in Joe Mazzulla’s playoff rotation? Probably not. Will the Celtics feel a lot more comfortable having an affordable, playable backup big ready to aid the injury-prone Kristaps Porzingis and aging Al Horford? Absolutely. Especially if they’re dealing with six or seven games of Nikola Jokic. This was a depth move that felt tailored to fit a Nuggets NBA Finals matchup, but it cost Boston only two second-round picks to add a salary under $2 million.
Loser: Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder should have done what Boston did. Don’t get me wrong: Gordon Hayward seems like an outstanding veteran addition to a young team. A lot of teams would have pursued him if Charlotte had bought out his contract. But Oklahoma City’s biggest need still hasn’t been addressed. Back in October, I asked Michael Porter Jr. for his first impressions of Chet Holmgren after Denver won in OKC. “I think he’s very, very talented,” Porter said. “To me, he’s more of a four.” Holmgren, who has an even more injury-prone body type than Porzingis and already missed all of last season, is the Thunder’s starting five. Sophomore charge-taking specialist Jaylin Williams (6-foot-9) backs him up. The center position runs dry from there. For a team so small and with a rebounding weakness (No. 27 in the league), it seems neglectful not to dip into a horde of 10,000 picks and add a more traditional five to at least deploy in bench lineups. Without reinforcements, Holmgren is susceptible to getting worn down by Jokic in a long series.
Winner: Monte Morris
Congratulations to one former Nuggets backup point guard, who moved from the league’s most puzzling team (Detroit) to a Western Conference title contender. Smart trade for the Timberwolves, who needed more offense to support their top-rated defense. Minnesota’s two most common lineups involving point guard Mike Conley have net ratings of 9.6 and 7.6, respectively, in 635 combined minutes. The most common lineup without Conley on the floor is a minus-5.1 in 127 minutes (a lineup including Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns), and second-most common without Conley is a modest 4.9 in 100 minutes (using all four starters except him). Morris supplies 3-point shooting and an upgrade in turnover prevention for an offense that’s third-worst in the NBA at protecting the ball in clutch time.
Loser: Bruce Brown
Pour one out for a different former Nuggets backup point guard. Brown did the Reverse Morris three weeks ago, getting traded from a young playoff-caliber core in Indianapolis to a losing team. But the league-wide expectation was that Toronto would flip Brown. There was a market for his versatility and recent championship experience. So he waited and waited, until the deadline passed Thursday, leaving him temporarily stranded in Canada. Brown was just one bullet point on a list of head-scratching decisions by the Raptors, also including their forfeiture of a 2024 first-round pick among other assets for Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji.
Winner: The NFL
The most lopsided final score of the 2024 sports calendar so far: Super Bowl week vs. NBA trade deadline week. The NFL needn’t worry about its biggest build-up of the season getting hijacked by the NBA thanks to the latter’s new collective bargaining agreement. This was the most boring trade deadline in recent memory. The two biggest deals occurred in January. The biggest surprises were the players who didn’t get traded. Football kept a firm grasp on media attention.
Loser: Hourglass emojis
Is nothing sacred? When LeBron James drops a cryptic social media post and his team doesn’t move heaven and earth for him, that’s when you know it’s an underwhelming trade deadline. The hourglass emoji turned out to be a symbol for NBA fans’ feelings as they refreshed Twitter on Thursday. Among the notable teams to stand pat: Nuggets, Clippers, Lakers, Warriors, Pelicans, Kings, Cavaliers, Magic and Hawks. That encompasses a decent chunk of the Western Conference playoff picture, perhaps an encouraging sign that the rest of the league isn’t catching up with Denver at an alarming pace. Nonetheless, LeBron’s hourglass emoji, and yours, was unfulfilled.
Why the Buffs won: They were incredibly unselfish, posting 32 assists on 36 buckets and were stellar on defense, holding the Ducks to 32.8% shooting.
Three stars:
1. Maddie Nolan: She scored a season-high 19 points, hitting 5-of-9 from 3-point range, while also having a season-high six assists and adding four rebounds.
2. Quay Miller: Posted yet another double-double, with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
3. Jaylyn Sherrod: Finished with six points, six assists, three rebounds and two steals.
Up next: Colorado will host No. 17 Oregon State on Sunday at noon at the CU Events Center.
Maddie Nolan yelled and pumped her fist after another bucket by the Colorado Buffaloes, but while she was the leading scorer on Friday night, this celebration came after one of her passes resulted in points for someone else.
The unselfish nature of the No. 4-ranked CU women’s basketball team was on full display Friday as it raced past Oregon, 90-57, at the CU Events Center.
“I think everyone is buying into that idea of sharing the ball until we find the best team shot,” CU head coach JR Payne said.
It happened a lot on Friday. Nolan had a season-high 19 points but also a season-high six assists. That was part of an eye-popping 32 assists on 36 baskets for the Buffs (20-3, 10-2 Pac-12), who continue to sit atop the conference standings after sweeping the regular season set from the Ducks (11-13, 2-9) for the first time in 11 years.
“Really proud of our preparation all week long,” Payne said. “I thought our team, we’re striking a great balance of focus, keeping things light, making sure we’re prepared. We were in a really good place tonight.
“It thought we played like we’re feeling really good.”
The Buffs posted just the 15th 30-assist game in program history, but only the second since the mid-1990s. Their 32 assists were the most in a game since recording 35 against St. Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 28, 1994.
CU had 19 of those in the first half, setting a school record for assists in a half. By the time the final buzzer sounded, eight different Buffs had assists, led by Kindyll Wetta’s seven. Jaylyn Sherrod matched Nolan’s six, while Frida Formann had five.
True to the Buffs’ nature, they genuinely seemed to enjoy each of those 32 dimes.
“Because we know we’re going to make the shots,” forward Quay Miller said when asked why the Buffs get so much joy out of assists. “And if we’re not going to make it, we know we’re going to get the rebound.”
That was certainly the case on Friday. Miller, who had three assists, posted yet another double-double, with 12 points and 11 rebounds. The Buffs outrebounded the Ducks 46-31 and outscored them in the paint 40-14.
Formann and Vonleh also had 12 points, while Tameiya Sadler had 11.
Among all of the stellar numbers, Nolan’s might have been the most impressive. The Michigan transfer began to cook midway through the second quarter.
CU led just 31-24 and Nolan had yet to hit a field goal before she drained her first of five 3-pointers with 5:25 to play in the first half. In the last 65 seconds of the half, she hit three 3s in a row, turning a nine-point lead into an 18-point advantage, 49-31, at intermission.
The Buffs never looked back from there.
Colorado Jaylyn Sherrod passes off against Oregon in Pac-12 basketball in Boulder on Feb. 9, 2024.(Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)
“I was just joking with JR, her son comes out and contests me during warmups. He needs to do that every game,” Nolan said.
“I thought my teammates did a really good job of finding me.”
Of course they did. It’s because the Buffs are at their best – and have their most fun – when they’re sharing the ball. And Friday was a fun game for the Buffs, who have their best 23-game start to a season since the 1994-95 team was 21-2 at this stage.
“I know what this team is capable of, so I expect this of us,” Miller said. “We’re having a lot of fun. Obviously winning is fun always. Because we’re playing such good basketball, everyone is good.”
Colorado civil rights attorney Kevin Williams died this week after 26 years of fighting to improve the lives of people with disabilities. He was 57.
Williams died Tuesday after a short illness, according to colleagues at the Denver-based Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, where he launched the legal program in 1997 upon graduation from law school.
A quadriplegic paralyzed from his chest down following a car crash at age 19, Williams steadily increased access for disabled people by filing lawsuits — pressing for enforcement under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act and the Fair Housing Act.
He began this work as a third-year law student at the University of Denver. Shortly before his graduation, he sued his law school. The issue was compliance with the ADA. He prevailed, leading to required improvements, including a wheelchair-accessible graduation venue.
Often serving as the plaintiff, Williams repeated that feat again and again, expanding access for Coloradans with disabilities in stores, restaurants, public transit systems, theaters, arenas and travel pathways around the state. For example, his litigation compelled the operators of Red Rocks Amphitheatre to provide accessible parking, seating and ticketing.
He also led other lawyers into disability rights work.
Williams grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland. He made Colorado his home in 1990, the year President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA into law. He enjoyed drives in the mountains, attending concerts and visiting local breweries and distilleries.
Friends this week remembered him as passionate in his pursuit of civil rights.
“Kevin was contemplative, thorough and certain not to leave any stone unturned, especially in litigation,” said Andrew Montoya, who worked in the coalition’s legal program as an assistant and then was inspired to attend law school.
“Even seemingly mundane legal issues could occupy hours of lively discussion ranging from interpretive case law to contemporary and historical politics to litigation strategy to the meaning of life, and back again,” Montoya said. “His passion for civil rights, both in general and specifically those of people with disabilities, clearly animated his work, both in the courtroom and in the rest of the world.”
He also had a knack for making light of difficulties. Friends recalled his adaptation of the Beatles’ “Let It Be” — a rendition that he titled “Let Us Pee.” (“When I find myself in times of trouble; The bathroom door is two-foot-three; Whisper words of wisdom; Let us pee, let us pee.”
“He was intense, passionate, focused and very analytical. What kept him motivated was seeing people with disabilities face discrimination and knowing that the laws that are supposed to protect us are being violated,” said Julie Reiskin, co-executive director of the coalition.
“What bothered him was the blatant violation of the law, especially by those who should know better, such as courts and lawyers that made excuses rather than working to fix the problem.”
