Boyle Named National Coach of the Week

BOULDER - University of Colorado men's basketball head coach Tad Boyle was named National Coach of the Week by The Hoops Report in its weekly awards for the week of January 10-16, 2011.

The Buffaloes (14-4) have won seven straight and their first three Big 12 Conference games for the first time since the 1996-97 conference season.

Entering this week's play, CU is receiving votes in both national polls, they are 30th in the Associated Press Poll with 78 votes; 32nd overall in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll with 23 votes.

After CU upset then-No. 9/8 Missouri to open the conference slate, the Buffs added two more victories during the week defeating then-No. 21/20 Kansas State on the road, 74-66, and followed with a 75-71 triumph over Oklahoma State in Boulder.

In the win over the Wildcats, senior guard Levi Knutson came off the bench to score a team-high 20 points and the Buffs shot 50 percent from the field, including 8-of-12 from 3-point range to win at Manhattan for the first time since the 2005-06 season.

CU followed with a 75-71 home win over Oklahoma State last Saturday. Senior guard Cory Higgins scored a game-high 23 points with a trio of 3-pointers rallying CU from a 12-point second half deficit.  Sophomore guard Alec Burks chipped-in with 20 points.

The Buffs shot a season-low 37.5 percent from the field, however made 34-of-39 free throws.

Boyle becomes the first CU head coach since Henry Iba (1933-34) to win his first three conference games.