Welcome To Classic CU

Mike Coleman's career-best 23 points led CU over USC. Coleman, a junior, would go on to average a solid 11.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in 1968-69.

Story by Dan Creedon
Boulder Daily Camera
(December 3, 1968)

BOULDER -- A year ago as a sophomore, Colorado’s Mike Coleman, a 6-foot-5 forward with a world of moves underneath, had to fight the battle up front all by himself.

After an auspicious start (67 points and 57 rebounds in the Buffs’ first five games), the Grand Rapids, Mich., product slipped downhill gradually as Big Eight teams, aware CU had no other scoring threat inside, concentrated on him.

Midway through the year Coleman lost his starting job. Later on he even failed to make the traveling squad for one trip. He was anything but a happy sophomore when the season ended.

Coleman Leads Scorers

But this is a new year, and Coleman appears determined to wipe away the unhappy sophomore campaign. He came off the bench Monday night to drill a career high 23 points against nationally ranked Southern California and spark CU to a 74-54 victory it its home opener.

“Everything is different this year,” Coleman offered after the impressive victory. “We’re a good team now. We play together. It’s easy with a guy like Cliff (6-foot-7 sophomore forward Cliff Meely) out there to help you,” he added as the big rookie dressed near by. “It feels good to win and we want to keep it up. We have a good, hardnosed zone (defense). This is going to help us.”

Coleman, always extremely strong in the upper part of his body, is even stronger this year after putting on about 20 pounds. He’s up to 208 now. The added weight isn’t hurting him underneath. In a 9-for-12 shooting performance from the field, easily the best of his CU career, Coleman had eight drive-in shots, many of them on plays where he had to muscle his way up to the basket. He also showed 5-for-6 accuracy at the free-throw line and seven rebounds.

Coleman, though, wasn’t the whole show as the Buffs gained their second win of the young season before a delighted and noisy home crowd of 5,400 in the CU Fieldhouse.

Sophs make Contribution

Meely, one of the guys who has made it easier for Coleman up front this winter, had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomores Ron Smith and Dudley Mitchell, a real Mull and Jeff combination, each had 10 points. Smith, the Herd’s 7-foot-2 center, also had 11 rebounds and five blocked shots. Four of Mitchell’s points came on a pair of corner jump shots late in the second half, after having trailed by 12 earlier.

Although he didn’t match his opening game point output of 16, junior guard Gordon Tope again flawlessly directed the CU attack. The Buffs had only three turnovers in the first half, for instance, when they were building a 16-point lead, 37-21. When the Trojans pressed in the second half, it was Tope who beat the pressure tactics with his dribbling and passing.

More than anything else, however, it was the zone Coleman talked about that was probably responsible for the 20-point win. USC was unable to crack the tough 1-3-1 combination for many close-in shots, and the results was a frigid 26.9 per cent shooting effort from the field for the Trojans.

Ron Taylor, USC’s 7-foot-1 center who had tallied 29 points in his team’s 95-86 loss at Brigham Young Saturday night, got only five shots against the CU defense. He seemed to lose much of his confidence early when Smith batted away his third shot of the evening. Charged with a fourth personal foul just 1:16 before halftime, Taylor was used only sparingly in the last 20 minutes. He fouled out with 4:32 remaining, winding up the evening with just nine points and a like number of rebounds.

Monday’s game was tied five times in the early going, for the last time at 17-17 with 6:37 left in the half after the Trojans’ Steve Jennings hit a jumper from the side.

Tope, taking an assist pass from Meely, turned a layup into a 3-point play 5:35 ahead of the intermission and CU was in front to stay at 20-17. With Coleman driving in for a pair of baskets and adding four free throws in as many attempts. The CU lead ballooned to 16 points, 37-21, at halftime.

The junior forward hit three more drive shots in the first 2:12 of the second half and the Buffs spurted in front by 19 at 44-25.

USC Rallies

With Jennings and his running mate in the backcourt, Mac Calvin, sparking a USC rally, the Trojans closed to within nine points, 54-45, as CU was able to net only three field goals in the next eight minutes.

But Mitchell’s two jumpers, a pair of 15-footers by Meely and a layup by Coleman steadied the Buffs in the next four minutes and the Herd’s lead was back to 13 with 5:29 to go, 60-47.

When Walseth replaced his regulars with 57 seconds left, Colorado was ahead 68-52. The reserves ran the final margin up to 20 points.

Quick Departure

Five players fouled out during the lengthy second-half, including the Buffs’ sophomore forward, Tim Wedgeworth, who amazingly drew four personal fouls in a 29-second stretch midway through it. The early departure, with 11:23 left, capped a frustrating evening for Wedgeworth, who had edged out Coleman for a starting berth against the 18th-ranked (by United Press International) Trojans on the strength of a brilliant opening day performance against Air Force Academy. Wedgeworth failed to score against USC.

Calvin led USC point-makers with 13. He was the lone Trojan in double figures.

Colorado is now idle until Thursday when it begins a 3-game road trip at Texas Tech.