by Bill DiFilippo / @bflip33
The Colorado Buffaloes have been one of college basketball’s biggest surprises this year. The team is currently sitting at 14-3 and are 21st in the AP Top 25.
However, the team suffered two major losses in the last 24 hours in do-everything guard Spencer Dinwiddie and freshman guard/forward Tre’shaun Fletcher. Both players suffered serious knee injuries that will keep them out for an extended period of time.
Dinwiddie is leading the Buffaloes—who are 3-1 in Pac 12 play this season—in points (14.7) and assists (3.8) per game. He suffered an ACL tear on Sunday, when the Buffaloes lost 71-54 against Washington. The junior guard will miss the remainder of the season.
While Fletcher isn’t as big of a loss as Dinwiddie—he only averages 3.5 points in 10 minutes a game—the three-star freshman recruit will miss the next 6-8 weeks. He suffered an injury in the same game that will require surgery, however, Colorado coach Tad Boyle has said that the injury is not ACL related.
From The Denver Post:
“This is part of athletics,” Boyle said of the injuries. “No matter what sport, everybody goes through it. Right now, we’re down two guys — two athletic, long, good basketball players.
“We’re all challenged. Our coaches are challenged. Our players are challenged and our fans are challenged. We’re going to need (the home crowd’s) energy.”
Colorado suffered its first serious injuries of the season within a span of less than two minutes in Seattle when Dinwiddie and Fletcher went down late in the first half of what would become a 71-54 loss to the Huskies.
Freshman Jaron Hopkins, who averages 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds a night, will replace Dinwiddie in the Buffaloes’ starting lineup.
