CU Buffs's Kansas loss lets Jayhawks Nation know that Boulder's on the rise (VIDEO)

Marcus Relphorde.

After Colorado beat Kansas State, we declared the team CU's best since Chauncey Billups's glory days. Of course, Kansas is a considerably tougher opponent than Kansas State, and the Buffs weren't able to top the Jayhawks last night. But even those who don't believe there's such a thing as a moral victory would have to admit that Colorado's 82-78 loss to the powerhouse to the east marks another step in the Buffs' evolution. And Coach Tad Boyle agrees.

The Buffs shouldn't have been able to make the Jayhawks sweat. They're undersized and less athletically gifted in most respects: KU's Morris twins are glorious freaks of nature. But Boyle has the likes of Alec Burks (who scored 25), Marcus Relphorde and the rest of their mates believing that sheer want-to can overcome a myriad of obstacles. And indeed, the Buffs never let the Jayhawks stretch out to the sort of comfortable lead that tends to grow throughout the second half. The contest was still in doubt up until the final moments.

Afterward, in comments on view below, Boyle (accurately) called the scrap a great college basketball game and noted that even though the final score showed CU on the stick's short end, his guys deserved to be proud of their effort. "When you're a basketball coach, you just want to see improvement," Boyle said, "and I think we stepped forward tonight."

Hell yes they did. See Boyle speak for himself below.

More from our Sports archive: "Carmelo Anthony trade: Chauncey Billups likely to stay, Nugs will probably get squat for Melo."