Just before the second round of the Colorado NCAA men’s basketball tournament against Florida State on Monday, coach Tad Boyle started receiving alerts on his phone about the mass shooting at a Boulder grocery store that killed 10 people, including one cop.
When the Buffaloes were informed, the details were still unclear and Boyle decided not to discuss this with the team, although he assumed that many of them were receiving messages from his home and knew as much as he did.
After Colorado’s 71-53 defeat at the end of the season, Boyle said the events weighed heavily on his mind overnight, and that his heart felt sorry for the families who lost loved ones in the tragedy.
“It puts basketball in its place,” said Boyle. “Winning or losing tonight, I just felt an emptiness in my stomach. Another act of senseless violence that we experience as a country many, many times. “
Colorado senior guard McKinley Wright, who played his last game in college, said the shot was on his mind during the game.
“I feel bad, so terrible for the families that were affected by what happened in Boulder,” he said. “Today people are so involved and even us, as players, for playing this game, and it is a privilege to play this game. we have to realize that life outside basketball is real, and a lot of people have lost relatives today and that sucks, man.
“Where I come from (near Minneapolis), it happens often and I see it a lot, and I’m just hurt and devastated by them, as families, for having to experience it.”
Boyle said he discussed with his technical assistants when talking about the pitches and decided to wait until after the game, because the team’s mentality can be fragile under the best circumstances – and they would have to play regardless of what happened.
“It gives the game a basketball perspective. This gives the perspective of the NCAA Tournament, ”he said. “I am very grateful that we are playing this tournament and this group had a chance to play basketball. They love the game and sacrificed themselves, and I knew that when that game was over, it would all be a matter of perspective, win or lose …
“We need to find a way to stop these things. I don’t know the answer. We just have to find a way.”
Follow reporter Dan Wolken on Twitter @DanWolken
This article was originally published in USA TODAY: The mass shooting in Colorado weighs heavily on the Buffaloes coach and players