Colorado
Georgia Tech Officially Announces The Addition of Colorado Transfer Luke O’Brien
Georgia Tech had already announced the addition of one big time transfer (Oklahoma guard Javian McCollum) this spring, but they announced their other big addition today, Colorado transfer Luke O’Brien.
OāBrien has played 111 games in his college career, and the Buffaloes earned bids to the NCAA Tournament and NIT twice each during his career. He helped lead Colorado to a school-record 26 wins in 2023-24, advancing to the championship game of the Pac-12 Tournament and earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament. He played in 35 games, starting 19, including the final 10 of the season.
āLuke brings good experience and shooting to our team,ā said Tech head coach Damon Stoudamire. āHeās played in the NCAA tournament and knows what it takes to compete and win at a high level. His leadership will be invaluable as we go into the 2024-25 season.ā
The Littleton, Colo., native averaged career bests in points (6.7) and rebounds (3.8), while connecting on 45.6 percent of his shots from the floor, 37.6 percent from three-point range and 65.8 percent from the foul line. OāBrien scored in double digits 10 times, two of those against Pac-12 teams and one in Coloradoās second-round NCAA Tournament win over Florida, when he went 5-for-5 from the floor and scored 12 points. After the season, OāBrien was awarded the teamās Tebo P.A.S.S. Award, given to the player who best exemplifies the virtues of Perseverance, Attitude, Selflessness and Success.
As a junior, OāBrien led the Colorado team in total rebounds (185) with his 5.6 average ranking second. He topped the Buffaloes in rebounds 12 times, including 10 of the final 15 games of the season. He started 10 games, including seven of the last 10. He averaged 9.0 points and 8.0 rebounds over the teamās final seven games.
OāBrien is the second transfer to commit to the Yellow Jackets, joining 6-2 guard Javian McCollum from Oklahoma. They join a team bolstered by a recruiting class that has been rated the 12th-best in the nation with high school prospects Cole Kirouac, a 6-11 center from Cumming, Ga., who attended Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., his senior year, Jaeden Mustaf of Bowie, Md., a 6-4 guard who also attended Overtime Elite, Doryan Onwuchekwa, a 6-11 center from DeSoto, Texas who attended Faith Family Academy of Oak Cliff, and Darrion Sutton, a 6-8 forward from St. Louis, Mo., who attends Overtime Elite in Atlanta (All Stats and Info Courtesy Of Georgia Tech Athletics).
Colorado
Colorado wildfire in August sparked by manās attempt to cremate his dog, authorities say
A wildfire that tore through more than 7,000 acres in western Colorado in early August was sparked by a manās attempt to cremate his dead dog, according to wildfire investigators.
Brent Scott Garber, the alleged arsonist responsible for the costly Bucktail Fire, was arrested earlier this month, according to the Montrose County Sheriffās Office. He was charged with arson and trespassing, according to court documents.
Garber had been identified as a suspect early on in the investigation after a local commander with the sheriffās office spotted him driving an ATV away from the fire just minutes after it was reported, the Montrose Daily Press reported. Garber also lived in a camper near the fireās origin, according to the arrest affidavit.
Colorado fire investigators parsing through the fireās starting point discovered the partially burned body of a dog near a large rock reading āOct. 2017 ā July 2024, Rocket Dog, Rest In Peace Buddy.ā There was a bone glued to the makeshift headstone just below the epitaph.
Rocket was owned by Garber and euthanized under a judgeās orders after getting into a fight with another dog, according to the arrest affidavit.
The affidavit claimed that Garber lost control during Rocketās sendoff when he threw a spray can into the flames, which scattered the blaze and lit a tree on fire, according to court records.
The fire only spread from there, but was largely extinguished by rainfall, according to the Montrose Count Sheriffās Office. Even with the well-timed weather, the fire only reached 83% containment and would take over a week to fully extinguish.
Garber will face his preliminary demand hearing on Oct. 23.
The Bucktail Fire was one of the largest wildfires in Colorado this year and caused around $300,000 in damage, burning across nearly 11 square miles.
With Post Wires
Colorado
‘Experienced’ Climber Identified After 400-foot Fall While Hiking in Colorado
A routine hiking trip turned into tragedy as a New York native fell 400-feet to his death while in Colorado, per local authorities.
Noted ‘experienced’ hiker Herbert “Hal” Wise was on a solo trip to the Rock of Ages Trail on Wilson Peak when he fell.
By the time that the first rescuers made their way to Wise, it was clear that he was already gone.
The 53-year-old Rochester, NY native succumbed to a head injury that he suffered from the impact his fall. Another climber saw the fall and made the 911 call, per the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office.
“The victim was recovered and transferred to the San Miguel County Coroner. The four hour mission was conducted with the assistance of Highland Helicopter out of Durango. The San Miguel Sheriffās Office and SAR extend our deepest sympathies to the victim’s family,” said the office in a Facebook post.
His obituary noted that he was a very active mountain climber and had climbed all 46 Adirondack peaks as well as numerous other mountains.
Moments like these are important to take as a warning that no matter how experienced and skilled of a climber you are, something unexpected can happen. It is important to take as many safety precautions as possible.
The Rock of Ages trail is the most popular route taken by those trying to climb Wilson Peak, which is where Wise was trying to get to. It also leads through Mount Wilson and the El Diente Peak.
Wilson Peak is in the Lizard Head Wilderness and is the highest point in all of San Miguel County, making it easy to see why an avid climber would be interested in such a journey.
Even though it is the easiest way to get to the peak, Rock of Ages is still considered to be a very challenging climb. There is frequently ice and snow that can cause a little bit of uneasiness.
Visitors are encouraged to bring spikes along with them to make it a little bit easier and safer near the top.
It’s fairly uncommon to run into many other climbers on a trip, so the other climber seeing it and helping him be found so quickly was a lucky development.
Colorado
‘Say it again’: Deion Sanders revels in Colorado’s 4-1 start after big win over UCF
Matt Leinart talks Reggie Bush and NIL in college sports
Matt Leinart discusses Reggie Bush’s lawsuit against the NCAA and how the NIL is sweeping colleges of the nation.
Sports Seriously
This story was updated to add a photo.
ORLANDO, Fla. ā Travis Hunter wore custom-made football cleats in Saturday nightās game against Central Florida ā a pair of gold-colored shoes with a graphic on them depicting the mountains and trees of Boulder, Colorado.
They had quite a night. First he scored a 23-yard touchdown in them in the first quarter. Then he made an interception and flashed the Heisman Trophy pose in them in the third quarter. After his Colorado team won the game, 48-21, Coloradoās two-way superstar even took those cleats off his feet and gave them to somebody in the stands here at FBC Mortgage Stadium.
āThatās who he is, man,ā Colorado football coach Deion Sanders said of Hunterās big night.
By the time it was over, Hunter had caught nine passes for 89 yards and a touchdown, snagged one interception, broke up one other opposing pass attempt and recorded two tackles before walking back to the locker room in his socks.
Mr. Everywhere had done it again.
But this time was different.
Why was this win different for Travis Hunter and Deion Sanders?
Hunterās team also rose to the occasion around him to play what might be its best all-around game in Sandersā two seasons as head coach.
It also came on a homecoming of sorts for both Sanders and Hunter, both Florida natives coming home to lead the Buffaloes (4-1) to their third straight win.
āI canāt even tell you how emotional I am about these young men and seeing what they could do when they put it all together and seeing what weāre capable of when we put it all together,ā Sanders said afterward.
The win effectively puts the Big 12 Conference on notice. The Buffs are hot, on the move and might even come close to cracking the national Top 25. The Buffs led 27-14 at halftime and held the nationās No. 1 rushing offense to 177 rushing yards, nearly 200 under UCFās season average before Saturday.
Hereās how they did it Saturday and what it means:
What did Deion Sanders say about win?
He was in a playful mood after a warm, humid game that started about 50 minutes late because of lightning in the area. He poked fun of Hunter, who is known to wear onesie pajamas and doesnāt always like talking to the news media after games.
āKnowing Travis, he aināt coming,ā Sanders said at the postgame news conference. āHeās probably on the bus with a onesie on.ā
Sanders also poked fun of his quarterback son Shedeur, who threw an interception on the gameās opening drive before leading the Buffs on scoring drives in six of their next seven possessions in front of an announced sellout crowd of 45,702 at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Shedeur Sanders completed 28 of 35 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns. He added three carries for 28 yards and was only sacked twice despite the loss of a starting guard to injury this week. Ā
āCāmon Grown, they want to ask you about the interception,ā Deion Sanders said to his son as the quarterback entered the post-game news conference.
Thatās what Sanders calls Shedeur: āGrownā ā as in mature beyond his years.
Shedeur Sanders showed it by settling down after the initial turnover and letting his running game take some pressure off of him for a change. The Buffs compiled 128 rushing yards on 29 carries, led by 39 from running back Isaiah Augustave, a native of Naples, Florida.
āWe got outcoached,ā UCF head coach Gus Malzahn said. āWe got outplayed.ā
UCF gave up two interceptions and two fumbles to Colorado, including one that was returned 95 yards by safety CamāRon Silmon-Craig for the final touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter.
What did Shedeur Sanders say afterward?
He was asked how he stays focused amid the hype and all the football legends that come to see him and his father at games. On Saturday, Cam Newton, the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner, greeted him before the game. Hall of Fame receivers Michael Irvin and Terrell Owens watched him from the Colorado sideline, too.
So how does he do it? Shedeur Sanders answered by saying he collects personal slights, either real or imagined. He said he remembers being described as ājust an HBCU kid who couldnāt do it at the Power 5 level,ā referring to Jackson State, a historically Black college where he played in 2022 before transferringĀ to Colorado last year.
āI donāt forget anything,ā Sanders said. āI donāt forget what anybody ever said, and personally Iām not one to make friends or feel like just because success is going on, now Iām going to forgive everybody. Nah, whatever you said at any point in time, Iām not really a forgiving type.ā
That kind of mindset drove him to dominate a team Saturday that was favored by two touchdowns. He spread the ball around to eight different receivers and knocked the Knights (3-1) out of their comfort zone by forcing them to pass the ball more to keep up.
āTo keep up with our type of scoring, that gets them out of their comfort zone and provokes them to throw the ball a little more than theyād like to,ā Deion Sanders said.
His team now gets some rest heading into a bye weekend in Boulder. The Buffs resume play at home on Oct. 12 against Kansas State.
Deion Sanders talks about his record
Sanders pulled a trick on the news media afterward to make a point. With four wins, his team now has matched its win total from last year, when the Buffs finished 4-8 in his first season in Boulder.
āIām so darn proud of where we are,ā Sanders said. āWe could be in a whole different place right now, but look itā¦ Weāre going into the break. Whatās the record?ā
āFour-and-one,ā the news media responded.
āSay it again,ā Sanders said, acting like he couldnāt hear.
āFour-and-one,ā the room said again.
āI just wanted to hear yāall say it collectively, and yāall fell for it,ā Sanders said with a laugh.
āWeāre 4-1 going into the break, and Iām so excited, you have no idea,ā Sanders said. āItās gonna be a really good plane ride tonight.ā
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
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