The fifth-year Colorado women’s basketball coach put the Buffs through a spirited workout on Wednesday night here at Municipal Auditorium.

McConnell-Miller’s boss, athletic director Mike Bohn, watched what could have been her last practice with the Buffs.

CU, the No. 11 seed, faces No. 6 Baylor tonight in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament.

The Bears, who hammered the Buffs 76-42 in Waco on Feb. 6, will be without suspended star Brittney Griner. The 6-8 freshman had 24 points, 11 blocks and 10 rebounds in the first meeting with CU.

“I think it’s a very different game for us,” an upbeat McConnell-Miller said of the impact not having to face Griner could have. “They become more guard-oriented and won’t be as focused on getting the ball inside. So it’s just a different dynamic. It’s clearly a better dynamic for us just because of what our weaknesses are and where we need to improve. They’re still very talented and it’s going to be a challenge.”

McConnell-Miller has a 65-87 record at CU with one post-season appearance (the 2008 WNIT). The Buffs (13-16) would have to win the Big 12 tournament to keep the season alive beyond this trip.

Bohn plans to stay through the end of the tournament and will not make any decisions regarding McConnell-Miller’s job status until returning to Boulder on Sunday.

Colorado and Texas Tech will meet for the second time in four days to open the proceedings in a little an hour.

The Buffs, with a 15-15 overall record, need to win to be considered for the National Invitation Tournament. The winner of today’s rematch will face No. 1 Kansas on Thursday.

I like CU’s chances today for these reasons:

1. Jeff Bzdelik is a much more experienced coach than Pat Knight. CU’s adjustments after the 101-90 win in Boulder should be better than Texas Tech’s adjustments.

2. Cory Higgins and Alec Burks are playing as well as anyone in the Big 12 and both players love big moments like today.

3. The Red Raiders are a horrible defensive team. The Buffs are going to get good shots.

Regardless of what happens, next season could be a special one for CU men’s basketball. But being around the team I get the sense that they don’t want this season to end just yet.

Prediction: Colorado 78, Texas Tech 75

Alec Burks, for one, isn’t in awe of the plush downtown arena or the Big 12 tournament stage.

“It’s just a gym to me,” Colorado’s gifted freshman said after Tuesday’s practice. “I’ve played in Kansas City before.”

Burks, who grew up in nearby Grandview, Mo., was named the Big 12 freshman of the year on Sunday, an award voted on by the conference’s coaches.

“It means a lot. I was kind of under the radar as far as freshmen go,” said Burks, who was not recruited by Kansas or Missouri. “There were some players who were more higher profile than me. I feel it’s a great honor to get it.”

Burks was also named the Associated Press’ Big 12 freshman of the year and honorable mention all-conference.

Cory Higgins, CU’s leading scorer, didn’t even make honorable mention All-Big 12 in the AP selections voted on by members of the media.

“It’s shocking,” Burks said. “Cory, to me, is one of the top two players in the conference when you look at what he does for the team. … He’s a great player, one of the best in the nation. I don’t see how they can overlook him like that.”

For the record, I didn’t have a vote.

Burks deserved the freshman of the year nod over Kansas’ Xavier Henry considering the roles of each player on their respective teams.

I thought Higgins was worthy of second-team, All-Big 12 consideration (he made the coaches’ third team).

Jeff Bzdelik said anyone who didn’t vote for Higgins simply doesn’t watch enough Big 12 basketball.

I’d have to agree with the coach.

But now it’s official: Alec Burks is the Big 12 freshman of the year.

Burks, who became CU’s all-time leading freshman scorer on Saturday during the Buffs’ 101-90 victory over Texas Tech, is the first player in program history to earn the award.

Cory Higgins, CU’s leading scorer, was named third-team All-Big 12 for the second consecutive season. Burks was honorable mention All-Big 12.

More coverage to follow in Monday’s Camera and at buffzone.com.

Well, as expected, Oklahoma lost its regular-season finale this morning against No. 23 Texas A&M.

That means Colorado and Texas Tech, set to wrap up the regular season here in about an hour, will meet again at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday in Kansas City to open up the Big 12 Tournament.

The winner of today’s game will be the No. 8 seed and the loser will be the No. 9 seed.

The Buffs (14-15, 5-10) need to sweep this two-game series with the Red Raiders (16-13, 4-11) in order to get back over .500 and eligible for the NIT.

“It’s always hard to beat a team twice,” Dwight Thorne, who will be honored on Senior Day, said. “In high school we beat a team twice in the regular season, once in the district tournament and then we lost to them with a chance to go to state.

“It’s tough to beat a team more than once, especially with the level we’re at.”

The winner of Wednesday’s game will play Kansas on Thursday in the quarterfinals.

Today’s prediction: Colorado 82, Texas Tech 75

Well, this is the Buffs’ final chance to earn a Big 12 road victory. And their best chance.

Nebraska is 2-12 in the conference and lost 72-60 at the Coors Events Center last month.

Colorado still has a chance to finish the regular season .500 with a win tonight over the Huskers and a win over Texas Tech in the home finale on Saturday.

It’s Senior Night here but the locals are more interested in spring football.

If the Buffs can’t get it done tonight over their football rivals Jeff Bzdelik and the boys will have to live with a 37-game Big 12 road skid until 2011.

Prediction: Colorado 67, Nebraska 66

The lopsided road losses to Kansas State, Kansas and Missouri are in the rear-view mirror. Colorado (12-15) is concentrating on winning the final three games of the regular season to even its overall record prior to the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.

It seems like a lot to ask of a team that has won a total of four Big 12 games over the course of this season and last season. But the Buffs are facing the worst teams the conference has to offer — Iowa State (14-14, 3-10) today, Nebraska (13-15, 1-10) on Tuesday in Lincoln and Texas Tech (16-11, 4-9) in the home finale a week from now.

CU’s preseason goal was to have a winning record in Jeff Bzdelik’s first season. That’s a long shot now, but still possible if the Buffs can save their best for last (including an upset or two in Kansas City).

It has to start today.

Prediction: CU 72, Iowa State 64

I took a puddle jumper from DIA to St. Louis this morning. Before we took off the pilot actually had me and a couple other dudes move to the back of the plane to even out the weight distribution.

Never had to do that before. Scary if it really makes a difference.

Anyway, the depressing drive from St. Louis to Columbia went relatively smoothly, and I’m here ready to watch Colorado snap its 35-game Big 12 road losing streak with an upset of Missouri.

Or not.

If the Buffs could seed the Big 12 teams for the conference tournament they’d make sure Missouri was on the other end of the bracket. This is just a bad matchup for Jeff Bzdelik’s players, who are not quick enough to keep up with the Tigers. I think he would rather play Kansas or Kansas State again.

However, after tonight’s predictable pummeling, CU has a chance to string some wins together down the stretch against Iowa State, Nebraska and Texas Tech.

That would put them at 15-15 entering the Big 12 Tournament. A couple of upsets in Kansas City and the Buffs would have a winning record and postseason opportunities.

Prediction: Mizzou 88, CU 72

The student body has already nestled into their bleachers under the national championship banners (1922, 1923, 1952, 1988, 2008).

The fanatics are lining the entrance tunnel out of the home locker room to get up close and personal with their beloved Jayhawks.

Danny Manning is putting the team through a pre-game warm-up.

Kansas is ranked No. 1 and puts the nation’s longest active home-court win streak (56) on the line.

And then, on the other end of the court, there are the Colorado Buffaloes: 12-13 overall, 3-8 in the Big 12 and carrying the weight of a 34-game conference road losing streak on their backs.

Is there any way tradition and talent can take a day off? Can CU pull off the upset of the year in college basketball?

After all, the Buffs lost to KU in overtime just 17 days ago in Boulder, squandering a chance to steal the win at the end of regulation.

CU took the Jayhawks down to the final minute here a year ago before Sherron Collins took over.

There is a chance. But I’ll have to see it to believe it.

Prediction: No. 1 KU 85, CU 73

Colorado faces a must-win tonight against an underachieving Oklahoma team if the Buffs want to make a run at finishing with a winning record this season.

The Sooners (13-11 overall, 4-6 Big 12) are coming off a home loss to Texas Tech and a 97-67 humiliation at rival Oklahoma State.

However, OU gets leading scorer Willie Warren (16.2 ppg) back from injury and not-so Tiny Gallon (6-9, 290 pounds) back from suspension tonight.

CU counters with Marcus Relphorde, who missed Saturday’s 68-51 loss at Kansas State with a sore knee.

The Buffs (11-13, 2-8) are hungry for a win and really need to find a way to get this one with road trips to Lawrence and Columbia looming.

Jeff Bzdelik beat Jeff Capel in Boulder two years ago when Blake Griffin was a freshman and nearly pulled an upset in Norman last season when the Sooners were ranked No. 2.

Prediction: CU 78, OU 74