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Colorado
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 20, 2003
Michel Morandais did not jump up and down when he found out his Colorado Buffaloes would be playing in the NCAA Tournament against Michigan State on Friday in Tampa. It's not that Morandais wasn't excited, it's just that he's not able to jump up and down.
Morandais sustained a sprained left ankle in a March 1 game at Baylor. That forced the junior forward to miss the next game against Oklahoma State. In the three games since the injury, Morandais scored a combined 24 points, well below his 17.0 average.
Morandais vows to be ready for Friday's game, but if he continues to struggle, the Buffaloes might be in trouble.
"I can't put much weight on it," Morandais said Sunday. "I can't jump very well, but it will be ready to go."
Morandais, who is from the tiny island of Guadeloupe in the French West Indies, has developed into one of Colorado's best players this season. An athletic and physical forward, Morandais has been the perfect complement to 7-foot center David Harrison.
His scoring average leads the team, and he has scored at least 20 points in a game nine times. He is also the team leader with 102 assists. His 5.3 rebounds are third on the team behind Stephane Pelle and Harrison.
His breakout game came on Feb. 4, when Colorado upset then-No. 3 Texas 93-80 in Boulder. Morandais scored 24 points, had a career-tying 7 assists and 3 steals.
"Morandais is a tough player," Texas coach Rick Barnes said. "I think he is the most underrated player in the league and maybe in the country."
That kind of praise started the rumor mill churning. Talk around campus began to fly that Morandais was thinking about leaving school early to become eligible for the NBA draft, something he has not commented on.
"If he thinks he's ready for the NBA, I don't know," Colorado coach Ricardo Patton said. "You have people saying things all the time. You have to listen to the right people."
Colorado just wants to make sure Morandais is ready for Michigan State. He sat out a tough Sunday practice after the Buffaloes were eliminated by Oklahoma in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals. Morandais will have a full week off between games.
The Spartans, like Colorado, play physical, low-scoring games. That's right up Morandais' alley.
"I like playing those kinds of games," Morandais said. "We're a physical team and we've played against those kind of teams all season. I'm looking forward to playing."