Quitter or hero? Colorado guard Booker won't play with team in CBI

Published Mar. 18, 2015 12:38 a.m. ET

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The College Basketball Invitational, better known as the CBI, is the third tournament in the college basketball postseason tournament pecking order. With 68 teams in the NCAA tournament field and another 32 making the National Invitation Tournament, playing for the title of 101st-best team in the nation probably seems a little meaningless for the Floridas and Tennessees of the world.

But one little-known Buffalo has apparently trumped them all when it comes to a sense of self-worth.

According to multiple reports Tuesday, Colorado guard Askia Booker informed his coach and teammates that, despite the Buffaloes accepting a bid to play in the CBI, he will not play in the tournament. Instead Booker, the team's lone senior and a second-team All-Pac-12 selection this season, ends his career early and will reportedly focus on his hopes of playing professionally.

"I don't know if it's fair or not, but I did mention to Ski, 'You realize you're going to take some heat with this decision,' and he shook his head like he understood," Colorado coach Tad Boyle told The Denver Post. "It goes with the territory. Ski's a big boy, he's an adult now; he's going to be a college graduate in May."

It must also be noted that Booker, who led the team with a 17.2 points-per-game average, has also been playing with sore hips.

Later Tuesday, Booker spoke with BuffZone.com:

"Coach Boyle had basically told me it was going to be my choice if I wanted to play or not. But, he also told me the reason he was going to accept playing in the CBI was because it was for the younger guys and it was a chance to go into next year with some momentum.

"So, me looking at it from my perspective was that it would be pretty much selfish for me to play. I would be out there and I would want to play 30 minutes a game and compete. If the real reason why (Boyle) is playing is to get some momentum for the younger guys, they need to know what it's like to play without me.

". . . Yes, it is kind of a selfish decision on me, but at the same time, it wasn't just about me. It's about what they have to do for next year and if they want to be good, they have to learn to play without Askia Booker. They're going to have to get used to that."

". . . I felt that it was just right that I got my rest to prepare for what I have coming up," he said. "The CBI was not going to help me prepare for that. I weighed the pros and the cons (of playing in the CBI) and to me it was more cons than pros at the time, and I still believe it is."

Teammates spoke out on his behalf, too.

"We feel like Ski gave his all to us this season," Dominique Collier, Booker's backcourt mate, told the Denver Post. "I just feel like probably his body was wearing down; he was playing with sore hips throughout half the season. He probably thought it would be better for us to have a look without him going into next season. I don't think he quit on us at all."

Fair enough. But about that heat he could take . . .

And here are some cooler reactions . . .

"Financial risk is a part of this tournament's equation," Boyle told the Boulder Daily Camera. "That's where we need to rely on the fact that hopefully our fans will support this to the extent that we can break even. We're not going into this thing to make a bunch of money, but we certainly don't want to lose a bunch of money, either."

Programs such as Florida State and Penn State obviously have different financial resources than Colorado, but they are among the schools who this season decided against playing in the CBI.

Last season, Indiana athletic director Fred Glass referenced the finances and prestige (or lack thereof) of playing in the CBI, but in much more pointed language, telling the Indianapolis Star:

"Finances wouldn't be an issue if we thought it made sense. But we're Indiana. We don't play in the CBI."

H/t: ESPN

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