Q: Whatever happened to Richard Roby at Colorado? Last year he was a borderline first round pick and I haven't heard anything about him this year.
J.T., Los Angeles

Q: Who will Colorado bring in as their next coach. Ricardo Patton looks like Art Shell did for the Raiders this season. They are playing some of the WORST BASKETBALL I HAVE EVER SEEN...What names are at the top of CU's list??? They need someone high energy, and a big name to come in and bring Boulder some excitement on the basketball court. Lately, attendance has been just brutal. Save CU!!
— Joe, Denver

A: Two Colorado questions. One answer. Richard Roby is still with the Buffaloes. Just ask Kansas. The Jayhawks pride themselves on their defense but Roby scored 30 points in 35 minutes at KU. The Jayhawks still won 97-74. 

“We told the team before the game that he was capable of going for 25 points, but I underestimated him and he scored 30,” Bill Self said. Roby is fifth in the Big 12 in scoring, averaging 17.6 points. But for an inside look at what’s going on, I recommend you read this piece by Neill Woelk.

That story by Woelk is one indication of how Ricardo Patton’s lame-duck season is playing out. I’ve never understood an athletic director or a school that wanted this kind of situation. It makes no sense. Colorado is paying the price. Here are the names reportedly on the list for the CU job: Air Force coach Jeff Bzdelik, Nuggets assistant Mike Dunlap, Suns assistant Alvin Gentry, Duke assistant Steve Wojciechowski, and former Colorado star Jay Humphries. Not a bad list. Bzdelik would be a great choice. Colorado has waited this long, so don’t be surprised if some of the hot names from the NCAA Tournament are linked to this job.

Q: Pitt in recent years has taken flack for not having a tough non-conference schedule and getting a lower seed than expected come tournament time. Now that they had one of the toughest non-conference schedules this year, do they get a better seed? However, does the record of 0-3 against Top 25 opponents overshadow the non-conference schedule and how much of an impact will it make on Pitt come Selection Sunday?
— Craig, Pittsburgh

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A: Pitt is in great shape right now. I can’t imagine that 0-3 record against top 25 teams having an impact on the Panthers’ seed. Pitt is ranked No. 7 in the AP poll and the Panthers are third in the latest RPI. The first loss was at Wisconsin. The next loss was double overtime to Oklahoma State in Oklahoma City. The third loss was to Marquette at home, again in overtime. I think Pitt is a solid No. 2 seed, with the potential to grab a No. 1 seed if the Panthers win the Big East tournament and other teams stumble.

Q: Is anyone gonna talk about Memphis? They haven’t lost a C-USA game yet and after losing all those players from last year’s team seem to be doing pretty good.
— Harold, Jonesboro, Ky.

A: Memphis has a good team. That’s why the Tigers are No. 8 in this week’s Associated Press poll. Give John Calipari credit. Everyone knows he is a top-notch recruiter, but he is getting the most out of a young team. The Tigers lost Rodney Carney, Shawne Williams and Darius Washington from the team that received a No. 1 seed and advanced to the Oakland Region final before losing to UCLA. But Calipari encourages players to leave early, so he recruits in preparation for that.

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Unfortunately, Harold, you had better get used to the silent treatment. Memphis isn’t going to generate a lot of talk nationally until March. The Tigers have to prove themselves in the NCAA Tournament because Conference-USA is so weak. Memphis has a great RPI at No. 10 but the next team from the conference is Houston with an RPI of 77. The rest of the conference ranges from 112 (UAB) to 312 (East Carolina). Staying unbeaten in a conference like that shouldn’t be much of a challenge for Memphis.

Q: Will New Mexico State make the NCAA Tournament?
— Michael Maloy, Grandview, Mo.

A: Despite a 75-63 loss at Utah State Monday, I still think the Aggies are in the tournament, Michael. New Mexico State is a solid team with 18 overall victories and an 8-2 record in the Western Athletic Conference. That’s just one game behind Nevada, a team that could make a long run in the tournament — maybe even all the way to the Final Four.

The Aggies still have a two-game lead on Utah State, so if they take care of business and have a decent record in their final 10 games, they should be fine. The WAC will likely get two teams into the field. Here’s the bad news: Look for a No. 12 or No. 13 seed for the second team.