Jeremy Papasso / Staff Photographer)
As the Colorado men's basketball team gathered last month to watch the NCAA Tournament selection show, a realization slowly dawned on Xavier Johnson.
Despite his year-long desire to get back to the court in what should have been his senior season, and despite the continued nagging thoughts of what his contributions might have meant in a number of narrow late defeats for CU throughout the year, the Buffs' official invitation to the Big Dance confirmed it for Johnson.
It turned out, the Buffs fared just fine without him. And he still had an opportunity to help keep the program in a good place.