BOULDER — Smothered with love by a couple thousand of his best friends, Colorado Buffaloes legend Evan Battey took the mic and made a promise.

Senior Night wasn’t the last you’ll see of him.

“I’ll come back — someday as a coach,” Battey told a giddy crowd of 11,000, many of whom stormed the court after CU stunned No. 2 Arizona 79-63. “My dream is to be the head coach here. I’m going to achieve that dream someday, some time. I don’t know when, but I’m going to do it.”

After a career that won’t be forgotten at CU Events Center, or on Pearl Street, or anywhere around here, is anyone going to doubt him?

The Evan Battey Game began the same way his inspiring Buffs career began — smiles and tears. Sometimes he combined the two, the advantage of living your life with nothing to hide and everything to share. After his Buffs spent Saturday night pulling off the craziest upset of this PAC-12 season, the chants might still be echoing off the Flatirons: “Ev-an Batt-ey! Ev-an Batt-ey! Ev-an Batt-ey!”

CU students couldn’t hold back. Like their favorite player, they wore their emotions on their sleeve, rushing onto the court and swarming the Buffs players. Shoot, CU coach Tad Boyle sounded like a bouncer announcing it was closing time: “Students! Students! I need everyone’s attention!”

Nobody wanted to leave.

No. 1 on that list was good ol’ No. 21.

“He’s the mayor,” Boyle said.

Of all the cool things Battey brought from Southern California to Boulder County, this ranks near the top: A grown man made it cool to cry. Battey cried crocodile tears during his senior day intro. His mom, Rosalind Lewis, cried her own. Boyle broke down not long before tip.

“On senior night it’s hard to write a script better than this,” Boyle said after.

Battey’s Buffs channeled the senior big man with the big heart. Only two days after losing by 17 points to league doormat Arizona State, the Buffs followed the lead of their spirited leader. They took it right at the nation’s tallest team, an Arizona outfit that is one of five teams capable of winning the national championship in New Orleans on April 4. More on that later.

But the thing about Evan Battey is he’s not afraid of anything — no man, no jersey and no size disadvantage. On a hard drive to the basket, he fouled out Arizona 7-foot-1 mountain Christian Koloko. That’s Evan Battey for you. If you see the man fighting a wildcat, help the wildcat.

CU Buffs fans brought their “A” game and left hoarse. The same week CSU students stormed the court after a win against Border War rival Wyoming in Fort Collins, CU’s undergrads showed they still know how to party, too.

Battey is as big as a house and his heart needs its own garage. If his story slid under the radar, here it is again. While playing pickup ball as a redshirt freshman, Battey suffered a stroke. Right after, he had a pair of seizures. How’s this for a comeback story: over 1,000 points and 600 rebounds, the 14th Buff with those stats. But here’s the number he’s most proud of: 86 wins, the second-most by a CU player in a four-year span. No. 86 was the sweetest.

“I’m so in love with this school,” Battey said, addressing the crowd. 

CU entered as 9-5-point underdogs and left with the kind of upset that makes college basketball the best. Arizona hasn’t been to a Final Four in over 20 years. All the Wildcats needed was a Gonzaga influence, and first-year coach Tommy Lloyd should be the national coach of the year. One man’s opinion, but Arizona joins Gonzaga, Kentucky, Auburn and maybe Kansas as teams that can win the national title. That’s it. That’s the list, and the Buffs thumped the ‘Cats.

“Legit top-five team,” Boyle said.

It’s been almost 30 years since CU beat a top-two opponent — No. 2 Oklahoma State on Feb. 12, 1992. It’s going to be a long time before there’s a Buff more beloved than Evan Battey.

“I’ll be back!” Battey shouted.

Coach Battey? Over 11,000 of his best buds can already picture it.