Boyle's Buffs Add Transfer Wright To Roster
July 05, 2016 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
Newcomer played at Missouri the last two seasons
BOULDER — With one scholarship remaining this year but no hugely pressing needs for next season, Colorado basketball coach Tad Boyle has been keeping an eye out for help for the 2017-18 season.
Boyle has found exactly what he's looking for, adding Missouri transfer Namon Wright to CU's roster.
The 6-5, 210-pound Wright, who just finished his sophomore year at Missouri, has transferred to CU and will practice with the Buffs next year. He will be eligible to play in the 2017-18 season with two years of eligibility remaining.
"He's a good athlete with great size and very skilled," Boyle said. "He's a young man who checks a lot of the boxes we're looking for."
Wright visited the CU campus earlier this summer. After that, he said, the decision to sign with Colorado was an easy one.
"I liked the campus a lot," Wright said. "Coach Boyle and his staff have recruited me since high school, and I felt like I could come in and do a really good job in the Pac-12. I think Coach Boyle and my new teammates can help me and I think I can help the program win more games."
Wright had a solid first two years at Missouri, starting 45 games in the span. He averaged 6.8 points in 26.5 minutes per game as a freshman, then bumped that scoring average up to 9.6 per game last season, despite his minutes dwindling to just more than 20 per game. Wright also led the Tigers in rebounding last season, averaging 5.2 per game.
"I think I'm a versatile player," Wright said. "I like to think my strengths are shooting and slashing to the basket, but I can do a lot. I think my style fits what Coach Boyle likes to do."
The Buffs will be a senior-laden team next season, with key contributors Wesley Gordon, Xavier Johnson, Josh Fortune and Derrick White all in their final season.
"We'll have a need for size on the wing (the following year)," Boyle said. "Namon is a good fit in a number of ways for us. He has a chance to be a very good player for us."
CU will still have a solid group of players when Wright becomes eligible. George King, Dominique Collier and Tory Miller will be seniors, Thomas Akyazili will be a junior and this year's group of incoming freshman — a talented bunch that includes DeLeon Brown, Bryce Peters, Lucas Siewert and Dallas Walton — will all have experience under their belts.
Wright also fits in when it comes to class numbers. He and Akyazili will be the only Buffs in that class.
"When he made the decision to transfer, we knew he was what we needed," Boyle said.
Another factor that played into Wright's decision is Colorado's membership in the Pac-12. Wright is a native of Los Angeles (he was a prep standout at Pacific Hills), and it means his family will have the opportunity to see him play on a regular basis.
"I wanted to get back closer to the West Coast," Wright said. "It's a little closer to my home and my family, and they'll get to see me play. That was a big part of my decision."
While Wright admits it won't be easy sitting out an entire season, he also said CU's recent successes with players who sat out a year — most notably King, who redshirted a year; and White, a transfer who is expected to have a stellar final year at CU — also played a role in his decision.
"Recruits know that guys like Derrick White and King got a lot better with that year off," Wright said. "I can see myself coming in and having a year off from games and working on my game that whole time. I really think the sky could be the limit."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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