Buffs Freshman Wright Has Held Own Against Pac-12's Best
February 28, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Last week, Colorado basketball fans saw a great glimpse of the present and future at the same time.
In back-to-back games, CU fans had the chance to watch two of the best point guards in the Pac-12, USC's Jordan McLaughlin and UCLA's Aaron Holiday.
At the same time, they also got to see a player who has all the potential of holding that designation in the very near future, Colorado's McKinley Wright IV. The CU freshman held his own against both, helping Colorado to a split in their two games against the Los Angeles schools, but maybe more importantly, he continued to confirm what he has been proving all season:
The future of Colorado basketball is in very good hands.
"I've said this before — I would not trade McKinley Wright for any freshman," head coach Tad Boyle said. "People think I'm nuts when I say that. (But) DeAndre Ayton (of Arizona) is going to be in the NBA next year. McKinley's going to be here next year … He's terrific."
Wright has indeed been outstanding for the Buffs this year, bringing not only a healthy dose of stability to the point guard spot, but also a strong measure of consistency to a team that has otherwise had its share of ups and downs.
Heading into this week's games, Wright — who earlier this year broke Chauncey Billups' CU freshman record for assists — is tied with Holiday for second in the league in assists (5.9 per game) in Pac-12 play, behind only McLaughlin. He also tied for fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9) and is in the top 30 in scoring (12.1 points per game).
For the season, he leads CU in scoring (14.1 ppg), assists (5.4 apg) and minutes per game (32.7), and is third in rebounds (4.5 rpg), trailing only George King and Tyler Bey.
But it is more than his numbers that have made a difference for Colorado. Almost since the day he first began practicing with the Buffs, he has assumed the role of a team leader — a rarity for a freshman, but a role that his teammates have wholeheartedly embraced.
"It's the intangibles he brings to this team and to the floor that make you appreciate him as a coach," Boyle said. "It goes beyond the assists and the turnovers and the points and even the rebounds."
Since the beginning of the season, Wright has steadily increased his assist numbers and dropped his turnovers. While he still has more turnovers than either he or Boyle would like, he knows he will continue to improve in that department as he gains experience at the Division I level.
"Obviously I've had turnovers this year but the coaching staff has let me play through them," Wright said. "I'm confident in throwing the right passes and finding my guys and where they want the ball."
Boyle believes that both numbers — assists and turnovers — will continue to follow the right trajectory. But as those numbers improve, Boyle admits, so will Boyle's expectations.
"You look at his assists numbers, they've come up significantly," Boyle said. "His turnover numbers have come down a little bit, (but) they're still a little bit high. My expectation level of him continues to go up. So instead of that 2-to-1 (assist-to-turnover ratio), I want it to be 3 or 4 to 1 because I think he's that good."
Wright has also displayed a knack for big plays in big moments. In Sunday's win over UCLA, he assisted on a Dominique Collier 3-pointer early in CU's decisive 17-1 run that clinched the win (he finished with 8 assists), then added a driving layup a minute later. He also had another layup and free throw late in the run before a free throw in the final minute to help put the game away.
"He's done so many things for this team, I can't begin to mention them," Boyle said. "But as a coach, I'm looking for more. He's become a more confident shooter as the season's gone on. We need him to be because he's very capable."
Wright also spends plenty of time watching film, dissecting what his teammates do to get open so he can get them the ball at the most opportune of moments.
"I've become a better floor general, knowing where my guys like the ball and what spots in order to get them the ball," he said. "Watching a lot of film and playing with these guys over the course of a season helps me figure out how they work and where they want the ball."
Wright will face another quality point guard Saturday in Utah senior Justin Bibbins. The Buffs tip it off against the Utes at 5 p.m. at the Huntsman Center.
"Utah's the biggest game of the year because it's the next one," Wright said.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
