Offseason Will Be Key For Growth Of Boyle's Buffs
March 15, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — When the men's NCAA Tournament hit full stride Thursday morning, the Colorado Buffaloes were lacing up their sneakers and heading to class.
There were no dancing shoes for the Buffs this year, a rarity in the Tad Boyle era. In fact, Boyle's eighth year in Boulder is the first that Colorado has not played in the postseason, a stretch that involves four NCAA Tournament bids, two NIT berths and a CBI appearance.
But anyone who saw the Buffs' last few games — in particular their Pac-12 tournament opening win over Arizona State — knows the refrain Boyle repeated regularly throughout the season has plenty of validity.
The future of Colorado basketball is bright. Now, Boyle is not afraid to make it clear his expectations will rise considerably next season.
"One thing this young group has to understand is that they learned this year that they are really capable of being a force in this league," Boyle said just minutes after his team's season-ending loss to Arizona in the Pac-12 quarterfinals last week. "We're not interested in finishing eighth. We're interested in playing for championships."
One thing you won't hear from Boyle much next year? The "young" description. While the Buffs will still be a team dominated by underclassmen, neither youth nor inexperience will be an excuse. The team that started four freshmen for much of the Pac-12 season should reap the benefits of that experience next year.
There will no doubt be a plethora of returning talent next year, beginning with sophomore-to-be point guard McKinley Wright IV, a player who quickly established himself as the physical and emotional leader of the team.
Wright quickly proved that he not only belongs in the Pac-12, but that he has the ability to be among the league's elite. A Pac-12 All-Freshman team selection, as well as honorable mention all-league and all-defensive team pick, Wright led the Buffs in scoring this year (14.2 points per game), was third in rebounding (4.7 rpg) and dished out 175 assists — the second-most in a single season in CU history.
But equally important was the leadership Wright delivered on a daily basis. His passion, drive and sheer will to succeed were evident every night. Next season, he will be expected to improve in all of those areas — a challenge he no doubt welcomes.
Wright's value was never more evident than in the season finale. Early in the second half, the Buffs trailed league (and eventual tourney) champion Arizona by three points when Wright went down with a sprained ankle. Barely a minute later, the Wildcats began a 14-0 run that put the game away.
After the game, Wright sat in front of his locker, taking only a brief moment to look back before setting his sights directly on the future.
"I'll be right back in the gym next week, working on my game," Wright said. "I want to be the Pac-12 Player of the Year before I graduate here, and I've got to be in the gym working every day if that's going to happen. This season didn't end like we wanted it to, and next year, we're going to make sure we're still playing when this tournament is over."
Wright won't be alone. We saw enough this year from fellow sophomore-to-be Tyler Bey (6.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg) to know he has the potential to be an elite-level defender and rebounder , as well as a capable scorer. We moments from D'Shawn Schwartz that showed he has the skill to step in as a true scoring threat from the wing. And, we saw enough from Lazar Nikolic to know that he can defend all five positions, rebound consistently and score when necessary.
Meanwhile, we saw CU's big men take a big step forward. Sophomore-to-be Dallas Walton (team-leading 34 blocks) has the chance to be a quality Pac-12 post player on both ends of the floor. Junior-to-be Lucas Siewert (7.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg in Pac-12 play) came on strong down the stretch, displaying the ability to score inside and out, as well as rebound and defend.
Also returning will be junior-to-be Deleon Brown, a guard who can score and defend, as well as senior-to-be Namon Wright, who showed flashes of being an impact player from the wing on both ends of the floor.
The wild card in the equation is freshman big man Evan Battey, who was forced to redshirt by the NCAA, then suffered a medical incident during the holiday break. Battey is still undergoing regular testing, but he and CU coaches remain optimistic that he will return. If he does, the 6-foot-8, 250-pound forward will be a huge addition, both mentally and physically.
CU will also bring at least two new freshmen onto the roster, with Denver East guard Daylen Kountz and Beaumont, Texas, guard Elijah Parquet both having already signed, and the chance of one or two more signees to be added this spring.
But while fans can until next season begins to see what unfolds, CU's players are not afforded such a luxury. As any coach will tell you, potential does not equal production. How the Buffs play beginning next November and through the season will depend a great deal on what they do in the offseason.
And that starts now.
"Just because these guys are going to be a year older next year doesn't mean they're going to be a year better," Boyle said. "It's imperative for us as coaches and for them as players to get better, whatever that means for them."
One area Boyle and his staff will address in the offseason is consistency — or more specifically, the lack thereof. While CU had some outstanding moments this year, including a win over Arizona, two over Arizona State and Colorado's first-ever two-game sweep of UCLA, there were also some flops.
"As a coach you're always looking at the losses," Boyle said. "Colorado State, San Diego, Washington State … every season there's always two to three games that can swing you from mediocre to good or good to great. We haven't had one of those seasons where we haven't had any of that and that's what we have to get to. That's where consistency comes into play. It's understandable why this team was inconsistent, but it's not acceptable. That's what we have to fix going forward."
Part of that equation means the taking big steps in the weight room and in conditioning. The freshmen, in particular, learned what it takes to withstand the rigors of a 30-game college season at the Power Five level.
The motivation to get back to work, Boyle said, shouldn't be hard to find. All they need to do is remember how this season ended.
"This will be the first team in our era not to play in postseason play," Boyle said. "If that's not motivation for the offseason for these guys, I don't know what is."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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