University of Colorado Athletics
Woelk: Boyle Not Letting Little Things Slip By
December 04, 2015 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Since the beginning of the season, Colorado head coach Tad Boyle has said he plans to apply this year the lessons learned from last year's disappointing 16-18 finish.
Tops on the list might be his efforts to nip bad moments in the bud — before they become habits.
That became supremely evident earlier this week in CU's 82-52 win over Northern Colorado. Midway through the second half, with the Buffs up by 26 and obviously in control of the game, Boyle rather vociferously ordered a timeout. By the time the referees had blown their whistles, an obviously irate Boyle was on the court, admonishing his players to hurry to the bench.
While the particulars stayed in the huddle, the general message was clear to everyone in the Coors Events Center: a sloppy defensive possession precipitated by a turnover was a sequence Boyle wasn't going to accept — even with a 26-point lead.
“When our guys are doing what they're supposed to on the court, I'm a pretty mellow guy,” Boyle said after the game. “But when we're not, it's my job to make sure it happens. Last year, I didn't do that enough, and I made a vow this year to myself that it'll be different.”
It's not the first time Boyle has mentioned last season, and it probably won't be the last. The painful memories of a season that began to slip away early is one that Boyle won't forget anytime soon. Injuries, leadership, locker room chemistry and a host of other problems manifested into Boyle's first losing season at Colorado — and while it's not an experience he ever wants to repeat, the silver lining is that the ordeal made him a better coach.
Fact is, Boyle had not been forced to endure an overwhelming amount of adversity at Colorado until last year.
In his first year, he inherited a team that included standouts Cory Higgins and Alec Burks. He quickly took recruiting up another notch, bringing in players such as Andre Roberson, Spencer Dinwiddie and Josh Scott.
The result was one of the most successful stretches in CU basketball history: four winning seasons that began with an NIT semifinal appearance, followed by three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths.
But then came last year, when Dinwiddie's early departure for the NBA — not something anyone could have expected when he arrived in Boulder — left the Buffs thinner than expected in too many areas. Early season losses to CSU, Wyoming and Georgia bruised the Buffs' confidence and an injury to Scott sent the team into a tailspin from which it never recovered. Boyle tried every trick in the book to point the team back in the right direction, but the Buffs simply didn't respond.
Boyle, however, learned from the experience. He admits now that he may have waited too long to address issues when he saw them brewing. He overestimated his squad's experience in dealing with difficult times, and did not address bad stretches before they became trends.
He hasn't hesitated this year. He's offered praise when deserved and criticism when necessary.
More than anything, he's developed a theme of constant improvement, one in which he exhorts his team to get better every game, every day, every practice — every possession.
What Boyle sees is a team that has tremendous potential. Bolstered by terrific production from Scott, plus outstanding early performances from Josh Fortune, Tre'Shaun Fletcher and George King, the Buffs have the possibility of carving out a special season.
But turning that potential into consistent production will require Boyle to keep this team on edge instead of resting on its laurels.
“This time of the season we set our standard high for ourselves,” Boyle said after a recent win. “I'm not trying to sound negative because I love this team, I love the makeup of this team, the character of this team and the toughness of this team. But this team can be a lot better than the way we've played since we came home from our first two road games.”
Boyle also has the luxury this year of a senior team leader in Scott who commands respect from every player on the roster. When Boyle's message is tough, Scott keeps the Buffs on an even keel — but Scott is also not above delivering his own message, during games and in practice.
It's resulted in a team that plays well together, learns from its mistakes and takes to heart the mantra of improvement every day.
Now, Boyle must continue to push, prod and praise to get these Buffs to hit their maximum potential.
Wednesday night, after the Buffs turned a close game against Fort Lewis into a comfortable win down the stretch, Boyle hinted at what he believes this team is capable of achieving.
“If we can continue to play that way offensively and find an identity on defense, this team is scary good,” he said. “But we're not there yet.”
The Buffs' next big test comes Sunday, when they travel to Fort Collins for a noon matchup with in-state rival CSU (Root Sports). It's a game that's been gnawing at the Buffs ever since their 62-60 loss to the Rams in Boulder a year ago.
Wednesday night, Boyle made it clear that he expects a battle with the Rams.
“We have an unbelievable challenge on Sunday,” Boyle said. “Colorado State is a very good team. They're physical and tough and the environment is going to be great.”
It will be the biggest test for the Buffs since their season opener vs. Iowa State, and their most important game of the season to date — and yet one more measuring stick to see how far this team has come from a year ago.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
