Colorado University Athletics
Woelk: Fortune Ready To Hit Floor For CU Men
September 30, 2015 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — The longest basketball season — and ensuing offseason — in Josh Fortune's life is nearly over.
Friday morning, Fortune will officially begin his second year of practice with the Colorado Buffaloes in anticipation of finally playing his first game in a CU uniform.
That moment can't come soon enough for the Providence transfer.
“I've been thinking about that first game for the longest time,” Fortune said earlier this week. “I can't wait to play in an atmosphere with a crowd again, against an opponent, with something on the line.”
The 6-foot-5, 205-pound Fortune is well acquainted with playing with something on the line.
The last time Fortune played in an organized game, he was the starting guard for Providence in an opening-round NCAA Tournament game against North Carolina at the end of the 2013-14 season. He started all 35 games for the Friars that year, averaging 8.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. His best game came at the most opportune of moments: a 24-point effort in a 79-74 win over St. John's, a victory that started a three-game Big East tourney title run for the Friars and an NCAA tourney berth.
But soon after Providence's season ended with a loss to the Tar Heels, Fortune decided to transfer. Several months later, he announced he would enroll at Colorado.
Since then, he's been practicing, working out, attending classes and patiently biding his time.
“No regrets,” Fortune said this week. “I made the right decision and couldn't be happier about my choice.”
CU coach Tad Boyle has never been a big believer in transfers from other four-year schools. In Boyle's five seasons at Colorado, he's had just one transfer. But that one, Carlon Brown from Utah, played a huge role in Boyle's first NCAA Tournament berth when he was named the 2012 Pac-12 Tournament MVP after leading CU to four straight wins in the tourney.
Now, the Buffs hope Fortune can bring what Brown brought to the Buffs: a consistent scoring threat, an experienced veteran presence and the right mix of locker room and game day chemistry.
Not coincidentally, those areas were lacking much of last season, when the Buffs struggled to a 16-18 finish — the first losing season in Boyle's tenure in Boulder. The Buffs dedicated much of their offseason to all those issues, and are vowing to make sure last year's performance was an aberration.
“Right now, our team chemistry is an A-plus,” Fortune said. “We all have the same goal. We're all really competitive, and nobody is taking anything lightly. I've been around for a little over a year now, and I feel like I've been around the team for my whole college career.”
Fortune said the redshirt season provided plenty of positives. For starters, he had the opportunity to watch from a different vantage point.
“When you're sitting out, you see things like a coach,” Fortune said. “You watch the other teams and get to scout them, and you see what our guys are doing. You get to know your team and your opponent a lot better. It helped me become a better student of the game.”
But Fortune also admits he's antsy to get back on the floor and play in games that matter.
“I get excited just sitting here talking about it,” Fortune said. “I'm just ready to play.”
There will be plenty of familiar faces on the floor this year for the Buffs, including returnees Josh Scott, Wesley Gordon, Tre'Shaun Fletcher, Dominique Collier, Xavier Talton and Tory Miller. Another key performer from last year, Xavier Johnson, is out with an Achilles injury and it's uncertain when he will return.
Meanwhile, along with Fortune, another key redshirt expected to add production is sophomore George King, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound guard/forward who sat out last season; as well as incoming freshman Thomas Akyazili and junior college transfer Kenan Guzonjic.
When Boyle announced the addition of Fortune to the CU roster, he expressed a hope that Fortune would add a consistent 3-point threat. In his last year at Providence, Fortune shot 35 percent from the three-point arc (56-of-160) while averaging 8.4 points per game.
“Whatever it takes, whatever I can bring to the table, I'm ready,” Fortune said. “Last season definitely wasn't our best. Now this year, nobody's talking about us and people are doubting us. That's where we want to be, to have that chip on our shoulders. We want to go out there and prove it every night.”
The Buffs open fall practice Friday morning. They open the season Nov. 13 against Iowa State in Sioux Falls, S.D., and play their home opener Nov. 20 against Portland in a 7 p.m. game at the Coors Events Center.
