Colorado University Athletics
Woelk: Offseason Will Be Key For Boyle's Buffs
March 22, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — When Colorado coach Tad Boyle tunes in to the NCAA Sweet 16 this week, rest assured at least one thought will cross his mind more than once.
Two of the teams still alive in the NCAA Tournament, Xavier and Oregon, are teams his Buffs beat this year. Colorado knocked off Xavier in December — when the Musketeers still had standout guard Edmond Sumner — and Oregon in January, ending a 17-game Ducks winning streak in the process.
Both games were an example of how good the 2016-17 Buffs were when they played up to their ability.
Of course, those games also highlighted the downfall of this year's Buffs — an inconsistency that plagued them from beginning to end. Good enough to play with some of the best teams in the country; inconsistent enough to allow too many winnable games to slip away. The result was a season that fell short of expectations, but one that still produced 19 wins, CU's seventh postseason appearance in Boyle's seven years in Boulder, three wins over ranked teams and Boyle's 12th conference tournament win — more than half of CU's all-time total of 23 conference tourney victories.
There was a time when such a season would have been considered a success in Boulder, a reason to look with optimism to the future. But because of the expectations Boyle's tenure has produced, the perception is much different.
"We're not happy with the NIT, we're not happy with 19 wins," Boyle said recently. "I wanted 20. … We have to take the torch and move higher."
No doubt, as Boyle watches this week's Sweet 16, he will endure a few "what if" moments. But most importantly, he will be planning for 2017-18, a season that began for him almost as soon as the buzzer sounded on CU's season-ending loss to UCF in the first round of the NIT.
It's why he told reporters immediately after the game that this will be "as important an offseason for the guys coming back as we've ever had."
Boyle isn't overstating the situation.
For starters, the Buffs must replace the graduating production of seniors Derrick White, Xavier Johnson, Wesley Gordon and Josh Fortune. Together, the four accounted for more than 60 percent of CU's scoring this season and more than half of the rebounding and minutes played.
That's a chunk of production that will have to be replaced. It means CU's leading returnees — George King, Tory Miller and Dominique Collier — each must take it upon themselves to improve their game in every facet, from on-the-court performance to locker room leadership.
But it also means that the incoming class of recruits, Boyle's highest-ranked group in his CU tenure, must also be prepared to make significant contributions immediately. There will be no time for the newcomers — Evan Battey, Tyler Bey and D'Shawn Schwartz — to develop slowly.
Rather, they will be expected to become impact players the day they hit campus.
"We need to have great offseasons for every one of these guys to a man — and we have to make sure that those freshmen coming in have to give us some minutes," Boyle said. "I'm not saying all three of them of do, but a certainly a couple of them are going to be counted on."
That's a slight departure from the norm in the Boyle era. Up to this point, Boyle has usually had experienced teams that afforded him the luxury of bringing his freshmen along at a reasonable pace.
There will be no waiting patiently next season.
Recently, others have suggested that the CU program is at a "crossroads." It's not an accurate description, as it suggests that the program is teetering on the brink of veering off in the wrong direction.
With a top 25 recruiting class coming to campus, that's not the case.
Rather, it's simply a new era of CU hoops, one that features some outstanding newcomers who saw the potential to play right away — and fit the Buffs' needs at the same time. They are players who have the potential to step in and become Pac-12 difference makers in their first year at Colorado.
"That's one of the reasons we had such a good recruiting class because we sold them on the fact that, 'Hey, you're going to be an impact-type player,'" Boyle said. "So whether it's Tyler Bey, D'Shawn Schwartz or Evan Battey, we need those guys."
A year ago, I was among those who believed the Buffs were poised for an outstanding season. All the pieces seemed to be in place — and to be fair, the Buffs weren't far off from such a season. But instead of closing the deal in one-possession games, they came up short, losing four games in which they had the lead in the final minute. Simply, the intangibles just weren't there when they were needed most.
Now, next year looks to be much different. The Buffs will have just three seniors, and only one — King — started more than half of CU's games this year. Experience will not be a major plus.
Still, count me among those rating the Buffs as a "buy" in 2017-18. With King looking to be the only guaranteed starter, it will mean fierce competition from day one. There will be no sense of entitlement, no sense that playing time is deserved simply because of seniority — and young talent good enough to make the point.
Instead, playing time will have to be earned. Youngsters such as DeLeon Brown, Lucas Siewert and Bryce Peters will be expected to take a big step forward. Redshirt freshman Dallas Walton will have a chance to help in the middle and Missouri transfer Namon Wright will be expected to add help on the perimeter after sitting out last year. But perhaps most importantly, newcomers will be expected to compete immediately — and upperclassmen will be expected to prove they belong on the floor.
Simply, talent and discipline will corner the market on minutes, no matter the experience level.
Different look? Indeed. Next year will be a new era for the Buffs — and combined with Boyle's proven track record as a coach, it would be unwise to sell them short.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
