Woelk: Buffs Newcomers Add Bounce To Boyle's Step

BOULDER — College basketball practice in June is not normal — but this is not a normal year for the Colorado Buffaloes.

Tad Boyle has already made that quite clear to his team.

Consider it a reset as Boyle prepares for his eighth season in Boulder — and the prospects ahead have put some serious pep in his step.

"I told the veteran guys that in the spring and I told the freshmen," Boyle said after Sunday night's practice, the first of 10 the Buffs are allowed this summer as preparation for their 10-day, four-game trip to Italy in August. "I'm approaching this like year one in my era. It's year eight; I know that and our staff knows that. We've got some seniors who have been with us.

"But I just want to go back to ground zero and talk about defense and talk about rebounding, take pride in those two areas, get better offensively. This team has a chance to be really good but we've got to approach it like it's year one and nobody is expecting anything from us."

That nobody will be expecting much from the Buffs in the 2017-18 season is not … well, unexpected. Colorado graduated four seniors from last year's squad, including NBA first round draft pick Derrick White, and Boyle is welcoming five incoming freshmen. Throw in the fact that he also has two redshirt freshmen as well as a transfer who sat last season out and it means there will be eight Buffs next year who have never played an official minute of Colorado basketball.

Scary? Maybe — but there's also already no doubt the newcomers offer a boatload of potential. That much was clear after Sunday night's full-tilt practice that had all the edge, energy and competitiveness of a midseason workout.

"I thought it went great," Boyle said. "A lot of energy, the guys are competing. I was pleased with the veteran guys coming back and I was also pleased with the young guys. We're going to need some of these guys to contribute and there's no doubt there's some guys out there that are fully capable."

Four of CU's freshmen — McKinley Wright IV, D'Shawn Schwartz, Evan Battey and Tyler Bey — are already on campus and practicing. The fifth, Lazar Nicolic, will be on hand in August when the Buffs reconvene to continue preparation for their Italian trip.

What was quite evident Sunday is that the freshmen do indeed have the potential to live up to their billing as one of the best recruiting classes in CU history. All four who were on hand showed at various moments why they came to Boulder so highly regarded.

Wright is a smooth, quick, physical point guard who commands the floor and can also rebound. Battey is big (6-foot-8, 288 pounds) but deceptively quick and mobile and an excellent passer. Schwartz, the Colorado prep player of the year and a consensus top 100 player in the nation, has great all-around ability while Bey is long, lean and has the tools to be a dominant rebounder.

Here's what Boyle had to say about each after Sunday's practice:

On Wright: "He's way beyond his years in terms of his feel for the game, his toughness. He's physically ready to play at this level. He's going to be a heck of a player in his time at Colorado. He's got a chance to be an all-league guard. He's got good feel, he's good pace, he's good change of pace. He can find guys, he's unselfish and he's a leader. He's a guy that's not afraid to open his mouth."

On Bey: "He's so long, he's so athletic, he's got great size, he can guard multiple positions. My challenge to Tyler is to get every rebound. He's a guy that can make an open shot; consistency is going to be a key for him to do that. He's a very capable shooter. Tyler's going to be a work in progress, no doubt about it, but I love his upside."

On Schwartz: "D'Shawn's a very good player. Playing with USA Basketball, being the player of the year in Colorado, he's mature beyond his years, much like McKinley is. He's got a good feel, good pace, doesn't get sped up, makes shots, physically is strong."

On Battey: "Very unique. Really, really talented. Unbelievable passer. Has great ability to find the open man. ... He's a sneaky athletic guy. He doesn't look like a guy who can go up and dunk it but he can. He's got great body control, great feel and a great passer."

The Buffs will practice again Tuesday, then have eight more practices beginning Aug. 5 before leaving for Italy on Aug. 14.

Boyle, however, won't be on hand for Tuesday's workout. He is part of the coaching staff for the USA Basketball U-19 team that will compete in the FIBA World Cup in Egypt, and the team is leaving Monday.

KING'S ROLE: While the freshmen will no doubt be a major storyline for the Buffs this season, CU also has some key returnees, beginning with seniors George King, Tory Miller and Dominique Collier. All three have seen significant playing time in their years in Boulder, with King the most prominent as a two-year starter.

It's no doubt a big year coming up for King. A player with NBA potential, he led the Buffs in rebounding last year (6.8 rpg) and he is CU's leading returning scorer (11.1 ppg).

His role as a team leader — particularly with so many young players — will be a key factor in CU's success and it is a role Boyle wants King to assume.

"George certainly walks the walk," Boyle said. "He's doing what he's supposed to do in the classroom. Absolutely zero problems off the court and he plays hard and does what you ask him to do on the court. He's doing what a good senior leader is supposed to do. The next step for George is being able to open up his mouth and vocally verbalize things that need to be done. … Now he's got to talk to the talk to be a true leader."

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu