Colorado University Athletics
Despite Walton Injury, Boyle Optimistic About Buffs' Prospects
October 17, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — It's certainly not the way Colorado men's basketball coach Tad Boyle wanted to start his annual media day press conference.
After a brief opening statement Wednesday, Boyle announced that sophomore big man Dallas Walton suffered a season-ending knee injury in Tuesday's practice. It is a blow to Colorado's post play, as the 7-0 Walton had become a defensive presence in the middle in his first year.
"He had such a promising freshman year and we were expecting some great things," Boyle said. "I just want to let people know that this is not the end of the road for him by any means. He's going to come back stronger than he was before. … I just feel sick to my stomach for him and for how hard he's worked and for what we had in front of him this year. We'll just delay it a year and everybody else will have to step up."
But if there there is any silver lining, it is that the Buffs do have the players to step up, which is why Boyle's overall level of optimism hasn't dimmed when it comes to his team's outlook this season.
"We still have enough bodies to be successful," said Boyle, who is entering his ninth year at CU. "It should be a great year to be a Colorado Buffalo."
Indeed, the Buffs appear to have talent and depth at every spot on the floor. Picked to to finish seventh in the Pac-12 in the preseason media poll, the Buffs have enough returning firepower — along with some talented newcomers who may still be under the radar — to perhaps be one of the league's surprise teams when conference play rolls around.
"I want to continue to push this program to new heights," Boyle said. "I think this year's team has a hunger and a chip on their shoulder that hopefully we can display as the season unfolds and we can do some special things."
Any discussion about the Buffs' prospects this year begins with point guard McKinley Wright IV, a Pac-12 All-Freshman team selection and a player who has already gained some national acclaim this year. Along with rapidly establishing himself as the team leader as a true freshman, Wright last season led Colorado in points (14.2), assists (5.5) and steals (1.0), and was third on the team in rebounding (4.7) in a 17-15 Colorado season.
Boyle expects more from Wright this season — in particular an improved shooting percentage and assist-turnover ratio. Wright last year shot 45.1 percent from the floor and 30.4 percent from 3-point range. He also had 175 assists and 94 turnovers — a 1.9 ratio that was good for seventh in the Pac-12, but one Boyle believes can improve significantly.
"He had a respectable assist to turnover ratio for a freshman point guard but I believe McKinley Wright can be an elite level point guard, and for him to do that his assist to turnover ratio needs to get to two to one, three to one, and maybe even four to one," Boyle said. "Turnovers and shooting the basketball from the perimeter. He's got the rest of the package so to speak. He gained strength. We're going to need McKinley to motivate his teammates. His teams usually come up on the winning end in practice, I want that to translate to the games now."
But Wright is just one of several young Buffs who will be expected to be big contributors. Others include sophomore Tyler Bey, who also got his baptism by fire last year with 21 starts (18 in Pac-12 play), and redshirt freshman Evan Battey, who has sat out the last two seasons because of ineligibility and health situations.
Bey is a physically gifted 6-foot-7, 218-pounder who can play the wing and also inside. He averaged 7.0 points and 5.3 rebounds for Colorado in Pac-12 play as a freshman, and returns this year with more muscle to his game.
"He's had as good as an offseason as any player I've coached in the last 25 years," Boyle said. "He's really made great strides. Physically he's gotten stronger in the weight room. One thing we know about Tyler is that he's extremely athletic, he can make plays physically that other players can't make. What I want to see him make is that jump from a mental standpoint, of consistency and focus on the floor and be an everyday every position type player. We know he's got flashes of brilliance as a freshman, now it's can he make that a consistent thing as a sophomore? That's going to be a challenge for him but he's capable of it, because physically he's as gifted as a guy as we have on our team."
Battey is another player from whom the Buffs are expecting big things. The 6-foot-8, 264-pound forward has quickness that belies his size, excellent passing skills and the strength to muscle into the post.
"He's going to be fun to watch, he's fun to coach and he's fun to play with," Boyle said.
Battey's role will no doubt increase in the wake of Walton's injury, as will that of junior Lucas Siewert. The 6-11 Siewert came on strong at the end of last season, averaging 14 points and 5.2 rebounds over CU's last five games.
Now, with Walton out, he will be even more important as an inside presence.
"Lucas's role becomes really paramount," Boyle said. "it was going to be big before (Walton's injury). I think with Lucas Siewert, you saw in the second half of the season last year him come into his own and start developing. He's shooting the ball with unbelievable confidence. He shot 44 percent from three last year. Every time he shoots it he thinks it's going in. He's really improved his low block game. He's getting better defensively. He looks like a legitimate Division I front court player now."
Another player who could get some extra playing time with Walton out is junior Alex Strating, who Boyle said has had a solid fall thus far.
As for the perimeter game, the Buffs added a long-distance shooter in junior college transfer Shane Gatling, and also have returnees D'Shawn Schwartz, Namon Wright and Deleon Brown.
The 6-7 Schwartz brings some size and shooting ability to the table, and can be a threat inside and out. Wright can play small forward or guard and has the potential to be a 3-point threat while Brown can play both guard spots and bring a defensive presence.
What Boyle doesn't know yet is what his starting lineup will look like. Asked if he has an early indication, he stopped after naming McKinley Wright as his point guard.
What he does know is that he has plenty of options. Even without Walton, the Buffs can go with a "big" lineup that could have Siewert, Battey and Bey on the floor together; or he can go with a smaller, quicker lineup that might include three guards.
The Buffs will play a home exhibition Nov. 3 against Colorado Mines (4 p.m. tip), then open the season Nov. 13 at home with a 6 p.m. against Drake.
Until then, Boyle hopes his Buffs can continue to practice with the energy and competitiveness they have displayed thus far.
"There's an edge no doubt, and Coach (Kim) English one of our assistant coaches has a saying that I think our players appreciate and I know I do — iron sharpens iron," Boyle said. "if you bring that mentality, that workmanlike mentality, that competitive spirit to the gym every day to practice every day you're going to make yourself better, but you're also going to make your teammates better. McKinley and Evan bring it every day. They are competing, and their teammates feed off of that. … For us to get better in practice we have to have that, and we've had it so far."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
