Colorado University Athletics
Woelk: Lofty Expectations Don't Bother Boyle's Buffs
October 16, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — From Tad Boyle's perspective, it's no surprise his Colorado Buffaloes are being picked as a Pac-12 title contender and a potential top 25 team.
Boyle's Buffs finished last season on a strong note, they have virtually everyone back — including a pair of first-team all-conference performers — and they are now a talented, veteran-laden team that should be significantly better than last year's 23-13 squad that advanced to the Pac-12 tournament semifinals and the third round of the NIT.
Thus, the lofty expectations hovering over the Buffs as they enter Boyle's 10th season are expected. The key, Boyle said, will be for the Buffs to pick up where they left off last season rather than starting from scratch.
"Last year's team really improved as the season went on," Boyle said at Tuesday's CU Media Day. "We got hot at the end and played well down the stretch. It is important that we understand where we were at the end of the last year … This is a team where we can take off where we left off. If we do that and use that as a starting point and continue to get better from there, that is where the excitement comes."
That preseason excitement is the kind that hasn't accompanied a CU basketball team for years. Boyle's Buffs were picked second in the Pac-12 preseason media poll — just a few points behind predicted champion Oregon — and they are regularly being mentioned in national preseason rankings.
As Boyle said, part of those expectations are linked to the Buffs' performance down the stretch last season. After an early conference slump that saw them lose six of their first eight Pac-12 games, they rebounded to win 10 of their next 12, with a pair of five-game win streaks in that stretch. They reached the Pac-12 semifinals and then advanced to the third round of the NIT.
But this is no doubt a year that the Buffs are aiming for an NCAA berth, something CU hasn't earned since 2016.
Boyle already has a nice list of accomplishments in his nine years in Boulder. The Buffs have four NCAA Tournament berths under his guidance, a Pac-12 tourney title (2012), six 20-win seasons and four conference tournament semifinal appearances.
But as he enters his 10th season at the CU helm, Boyle knows expectations are at a new level. With a pair of All-Pac-12 performers returning in point guard McKinley Wright IV and forward Tyler Bey, plus an abundance of veteran depth at every position, the Buffs will find themselves in a rare position — the hunted instead of the hunters.
"What excites me the most about this team is our depth and quality of depth," Boyle said. "That is where we can hopefully differentiate ourselves as we move through the season. We know injuries are a part of college sports. That is part of the game. This team is built right now to sustain some of that."
The Buffs are indeed deep at virtually every spot on the court.
Along with Wright in the backcourt, CU has a pair of veterans in senior Shane Gatling and sophomore Daylen Kountz — a player Boyle singled out as having an excellent offseason. While it's early, Kountz will no doubt get a long look at playing alongside Wright in the starting lineup. Also returning at guard is sophomore Eli Parquet.
At the wings, the Buffs have Bey and junior D'Shawn Schwartz — another player Boyle singled out as having a great offseason — as well as junior Alex Strating and junior college transfer Maddox Daniels, who is expected to bolster the Buffs' 3-point shooting.
Up front, there's no shortage of ability. Along with key returnees Lucas Siewert (26 starts last season) and Evan Battey (11 starts last year), the Buffs will also have 7-footer Dallas Walton back in the fold. Walton suffered a torn ACL exactly a year ago, but is healthy and ready to play, and he gives the Buffs an immediate defensive presence as a rim protector.
Also up front, the Buffs have a pair of returning redshirt players in 6-11 freshman Jakub Dombek and 6-10 junior Frank Ryder, both of whom will give the Buffs plenty of depth.Â
 "We aren't welcoming four or five new faces, and that is a reason why people have expectations of our team this year because of what we have coming back," Boyle said. "We can't go two steps backwards. We need to start off where we left off which was playing pretty darn good basketball."
OPENER IN CHINA: After an Oct. 26 exhibition game against Pomona-Pitzer at the CU Events Center (1 p.m. tipoff), the Buffs will depart for China, where they will open their season with a Nov. 8 game against Arizona State in Shanghai (8:30 p.m., ESPN2). Even though it's a Pac-12 foe, it won't count in the league standings — but it will be a big game for the Buffs, as it should quickly give them an idea as to where they stand.
"I'm looking forward to playing Arizona State, a quality opponent," Boyle said. "They are going to have some new faces and some good players returning as well. Guys like Remy Martin, Romello White, and Kimani Lawrence."
Boyle also noted the trip will be a great learning experience for his team.
"It's a great opportunity for our university and certainly our basketball program to showcase what we are all about in a foreign country and to experience a city like Shanghai and a culture like China and have that opportunity for your student-athletes to experience," he said. "That to me is what excites me about the trip, is learning and growing as a group as a basketball team and also as college students."
ONE NEWCOMER TO REDSHIRT: The Buffs have just two new roster newcomers, with Daniels slated to play this season.
The other is freshman point guard Keeshawn Barthelemy, a point guard from Montreal who has been impressive thus far in fall practices.
"He's not going to play this year, but he is going to be a terrific player for us," Boyle said. "If you come and watch our practices, you'll see Keeshawn making plays for those bigs, just like McKinley and some of our other guards do."
WALTON ON 'PITCH COUNT:' Walton, recovering from his third ACL surgery, has had a good early fall, but Boyle said there's no need to rush him back too soon. Walton has been wearing a knee brace and is practicing at full speed, but he almost certainly won't be playing extensive minutes early.
"He's been through it before, he has three years of eligibility remaining, and we have some depth at that position, so it allows Dallas to come back at his own pace," Boyle said. "I love the analogy of a pitch count because that's what we're going to do with him. I have to trust Dallas when it comes to listening to him when he tells me he's sore one day or there's some swelling on a different day. We can bring him back at his own pace. I don't need to throw him into the fire. We don't need 30 minutes a night, but he brings something to this team that we don't have. … (But) Having a seven-foot rim protector, a guy who is skilled and a guy who's played in Pac-12 level games before, helps."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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