With Colorado’s men’s basketball season opener only five days away against Abilene Christian, the Buffaloes are set to roll out a roster that looks very different from last year’s. Only five players are back from that team, and one of the most important returners is Josiah Sanders.
Sanders, a guard who flashed real promise as a freshman, has reportedly taken a noticeable step forward heading into year two. That was a big topic at Big 12 Basketball Media Days, where both Sanders and coach Tad Boyle talked about the progress he’s made.
The numbers from last season show a player still finding his way. Sanders averaged 4.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and .4 steals in 17.9 minutes per game. The bigger issue was efficiency: he shot 46.4 percent from the field and just 12.5 percent from 3-point range.
Sanders said he spent the offseason working to round out his game and sharpen his jumper.
“My skill set has taken the biggest step forward in that I understand that I have a broad skill set,” Sanders said. “The fact that if I’m not having a good night doing one thing, I can do something else and provide that for the team.
I was just trying to develop my jump shot so I can open up the court for my teammates and really have a three-level scoring game. So that was the biggest thing for me.”
Boyle agreed that Sanders’ growth has been real, and he said experience played a major role in that development.
“His experience level as the year went on,” Boyle said. “There’s no greater teacher than experience.
But his progress really came in his physicality. He’s a big, strong guy, and he really handled the physicality of the Big 12 well as a freshman.
His skill set is an ongoing work in progress, as every college player’s is. But for Josiah, there’s no moment too big for him.
He’s not afraid of the moment, and I think he’s got a lot of confidence in his abilities.”
That confidence has shown up beyond his play, too. Sanders said he has been stepping into a leadership role since the summer, using his voice with a roster that includes several new faces.
“It was definitely a quick change,” Sanders said. “I came in last year as a freshman and hadn’t really experienced anything.
But I feel like the experiences I had last year set me up well for this year because I’m able to share those with the freshmen and the other kids that we have. So, for me, I’m taking on that leadership role.
Just using my voice, trying to be more vocal, trying to make sure all of the guys are comfortable because I know what it was like just a year ago.”
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