Colorado still hasn’t gotten the full read on David Gomez, and that’s the biggest summer storyline around one of Tad Boyle’s key additions.
The 6-foot-8 forward has been held out of full-contact team work while he continues to recover from the injury that cut short his only season at Charlotte. Boyle said late last week that Gomez’s status has kept him from taking part in those drills, leaving the Buffs to wait on the player they hope can help reshape a frontcourt that needs it.
Gomez’s college sample is tiny. He played only two games for Charlotte last season, but he did flash in both.
Against Illinois State, he finished 2-for-4 from the field, hit a pair of 3-pointers and posted six points and four rebounds. Against Richmond, he went 2-for-2 for four points and three rebounds before a foot injury ended his season.
Even with that limited college resume, Gomez arrives with a more substantial background than most transfers. He had significant international experience in Spain and was part of the country’s gold medal run at the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup.
Colorado brought him in after Charlotte’s coaching change, with former Cincinnati coach Wes Miller taking over there. The Buffs also lost forwards Sebastian Rancik, Bangot Dak and Alon Michaeli to the transfer portal after a season in which rebounding was a problem.
Boyle said Gomez isn’t the only big man whose summer has been interrupted. Forward Goc Malual, a 6-foot-8 freshman from Australia, has also been limited by injury.
“I have no idea what (Gomez) is going to bring to the table. He is a true X-factor,” Boyle said.
“He looks good on the sideline. He’s (6-foot-8) and broad-shouldered and that sort of thing.
But I have no idea what he’s going to bring. Goc Malual has been limited for us.
But when he’s been on the floor, he’s been very, very impressive.”
Boyle also pointed to another Australian newcomer, 6-foot-4 guard Alex Dickeson, as someone who could be ready to help right away in the backcourt. He compared the development path of Malual and Dickeson to that of Michaeli, noting that playing in more pro-like environments overseas can speed things up for freshmen.
“I’ve said this before, those kids are going to be a little bit further along than your typical freshman coming from America,” Boyle said. “Just because they’ve been playing with, and against, older guys their whole upbringing.”
Colorado’s schedule news also brought a familiar name back into Boyle’s orbit. The Buffs announced a Dec. 19 meeting with Purdue at the Indy Classic in Indianapolis, setting up the first matchup between the programs in 39 years.
That game will also reconnect Boyle with Matt Painter, whose rise he’s watched closely since their Missouri Valley days. Boyle was an assistant at Wichita State in the early 2000s when Painter was at Southern Illinois, first as an assistant and then as head coach beginning in the 2003-04 season before moving on to Purdue.
Painter has gone 501-224 at Purdue and guided the Boilermakers to 11 straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Boyle had plenty of praise for him.
“He and I go back a long ways. We go back to the Missouri Valley days,” Boyle said.
“Obviously I’ve watched his career at Purdue and we’ve been on some committees together. Matt’s really well respected not only as a coach, but as an ambassador for college basketball.
He’s been good for the game. Great guy, great coach.
Does it the right way. That’s one thing I really, really respect about Matt Painter is he does things the right way.”
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