Fernando Lovo has spent part of the preseason trying to spark some excitement around Colorado men’s basketball, and Buff Nation has shown up for it.
The bigger question is whether that energy can survive once the games start counting.
Colorado opens the 17th season of the Tad Boyle era on Nov. 2 against Abilene Christian, and the program is heading into another year with familiar pressure points. Outside expectations are modest again, and so is the buzz inside the CU Events Center. The new-look roster gives the Buffs a fresh face, but it also has to answer the same old question: can this group move the needle in the Big 12?
Last season’s 7-11 conference record was better than some expected, but only slightly. It wasn’t the kind of run that changes the mood around a program. Isaiah Johnson’s breakout as a freshman might have been a reason for fans to buy in, but instead he climbed the ladder and landed at Texas, which opens the year ranked No. 7 in the nation.
Colorado took care of the teams it was supposed to beat and struggled when the level of competition rose. The Buffs had little success away from home, and the attendance picture reflected the broader slide. The CU Events Center averaged 6,207 fans, the lowest mark of Boyle’s tenure.
Lovo, in his first year as athletic director, has made that a focus. Over the past week, Colorado rolled out basketball-centered efforts to try to build some preseason buzz, including the SLAMpede during the weekly Friday night Pearl Street Stampede.
The reception was positive. So was the exhibition game against North Texas, played at Metro State’s Auraria Event Center.
Translating that into regular-season momentum is another matter entirely.
The Buffs were slotted in a tie for 14th in the Big 12 preseason coaches’ poll, and that sounds about right. They should still be a team people can pull for.
Barrington Hargress looks like the kind of steady, thoughtful leader who can keep things together, and last season he showed he can shoulder a team at times. Jalin Holland, Ian Inman and Josiah Sanders all enter their second year with breakout potential.
Justin Neely and Noah Feddersen should give Colorado more toughness on the inside.
There’s a path to modest improvement. The Buffs probably will be better in the two areas Boyle values most: defense and rebounding. But whether that translates into a better league record is far from certain.
Depth is thin. Hargress, at 6 feet, could have a rough time against the bigger and stronger guards in the Big 12. And even if Alex Dickeson brings real value as a first-year guard from the perimeter, that alone may not be enough to turn 3-point shooting into a true strength.
For Colorado to become one of the league’s surprise teams, Neely has to keep rebounding at a higher level. Feddersen and David Gomez, who is still working back into form after foot surgery a year ago, need to make the paint a more difficult place to play. And one of Holland, Inman, Sanders or Dickeson has to make the kind of leap Isaiah Johnson made last season.
That’s a lot of variables for a team trying to stay afloat in one of the toughest conferences in the country. Boyle is working with what he has and trying to build a competitive roster, but the resources still trail those of CU’s Big 12 rivals. Until that gap narrows, the Buffs are likely to remain a group people can like and respect - just not one that can consistently match the league’s top talent.
In Other News...
Colorado Risks A Bigger Problem If This Young Corner Stays Buried
Colorados secondary has been a moving target this season, and the cornerback spot has been one of the biggest reasons why. With several defenders rotating through and the group still searching for stability, there has been an opening for a young player to carve out a larger role. Mojo Williams Jr. looked like a candidate to do exactly that after showing promise in spring practice and the spring game, where he turned heads with his coverage.
Instead, his season has mostly been spent on the margins, with only a brief run of action in the Week 2 blowout of Weber State. That is where the concern starts for Colorado, because a player who flashed enough in the spring to earn attention can become a name other programs notice too if he is not used more now. For a defense already dealing with issues on the back end, the Buffs may be risking more than just depth if Williams stays buried. [Read more 🡒]
Colorados Depth May Depend On One Late-Season Development
Colorados preparation for the Nov. 2 season opener has started to clarify the shape of Tad Boyles rotation, and it looks like the Buffaloes will lean on a familiar core of guards Barrington Hargress, Alex Dickeson, Jalin Holland, Josiah Sanders and Ian Inman, plus forwards Justin Neely, Noah Feddersen, Goc Malual and David Gomez. Even before the games begin, the roster balance points to a team that will need its returning pieces to carry the early load while the newcomers get a feel for the level and the pace.
Amir Jones, Rider Portela, Chase Hill and Eric Jacobsen are the freshmen most likely to occupy the end of the bench at the outset, contributing more in practice than in regular game action. The bigger question for Colorados depth may be how much Gomez can give right away as he works back from foot surgery, because his availability could shape how much flexibility Boyle has in the frontcourt once the season starts to get crowded. [Read more 🡒]
Colorados Bowl Hopes Ride On One Huge Test At Oklahoma State
The Buffaloes head into Week 8 at 2-4 with another pivotal road test looming, and Isaac Wilson is set to make his third straight start at quarterback after taking over at halftime against Baylor. Since stepping in, Wilson has given Colorado some production through the air with 699 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions, but the bigger question is whether the offense can find enough balance to keep pace against a team built to throw the ball.
Oklahoma State brings one of the more dangerous passing attacks Colorado will see, with Drew Mestemaker drawing NFL Draft buzz and directing an offense that averages 329.5 passing yards per game. For Colorado, the path is less about getting into a shootout and more about disrupting Mestemaker early, while also trying to take advantage of a weaker run defense and keep its own bowl hopes from slipping further out of reach. [Read more 🡒]