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24-25 MBB Team
- Thread starter Buffsbball
- Start date
Top-25-ish, but I get your point. They both were strong classes, but the context undermines their impact on this current roster.
'23 class -- mostly buoyed by CW and Eddie, both who are out the door. Dak surprised, Diop showed late-season promise, but they haven't proven to be load-carriers, yet. Courtney Anderson was young for his class so redshirted. It'll be interesting to see how CA, especially performs, but that class is not top-25 without CW and Eddie.
'24 class - I have high hopes for Kossaras and Rancik, but they don't project to be CW-level immediate impacts. I'm thinking soph season for them to really start to shine to their capability. Jakimovski is a fun add, but not a game-breaker. Baskin is an interesting prospect, and could play wild card/accelerant, bridge to next year while the young guys develop. I don't know what to make of Malone, and anyone who tells you they do is most likely blowing smoke.
The critical issue is '22 and '21 classes have either come and gone or been a complete bust (Julian, notwithstanding). Striking out on Utah's #34, Quincy, Hurlburt really hurt the program -- Tad has worked hard to recruit around them (See: the Jak, Baskin, and Malone), but it's hard to replace the value 3 quality players with 3-4 years of experience with Tad would have over incoming transfers. Injuries to RJ and Ruff only further complicated that hole in the program.
I like the pieces in the program, I just don't necessarily like how they fit this year. The departures leave a gap that the current class isn't ready to completely fill this winter. Add in the challenge of the return to the BXII, and we're boned for '24-25. Still work to do for '25-'26, but, assuming we keep the still-eligible '23/'24 talent in Boulder, that season looks better.
"24-25: The front court will hold its own. Our backcourt is a disaster."
Put it on a t-shirt.
TL;DR: We have some good players, but we don't have a PG.
A small chunk of that is KJ excelled so much that he got drafted early. This team with KJ as a senior would be really damn good. I don't think there was ever an expectation of Cody being here more than one year, but this general team with Cody and KJ would be excellent.
There's enough talent to win, but it's almost all potential right now. These guys haven't played together and no one has logged starter minutes in a Buff uniform.
Big things to me are:
1. We don't know what to assume every game on where counting stats will come from.
2. We don't know who will "quarterback" the team schematically or emotionally.
3. We don't know who the alpha is who things will go through if we need a bucket, key rebound or to lock down an opponent.
Last, a team takes on the personality of the HC + best player. The 2nd half of that formula is an unknown right now.
Anyway, I see a path to having a good team & successful season. But there are too many unknowns with too many things needing to break right for me to give a blue sky prediction for this season - though there are reasons to be hopeful since the cupboard is far from bare.
Big things to me are:
1. We don't know what to assume every game on where counting stats will come from.
2. We don't know who will "quarterback" the team schematically or emotionally.
3. We don't know who the alpha is who things will go through if we need a bucket, key rebound or to lock down an opponent.
Last, a team takes on the personality of the HC + best player. The 2nd half of that formula is an unknown right now.
Anyway, I see a path to having a good team & successful season. But there are too many unknowns with too many things needing to break right for me to give a blue sky prediction for this season - though there are reasons to be hopeful since the cupboard is far from bare.
Robert Sorell
Well-Known Member
In lieu of having a perennial top 25 program, the expectations game for this season is a perfect refresher from what last year was.
There is no point guard left in the portal?
Hell, maybe one of them will work out, who knows?Tad has officially said he's done and likes what we have at guard.
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MarkW
Well-Known Member
Mostly I'm just glad to see some effort finally being put into MBB social media.
I'm really appreciative of your contributions on this board.
Buffsbball
Well-Known Member
Crazy thing too is the 21 class was our highest ranked ever- think it finished at 11th. Which shows that rankings don't always lead to production. Especially with Quincy and Lawson's case. Also wonder how much COVID impacted the 21 class from a rankings perspective like were there less events, games, circuits and did that in turn impact recruiting rankings.
I will say I don't think anybody expected KJ who was in 21 class to have this good of a year where he was drafted. Especially at his size. This being a down draft and him having an absurdly effecient year especially from 3 allowed him to get drafted. I think if he shot 35% from 3 this year he might not have been on draft boards.
I am shocked Tad didn't recruit a PG though especially in spring. You'd think we'd be able to recruit a high level PG with Cody and KJ both being on draft boards and our history with Spencer, Kin, DWhite and KJ.
It was a major factor, in retrospect. Evals were off-kilter across the country.
I've interpreted that as a vote of confidence in Julian, with support expected to come from secondary ball handlers like Anderson and Kossaras (Ruff/RJ fit in this, as well). Potentially, the hope is one of the younger guys steps into the role, and they can then support with the next headline CU point guard in the '25-'26 recruiting/transfer cycle.
I don't agree with the overall strategy. @Goose thinks it's a mortal sin.
This might be the biggest mistake of Tad's tenure. 1) We've been witness to three years of Hammond not being able to handle the PG role. The offense stagnates under him, he has shown to be scared of penetrating and when he does, he typically gets caught in no man's land without an out. He's a mediocre passer. He's a sub-par defender without the quicks/strength to match up adequately against opposing guards. He's not a leader and has shown very little in terms of being confident, vocal or someone the team is willing to rally around. 2) Handing over some of the work to two players (Anderson, Kossaras) who've never checked into a real college game and hoping to catch lightning is...something. 3) Ruff and RJ are probably our best secondary options, but while both seem to have the skills, intelligence and grit needed, both are damaged goods until we see something to the contrary.
It's well known and continually repeated on this board, but I'll say it again: Tad's teams are most successful with a savvy, skilled PG leading the show. Without that we are mediocre at best, downright sh!tty at worst.
#13WinsorBust
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I've interpreted it as a failure to bring in a Kin or KJ level PG and a reasonable unwillingness to bring in some lesser player rather than try again for the '25-'26 season.
That is how I read it too, it isn't that they didn't *want* a PG, but weren't able to get one that they felt would be a benefit for one reason or another. Better to support the player that you have now and pump them up rather than bring in a JAG that leads to locker room issues.
Losing 18-20 games will also cause locker room issues
They did try to bring in Perry, but, yes, very quickly quit looking at lead guards after he said 'no' the 2nd time.
An interesting look at one of the new guys. I believe Tad sees this guy meshing with our 190 pound.forwards. And I trust Tad.
www.noceilingsnba.com
No Stone Unturned 2024: The Big Men
No Stone Unturned 2024 is here! Today, Maxwell examines five under-the-radar big men with NBA potential. PLUS: Insights from UAB's Yaxel Lendeborg and High Point's Juslin Bodo Bodo!
www.noceilingsnba.com
This is fun.
www.nytimes.com
What's driving the rising costs in the transfer portal? College basketball confidential
We asked 36 people across the sport — coaches, collective reps, players, agents — what the NIL landscape looks like in 2024 and what’s next.
www.nytimes.com
I know it's an average, but damn. Suggests bottom tier high major teams are working with NIL budgets that are 1/5 (or worse) than that of the top tier. Also that top tier mid-majors will have higher budgets than those same bottom tier high majors.This is fun.
What's driving the rising costs in the transfer portal? College basketball confidential
We asked 36 people across the sport — coaches, collective reps, players, agents — what the NIL landscape looks like in 2024 and what’s next.
I think the wildest number I've seen for Tad's NIL budget is 1 million. Maybe 2? Adam has hinted Tristan got paid less than 6 figures last year.
We are in the nation's toughest basketball league with a middling mid-major budget - and that's if you accept a near best case scenario!
I've heard $2M is our budget, but I haven't heard it from any concrete sources or anything so it could be way off.
As an aside, I prefer the old college hoops 2k nomenclature of low-, mid-, major, and power when describing the league strataThis is fun.
What's driving the rising costs in the transfer portal? College basketball confidential
We asked 36 people across the sport — coaches, collective reps, players, agents — what the NIL landscape looks like in 2024 and what’s next.
Edit to add article -
Direct link - https://cubuffs.com/news/2024/7/22/mens-basketball-buffs-announce-nonconference-home-dates
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BOULDER – Colorado men's basketball will usher in its return to the Big 12 Conference with eight home games during the nonconference portion of its schedule, head coach Tad Boyle announced on Monday.
The Buffaloes will host three teams that advanced to postseason play in 2023-24 and two programs that won their respective league's regular season championship.
Colorado tips its season off with reigning Big Sky Conference champion Eastern Washington on Monday, Nov. 4. The Eagles were 21-11 overall and 15-3 before being upset in the first round of the Big Sky Tournament. The Buffaloes stay in the Big Sky for a regional showdown with Northern Colorado on Friday, Nov. 8. UNC, 19-14 overall last year, tied for second in the Big Sky and participated in the College Basketball Invitational postseason tournament.
The Buffaloes warm up for their trip to the prestigious Maui Invitational with games against Cal State Fullerton on Wednesday, Nov. 13 and Harvard on Sunday, Nov. 17.
Colorado's nonconference home schedule is split evenly on both sides of its trip to Maui, Nov. 25-27, with four games before and four after. The bracket for the Maui Invitational, which includes NCAA champion UConn, North Carolina, Auburn along with other elite programs, has yet to be announced.
Following a first-time meeting with Pacific on Monday, Dec. 2, the basketball edition of the Rocky Mountain Showdown returns to Boulder as Colorado hosts Colorado State on Saturday, Dec. 7. The Rams are coming off a 25-11 season that included a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
The Buffaloes face a second-straight formidable challenge in less than a week by hosting 2024 NCAA Tournament participant South Dakota State on Friday, Dec. 13. The Jackrabbits were 22-13 last season and won both the Summit League regular season and tournament titles.
Colorado will end nonconference play with a first-time match up with Bellarmine out of the Atlantic Sun Conference on Saturday, Dec. 21, as a final tune up before its 20-game Big 12 schedule begins.
Times and television for Colorado's nonconference home games will be announced at a later date.
Colorado men's basketball season tickets are on sale now at https://cubuffs.evenue.net/events/MBS.
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