If you're a Colorado Buffaloes fan, you've been to BuffStampede.com, the Colorado site on Rivals run by Adam Munsterteiger. Adam has been covering the Buffs for years and has been right by their side as Tad Boyle has taken the team and turned them into conference champions. He's currently running a free 30 day trial when you use the promo code buffs 30, and they're also offering a referral program for current members that has the possibility of getting you a free lifetime membership. Adam was nice enough to sit down with AllBuffs to discuss the upcoming BasketBuffs season as we all wonder #IsItNovemberYet.
AllBuffs: Obviously after the surprise tournament run last year, expectations are high for the Buffs this year despite losing four seniors from last year's team. Are we placing too high of expectations on last year's recruiting class (which Rivals had as the 3rd best in the PAC-12)?
Adam Munsterteiger: I don’t think so. Basketball is different than football in the sense that freshmen hoopsters can come in and shine their first year. You see it every year with top programs across the country. We obviously saw that here in Boulder just a few years ago with Alec Burks, and to a lesser extent with Spencer Dinwiddie and Askia Booker last season. With so many freshmen expected to be in the rotation at CU this coming season, however, you can’t expect the Buffs to come out of the gates like a well-oiled machine. It will take time for the young pups to get their feet wet at this level and to gel with each other. I’d expect the Buffs to be one of the better teams in the conference by the end of the season, and the freshmen are going to be a big reason why.
AB: Which freshman do you see being the most important to the team's success this year?
AM: I would say Josh Scott because he has a skill set that is very rare for a freshman big man. He can finish equally as well with his left hand as he can with his right hand, and he has a variety of moves in the post. While going up against other top recruits on the AAU circuit last spring and summer, Scott proved he has elite talent. He outperformed Isaiah Austin, a five-star center prospect that signed with Baylor, in a matchup at the Great American Shootout. Scott is going to be a joy for Colorado fans to watch. And he is an easy kid to root for. Scott is very humble, soft-spoken and is a hard worker.
AB: Which freshman do you think could surprise us all by contributing a lot more than everyone expects?
AM: I’ve heard Chris Jenkins has a chance to be a real contributor off the bench on the wing. I know a lot of Colorado fans were excited about his signing, but he surprisingly did not have any other major conference offers. Jenkins is an efficient offensive player. He shot 65 percent inside-the-arc, 40 percent from three-point range and 80 percent at the free-throw line as a senior at Detroit Jesuit. Word is that Jenkins has performed well during early workouts and practices with the team this summer.
AB: In your interview with Askia Booker, he said that he will be starting this season. Who do you see joining him, Andre Roberson and Spencer Dinwiddie in the starting lineup?
AM: I would expect Josh Scott and Xavier Johnson to start. During my interview with Booker, he mentioned that those are the two freshmen that have impressed him the most so far in practices and workouts. Johnson is a really good rebounder for a wing player. He averaged more than nine boards per game as a senior at Mater Dei. So if CU has Johnson, Roberson and Scott starting along their frontline that is a great rebounding lineup.
AB: Last year everyone expected Jeremy Adams to be a solid rotation player for us, but he struggled a bit due to a late diagnosis of diabetes. What do you expect out of Adams this season?
AM: That is hard to say. Of all the returning players, Adams is the biggest wildcard. I asked Coach Boyle about this at his post-season press conference and he said Adam’s development is “very important” for the program. He added that he probably did Adams a disservice last season because he had him on a short leash and didn’t let him play through as many mistakes as he probably should have. Adams has the skill set to be a good college basketball player, but often plays out of control in games. Adams did play a total of 306 minutes last season so with that experience, and the fact he now knows how to better monitor and treat his diabetes, I could see him becoming a more consistent player this coming season.
AB: There's ten seconds left and the Buffs are down 1. Who's taking the last shot?
AM: Spencer Dinwiddie is a confident kid that isn’t afraid to take big shots, and he is a 6-foot-5 point guard so he will often have a size advantage over his defender. Who should take the last shot will depend on the matchups, though. There might be a game where the opponent has size in their backcourt but is small along their front line and in that case, Josh Scott might have an advantage down in the post.
AB: Finally, it looks like the team will have at least 1-2 scholarships to work with for 2013 recruits. Are there any names you would recommend Buff fans keep an eye on?
AM: Colorado’s staff is in on a lot of 2013 recruits despite their lack of scholarships for that class. Blue-chip wings Jabari Bird and Isaac Hamilton have both shown some interest in the Buffs but appear to be long shots at best. Phoenix area point guard Jaron Hopkins, a four-star recruit, has high interest in both Colorado and Arizona. Stanford would also be in the mix for his signature if they decide to offer. Sacramento wing Dakarai Allen is another recruit to watch closely. He has listed Colorado and San Diego State as his favorites for a long time now. Allen is an elite defender but not a great scorer. The Buffs have also shown a lot of interest in Dallas area wings Leyton Hammonds and Brandon Parrish.
We'd like to thank Adam for taking time to answer some questions for us and help us get our basketball fix in July. You can follow Adam on twitter at @adamcm777.
AllBuffs: Obviously after the surprise tournament run last year, expectations are high for the Buffs this year despite losing four seniors from last year's team. Are we placing too high of expectations on last year's recruiting class (which Rivals had as the 3rd best in the PAC-12)?
Adam Munsterteiger: I don’t think so. Basketball is different than football in the sense that freshmen hoopsters can come in and shine their first year. You see it every year with top programs across the country. We obviously saw that here in Boulder just a few years ago with Alec Burks, and to a lesser extent with Spencer Dinwiddie and Askia Booker last season. With so many freshmen expected to be in the rotation at CU this coming season, however, you can’t expect the Buffs to come out of the gates like a well-oiled machine. It will take time for the young pups to get their feet wet at this level and to gel with each other. I’d expect the Buffs to be one of the better teams in the conference by the end of the season, and the freshmen are going to be a big reason why.
AB: Which freshman do you see being the most important to the team's success this year?
AM: I would say Josh Scott because he has a skill set that is very rare for a freshman big man. He can finish equally as well with his left hand as he can with his right hand, and he has a variety of moves in the post. While going up against other top recruits on the AAU circuit last spring and summer, Scott proved he has elite talent. He outperformed Isaiah Austin, a five-star center prospect that signed with Baylor, in a matchup at the Great American Shootout. Scott is going to be a joy for Colorado fans to watch. And he is an easy kid to root for. Scott is very humble, soft-spoken and is a hard worker.
AB: Which freshman do you think could surprise us all by contributing a lot more than everyone expects?
AM: I’ve heard Chris Jenkins has a chance to be a real contributor off the bench on the wing. I know a lot of Colorado fans were excited about his signing, but he surprisingly did not have any other major conference offers. Jenkins is an efficient offensive player. He shot 65 percent inside-the-arc, 40 percent from three-point range and 80 percent at the free-throw line as a senior at Detroit Jesuit. Word is that Jenkins has performed well during early workouts and practices with the team this summer.
AB: In your interview with Askia Booker, he said that he will be starting this season. Who do you see joining him, Andre Roberson and Spencer Dinwiddie in the starting lineup?
AM: I would expect Josh Scott and Xavier Johnson to start. During my interview with Booker, he mentioned that those are the two freshmen that have impressed him the most so far in practices and workouts. Johnson is a really good rebounder for a wing player. He averaged more than nine boards per game as a senior at Mater Dei. So if CU has Johnson, Roberson and Scott starting along their frontline that is a great rebounding lineup.
AB: Last year everyone expected Jeremy Adams to be a solid rotation player for us, but he struggled a bit due to a late diagnosis of diabetes. What do you expect out of Adams this season?
AM: That is hard to say. Of all the returning players, Adams is the biggest wildcard. I asked Coach Boyle about this at his post-season press conference and he said Adam’s development is “very important” for the program. He added that he probably did Adams a disservice last season because he had him on a short leash and didn’t let him play through as many mistakes as he probably should have. Adams has the skill set to be a good college basketball player, but often plays out of control in games. Adams did play a total of 306 minutes last season so with that experience, and the fact he now knows how to better monitor and treat his diabetes, I could see him becoming a more consistent player this coming season.
AB: There's ten seconds left and the Buffs are down 1. Who's taking the last shot?
AM: Spencer Dinwiddie is a confident kid that isn’t afraid to take big shots, and he is a 6-foot-5 point guard so he will often have a size advantage over his defender. Who should take the last shot will depend on the matchups, though. There might be a game where the opponent has size in their backcourt but is small along their front line and in that case, Josh Scott might have an advantage down in the post.
AB: Finally, it looks like the team will have at least 1-2 scholarships to work with for 2013 recruits. Are there any names you would recommend Buff fans keep an eye on?
AM: Colorado’s staff is in on a lot of 2013 recruits despite their lack of scholarships for that class. Blue-chip wings Jabari Bird and Isaac Hamilton have both shown some interest in the Buffs but appear to be long shots at best. Phoenix area point guard Jaron Hopkins, a four-star recruit, has high interest in both Colorado and Arizona. Stanford would also be in the mix for his signature if they decide to offer. Sacramento wing Dakarai Allen is another recruit to watch closely. He has listed Colorado and San Diego State as his favorites for a long time now. Allen is an elite defender but not a great scorer. The Buffs have also shown a lot of interest in Dallas area wings Leyton Hammonds and Brandon Parrish.
We'd like to thank Adam for taking time to answer some questions for us and help us get our basketball fix in July. You can follow Adam on twitter at @adamcm777.
