Colorado Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Buffaloes

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: Colorado Buffaloes mascot Chip performs during the team's quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament against the Arizona Wildcats at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Arizona won 92-78. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 07: McKinley Wright IV #25 of the Colorado Buffaloes fouls Kimani Lawrence #14 of the Arizona State Sun Devils as Namon Wright #13 of the Buffaloes reaches for the ball during a first-round game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Buffaloes won 97-85. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Colorado Basketball showed a lot of potential in the 2017-18 campaign, and they should have the talent needed to continue trending upwards in the Pac-12 this season.

When you consider that the Buffs were the most inexperienced team in the Pac-12 last season, they’re 8-10 conference record (8th place out of 12) isn’t as discouraging as it might look at first glance. Sure, they were inconsistent at times, but Tad Boyle’s young squad also showed us glimpses of what the future could hold in Boulder, notching wins over teams like South Dakota State, Arizona State (ranked #4 at the time) and Arizona (#14).

If you watched the Buffs play at all last season, the player you’re likely most aware of (and excited about) is McKinley Wright IV. The 6’0″ freshman point guard was one of the most electric players in the country, and he’s a favorite among pundits to end up on the all-conference first team this time around. With players like George King and Dominique Collier no longer with the team, the big question is: will there be enough talent around Wright IV for the Buffs to thrive?

In a Pac-12 that will be relatively open after the top-tier of elite powers, there’s reason to be optimistic, especially when you consider that the Buffs will return six players from last year’s team who scored at least five points per game. Add a promising freshman and transfer into the mix, and that’s a team with both star power and depth.

Let’s not get carried away, this is still a young team that will have its fair share of question marks to deal with, but it’s not crazy to think that they might surprise. Let’s look at what they’ll be working with in terms of key players, scheduling, and where they’re likely to end up in the standings.

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