NCAA Basketball: Predicting best player from top 2021 recruiting classes
By Ian Mumm
12. Colorado Buffaloes
Recruiting Class: KJ Simpson, Lawson Lovering, Quincy Allen, Javon Ruffin, and Julian Hammond
The Buffaloes were a tough group last season finishing 3rd in a Pac-12 that turned more competitive than expected by preseason polls. Tad Boyle’s team lost five conference games by 4-points or less and pushed nearly every opponent to the brink of defeat.
However, this offseason is a big one for Colorado who will look drastically different next season. Floor general McKinley Wright IV exhausted his eligibility and cemented his status as one of the best players ever to come through the program. His consistency and ability to rally the team around him will be a void to fill in 2021.
Yet, Wright IV is one of seven total players at the top of the rotation no longer with the team for one reason or another. The combined experience of the departing players leaves next year’s squad incredibly youthful and unproven at the collegiate level. This year is all about finding players to step up and create momentum, as well as wins, for the program. Coach Boyle will be looking to find the next gem amongst his recruiting class of Lawson Lovering, KJ Simpson, Quincy Allen, Javon Ruffin, and Julian Hammond.
The outlook for Colorado should be positive though in the wake of such high roster turnover. Last year’s freshman class did not see massive minutes in 2020 but did play as efficiently as nearly every other player on the roster on a per 40 minutes basis. This should have Colorado fans feeling confident their sophomores can pick up the slack. However, trying to smoothly replace Wright IV in one offseason isn’t the simplest of tasks.
This makes the addition of Simpson particularly significant for Colorado. The former Arizona commit is a potent scoring threat from all three levels and will be able to provide a scoring spark to the team’s offense regardless of if he’s immediately in the starting lineup or coming off the bench. He impacts all facets of the game and has the pedigree to turn into a McKinley Wright IV-esque type of producer for the Buffs soon.
Prediction: KJ Simpson