Colorado
Two years ago, the Buffaloes were in the second round of the NCAA Tournament as a 5-seed, but last year was a certain disappointment. The Buffaloes had a big upset early in the season against Tennessee and blew out Texas A&M a week later, but really fell apart late in the season, finishing just 8-12, getting the 9-seed in the Pac-12 Tournament. Their season would end in the second round of the NIT a few weeks later.
While last season did not progress as expected for Tad Boyle’s squad, there’s plenty of reason for optimism this year. A majority of last year’s talent is returning, including both KJ Simpson and Tristan da Silva, who each averaged 15.9 points per game to lead the Buffaloes last season. A few other important pieces are back, but it’s not just the chemistry that this team has going for it. Colorado added a key frontcourt weapon in TCU transfer Eddie Lampkin and added 5-star prospect Cody Williams, one of the best forwards in the class of 2023.
Last year was rough offensively for the Buffaloes, who were in the bottom third of the nation in field goal percentage and weren’t exactly stellar shooting overall. A program built with solid defense and rebounding adds two major weapons into a lineup that remains somewhat intact. The hopes are that Colorado’s rebuilt frontcourt helps this team to significantly more success in the Pac-12.