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NCAA Basketball: 3 takeaways from Colorado leaving Pac-12 for the Big 12

By Tristan Freeman

Feb 26, 2022; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Keeshawn Barthelemy (3) is congratulated for a score by guard KJ Simpson (2) and forward Jabari Walker (12) and guard Nique Clifford (32) and forward Tristan da Silva (23) during the second half against the Arizona Wildcats at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2022; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Keeshawn Barthelemy (3) is congratulated for a score by guard KJ Simpson (2) and forward Jabari Walker (12) and guard Nique Clifford (32) and forward Tristan da Silva (23) during the second half against the Arizona Wildcats at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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NCAA Basketball Tristan da Silva #23, and Luke O’Brien #0 of the Colorado Buffaloes (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
NCAA Basketball Tristan da Silva #23, and Luke O’Brien #0 of the Colorado Buffaloes (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

What move means for Colorado in NCAA Basketball

As the readers know, football is what drives most realignment situations. After hiring Deion Sanders as head coach, the football program for Colorado is viewed as one with potential. But the view is that it would be better off in the Big 12, where they can have better access to the fertile recruiting ground in the state of Texas.

That will also work for the basketball program too. In fact, the team got its projected starting center (TCU transfer Eddie Lampkin) from Texas. The thing is that the gap between the Pac-12 and the Big 12 in basketball is much larger than in football. Teams like Kansas, Baylor, and now Houston resides and even after losing both Texas and Oklahoma, the conference is still going to be one of the best in NCAA Basketball.

It’s also going to be an interesting time for the program. The current roster not only has top-25 potential for next season but could be the best one yet in the Coach Tad Boyle era. However, top-5 incoming freshman Cody Williams is likely around for one year, while Tristan da Silva and KJ Simpson could also go pro if they have another good year.

So the Buffaloes could be rebuilding in their first season back in the Big 12, likely to be in the same tier as a BYU or UCF. Still, being in a stable situation is what Colorado needed the most and their future as a power conference program is set. They just might have to go through some growing pains on the basketball side of things in the future.

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