Pac-12 schedule already looms large for the young CU Buffs

After losing their veteran leader and playmaker McKinley Wright IV to the NBA, Tad Boyle and the Colorado Buffaloes knew they would have their work cut out for them this season. Wright was the glue to Colorado’s offense, giving them a bucket when they so desperately needed it and he always found his open teammates.

Fast forward to 2022, Colorado gave the keys to offense to sophomore Keeshawn Barthelemy and freshman KJ Simpson, looking to pick up where Wright left off. The two have actually played really well for the most part. Barthelemy had 16 points, nine rebounds, and four assists in a win over Arizona State while Simpson took control in the Arizona game, providing a spark by scoring 17 points for the Buffs who would eventually fall to the Wildcats.

Colorado is currently 12-6 (4-4 in Pac-12 play) and searching for answers. Colorado started hot by winning their first three conference games. Now the team has dropped three out of their last four due to a common theme of turnovers and getting out rebounded.

The USC game was a prime example of getting outworked on the glass. Colorado was out rebounded 47-32 while 18 of those rebounds were on the offensive glass for the Trojans, giving them easy second-chance points. The UCLA game is where Colorado was bit by the turnover bug. The Buffs committed 14 of their 21 turnovers in the first half, trailing UCLA by 15. The second half was a different story, the team only turned it over seven times and essentially got back into the game as a result.

In years past, these are games that you’d see Colorado scratch and claw their way through and find a way to seal the victory. Without Wright, Colorado is still trying to find their go-to-player.

It’s been a balance attack for the Buffs. Barthelemy has led the charge in some games, same with Evan Battey, and same with Jabari Walker. Walker, who is just a sophomore, made a name for himself in the NCAA Tournament last year by scoring 24 points on 9-of-10 shooting, including a perfect 5-of-5 from downtown.

Colorado eased Walker in during is freshman year and saw his role expand when it came to the Pac-12 Tournament and NCAA Tournament. The 6’9″ forward can stretch the floor with his ability to knock down shots and he certainly has the potential to play at the next level if he continues to progress.

One thing that has plagued the big man so far is his ability to steer clear of foul trouble. In eight of Colorado’s 18 games, Jabari has committed 3+ fouls. In order for this team to have success moving forward, that’s something Boyle and his staff will need to keep an eye on. They need him on the court.

This is a really young team outside of seniors Evan Battey and Eli Parquet. 14 of the 18 players listed on the roster either freshman or sophomores. With that being said, there will probably be a lot of ups and down this season, but it’s all about progression from this point on. The nice thing is they’ve shown persistence in these games and fought back from adversity.

Next Up: Colorado starts a three-game road trip and will take on the Oregon Ducks in Eugene tonight at 8pm MST.