The Sports Bank’s college basketball season previews undergo a facelift this season. Rather than counting down the top 111 teams in 111 days, we will go conference-by-conference, breaking down each team beginning with the Pac-12.
Spencer Dinwiddie’s early exit to the NBA was a significant loss this off-season for the Colorado Buffaloes but certainly not crippling for the program. Tad Boyle still returns all five post-Dinwiddie injury starters from a year ago, the Buffs will be a major player on the national stage.
COLORADO BUFFALOES
Last Season: T-3rd, 10-8 in Pac-12, 23-12 overall
Predicted Pac-12 Finish: 2nd
Projected Depth Chart
C: Josh Scott (Jr)/Tory Miller (Fr)
PF: Wesley Gordon (So)/Dustin Thomas (So)
SF: Xavier Johnson (Jr)/Tre’Shaun Fletcher (So)/George King (So)
G: Askia Booker (Sr)/Jaron Hopkins (So)/Eli Stalzer (Jr)
PG: Xavier Talton (Jr)/Dominique Collier (Fr)
Gone: G-Spencer Dinwiddie, C-Ben Mills, SF-Chris Jenkins (transfer-Detroit)
2014-2015 Outlook:
Up and down the Colorado roster, there aren’t many weaknesses. The Buffs have a skilled big man in Josh Scott who is a capable low post scorer and also possesses a nice mid-range jumper. Xavier Johnson is a versatile forward and solid all-around scorer while Wesley Gordon is an aggressive rebounder and capable shot blocker on the defensive end.
While the starting frontcourt is in good shape, the backcourt can carry their weight as well. Askia Booker is a combo guard who is more of a scorer who is at his best creating off the bounce. Xavier Talton stepped into the starting lineup when Dinwiddie went down with his season-ending injury. Taking a step forward with his game would make Colorado an even more dangerous team.
There is solid depth on the bench as well with Jaron Hopkins, Dustin Thomas, Tre’Shaun Fletcher giving Boyle a ton of flexibility since all three guys can play a couple different positions. That trio made a solid impact off the bench as freshmen and should be even more effective in their sophomore campaigns. Eli Stalzer brings some experience off the bench as well and freshmen Dominique Collier and Tory Miller add depth at the point guard and post positions respectively.
Boyle also picked up a key transfer in former Providence guard Josh Fortune. He must sit out this season but will help fill the void left behind when Booker graduates and has two years of eligibility remaining.
A loaded Arizona team is the clear cut favorite to win the Pac-12 once again but right behind them are the Colorado Buffaloes. With a solid core of versatile, experienced players, Boyle will have his boys a fixture in the Top 25 this season.
Key Non-Conference Games:
11/17 vs. Auburn
11/22 at Wyoming
12/7 at Georgia
12/10 vs. Colorado State
12/22 vs. DePaul (Diamond Head Classic)
12/23 vs. George Washington/Ohio (Diamond Head Classic)
12/25 vs. Wichita State/Loyola Marymount/Nebraska/Hawaii (Diamond Head Classic)
OTHER PAC-12 PREVIEWS:
#4 UCLA BRUINS
David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities. David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Milwaukee to Honolulu. He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft and the most accurate 2012 NBA Mock Draft on the internet (Yup, repeat champ… #humblebrag), and finished with the second most accurate 2013 NBA Mock Draft (nearly a three-peat.) You can follow him on Twitter at David_Kmiecik.