Welcome to my team preview series for 2024-25. Each day between now and the start of the college basketball season, I will preview one team or conference, both on Instagram (@collegehoopsoutlet) and through an article here. The preview will go in-depth on the roster build of the team, my expectations for their upcoming season, and the state of the program under their current head coach.
Colorado (Projected: 16th in Big 12)
Colorado may be the team most set up for a giant drop off in 2024-25, as the Buffaloes lost five double-digit scorers, three of which were selected in this week’s NBA Draft. Tad Boyle is entering his 15th season with the Buffaloes, and only four times has he failed to reach 20 wins in a season, but I’m worried with the current roster and the gauntlet of the Big 12, this team could fail to reach 10 wins.
In 2023-24, Colorado played a tight 7-man rotation, and only one player from that group comes back in 2024-25, Julian Hammond III (7 ppg, 3 rpg). Hammond, a senior guard, will likely take ownership of the backcourt with KJ Simpson (20 ppg, 5 apg) and J’Vonne Hadley (12 ppg, 6 rpg) onto new places. Hammond has spent three seasons with Colorado, starting exactly five games in each one, and averaging north of 20 minutes per game in the last two seasons.
Other returning players include RJ Smith (3 ppg), Javon Ruffin (2 ppg), Bangot Dak (2 ppg), Assane Diop (1 ppg), and Harrison Carrington (1 ppg). All five averaged somewhere between five and 12 mpg and were used sparingly. They all will now see much bigger roles with the Buffaloes losing six rotational guys from last season. Courtney Anderson Jr. also returns to the program, although he spent his freshman season this past year as a redshirt.
All six departures from the Colorado program this offseason were big ones, most notably the trio of draftees. KJ Simpson went in the second round of the NBA Draft, whereas Cody Williams (12 ppg, 3 rpg) and Tristan da Silva (16 ppg, 5 rpg) both went a day earlier in the first round. J’Vonne Hadley, Eddie Lampkin Jr. (11 ppg, 7 rpg), and Luke O’Brien (7 ppg, 4 rpg) all entered the transfer portal and ended up in the ACC. Hadley went to Louisville, Lampkin chose Syracuse, and O’Brien landed at Georgia Tech.
Tad Boyle found three players via the transfer portal this offseason, all through vastly different levels of college basketball. Andrej Jakimovski (10 ppg, 6 rpg at Washington State) battled it out in the Pac 12 with Colorado the past four seasons, including a 19-point performance vs the Buffaloes this season. Known as a three-point shooter, Jakimovski’s averages have dropped off the past two seasons, but he remains a 34.3% three-point shooter for his career.
Forward Trevor Baskin (18 ppg, 8 rpg at Colorado Mesa) was part of a successful Colorado Mesa program at the Division II level before joining the Buffaloes this offseason. Baskin’s coach, Mike DeGeorge, also made the jump to Division I, taking the job at Cal Poly. Boyle also searched in the NAIA ranks for players, securing a commitment from Grace (NAIA) center Elijah Malone (17 ppg, 8 rpg at NAIA-Grace). The wide of range of experience levels for the three portal pickups will be an interesting storyline for Colorado, one that they need to be full of success stories.
Three high school recruits in the class of 2024 chose Colorado, with two being four-stars and the third being a three-star. Guard Andrew Crawford (4*, NAT 84) and forward Sebastian Rancik (4*, NAT 107) are the four-stars and in a thin Colorado lineup could be impactful players from day one. Guard Felix Kossaras (3*, NAT 197) is likely more of a developmental project but could appear off the bench in times of need for the Buffs.
With the sheer amount of talent loss this offseason, I struggle to imagine a world where the Buffaloes break out of the cellar of the Big 12. Losing one player at the level of KJ Simpson already hurts enough, but then you compound that with the losses of Cody Williams, Tristan da Silva, J’Vonne Hadley, and Eddie Lampkin Jr and realize this team will deeply struggle.
Julian Hammond III will need to step up in his increased role and be a leader for Colorado if they want to achieve anything. Alongside Hammond taking a leap, Tad Boyle needs to hope at least one of Trevor Baskin and Elijah Malone make a seamless transition to the Division I and Big 12 level. The Buffaloes have been drained of their high-level experience and if the transfers don’t pan out, Buffalo fans will be looking ahead to next season by December.
From a talent perspective, Colorado loses as much as anybody this offseason while bringing in a transfer class and recruiting class that is among the worst at the power conference level. Combine this with the fact that the Buffs enter the Big 12 and I think you have a recipe for the ultimate disaster. I’m not saying Tad Boyle’s job will be fully in danger, but I am saying I think Colorado is a lock for last – 16th place – in the Big 12 in 2024-25.