BOULDER– In the second week of college basketball, the Colorado Buffaloes’ undefeated start to the 2023-2024 season impressed voters enough to help the black and gold break into the Associated Press top 25 at No. 25.
This is the first time the Buffs have been ranked since March of 2021 when that 2020-2021 squad finished the COVID-19 season at No. 22 before losing in the second round of that year’s NCAA tournament to a No. 4-seeded Florida State team.
The early ranking comes days after Colorado routed the Grambling State Tigers in a 32-point blowout and a week after they tipped off their season with a home win over the Towson Tigers. Through both games, the Buffs have outscored opponents by a total of 50 points.
However, two big wins don’t necessarily warrant a top 25 ranking. GSU (lost in the 2023 SWAC tournament championship) and Towson (lost in the 2023 CAA tournament semifinals) may be good, but it was Colorado’s complete style of play that earned them their week two ranking.
Coming into the new season, head coach Tad Boyle garnered together an arguably more talented group than he has ever had in his prior 13 years as the program’s head coach. Along with talent, Boyle’s roster has a healthy mix of seasoned Buffs, young calves, and new faces.
Leading the team are top-ranked senior Tristan da Silva and junior point guard KJ Simpson. After tying as the Buffs’ leading scorers last season (15.9 PPG each; da Silva technically had a higher average), the two are back in competition as the top bucket-getters for the black and gold with each averaging 17 points per game through two contests. Simpson also leads CU in assists at 5.5 assists per game after dishing out a career-high eight assists in the win over GSU.
In addition, the supporting cast has thrived. Seniors J’Vonne Hadley (8.5 RPG) and Eddie Lampkin Jr. (6.5 RPG) lead the rebounding charge for Colorado as rare transfers in Boyle’s program. Hadley, averaging 15 points and 3.5 assists alongside his 8.5 rebounds per game, transferred from Indian Hills Community College as a junior a year ago before Lampkin joined the team this season. The former TCU big man has averaged seven points in limited minutes thus far after undergoing a minor back procedure this offseason.
Junior guard Julian Hammond III and senior forward Luke O’Brien have translated their great play from the end of last season while the freshmen, and redshirt freshman guard RJ Smith, have faired well in their first collegiate action. Five-star freshman Cody Williams missed the last contest due to a "nagging injury" but posted four points, four boards, three assists, and two blocks in 28 minutes against Towson. CU's potential first-ever one-and-done looks to return this Tuesday, Nov. 14 against the Milwaukee Panthers.
Regardless, it has been their play as a collective that has impressed voters the most thus far.
On defense, the Buffs are only allowing 60 points (55th in the NCAA) on 20 made field goals (21st in the NCAA). The group’s combination of overwhelming height, heart, athleticism, and communication allows them to run opponents off the three-point line (16 3PA by opponents; 24th in the NCAA) while holding opponents to only 38.2% shooting from inside the arc (25th in the NCAA). They limit second-chance points by keeping opponents off the glass (25 RPG; seventh in the NCAA), and turn those rebounds into transition points with quick outlets.
When the fastbreak isn’t available, Colorado distributes the ball well in the half-court setting, dishing out 24.5 assists a game (6th in the NCAA). The team notched 22 assists in game one and 28 assists in game two, beating the number of 20 or more assist games the program had a season ago (1) just two games into the season. The Buffs have also shot the cover off the ball at 45% from deep (20th in the NCAA).
As a team with undeniable talent with towering expectations, their dominating style of winning across the first two games has earned them the No. 25 slot in the AP Poll. With Milwaukee and the Sunshine Slam tournament on the horizon, the Buffs look to continue their impressive early season play.
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