Colorado Buffaloes head to Australia: Tad Boyle’s expectations
- Leo Rivera IV
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Ahead of their trip to Australia, the Colorado Buffaloes have been practicing hard, and head coach Tad Boyle is ready to see his guys compete.
The Buffs were given 10 days of practice before heading Down Under for a series of four exhibition games that include a clash with the Australian Boomers, the Australian men’s basketball national team. That game will take place on July 31 at 2:30 a.m. MT on ESPN+, being the only game televised in the United States from the trip.
Colorado will begin its tour against Hoop City, a top Australian basketball training academy, on July 26 and wrap it up against the Sydney Kings, a National Basketball League (NBL) squad, on Aug. 4 before departing the day after. Details for an exhibition on July 28 are still being sorted out.
This past season, the Buffs finished the worst in Boyle’s tenure and at the bottom of the Big 12. With little turnover from last year, questions remain on who will take the next step up. Starters will be named in the late fall, but that is not the purpose of this trip.
“I'm not concerned with combinations right now. I just want to give guys minutes and see what they do with them,” Boyle said. “There will obviously be different combinations on the court. I would not put any stock in the starting lineups at this point or who's coming up.”
There are only six returning players from the dreaded season a year ago. Elijah Malone, the oldest on the roster, is a true center, while forwards Bangot Dak and Sebastian Rancik round out the frontcourt. Returning guards, Felix Kossaras and Andrew Crawford, bring familiar faces and tenacity to the backcourt. Former walk-on Nick Randall was the only walk-on to stay with the team from last year, given the new house settling.
Eight new additions have joined the team, headlined by UC Riverside transfer guard Barrington Hargress and Denver transfer Jonathon Mani. Six true freshmen have filled in the remaining spots, with Boyle still having a roster space to play with.
Boyle will be without Dak, who is still recovering from injury, and new center Fawaz “Tacko” Ifaloa, who will be unable to make the trip due to restrictions with his student visa.
Although there are numerous new roles to be filled, some odd circumstances and plenty of eager hoopers, Boyle is remaining true to his plan.
“As a coach, especially early in the process, you have to respect the process,” Boyle said. “You have to respect and give guys the opportunity to make plays and make decisions and see how hard it can be. See who's going to be our best rebounder? I don't know who that's going to be.”
The leadership on the team was inconsistent last season, with many different players filling the role on a game-to-game basis. Boyle has seen early signs of better leadership this year, citing Malone, Rancik, Hargress and Crawford as potential guys.
“It can’t come and go,” Boyle said. “It's got to be an everyday thing, but those guys have done a good job so far.”
For faces new and old, the trip will be a chance to get better and put the offseason work to the test. Learning spacing, fighting against screens and finding out who can possess the rock will all be on the docket.
Outside of basketball, the trip will be an opportunity for team bonding and chemistry. Allowed only every four years by the NCAA, the out-of-country trip will be an unforgettable one. For Boyle, it will be his first trip to Australia as well.
“Obviously, we're gonna compete, play to win, but, you know, winning and losing is not what these trips are about,” Boyle said. “These trips are about to learn about your team, learning about the players.”
Cover photo by @CUBuffsMBB/X