Colorado basketball looks to keep the momentum going after winning two tournament games but will have to do so with a different set of talent.
The tradition continues! CBB Review is again ranking the top 100 teams heading into the new college basketball season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Colorado basketball.
On a team loaded with experience and a top-ten draft pick, this Colorado basketball team still had to fight for a spot in the tournament and earned a last-four spot. Not only did they win that game, but they beat Florida in one of the most exciting games of the tournament to advance to the Round of 32. It was the first time the Colorado basketball program had won two tournament games since 1955.
However, things will look very different this year. They lose their top 6 scorers from last season and don’t have a single player on their team who averaged 10 points per game at Division 1 last season. They will also be rejoining the Big 12 conference, which will no doubt be an upgrade in the level of competition for this program.
Tad Boyle has had a winning season all but once since taking over the Colorado program in 2011. This might not be the case this year, but he will put the Colorado basketball program in a position to succeed every night.
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Head coach: Tad Boyle (14th season at Colorado & overall)
2023-24 record: 26-11 (13-7)
2024 postseason finish: Lost to Marquette (81-77) in second round of NCAA Tournament
Notable departures:
- KJ Simpson (19.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.9 APG)
- Tristan da Silva (16.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.4 APG)
- J’Vonne Hadley (11.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.4 APG)
- Eddie Lampkin (10.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.2 APG)
- Cody Williams (11.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.6 APG)
- Luke O’Brien (6.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.3 APG)
Notable non-conference games:
- Maui Invitational (Nov. 25-27)
- vs. Colorado State (Dec. 7)
Projected Rotation
PG: Julian Hammond III (6-2, 193, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 7.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 40.0 3P%
SG: Javon Ruffin (6-5, 201, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 2.1 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.7 APG, 81.8 FT%
SF: Andrej Jakimovsky (6-8, Gr.-Sr)
2023-24 stats: 9.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.3 APG (Washington State)
PF: Trevor Baskin (6-9, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 18.2 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.3 BPG, 1.1 SPG, 57.4 FG% (Colorado Mesa – DII)
C: Bangot Dak (6-11, 180, So.)
2023-24 stats: 1.7 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 0.4 APG
6: RJ Smith (6-3, 186, So.)
2023-24 stats: 2.9 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 0.7 APG
7: Assane Diop (6-8, 210, So.)
2023-24 stats: 1.3 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 0.3 APG, 81.3 FT%
8: Andrew Crawford (6-6, 175, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #103 ranked recruit
9: Sebastian Rancik (6-9, 210, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #146 ranked recruit
10: Courtney Anderson Jr. (6-5, 182, Rs.-Fr.)
247Sports Composite #228 ranked recruit (2023)
Colorado Basketball Team MVP: Julian Hammond III
Hammond enters his fourth season with Colorado basketball, and that experience and understanding of Boyle’s system will be extremely important in the team’s success. He never really got the minutes the last two seasons, averaging about 20 a game, but with the current roster, that can easily go up to 30, where he can be more in control.
As the team; ‘s point guard, expect the offense to run through him. He has never really shown his ability as a passer, and he will need to improve that aspect. However, one thing he can and will be is an on-court leader, making him valuable to this program.
Colorado Basketball make-or-break player: Trevor Baskin
Baskin has improved every year since entering college basketball in 2020. This all led up to last season, where he averaged 18.2 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 3.8 APG. He also averaged over a steal and a block a game. As mentioned earlier, Colorado lost a lot of scoring from last year. So, if Baskin can come in and become their primary scorer, Colorado’s chance of success significantly increases.
The big question is, can he do this at the D1 level? Colorado Mesa is a DIII school, and while this should in no way undermine his achievements, this will be a notable jump for him. We rarely see a DIII player make an impactful jump into Division 1, especially in their first year, but there are always exceptions. Baskin has the size and skill to succeed, but it might take some time to adjust, time this Colorado team doesn’t have.
Key analytic: Percentage of points off three-pointers
Colorado basketball finished 36th in the country in overall scoring last year. However, only 26% of their points came from threes, which is good enough for the 300th in the country. This isn’t an exception, as they ranked 271st the year before and 233rd in 2021. That’s the way Tad Boyle likes it.
Don’t expect much different this year. Jakimovski is the three-point shooter of the team, but only made 2 a game last year. Hammond shot 40% but on a small sample size. If you turn on a Colorado game hoping for a shootout, you’ll be disappointed, but they take smart shots, and that’s how they’ve been able to be a winning program.
Colorado Basketball 2024-25 projections
Projected conference finish: 14th in Big 12
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Round of 64