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2010-11 Colorado College Basketball Predictions

Former Colorado head coach Jeff Bzdelik bolted for Wake Forest this past Spring, but he actually left behind a quality team in Boulder. Colorado went 15-16 last season and they have not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2003. Still, with what new head coach Tad Boyle has to work with gives the Buffaloes hope to end this drought. Boyle came over from Northern Colorado and managed to keep around the three key players that led Colorado last season. Last year’s Big 12 Freshman of the Year in Alec Burks coming back, as do seniors Cory Higgins and Marcus Relphorde. The three combined to average 47.0 points per game last season. This team rivals the talent of that 2003 team that made it to the Big Dance, and with a new practice facility and a jump to the Pac-10, interest surrounding the program is at an all-time high. First and foremost, the Buffaloes need to improve their defense (74.2 PPG) and their rebounding (-7.5 margin) to achieve their ultimate goal this season.

Colorado is +2000 to win the Big 12 this season. That means a $100 wager would win you $2000 if this were to come true. I certainly think it’s a longshot, but considering they return more scoring than any other team in the conference it’s not out of the question.

Frontcourt:

The Buffaloes had a -7.5 rebounding margin last season, and it was even worse in Big 12 play at -11.4. A big reason was the play of freshman center Shane Harris-Tunks, as well as sophomore forward Austin Dufault playing out of position. An extra year for each should bring improvement in this area. Boyle was able to sign 7-foot freshman Ben Mills last May who should play right away as long as he can hold his own inside. Senior Marcus Relphorde average 11.0 PPG and 4.1 RPG last season, but he is known for his slashing offensive skills more than his defense. Junior Trey Eckloff will be one of their reserves after not finding much playing time a year ago. Burks led the team in rebounding at 5.0 RPG, and when a guard is leading the team in rebounding there’s clearly a problem. The Buffaloes will obviously go back to square one as Boyle teaches rebounding and defense with a lot more frequency than Bzdelik.

Backcourt:

Burks finished seventh in the Big 12 in scoring at 17.1 PPG and led the conference in shooting percentage at 53.8 percent. He could not have had a better freshman season, but for him to reach his full potential he needs to get stronger. Boyle struck gold when he convinced Burks to stick around instead of entering the NBA Draft, telling him how his passing offense would help Burks in the future. Higgins was fourth in the Big 12 in scoring at 18.9 PPG and finished second behind Burks in field goal percentage at 50.5 percent. It’s hard to believe how Colorado could have a losing season with two great players like Burks and Higgins on the perimeter who were able to knock down more than 50% of their shots even though opposing teams game-planned around stopping them. The wild card is freshman point guard Shannon Sharpe, who was forced to redshirt last season after hurting his knee in the preseason and undergoing microfracture surgery. He’ll battle it out with junior Nate Tomlinson, who made 21 starts last season at point guard despite being inconsistent.

Jack’s Prediction: 6th Place in the Big 12 – There hasn’t been much excitement around Colorado basketball in recent seasons, but there is hope of a turnaround in 2010-11. Boyle was able to get Higgins, Burks and Relphorde and their 47.0 PPG to come back, and that’s a win within itself. He has plenty of talent to seriously make a run at a Big 12 title, but must get this team to rebound and defend. The Buffaloes averaged 74.6 PPG last season and can score with anyone, but a lack of depth and a question about how badly these returning players want to buy in on the defensive end makes it hard for me to pick Colorado to finish any higher than 6th in the conference. I do see the Buffaloes sneaking into March Madness with an at-large bid, reaching the Big Dance for the first time since 2003.