Boulder – So far, the eight freshmen on the Colorado men’s basketball team who call themselves the “Young Guns” look more like “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight.”
Through four games, CU’s freshman class has combined for a 34.9 shooting percentage (37-of-106), including 26.5 percent (13-of-49) from 3-point range.
Colorado coach Ricardo Patton said shooting struggles, especially early in the season, befall most newcomers.
“Freshmen find that the guy defending them is a lot better than what they faced in high school,” Patton said, as he prepared the Buffaloes (2-2) for today’s 2 p.m. home game against Wyoming (3-1). “The defender is stronger and probably more athletic.
“That means you have to get your shot off a little quicker.”
After blowout losses to New Mexico and Air Force, CU gained some much-needed confidence from a 60-59 win Tuesday at Utah. But the Buffs shot just 41.1 percent. Touted freshman swingman Xavier Silas hopes he has turned the corner after connecting on 3-of-5 from the field against the Utes. He’s still at 35.1 percent for the season, including 3-for-14 on 3-pointers.
“I’m trying to figure out myself why I haven’t shot that well,” Silas said. “My shot feels the same, but everything falls short. I just have to get my legs under me and overcome it.”
Colorado may need a good shooting day to keep up with Wyoming. The Cowboys, coming off a 92-71 loss Wednesday at Alabama-Birmingham, average 83.5 points per game. Guards Brad Jones (23.8), Brandon Ewing (21.8) and James Spencer (14.0) have combined for almost as many points per game as the entire CU team (62.2).
“Their backcourt is as quick as can be,” Patton said.
Footnotes
CU freshman center Marc Van Burck will not redshirt. He is expected to be out another three to five weeks with a stress fracture in his right foot. … Shaun Vandiver, a standout CU center from 1989-91, is a Wyoming assistant coach. … The teams haven’t met since the 1998-99 season.
Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
