BOULDER — When Nate Tomlinson makes a bad pass, his Colorado teammates can tease him about Australians driving on the left side of the road.
The first Aussie in the program’s history, Tomlinson directs traffic in CU’s pass-happy offense. Whether the Buffaloes can show improvement in the Big 12 Conference this season could hinge on the freshman point guard’s learning curve.
Colorado (8-6) begins its league schedule tonight at Missouri. The Buffs won only three regular-season conference games last season and have an even younger roster in coach Jeff Bzdelik’s second season. Tomlinson is joined by forward Austin Dufault as freshman starters.
“Nate is a true floor leader,” Bzdelik said. “We need him to continue to get better in all areas of the game. His development is important to what we want to accomplish.”
In trying to execute Bzdelik’s variation of the Princeton offense, the fuzzy-cheeked Buffs can put on a coaching clinic during one possession and look lost the next. It’s a wonder CU hasn’t lost a player to a concussion because of running into a teammate.
Bzdelik, who never considers patience his friend, can take comfort in knowing the play-making position will be in good hands for three years.
“If you’re going to start building a team, you do it with a point guard,” said Missouri coach Mike Anderson, who manned that position at Tulsa in the early 1980s for Nolan Richardson. “You have to have a head on the floor, a guy that knows what the coach is thinking.”
Colorado is the only team in the Big 12 that relies exclusively on a freshman at the point. Tomlinson, averaging 9.3 points and 3.6 assists, was a find.
CU coaches discovered the 6-foot-2 Sydney native at Lee Academy in Maine, where Tomlinson played for two seasons after following his dream halfway around the world. The son of a basketball coach, Tomlinson still lists “graduating from a high school in another country” among his greatest moments.
Like most Australian players, Tomlinson knows the accomplishments of Aussie legend Andrew Bogut, who starred for the University of Utah and became the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NBA draft.
“People in Australia realize what Bogut did over here and what playing in the States did for him,” Tomlinson said. “Just giving it a shot over here is what young Australian kids are thinking about these days.”
According to , 32 Australians are on NCAA Division I rosters this season. Another 30 are playing at Division II schools, including Colorado School of Mines, Metro State and Western State in Gunnison.
Tomlinson, who played on Australia’s 19-under national team in 2007, will welcome a fellow countryman to Boulder next season. In November, Bzdelik signed 6-11 center Shane Harris-Tunks of Sydney’s renowned Australian Institute of Sport. During the spring signing period in April, the Buffs hope to land another AIS player, 6-8 forward Cody Ellis, who is regarded as the most talented player on Australia’s current 19-under national team.
Ellis visited CU in December and is also considering Wake Forest and Saint Louis University. The latter is coached by Rick Majerus, Bogut’s mentor at Utah.
“Ever since I’ve known about college basketball, I’ve wanted to come to the States,” said Ellis, who is a fan of the Nuggets’ Carmelo Anthony.
Bzdelik said he is simply going after the best players who might be interested in CU. He scouted Australia for five days last spring.
“The world has gotten smaller, through the Internet and jet travel,” Bzdelik said. “There are a lot of good players in Australia who are looking to come to the U.S. for an education. We want to make sure we get our share.”
Bzdelik said Australians work hard, are coachable and tend to be well-versed in fundamentals. That doesn’t surprise Ellis’ father, Mike Ellis, who is a basketball coach in Australia.
“Sports are very big in Australia, and kids grow up playing a number of sports,” Mike Ellis said while accompanying his son during the December visit to Boulder. “So, by the time they choose a sport (to specialize in), they have different skill sets, and they can combine those. That’s something different that I think Australians have.”
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
Other notable Australians in Division I
Aron Baynes: Washington State, 6-foot-10, Sr., C, Cairns
Carlin Hughes: Saint Mary’s, 6-2, Sr., G, Perth (AIS)
Patrick Mills: Saint Mary’s, 6-0, Soph., G, Canberra (AIS) Luke Nevill: Utah, 7-2, Sr., C, Perth
A.J. Ogilvy: Vanderbilt, 6-11, Soph., C, Sydney (AIS)
AIS: Australian Institute of Sport in Sydney
