Fans attending tonight’s Colorado-Colorado State men’s basketball game in Fort Collins may need a program to learn all the new players on the Buffs’ roster.
A new-look Austin Dufault could be added to that list. Yes, the 6-foot-9 senior forward has been a regular in the starting lineup from the moment he stepped on campus. Dufault still has that short-cropped haircut he showed up with, and is quick to show his displeasure when something goes wrong.
Yeah, that’s the guy.
His game, though, is much different. Dufault seems to have reinvented himself this season. His role has gone from “glue” to “go-to.”
In hoops lingo, Dufault is scoring the ball.
He enters tonight’s game averaging 11.8 points. While that won’t earn the North Dakotan a letter from the Wooden Award committee, it’s a vast improvement over his 6.6 points per game average a season ago and 5.5 as a sophomore.
“With the loss of the great players we had, we lost a lot of scoring,” Du- fault said. “I need to help out in that area more.”
With the departures of NBA first-round draft choice Alec Burks, expected NBA Developmental League players Cory Higgins and Marcus Relphorde, and sharpshooter Levi Knutson, Colorado had to replace 75 percent of its scoring off last season’s 24-14 team that set a school record for victories.
Buffs coach Tad Boyle is still sorting out a pecking order for who does what in crunch time. CU (4-2) has already had five different players lead the team in scoring. But for the first time in his college career, Dufault is pegged as a primary option.
At times in past years, Dufault couldn’t wait to get rid of the ball when he got a pass. Sometimes, he would draw a groan from the crowd because he failed to turn and look for the basket when an open 12-footer appeared there for the taking.
This season, Dufault may have shocked some fans with his smooth post moves, including scoop drives, reverse layups, pull-up jumpers.
“Austin has done it the right way; he hasn’t taken bad shots or been selfish,” senior guard Nate Tomlinson said. “He’s become more assertive, and that’s what we need. We always knew he could stroke the ball.”
Dufault has attempted 14 3-pointers, making six (.429). Last year he shot 26 treys all season.
“We had all those scorers last year and I was kind of the glue guy, trying to get them the ball,” Dufault said. “This year I’m shooting the ball better from the outside, and I have the inside game going. Having both of them working is kind of nice.”
CU fans may not realize it, but Dufault was always known as a scorer. He averaged 26 points as a senior at Killdeer High School, although the competition, Class B in North Dakota, was suspect. Often, the opposing team would have nobody taller than 6-2.
“It seems like everybody in North Dakota is a guard,” Dufault said.
More often than not, Dufault also played along the perimeter in high school, where he could utilize his ball-handling skills to get away from inevitable double-teaming. At Colorado, Dufault played a lot of wing forward as a freshman but was switched to the post during his sophomore season.
“Growing up, I was always an outside player,” Dufault said, “and it’s taken me a couple of years to adjust to playing inside at this level. But it’s made me tougher as a player.”
Dufault’s rebounding numbers also have improved. He credits a two-week summer tour to Eastern Europe with Athletes in Action for becoming more assertive in the post, where he was needed.
“Austin really gained a lot of confidence from that,” Boyle said Tuesday. “And there’s nothing like your senior year. Seniors are different. He’s become more vocal, more serious about everything. He knows it’s his last year.”
Tonight’s game marks Dufault’s last attempt at winning in Fort Collins. Two years ago, CSU blasted the visiting Buffs, 77-62, who did not appear prepared to face the madness in Moby. The Rams are also 4-2.
“I remember their fans rushing the court after that game,” Dufault said. “Our freshmen really don’t know what that atmosphere is going to be like up there. I’m trying to tell them they’d better be ready for it.”
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
