Colorado’s roster will be bigger, deeper and more athletic next season, but a promising future did not soften the immediate sting of Saturday night’s 80-63 loss to third-seeded Baylor in an NCAA Tournament game at The Pit in Albuquerque.
The 11th seed in the South Regional, Colorado (24-12) was seeking its first spot in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 in 43 years and trailed just 61-60 with less than eight minutes remaining before running out of gas at the same time Baylor was hitting every shot in sight.
“We never stopped believing,” CU freshman Spencer Dinwiddie said. “We thought we were going to win the game, down to the last second. It doesn’t really sink in until it’s like a minute left and we were down by 15 or whatever.”
Dinwiddie started all 36 games, averaged 10 points and was named to the Pac-12 all-freshman team. He will be a cornerstone next season, perhaps as a 6-foot-5 point guard.
Colorado loses three senior starters in 6-5 shooting guard Carlon Brown (12.6 points per game), 6-3 point guard Nate Tomlinson (5.5, 3.0 assists) and 6-9 forward Austin Dufault (11.1, 4.4 rebounds). But joining Dinwiddie as key returnees are 6-7 sophomore forward André Roberson (11.6, 11.1 rebounds), 6-1 freshman guard Askia Booker (9.1), 6-10 sophomore Shane Harris-Tunks (2.7) and improving 6-5 sophomore swingman Jeremy Adams (2.3).
Roberson ranks as one of the nation’s top rebounders and continues to expand his offensive repertoire. Booker came off the bench and led the Buffs in scoring in NCAA Tournament games with 16 points against UNLV and 15 Saturday night.
And arriving next season will be a five-man recruiting class that signed in November and is ranked No. 22 nationally by ESPN. Look for two national top-100 signees, 6-9 forward-center Josh Scott (No. 37 by ESPN) of Lewis-Palmer and 6-6 forward Xavier Johnson (No. 63) of prep power Mater Dei in Santa Ana, Calif., to be instant starters.
Scott is among three in-state signees, joined by 6-8 forward Wesley Gordon of Colorado Springs Sierra and 6-1 point guard Xavier Talton of Sterling, who also figure to challenge for big minutes, if not starting roles. The fifth signee, 6-7 swingman Chris Jenkins of Detroit Jesuit, is said to have a big upside.
Questions for next season include: 1) Who will replace Tomlinson as the primary ball handler? 2) Can Scott live up to all the hype and become the impact post player everyone expects? 3) Can the ultra-athletic Johnson continue CU’s string of highly productive wing players (Cory Higgins, Alec Burks and Brown)? 4) Will Booker continue to come off the bench?
Coach Tad Boyle hopes next season’s team, although counting on several freshmen, can ride the momentum of back-to-back 24-win seasons, the most in school history.
By winning the Pac-12 Conference Tournament, Colorado earned its first NCAA Tournament berth in nine years. The Buffs won an NCAA game for the first time since 1997.
“Our young guys (already in the program), I love,” Boyle said after Saturday’s game. “The backups need to have great offseasons, and the new guys coming in have got to strap it on because we’re going to be young next year (reserve guard Sabatino Chen will be the only senior).
“It’s going to be a different group, but I expect us to get better as the year goes on, and I’m as optimistic about Colorado basketball as I ever have been.”
Colorado has scheduled a preseason trip to France. Those exhibition games could help accelerate the learning curve for the newcomers.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
