Shane Gatling expects all those shots to soon start falling more frequently. Colorado head basketball coach Tad Boyle does as well. Until then, however, Gatling plans to shoot his way out of his slump.
The junior guard’s first season with the Buffaloes hasn’t unfolded exactly as he had hoped after transferring from Indian Hills Community College. But it has been far from disastrous as well, and Gatling’s ability to perform more consistently could prove critical for the Buffs as they begin Pac-12 Conference play Thursday night at Arizona (7 p.m. MT, FS1).
“I’m not battling my confidence. I’m just not making shots,” Gatling said. “My teammates keep pushing me. My coaches keep telling me, ‘Keep shooting, keep shooting.’ I just passed up a couple shots (last week) because I know I’ve been thinking too much. I’ve missed four in a row, maybe I shouldn’t shoot this one. I’ve really got to keep shooting it, because that’s what I’m here to do. I’m here to shoot the ball.”
Much like the Buffs as a whole, Gatling has endured his ups-and-downs of late.
While CU put together a comeback win at New Mexico on Dec. 11, Gatling was one of the few Buffs who struggled, going 2-for-5 overall and 0-for-2 on 3-pointers while committing three turnovers in a season-low 12 minutes. Yet Gatling proved to be one of the few bright spots in an otherwise forgettable loss against Indiana State last week in the first game of the Diamond Head Classic, going 4-for-7 (2-for-3 on threes) with 10 points and three blocked shots.
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