The Kings, who were 5-0 going into the title game, lost to Charlotte, 83-78. However, the two ex-Rams made a huge impact for their team during the tournament.

Clifford, who was drafted in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder and then immediately traded to the Kings with the 24th pick last month, made his presence known upon arrival in Las Vegas.

In the Kings’ opening game against Orlando, Clifford scored 17 points with four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Then, against Chicago, he had 19 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Against Phoenix, he had 19 points, three rebounds and three assists.

With his team 3-0, Clifford then had 19 points, seven rebounds and nine assists against Cleveland, and in the semifinals against Toronto had seven points, five rebounds and three assists. In the championship game loss against Charlotte at the Thomas & Mack Center, where he and the Rams won the Mountain West Conference tournament just last winter, he had 10 points and eight rebounds.

He was considered one of the stars of the summer league after averaging 15.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.2 steals, while shooting 55.4% from the field and 50% on 3-pointers.

Stevens had two points against the Magic but heated up as the tournament went on. He had 10 points and four assists against the Bulls, and five points, seven rebounds and four assists against the Suns.

Against the Cavaliers, he had 13 points and five assists, and against the Raptors had six points, six rebounds and seven assists. In the championship game against the Hornets, he had two points and two rebounds.

As the Kings’ first-round draft pick, Clifford will be part of the team’s roster when the season begins. Stevens signed a two-way deal with Sacramento on July 8.

Many draft analysts are projecting Colorado State guard Nique Clifford as a mid first-round pick. If it happens, he becomes just the fourth Rams player to be selected in the first round, joining Bill Green (1963), Jason Smith (2007) and David Roddy (2022).

It would also be the second straight year a Colorado prep star was picked in the first round, joining former Prairie View standout Dalton Knecht. Clifford starred at The Vanguard School in Colorado Springs.

Here’s a look at where national analysts are predicting he will be drafted:

Bleacher Report | Jonathan Wasserman | Updated May 5

No. 15 to Oklahoma City Thunder (via Miami)

“Nique Clifford’s 21 points, seven boards and six assists weren’t enough to hold off Maryland, but his overall production and development from a year ago definitely won more NBA scouts.

“He had come off as a prospect to watch this season based on his ability to play a Swiss Army knife role by finishing plays, passing, defending different spots and making enough open threes. But he quickly turned into a top-option skill player who can get his own shot or serve as the offense’s playmaker.” .

CBS Sports | Adam Finklestein | Updated May 5

No. 15 to Oklahoma City Thunder (via Miami)

“Clifford is an athletic wing who thinks the game at a high-level and can also really pass the ball. If the shooting gains we’ve seen recently prove to be sustainable, then he looks poised to evolve into a 3-and-D wing with some secondary playmaking on top. Even OKC, a team flush with young assets, could use one of those.” .

Yahoo! Sports | Kevin O’Connor | Updated April 30

No. 16 to Orlando Magic

“Clifford is a tough-as-nails wing who does it all. He defends multiple positions, crashes the boards and scores from everywhere. As a super senior with only Mountain West pedigree, he lacks experience against high-level competition despite his age. But his skill-set would, in theory, allow him to fit right away on Orlando’s roster, providing shooting to a team that ranked 25th in 3-point attempts and last in percentage.” .

The Athletic | Sam Vecenie | Updated May 1

No. 17 to Minnesota Timberwolves (via Detroit)

“Clifford had about as strong of a close to the season as a player can have, leading Colorado State from the middle of the Mountain West in January to the cusp of the Sweet 16 if not for a Derik Queen game-winner as time expired in the Round of 32. From Feb. 8 onward, Clifford averaged 21.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, five assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 51 percent from the field, 47 percent from 3 and 80 percent from the line. He’s a 6-6 wing who can dribble, pass, shoot and defend, which makes him a really solid plug-and-play option for a Timberwolves team that needs some cheap rotational options moving forward, given the deals they will likely have to shell out for Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Naz Reid this summer to keep their core together.” .

The Ringer | J. Kyle Mann | Updated April 30

No. 17 to Minnesota Timberwolves (via Detroit)

“If the experiences of Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. are any indication, it����ap clear that Minnesota’s standard for staying on the floor in a meaningful way is high. That����ap an exciting thing for a franchise that has desperately wanted to win for decades, but it makes getting better a tricky thing for young players. Clifford was a late bloomer in college and thus is an older player, so his pure upside might not have Minnesotans leaping for joy. But he has a wide offering of skills, even if each individual skill doesn’t project to rise to an elite level: He’s a consistent off-ball mover who can hit 3s, he has experience working in pick-and-rolls, and he even started to add some post touches at the elbows. Mix that with some demonstrated ability to pass the ball, and you can see how he would help to shore up key areas of need for the Wolves while maintaining their defensive identity.” .

Colorado State fifth-year guard Nique Clifford was one of 10 players voted to the all-conference team. Clifford, who starred at The Vanguard School in Colorado Springs and CU, averaged 12.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists for the Rams in 36 starts last season.

CSU was voted to finish seventh out of the conference’s 11 teams this season, which would land them in the same spot they had last season. Air Force, which did not have any all-Mountain West preseason players, is expected to finish last in the league. Wyoming, also with no all-conference selections, is predicted to finish ninth.

Boise State, which received 19 of the 26 first-place votes, was voted to finish at the top of the conference, followed by New Mexico, Nevada and San Diego State.

Boise State senior forward was voted the preseason player of the year. San Diego State forward earned the preseason freshman of the year award. Nevada fifth-year guard was named the preseason newcomer of the year The 6-6 transfer averaged 19.6 points for Cal Poly last season.

All-Mountain West preseason team

• Albaro Cardenas, G, Boise State
• Tyson Degenhart, F, Boise State
• O’Mar Stanley, F, Boise State
• Nique Clifford, G, Colorado State
• Nick Davidson, F, Nevada
• Donovan Dent, G, New Mexico
• Nelly Junior Joseph, C, New Mexico
• Reese Waters, G, San Diego State
• Dedan Thomas Jr., G, UNLV
• Ian Martinez, G, Utah State

All-Mountain West predicted order of finish

1. Boise State (19) — 276
2. New Mexico (1) — 233
3. Nevada (1) — 219
4. San Diego State (2) — 213
5. UNLV (2) — 178
6. Utah State (1) — 169
7. Colorado State — 160
8. San José State — 88
9. Wyoming — 67
10. Fresno State — 62
11. Air Force — 51

Colorado State advanced from Dayton to Charlotte because they were mad and good. The Rams did not have a chip on their shoulder. Try the entire can of Pringles. They entered Thursday looking to make a statement about their prowess. Instead, they were was no more progress, replaced by an abrupt ending.

Slights provide motivation, but shots prevent elimination. The Rams became human otter pops in a forgettable first half, and never fully recovered in a 56-44 loss to the seventh-seeded Texas Longhorns inside the Spectrum Center.

“You look at it, you have to credit Texas. We are disappointed. We feel like we didn’t bring our best,” CSU coach Niko Medved said. “I thought we fought like crazy defensively. We were not able to stick enough shots.”

Everything started well. The Rams opened with an 8-2 lead, looking aggressive and poised. CSU was represented by a healthy following who made the cross-country trip. The Rammies in section 115 were loud and lively. Unfortunately, they could not help CSU’s dreadful shooting.

March Madness became March Sadness over the final 14 minutes and 45 seconds of the first half.

Texas outscored CSU 25-3 during this stretch as the Rams looked like a team playing in their fifth game in their third city over the past week-and-half. Joe Palmer paced the Rams with three points over the first 20 minutes. Isaiah Stevens, whose number might eventually get retired in Fort Collins, picked a bad day to have a bad day. He missed his first nine shots, part of the Rams’ 5-for-27 shooting in the first half.

“We came out with the right intensity. Stevens is an elite point guard,” said Texas guard Max Abmas, who credited the practices leading up to their Thursday opener for suffocating the Rams. “It was about having the right intensity, having each other’s backs and we were able to get stops.”

Medved admitted the Longhorns pressure affected the Rams. Texas was faster and longer than Virginia, who impersonated a sloth in its First Four loss to CSU. The Rams held Virginia to 14 first-half points on Tuesday. The Rams had no idea they would impersonate them two days later — scoring just 11. You read that correctly.

“We got pushed out from our typical spots on offense and we can’t allow that to happen,” said Stevens of the first 20 minutes. “You are going to make and miss shots, but we had to do a better job of taking care of the ball.”

Added Joel Scott, “They came out and played tougher than us in the first half. There’s not really not much more to it.”

CSU answered with anger and improved accuracy in the second half. Stevens scored his first points on an early possession, and Jalen Lake and Nique Clifford shaved the deficit to 35-27 with back-to-back 3s, bringing the crowd to life. There was hope of an upset, if only briefly as Stevens found Scott for a layup under the 5-minute mark.

The Rams’ climb up the mountain, unfortunately, left them exhausted.

Down 44-38 with 4:11 remaining, CSU watched its dream of dancing dissolve with a series of turnovers — the Rams finished with an uncharacteristic 19 giveaways — and missed buckets. The Longhorns stood up when the outcome became greasy. Rangy center Dylan Disu nailed a short jumper and converted a free throw to create an eight-point margin. CSU had few answers for Texas’ Chendall Weaver, who delivered 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

In his last college game, Stevens finished with 10 points, four assists and four turnovers. Scott dropped 10, and Clifford had a team-best 10 rebounds.

“It’s hard to grasp for me right now that it’s over. It means everything (having played for CSU),” Stevens said.

This game was more graffiti than da Vinci. Neither team shot well, a testament to defense, butterflies and bad aim. The Rams finished 17-for-58 shooting and 6-for-24 from the beyond the arc, their 44 points 32 below their season average. Texas was marginally better at 22-for-55 and 1-for-14 from 3.

The loss doesn’t diminish a terrific season for CSU. The Rams entered the Top 25 early in the season, stayed there for weeks, played before sellout crowds and blended multiple transfers to post 25 victories. They were the last team in, but were not the first team out.

They had a shot. But in a knockout game, they missed too many, too often.

“It����ap been an emotional year and emotional week for those guys,” Medved said. “I have been around a lot of great teams and guys, but none better than this. It stings.”

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Clifford could point to the scoreboard and laugh. He won’t.

“I don’t have social media,” Akai, father of , told me recently. Then he shrugged. “But I did hear that there were a lot of nasty messages sent out there.”

Yeah. A few.

“The thing is, you have the ability to take in that noise. Or the ability to leave it alone. And (Nique) did a good job of just saying, ‘Hey, I’m here to play, and I’ll just play.’ And it’s been (great). It’s worked out for him, I think. Trying to get into that kind of stuff, it just becomes really messy. And that’s not the kind of person he is.”

He’s dancing. So are the Buffs. So’s Dad. Nique’s new team, the Rammies, faced Virginia late Tuesday in a 10-seed-vs.-10-seed First Four NCAA Tournament tussle at UD Arena. His old team, the Buffs, will take on Boise State on Wednesday night with the same seed line and the same stakes.

Because the only sense of humor shared by the selection committee is a sick one, the Cliffords, Rams and Buffs are all together again, this time in southern Ohio. Celebrating a transfer that somehow worked out for everybody.

“It was extremely hard for him, I know, because he loved (the Buffs),” Akai said of his son, a 6-foot-6 wing out of Colorado Springs who flipped from Boulder to FoCo

“But I think he knew he needed a new environment. And the love that (CSU) showed him through the first recruitment process, I think, made it pretty easy for him to make that decision, to know that he was going to a place where he was going to be embraced the way that he wanted to be embraced. And wanted to be (embraced) by the fans as well as by the culture. So we’re thankful for that. Yeah. Just thankful.”

For Nique, the writing on the wall said to turn right at Lyons and left at Longmont. The short version? The young man’s minutes for this winter were earmarked — a long, athletic, do-everything wing who projected to do the long, athletic, do-everything parts better than Clifford.

“It’s unusual,” Akai continued. “It was definitely interesting. But it’s been a blessing for him. He’s getting his confidence back and he’s just playing really well, with a really good team in CSU — a great team. CU was a great team. And I think this has been a great new environment.”

One in which his son’s thrived. After averaging 5.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game as a junior at CU and 6.7 points and 4.6 boards as a sophomore, the younger Clifford headed into Tuesday night averaging roughly double those numbers in green and gold (12.2 points, 7.5 rebounds per tilt).

“I’m just happy for him as well. (I) reached out to him,” Buffs point guard KJ Simpson said earlier this week when asked about Clifford joining CU in Dayton. “They’ve had a great season over there at (CSU).”

In hindsight, when it comes to Clifford’s decision to transfer to CSU, give Rams hoops icon Isaiah Stevens an assist, too.

“Stevens was a part of Nique’s (initial) recruiting process (coming out of high school),” Akai explained. “And so it was very hard for me to kind of come (to CSU) the first time. But those two have a really, really good bond now. And it’s been pretty neat. And I think when (Nique) first came here (to shop for a new school), immediately, Isaiah reached out.”

CSU 88, CU 83. Nique scored 15. So much for guarantees.

Gross

Turnover machine

It’s like he’s cheating on CU

Akai Clifford could’ve burned the black and gold in his closet. He wouldn’t.

“Oh, no. Definitely, Nique is a Buff for life,” the elder Clifford said. “But he’s also a Ram for life now. So for us, we will have friends forever at CU. But we’re thankful and blessed that he’s been able to make so many new friends here at CSU as well — we’ve met so many great folks that have embraced him, as well as embraced us. So we’re just thankful to know that he’s at a place where he’s cared about (and a place) we love.”

Fast forward a few months, and we’ve threaded a needle so small that Rammies faithful are holding their noses as they cheer on Boise State. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Or something like that. Madness, indeed.

Nique Clifford brought the house down.

It was on Jan. 20, Clifford’s first night in the starting lineup, when the sophomore wing provided what arguably was the top individual highlight for Colorado during the 2021-22 season.

The Buffaloes were hosting No. 16 USC when a steal by Jabari Walker led to freshman guard KJ Simpson pushing a fast break the other way. After passing midcourt, Simpson found Clifford running free along the right wing. Clifford soared to the rim to deliver a thunderous slam dunk over Trojans standout Drew Peterson, sending the Events Center into a frenzy.

In the moment, the dunk was more than mere window dressing. Clifford’s slam ignited a 10-0 run, which Clifford also capped with a 3-pointer, giving the Buffs a four-point lead going into the final eight minutes.

The end result, however, essentially summed up the season for Clifford and, collectively, the Buffs. Clifford didn’t score again, and USC dominated down the stretch to hand the Buffs a three-point defeat, one of several results that, had it been reversed, might have altered CU’s NCAA Tournament fate in March.

For Clifford, if that dunk showcased his high-ceiling potential, the move into the starting lineup that began that night signified the start of higher expectations for the 6-foot-6 Colorado Springs native.

“As a team, we’ve got to get better at being more consistent,” Clifford said. “I know we dropped a few games this year we should’ve won that would’ve given us a better chance of making the tournament. I think just being locked in every game, not taking any games for granted, is something we have to have. And then I think for me individually, I’ve just got to continue to grow and get better.”

Beginning with that USC game, Clifford started the final 17 games in the wake of a season-ending foot injury suffered by senior guard Elijah Parquet. Overall, Clifford averaged 6.7 points per game and ranked third on the team with 4.6 rebounds, finishing with a .453 field goal percentage and a .400 mark on 3-pointers.

In his 17 games in the starting lineup, Clifford’s numbers stayed in line with his season marks, as he averaged 7.1 points and 4.2 rebounds with an identical .453 field goal percentage.

Clifford posted his top three scoring efforts of the season while in the starting lineup, recording a season-high 15 points in a home win against Oregon State on Feb. 5 and tallying 14 points in road wins against Oregon State and Stanford.

That monster dunk against USC aside, too often Clifford deferred too readily on offense. He went scoreless at home against ranked foes from Tennessee and Arizona, and as he goes into the offseason firmly entrenched as the starting two-guard, Clifford is embracing the challenge of consistently taking his game to another level.

“I feel like I was hesitant at times this year,” Clifford said. “I’ve got to step up and become a leader for the team and be an everyday guy. I think it����ap just trusting the work I’ve put in and being confident to go out there and do that on the floor. As long as I’m in the gym and staying in the gym this summer, I’ll come back and be a consistent, everyday guy. I should be able to do what I have to do to help us win games.”

Still, going from an all-state player at The Vanguard School to a little-used bench role isn’t an easy adjustment for any young player. For Clifford, his first year with the Colorado Buffaloes proved to be an extended learning experience, from getting accustomed to that spot on the bench on game days to maximizing his practice time competing against now-departed point guard McKinley Wright IV.

“It was not what I expected. I expected to come in and play right away,” Clifford said. “But I made the most of what happened last season. We had a bunch of seniors who were experienced and I got to learn a lot from them each and every day.

“I started to embrace that role. Of course it����ap no fun not playing. Nobody doesn’t want to play. But I just learned to embrace that role and be a good teammate and just learn from these guys, because I knew my time would come.”

That time is now for Clifford, who is expected to vie for a rotation spot in a crowded backcourt competition set to also include returning starter Eli Parquet, last year’s backup point guard Keeshawn Barthelemy, Western Carolina transfer Mason Faulkner, and three incoming freshmen — Julian Hammond, Javon Ruffin and KJ Simpson. That����ap in addition to two players — Clifford’s classmate, Luke O’Brien, as well as freshman Quincy Allen — projected to compete for D’Shawn Schwartz’s vacated role as a big wing/small forward.

Clifford will have the comfort of a year in the program in his back pocket when the Buffs hold the first of their 10 summer practices in late June ahead of an August exhibition trip to Costa Rica. But he won’t boast much more playing experience than the incoming freshmen. Clifford played a season-high nine minutes in the second game of the season at Kansas State when the Buffs were missing Schwartz and Barthelemy, but little can probably be discerned from Clifford’s overall stats (he went 3-for-21 in 14 brief appearances off the bench).

Yet as is often the case in head coach Tad Boyle’s program, Clifford understands his fate in the rotation likely will be determined at the other end of the floor.

“Definitely defense. I’ve been focusing on defense, making sure I can lock up and guard multiple positions,” Clifford said. “That����ap my goal. And then taking care of the ball. That����ap another one that Coach Tad stresses, and I didn’t do a great job of that last year in practice. Especially toward the beginning of the year. I got better at the end of the year, but that����ap another thing I’ve been focusing on.”

By the time the 2021-22 Pac-12 Conference schedule rolls around, that backcourt rotation likely will leave a few young players on the outside looking in. Yet it����ap the sort of problem good programs tend to have, and Clifford expects to play a key role as a younger Buffs team attempts to mount a repeat run to the NCAA Tournament.

“It����ap going to be a real good year,” Clifford said. “We’ve got a lot of young talent. We’re already starting to gel, on and off the court, chemistry-wise. It����ap going to be a fun year as long as everyone focuses on the end goal and we were like we were last year, unselfish, the sky is the limit for us.”

Men’s coach Tad Boyle probably can be described as cautiously optimistic those July 20 workouts will unfold as planned. The good news for the Buffaloes is that Boyle reports no one on his team has tested positive for COVID-19. Meaning that, at the moment, none of the Buffs are in any sort of forced quarantine that might compromise the ability to have the entire team on the floor in two weeks.

Yet as the pandemic continues to surge across large swaths of the country, including several areas within the Pac-12 Conference footprint, Boyle understands any level of optimism could be dashed at a moment����ap notice.

“I’ve mentioned that if our players this summer can get bigger and faster and stronger with (strength coach) Steve Englehart in our weight room, and they’ve been with him since June 15th, and if every one of them can become a better shooter, which you can do with one ball and one basket, it will be a successful summer,” Boyle said. “When you talk about July 20th, when you talk about workouts, when you talk about the next steps, all I can say is that I’m hopeful. But those are decisions that are going to be made above my head.

“We’re just going to have to take it as it goes. Knock on wood, but our guys got here June 15th and we haven’t had any issues. We haven’t had any positive tests. Our guys have done what we’ve asked them to do. And again, I knock on wood when I say this, but so far, so good (two weeks) into this deal. Hopefully we get through July Fourth weekend with no issues.”

The summer workouts might be more critical to the Buffs than in recent summers due to the glut of newcomers on the roster. While the Buffs still are expected to feature senior point guard McKinley Wright along with a solid cast of veterans like Evan Battey, D’Shawn Schwartz, Dallas Walton, and Eli Parquet, they also have four prominent new freshmen Dominique Clifford, Luke O’Brien, Jabari Walker, and Tristan da Silva, who isn’t expected to arrive from Germany until August.

That list doesn’t include Tulsa graduate transfer Jeriah Horne and two new walk-ons in Isaac Jessup and Owen Koonce. While the Buffs continue their voluntary workouts, Boyle and his staff continue to preach the virtues of making smart decisions in hopes of hitting the floor on July 20.

“At the end of the day, I’m not going to micromanage our players,” Boyle said. “I’m not going to check up on them 24 hours a day. I can’t do that. Nobody can do that with their players. But I tell them to act responsibly, act respectfully, and take care of yourselves. If they do those three things, I’m going to be fine with it. That doesn’t mean that they’re going to be immune from coming down with the virus. It doesn’t mean I’m immune to it. It just means we’re going to act responsibly, act respectfully, and try to try to keep ourselves as safe as possible.”

Buffaloes head coach Tad Boyle and his staff kept their wooing of da Silva under the radar, finalizing their recruitment of the German national last week on the first day of the spring signing period. When da Silva might actually set foot on campus remains up in the air.

Of course, that remains true for all of the Buffs, who are taking classes online, working out on their own and settling for meetings with the coaching staff via online forums. Like the Buffs’ other two signees last week — Jabari Walker and Tulsa graduate transfer Jeriah Horne — da Silva inked his letter of intent without visiting CU’s campus.

Yet for new international recruits like da Silva, the normal mountain of red tape involved in starting a college basketball career is likely to be magnified.

“The one thing that we talked about with Tristan and his family is that we’re all going to have to exercise patience,” Boyle said. “In a perfect world, we want all of our players here for the summer, or at least part of the summer, to bond and to grow and to develop and to kind of get the taste of college. And with Tristan being a new international student, there’s going to be more challenges.”

The CU basketball team, including its international players, typically reconvenes on campus in June after a break following spring semester finals. That will not happen this year, with the basketball youth camps — along with all of CU’s summer sports camps — getting cancelled last week.

Exactly when da Silva can get his paperwork handled and travel to Colorado remains in question. Regardless, Boyle sees da Silva as a key piece of the future of CU basketball. The younger brother of Stanford star Oscar da Silva, Tristan is part of a 2020 freshman class that includes Walker and in-state recruits Dominique Clifford and Luke O’Brien.

With Horne getting penciled in to a prominent spot in the rotation as the primary replacement for NBA draft-bound junior Tyler Bey, Boyle and the Buffs already appear to have more candidates for playing time than will actually be available, particularly if point guard McKinley Wright IV returns for his senior season.

If the red tape forces da Silva into a redshirt season, it could be viewed as a blessing in disguise for the Buffs, who could push da Silva’s first active season to 2021-22 after they are scheduled to bid farewell to Wright, Horne, D’Shawn Schwartz, Maddox Daniels, and Alex Strating.

“That summertime access will most likely not be there. He understands that. We understand that. That����ap why this was a big-picture signing,” Boyle said. “Hopefully he can come in next year and be a contributor and have an impact on our team on the floor. But more importantly, this was a four- or five-year decision on his end and on our end. So the summertime for Tristan probably will not happen due to the visas, embassies, I-20s, and all the things that have to happen for international students to arrive on a campus. It����ap going to be really, really difficult for that to happen this summer given the coronavirus situation.”

CU was 21-11 and a lock to make the NCAA Tournament, which would’ve been the program’s fifth dance in 10 years under Boyle. That was despite ending the season on a five-game skid, which culminated with losing in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament before that and March Madness were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I want our players to understand that they did some really good things this year, even though certainly the season didn’t end the way we wanted,” Boyle said. “If you look at the history of Colorado basketball, (21 wins) is pretty darn good. That tied the school record for regular-season wins and we finished No. 25 in the NET rankings.

“So there’s a lot to be proud of, and the program is in great shape going forward. I feel good about Colorado basketball and where it is today.”

Even with that optimism, Boyle knows there’s immediate recruiting work to be done and major decisions ahead for two of CU’s stars.

For the first matter, the Buffs have signed two recruits in their 2020 class, The Vanguard School’s Dominique Clifford (the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year) and Columbine’s Luke O’Brien (CHSAA’s Class 5A ). But the Buffs now look to add a couple more players to the class after freshman forward Jakub Bombek and sophomore guard Daylen Kountz both announced their intention to enter the transfer portal.

For the second matter, McKinley Wright IV announced Thursday via Twitter that he was while maintaining his eligibility, and Tyler Bey is “testing the waters,” according to Boyle.

“What testing the waters looks like now, versus what it’s been the last year or two, is completely different (because of the coronavirus crisis),” Boyle said. “There’s so many unknowns, and right now there are more questions than there are answers for guys like McKinley and Tyler.”

Amid all the uncertainty, the Buffs’ potential roster transition is sure to involve freshman Keeshawn Barthelemy, a four-star recruit out of Toronto.

“We had Keeshawn Barthelemy redshirting this year as a guard, as sort of insurance if McKinley leaves, but also as a guy who can play with McKinley in the backcourt if he comes back,” Boyle said. “That plan is still in place, and now we’ll be able to probably bring in a front-court player for insurance for Tyler, if he leaves, and another back-court player for additional depth now that Daylen left and Shane Gatling graduated.”

If both Wright and Bey do decide to return — still a possibility with Wright’s name not appearing in most current mock drafts and Bey projected anywhere from late first round to out of the draft — Boyle believes CU can easily build off 2019-20, which saw the Buffs reach as high as No. 16 in the AP poll.

“If they both come back, I think we’re a legitimate top 25 team going into next year,” Boyle said.