Tad Boyle’s CU Buffs begin preparations for 2024-25 season with new-look roster

BOULDER The moment Tad Boyle stops being excited for the first practice of the season, he'll know its time to call it quits.

But thats not how the Colorado coach felt Monday as the Buffs began official preparations for the 2025-25 season, Boyles 15th in Boulder.

I love the first day.

The energys there.

The enthusiasm is there, Boyle said.

The players, I told them, If we cant be excited on the first day, its gonna be a long year.

The challenge is, can we be excited on practice 15? Can we be excited on practice 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70? Its a long basketball season.

When were out here, I want them to go hard, I want them to be focused, I want them to play with energy and then when practice is over, I want them to rest, recuperate, relax and get ready for the next one.

Colorado head coach Tad Boyle is seen on the sidelines during the first half of a second-round college basketball game against Marquette in the NCAA Tournament, Sunday, March 24, 2024 in Indianapolis.

(AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Theres reason to be excited about what figures to be a unique season for the Buffs.

The program will compete in the Big 12 Conference for the first time since 2010, which was also Boyles first season at CU.

Its exciting, senior guard Julian Hammond III said.

Its the best conference in the country.

Were playing big games night in and night out.

Theres no nights off anymore.

Obviously, playing in the Pac-12 theres a lot of good teams, a lot of good players, but this conference as a whole, its elite.

Colorado senior guard Julian Hammond III (3) looks on during the Buffaloes' first preseason practice of the 2024-25 season on Monday, Sept.

23, 2024 at the CU Events Center in Boulder.

The schedule features a trip to the Maui Invitational in November, when the Buffs will face a historically strong Big Ten program in Michigan State with a potential matchup against two-time defending national champion UConn the following day.

CU also has almost a brand-new roster with only 16.4% of last years minutes returning.

Only one player, Hammond, was a regular part of the rotation, but even he missed the last 11 games of the season due to injury.

Sophomore big man Bangot Dak is the only returning player who played in the Buffs last game of the season and that was only 4 minutes in a second-round NCAA Tournament loss to Marquette.

Cody Williams, Tristan da Silva and KJ Simpson are in the NBA.

JVonne Hadley, Eddie Lampkin and Luke OBrien transferred to teams in the ACC.

Its a lot different, for sure, Hammond said.

Colorado's KJ Simpson (2) celebrates during the first half of a second-round college basketball game against Marquette in the NCAA Tournament, Sunday, March 24, 2024 in Indianapolis.

(AP Photo/Michael Conroy) But the sky isnt falling, in Boyles eyes.

I see enough talent out there, Boyle said.

Now, I dont see a lot of experience and theres no substitute for experience.

I wish I had a fast forward button like you do on your remote at home, but it doesnt work like that.

The returning players that were here last year, they were in practices and they know what the expectation is, but they didnt get the minutes that they felt they deserved or wanted.

So thats an opportunity for them.

Then, the new guys came here and they know the opportunity thats in front of them in terms of the guys we lost.

Its gonna be an interesting preseason.

(In) the first 30 practices, well learn a lot.

But I think well continue to learn as the games come.

Hammond, a senior guard from Cherry Creek High, is in his fourth year in the program and is suddenly the teams most veteran returner.

He and redshirt-junior Javon Ruffin are the only players who have been with the program for four years.

The Buffs added a trio of graduate transfers all from varying levels of college basketball, but all with one year of eligibility remaining.

CU is familiar with Washington State transfer Andrej Jakimovski after going against him the last few seasons in the Pac-12.

Colorado graduate student forward Andrej Jakimovski (23) looks on during the Buffaloes' first preseason practice of the 2024-25 season on Monday, Sept.

23, 2024 at the CU Events Center in Boulder.

Big man Elijah Malone comes from Grace College in Indiana where he was named the NAIA Player of the Year.

Then theres Arvada native Trevor Baskin, who had a successful four-year run at Colorado Mesa where he was a three-time first team all-RMAC player and a Division II All-American.

Boyle has had success plucking players from lower levels of the sport.

Derrick White, who began his college career at UCCS, won an NBA Championship and an Olympic gold medal this summer.

While Boyle wants to temper expectations for Baskin and Malone because they dont have the benefit of sitting out a year like White, both are intriguing players who should factor into the Buffs plans this season.

I think its awesome, Baskin said.

It gives us a lot of different perspectives, honestly.

Half of these guys wouldnt even realize that Elijah and I would rebound for ourselves at our old schools.

Just understanding different levels and (having) an appreciation for everything has been super awesome and getting to know the freshmen, who are still new like us.

Even with a bunch of new faces, the identity of Boyle's latest team will look a lot like the first 14.

It starts with defense and rebounding.

I do think we have a lot of offensive talent and skill level on this team that will get better as the year goes on, but were playing in the No.

1 league in the country starting Dec.

30, Boyle said.

I look at between now and then how much improvement can we make? Can we develop that defensive identity? Get ready for more Big 12 basketball on network television.

Through a sublicense agreement with ESPN, the Big 12 has expanded its broadcast partnership with CBS through the 2026-27 season.

CBS will broadcast a minimum of six Big 12 games per season on its flagship network channel and now will broadcast an additional 20 games per year on CBS Sports Network.

"Growing our presence on CBS Sports will deliver Big 12 basketball to even more fans across the country," Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said in a release.

"The additional nationally televised games will continue to grow our brand as the best conference in college basketball and showcase the elite student-athletes and programs from our 16 institutions." The never-ending conference realignment saga continued on Monday.

While the new-look Pac-12, which will feature Colorado State beginning in 2026, failed to add some of the remaining Mountain West schools like Air Force and UNLV, it will reportedly be adding Utah State, according to ESPN.

The conference is in talks to add Gonzaga as a non-football member, per Yahoo! Sports.

The Pac-12 also did not secure additions from key programs in the American Athletic Conference.

Memphis, Tulane, South Florida and UTSA were rumored to have talked with the Pac-12 but all reaffirmed a commitment to the AAC Monday..

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