Colorado rebuilds following a program-best 26-win season that saw 3 players taken in the NBA draft

Colorado (26-11, 13-7 Pac-12)

Coach Tad Boyle has plenty of openings to fill after losing all five starters off a team that won a program-record 26 games, including two in the NCAA Tournament before losing to Marquette. Three of the departed Buffaloes — Cody Williams, Tristan Da Silva and KJ Simpson — were picked in the NBA draft last June. J’Vonne Hadley transferred to Louisville, while Eddie Lampkin Jr. left for Syracuse. Colorado returns Julian Hammond III, who missed the last 11 games last season due to a knee injury. He averaged 7.4 points. The Buffaloes are switching from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 this season. They're picked to finish 15th out of 16 teams in their new league, according to a preseason poll. “I think it’s put a chip on our players’ shoulders,” Boyle said. "I know it’s put a chip on my shoulder.”

Players to watch

The Buffaloes brought in Andrej Jakimovski, a 6-foot-8 forward from Washington State. He averaged nearly 10 points and 6 rebounds last season for a Cougars team that went 25-10 and won a game in the NCAA Tournament. Another addition is guard Trevor Baskin, who played at Colorado Mesa and was an NCAA Division II All-American and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference player of the year.

Departures and arrivals

There are some big shoes to fill in replacing Williams (10th overall pick by Utah), Da Silva (18th by Orlando) and Simpson (42nd by Charlotte). They were the three leading scorers last season. Felix Kossaras could help pick up the slack. The 6-5 guard from Montreal was the 30th-ranked shooting guard in the 2024 class by 247 Sports.

Top games

Boyle returns to Allen Fieldhouse to face his alma mater Kansas on Feb. 11. Boyle played for the Jayhawks from 1981-85 and helped mentor Danny Manning, who's now on his staff. The Buffaloes also play in the Maui Invitational, kicking things off with a game against Michigan State on Nov. 25. They host rival Colorado State on Dec. 7. The opener is at home Nov. 4 vs. Eastern Washington.

Facts and figures

Boyle has 298 wins at Colorado, the most in men's program history. ... Guard Javon Ruffin was expected to miss the 2023-24 season after knee surgery, but returned in December. He played in 18 games. ... Sophomore forwards Bangot Dak and Assane Diop should see plenty of court time. Dak lists Kevin Durant as his favorite NBA player, while Diop mentions LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.

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The Associated Press