Colorado Basketball is back with hype extended over both programs
The Colorado Buffaloes football has been without question the biggest sports story of the year. It's been an unprecedented year in Boulder and the excitement does not end on the gridiron. The Prime Effect has been real and will continue. But don’t sleep on what Tad Boyle and JR Payne are doing though.
Payne and the Lady Buffs return after a Sweet 16 run last season. She has a majority of her roster intact and adding shooting help from the transfer portal. Payne brings in two top 100 prospects as part of her 2023-24 recruiting class.
Shelomi “Bossy” Sanders of the now famed CU Sanders family is also on the roster, but is currently coming back from a wrist injury. Bossy is unlikely to play tonight against the defending national champion LSU Women's basketball team in the Vegas opener.
Tad Boyle has also put together a very balanced roster. Returning most of the team’s core with veteran leaders Tristan De Silva, Luke O’Brien, and KJ Simpson. Where the excitement ramps up is in the new additions. On the heels of the FIBA U19 run, Boyle brings in five-star, future NBA Lottery pick and possible phenom, Cody Williams. The 6-foot-8 blue chip has absolutely been influenced by the likes of Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, andPaul George.
Williams should be worth your time all by himself. The other exciting edition to the men's team has been the transfer portal acquisition of former TCU Center Eddie Lampkin. He's not a small man either. At 6-foot-11 and 265 pounds, Lampkin could be the big man in the middle that this team needs to make anoteworthy tournament run in March.
Both CU Basketball teams have created a roster balance that should feed directly into what they want to do on the court. They had different areas to upgrade, and both did. Both teams already had admirable facilitating guard play.
The men’s team needed to add a front court presence. Which they have in Lampkin. They also needed to add a dynamic scorer. Insert Williams, who will be exciting to watch.
On the women’s side, Payne added shooting via the transfer portal and incoming recruiting class. Jaylyn Sherrod returns to run the offense. She was named to the Nancy Lieberman award watch list. Most of the front court returns.
An interesting dynamic to look at is how the Frida Formann and SaraRose Smith dynamic will play out. Sara Rose Smith comes over via transfer portal. In practice, those two seem to play well together. Sara creates floor spacing that they didn’t exactly have last year.
Colorado Buffaloes women’s team takes on the reigning champion LSU Tigers on TNT. The men host Towson State as they kick off their regular season on the Pac-12 Network.
