Tag: Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball

Colorado men’s basketball snags Andrej Jakimovski out of transfer portal

Familiar face Andrej Jakimovski is joining the Buffs

After four years of facing off against the Colorado Buffaloes in the Pac-12, Washington State graduate transfer Andrej Jakimosvki decided to join them on Sunday, per On3’s Joe Tipton.

Jakimovski marks head coach Tad Boyle’s second transfer portal pickup this offseason. CU men’s basketball added former Colorado Mesa wing Trevor Baskin on Thursday.

A 6-foot-8 forward, Jakimovski spent the first four years of his college career in Pullman This past season, he averaged 9.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

Jakimovski started in all 35 games for the Cougars as a senior while helping them reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He was used frequently as a perimeter shooter, leading WSU with 5.8 3-point attempts per game (33.2% clip from deep).

Now a Buff, the Macedonian forward brings some much-needed experience to a rather young Colorado squad joining the Big 12 Conference.

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Colorado men’s basketball lands first transfer portal commit of the offseason

Former Colorado Mesa star Trevor Baskin is joining the Buffs

After losing several big names soon after the season concluded, Colorado men’s basketball head coach Tad Boyle inked his first transfer portal pickup of the offseason on Thursday.

Heading to Boulder is Trevor Baskin, a 6-foot-9 forward who spent his last four seasons at in-state Division II Colorado Mesa. Baskin was named the 2024 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year as a redshirt junior, posting 18.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.

Baskin attended Pomona High School in Arvada and Colorado Mesa was the only college to offer him a scholarship spot. After hitting the transfer portal this spring following four successful years in Grand Junction, he was quickly sought after by Division I programs.

However, the Colorado native wanted to return to the Front Range, narrowing his top choices to Colorado and Colorado State. Despite the Rams nabbing 2022-23 RMAC Player of the Year Joel Scott last offseason, the Buffs won this year’s transfer portal battle.

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Colorado viewed as intriguing landing spot for Arizona transfer Oumar Ballo

Some are viewing Colorado as an intriguing landing spot for Arizona transfer Oumar Ballo

Amid the now-yearly college basketball transfer portal merry-go-round, Arizona Wildcats center Oumar Ballo wanted in on the fun.

Currently listed as the No. 1 player in the portal by 247Sports, the two-time All-Pac-12 selection will be highly sought after by programs across the country. Although unlikely, some view Colorado as a candidate to snag Ballo.

College Sports Wire’s Andy Patton named five potential landing spots for Ballo and the Buffs were mentioned alongside North Carolina, Arkansas, Oregon and Illinois.

In his reasoning, Patton wrote that Ballo would be a strong replacement for departing transfer Eddie Lampkin Jr.:

Lampkin hit the portal again and transferred to Syracuse, however, and with Cody Williams headed to the NBA there is plenty of room for a big man to join Tad Boyle’s team and take on a high usage rate on the block. Colorado may not have the allure of a North Carolina or Arkansas, but the Buffs have a healthy history of productive big men in Boyle’s tenure and Ballo could thrive in the black and gold while helping them transition into the Big 12.

Sure, it’s hard to imagine Ballo in a Colorado uniform due to the Buffs transitioning to the Big 12 with a deteriorating lineup. Boyle’s program also fails to possess the name, image and likeness resources of those four other schools.

However, the more than Ballo-sized holes on CU’s roster would allow the center to cook. Colorado’s offense also favors Ballo’s playstyle as Patton mentioned, making Boulder suddenly seem more realistic. Plus, the Buffs know Ballo’s game better than most having faced the former Pac-12 Most Improved Player the past three seasons.

While it’ll be a battle for any school to land the talented transfer for his fifth year of college hoops, Ballo must ultimately decide whether the lure of opportunity and fit outweigh other factors.

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Chauncey Billups to become first NBA Buff in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, per report

One of the greatest Buffs ever is reportedly headed to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Colorado great Chauncey Billups has been elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2024 class, making him the first Buff who played in the NBA to achieve the honor.

Fellow NBA great Vince Carter joins Billups in the class, although the official announcement will be made Saturday at the NCAA Tournament Final Four.

Now head coach of the Portland Trailblazers, Billups put together a stellar NBA resume. In his 17-year professional career, Billups played for seven teams, most notably winning the 2004 NBA Finals — and Finals MVP — with the Detroit Pistons. Billups also earned five all-star selections, two of which came during his time with the Denver Nuggets.

Born in Denver, Billups was a high school star at George Washington before committing to CU. He played two seasons with the Buffs, earning second-team All-American honors as a sophomore while leading Colorado to its first March Madness appearance in 28 years. Coincidentally, Carter’s North Carolina Tarheels beat the Buffs in the round of 32.

The late Burdette Halderson, who played at CU in the 1950s, is also in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team.

 

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CU Buffs transfer Eddie Lampkin Jr. finds home in the ACC

Eddie Lampkin Jr. is moving to New York

Only days after entering the transfer portal, former Colorado men’s basketball center Eddie Lampkin Jr. gave his commitment to the ACC’s Syracuse Orange.

Lampkin announced his pledge on Tuesday evening, about one week after his lone season at Colorado concluded in the NCAA Tournament. Before joining the Buffs, he spent the first three years of his college career at TCU.

The 6-foot-11, 255-pound senior started in 36 of Colorado’s 37 games this past season, averaging team-highs in rebounds (7.0) and field goal shooting (57.9%). His 10.6 points per game ranked fifth on the team.

Lampkin was especially productive in the critical month of March. In the Buffs’ six postseason games, he scored at least 13 points three times, including 21 in CU’s March Madness win over Florida.

Syracuse finished 20-12 (11-9 ACC) in head coach Adrian Autry’s first season at the helm.

Fellow Colorado transfers J’Vonne Hadley and Luke O’Brien have each yet to commit, although the former reportedly met virtually with Iowa State and Michigan State.

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Colorado forward Joe Hurlburt to explore other opportunities

In a largely unsurprising move, Joe Hurlburt has entered the transfer portal

In a largely unsurprising move, Colorado men’s basketball forward Joe Hurlburt has entered the NCAA transfer portal, as reported by Rivals on Tuesday.

The redshirt freshman forward spent two years with the Buffs, appearing briefly in 10 games this past season. He recorded two assists and one rebound while going 0-for-7 from the field across 25 total minutes.

As reflected by his numbers, Hurlburt struggled to find a role within head coach Tad Boyle’s squad despite being a highly-rated class of 2022 prospect. While at Enderlin High School, he earned three all-state selections and was a two-time North Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year. Rivals tabbed Hurlburt as a four-star prospect.

The 6-foot-11, 235-pound forward joins Luke O’Brien, Eddie Lampkin Jr. and J’Vonne Hadley as Buffs to enter the transfer portal this offseason. More minutes may have been available for Hurlburt next year, but he’ll try his hand in the portal instead.

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Luke O’Brien becomes third CU Buff to enter transfer portal on Wednesday

Colorado native Luke O’Brien became the latest Buff to enter the transfer portal

While Luke O’Brien had already made it clear that 2023-24 would be his final season at CU, reports emerged on Wednesday that the senior hopes to continue his college basketball career elsewhere.

In a tweet, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports disclosed that O’Brien plans on entering the ever-busy transfer portal. The Littleton, Colorado native became the third Buffs player to infiltrate the portal on Wednesday, joining Eddie Lampkin Jr. and J’Vonne Hadley.

Throughout his four seasons playing for head coach Tad Boyle, the durable O’Brien played in 111 games while averaging 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds. He finished his senior season with career-bests in points per game (6.7) and field goal shooting (45.6%).

Boyle’s primary rotation will look vastly different next season as the Buffs rejoin the Big 12 Conference. O’Brien, Lampkin and Hadley are all entering the portal with one season of eligibility remaining while Tristan da Silva, Cody Williams and KJ Simpson are expected to test the NBA draft waters.

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Colorado big man Eddie Lampkin Jr. to re-enter transfer portal

Eddie Lampkin Jr. will play his final college basketball season elsewhere

The Colorado Buffaloes and Eddie Lampkin Jr. enjoyed only one season together, but it sure was a fun one.

On Wednesday morning, CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein reported that Lampkin plans to re-enter the transfer portal.

The 6-foot-11 senior big man transferred from TCU last offseason and became a fan favorite in Boulder due to his high energy and crafty playstyle. In his lone season at Colorado, he averaged 10.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game on 57.9% shooting from the field.

Lampkin’s rebounding average led the team, although his durability may have been more important, as he and KJ Simpson were the only Buffs to play in all 37 games.

While Lampkin was a major factor throughout the winningest season in CU men’s hoops history, he stepped it up in the Pac-12 Tournament and the NCAA Tournament, averaging 13.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists across six games.

Before he becomes a graduate student next year, Lampkin has an offseason to decide where to take his talents. At the same time, CU head coach Tad Boyle will look to fill the Lampkin-sized hole at the five-spot.

Colorado guard J’Vonne Hadley also confirmed Wednesday he’ll be entering the transfer portal.

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Cody Williams undecided on next move following freshman season at Colorado

Cody Williams was asked about his future following the final game of his freshman season

While Colorado men’s basketball forward Cody Williams remains a projected top-10 selection in this year’s NBA draft and has been since high school, a roller coaster freshman season riddled with injuries has put the surefire lottery pick’s future on ice.

Williams’ draft stock has stayed about the same after he averaged 11.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 24 games played this season while being one of the Buffs’ top defenders. But when asked about what lies ahead after Colorado’s season-ending NCAA Tournament loss to Marquette, he told The Gazette’s Tyler King that he has “no clue” what the next month will have in store.

The 6-foot-8 forward was one of the best freshmen in the country when healthy, showing off his lengthy frame, freakish athleticism and two-way upside. However, a wrist injury, a fractured orbital bone and an ankle issue limited his time on the court. The ankle injury, Williams’ most recent setback, sidelined him for the final four games of the regular season.

When Williams returned from his latest injury, the season-long starter came off the bench for the entirety of the Pac-12 Tournament and Colorado’s brief March Madness run. He struggled during CU’s biggest games, he averaged only 5.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists across the six games on 15-of-38 shooting (39.5%) from the field.

Although he did secure Pac-12 All-Freshman honors, another year at the college level may benefit him in the long run. His older brother, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams, spent three years at Santa Clara before going 12th overall in the 2022 NBA draft.

Williams does have some flaws, such as off-ball defensive positioning and overall comfortability with higher-level hoops. Assuming he does enter this year’s draft, whichever team selects the talented 19-year-old will get to work on the areas he needs to improve. But another year working with head coach Tad Boyle and his staff may help.

Either way, it doesn’t seem like there is a wrong decision for Williams. With Tristan da Silva and Luke O’Brien graduating this year and KJ Simpson expected to test the NBA draft waters, Colorado would welcome Williams back with open arms.

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Colorado reportedly showing interest in Belmont transfer sharpshooter Cade Tyson

Colorado is reportedly eyeing a prominent shooter in the transfer portal

After missing out on former Northern Colorado star Dalton Knecht last offseason, the CU Buffs are currently eyeing another transfer portal sharpshooter from a smaller Division I men’s basketball program.

Belmont guard/forward Cade Tyson, the younger brother of recent Denver Nuggets draft pick Hunter Tyson, entered the portal on Monday and has already drawn interest from Colorado, according to Trent Markwith of Relentless Hoops.

The 6-foot-7, 205-pound North Carolina native averaged 16.2 points this season while shooting 46.5% from deep. Considered as one of the top available transfers, Tyson enjoyed nine games with at least four 3-pointers made in 2023-24.

Markwith’s report mentioned the Buffs as one of 14 teams that have either contacted or inquired about Tyson. Other noteworthy seekers include Kansas, Oregon, Miami, Texas, Indiana and UCF.

Colorado head coach Tad Boyle doesn’t frequent the transfer portal, but he’ll likely have open scholarship spots available with Tristan da Silva, Luke O’Brien and possibly Cody Williams leaving Boulder. Plus, Colorado recently parted ways with former 2024 signee Doryan Onwuchekwa.

Looking at Tyson’s overall game, he could be an excellent replacement for da Silva.

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