Tag: Lawson Lovering

CU Buffs men’s basketball 2022-23 season in review

We put the 22-23 CU men’s basketball season under the microscope

The 2022-23 season was a rare downturn for Colorado in the Tad Boyle era. But with another year of experience and a big recruiting class, the Buffaloes have the weapons to make a big turnaround in 2023-24. As the old saying goes, sometimes you have to look back in order to move forward. So what can we learn from this past season?

The closest comp has to be the 2014-15 season. CU had a nearly identical overall record, Pac-12 record, points per game and points against that season. The Buffs had just lost an all-time great to the NBA in Spencer Dinwiddie and relied on a young group, much like CU did this year. CU would rattle off 20-win campaigns in five of the next eight seasons with a 19-win season in that stretch as well.

Check out our season in review for the 2022-23 Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team:

Colorado big man Lawson Lovering transfers to Utah, a stinging blow to Tad Boyle

Tad Boyle gave Lovering lots of support and didn’t throw him under the bus in Boulder. Yet, Lovering went to CU’s main rival. Hmmm.

It’s bad enough when a promising player transfers. It’s even worse when that player was clearly supported and encouraged by the coaching staff and given every chance to succeed, but still leaves. Then imagine how much worse it is for a program when that player — who was given so much encouragement — not only bolts, but goes to the school’s most immediate and direct rival and geographical neighbor within a conference.

That is exactly what has happened with Lawson Lovering, a big man who transferred from Colorado and decided to go to Utah to play for Craig Smith and the Utes. CU doesn’t just lose a player; it loses that player to a rival within the Pac-12.

Buffaloes Wire had more to say.

“Lovering was a four-star recruit coming out of Cheyenne Central High School but struggled on offense during his two years in Boulder,” Jack Carlough wrote. “Junior Nique Clifford and redshirt freshman Quincy Allen have also entered the transfer portal but have yet to commit elsewhere. With Lovering, Utah has now found its replacement for two-time All-Pac-12 center Branden Carlson.”

The details beyond the transfer itself paint a picture of a player who was profoundly dissatisfied with his situation despite receiving ample support and encouragement from the Colorado coaching staff:

Lovering played well against USC last season, though not when Vince Iwuchukwu was able to play extended minutes. It will be fascinating to see how he fits with Utah, especially when the Utes play the Trojans in 2024.

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5 big men the Oregon Ducks should pursue in the transfer portal

The Oregon Ducks are awaiting decisions for both N’Faly Dante and Kel’el Ware, but the transfer portal has replacements if needed.

The frontcourt for the 2023-24 Oregon Ducks is about as unsettled as it could possibly get.

Nate Bittle plans to return after averaging 7.3 points and 5.1 rebounds in 18 minutes per game last year, but until either N’Faly Dante or Kel’el Ware announce their plans for next season this team will need to explore the transfer portal to make an addition to the frontcourt.

Dante is coming off a career year and could parlay that into a professional career, either in the NBA or overseas if that doesn’t pan out, while Ware’s first season in Eugene went extremely poorly and it seems unlikely he’ll choose to return, either trying his hand at the NBA or entering the transfer portal.

Assuming one (or both) of those players depart, the Ducks will turn to the transfer portal to find a post player who can compliment the trio of newcomers in KJ Evans, Mookie Cook, and Jackson Shelstad.

The portal is far from set, with 1500 or so players expected to enter when all is said and done, but here is a first look at five big men the Ducks could bring to Eugene for next season:

Colorado men’s basketball transfer Lawson Lovering lands at Utah

Lawson Lovering has found a new home within the Pac-12

Lawson Lovering needed little time to find a new home.

Just four days after entering the transfer portal, the former Colorado men’s basketball center announced on Saturday his commitment to Utah, meaning he’ll get an opportunity to face the Buffs next season.

Lovering was a four-star recruit coming out of Cheyenne Central High School but struggled on offense during his two years in Boulder.

Junior Nique Clifford and redshirt freshman Quincy Allen have also entered the transfer portal but have yet to commit elsewhere.

With Lovering, Utah has now found its replacement for two-time All-Pac-12 center Branden Carlson, who on Thursday declared for the NBA draft — although he can still return and use his final year of college eligibility if he decides to.

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REPORT: Colorado center Lawson Lovering enters transfer portal

Per multiple reports, Lawson Lovering has entered the transfer portal

Two days after scoring a career-high 21 points in the Buffs’ NIT loss to Utah Valley, Colorado men’s basketball sophomore center Lawson Lovering has entered the transfer portal, as first reported by Verbal Commits on Tuesday afternoon.

A former four-star recruit out of Cheyenne, Wyoming, Lovering started 34 games this season, averaging 4.9 points and 4.7 rebounds. He excelled most, though, on the defensive end as a rim protector.

Head coach Tad Boyle always spoke highly of Lovering throughout his time in Boulder, and his showing on Sunday was an encouraging sign of bigger things to come offensively.

Unless the Buffs add another big man soon through the portal, it’s looking like incoming four-star freshman center Assane Diop, an in-state product, will receive ample minutes next season. Lovering’s departure also opens up more opportunities for current redshirt freshman Joe Hurlburt.

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Lawson Lovering ends sophomore season on high note with career night

Colorado’s 7-foot sophomore had a career night in the Buffs’ loss to Utah Valley

The Colorado men’s basketball team might just have a new offensive weapon heading into next season. Lawson Lovering, the 7-foot sophomore out of Cheyenne, Wyoming had a coming-out party against the Utah Valley Wolverines in the second round of the NIT on Sunday.

Expectations have been high for Lovering since he first joined the Buffs last season. He was a four-star prospect coming out of Cheyenne Central High School and a top-100 player in the country according to ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals. In Sunday’s season-ending loss to Utah Valley, Lovering showed a glimpse of that potential as he led the Buffaloes with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting while also adding seven rebounds, two steals and a block.

After the game, I asked head coach Tad Boyle about Lovering’s performance:

“He played against one of the best shot blockers in the country (Aziz Bandaogo) and I thought Lawson did a great job,” Boyle said. “Lawson’s got great size and he’s working on his low-post game. I’ve said it all year long, he’s a work in progress offensively. He’s really good for us defensively, an elite level defender. But tonight you saw the culmination of the hard work he’s put in before practice, after practice and he played within himself and was a bright spot tonight.”

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Colorado men’s basketball NIT recap: Buffs’ season concludes with loss to Utah Valley

Colorado’s season came to a close with a second-round loss to Utah Valley

To look at the positives, Colorado gained some valuable postseason experience playing in the NIT and Lawson Lovering enters the offseason with a good deal of confidence in his offensive game.

But a career-high 21-point night from Lovering still wasn’t enough to earn the Buffs a spot in the NIT quarterfinals. Utah Valley hit 56% of its field goals and left the CU Events Center with an 81-69 second-round win to end Colorado’s season.

The Wolverines began the second half on a 7-0 run to go up 45-38 and while the Buffs were able to tie things up twice later, Colorado never fully rebounded from the loss of momentum. Utah Valley’s Trey Woodbury was a thorn in the Buffaloes’ side, too, scoring 25 on 11-of-15 from the field.

Playing in his final college game, Ethn Wright capped his Buffs career with 17 points, including 12 from deep.

Tristan da Silva, who said afterward that he’ll at least test the NBA draft waters this summer, scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half.

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CU Buffs great Josh Scott lending help to Lawson Lovering

Lawson Lovering was recently working on his game with a Buffs great

Josh Scott was one of my favorite Buffs back in the mid-2010s. He was arguably the Pac-12’s best forward in 2015-16 and finished his college career with over 1,700 points.

Upon leaving college, Scott began his professional career in Macedonia before moving to the Japanese B League. His Utsonomiya Brex even won the league’s championship this past season.

Scott recently came back to Boulder and was spotted working out with Lawson Lovering in one of the CU Events Center practice gyms. Lovering is coming off what he’d likely consider a frustrating freshman season. Just as it seemed he was settling in, the Wyoming native went down with a knee injury early in late January.

I still believe there’s success ahead for the 7-footer and it was encouraging to see him learning from one of the program’s greatest.

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Lawson Lovering likely done for season with MCL injury

Lawson Lovering will likely miss the remainder of his freshman season

Seven-footer Lawson Lovering will likely miss the remainder of his freshman season after suffering an MCL injury during practice on Monday, BuffZone’s Pat Rooney confirmed.

Rooney reported that Lovering’s recovery time should be about six to eight weeks and it’s not expected he’ll need surgery.

In Lovering’s 18 games played this season, he averaged just 10.7 minutes but played an important role coming off the bench for usually Evan Battey.

The former four-star recruit out of Wyoming is now the third freshman on CU’s roster to suffer a major injury. Both Quincy Allen, who will miss the entirety of his rookie season due to a hip injury, and Javon Ruffin (right knee) have also been hit.

As we saw in Lovering’s first game missed at Oregon, former walk-on Will Loughlin is the next man up. Prior to Tuesday, the senior hadn’t seen the court since mid-November against Maine.

Boyle told BuffZone that the plan is to use Loughlin, who was recently put on scholarship, similarly to Lovering:

“He only got a couple (minutes) against Oregon, but I expect him to play kind of like Lawson was — eight, 10, 12 minutes a game depending on the opponent and the situation,” Boyle said of Loughlin. “I’ve got supreme confidence in Will. And his teammates do, too.”

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