Even before Colorado headed home from the Big 12 Conference tournament, men’s basketball coach Tad Boyle talked about how the first weeks of the offseason have become some of the busiest days for college basketball coaches.

Complicating that equation was that, as it turned out, the offseason wasn’t actually underway just yet for the Buffaloes. Despite a 3-17 run through the Big 12 Conference, the Buffs (14-20 overall) aren’t quite done yet, as preparations will heighten this weekend for CU’s appearance in the inaugural College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas.

The Buffs will battle Villanova in a first-round matchup on Tuesday at the MGM Grand (6:30 p.m. MT, FS1). For the past two weeks, Boyle and his staff have balanced getting ready for a matchup in a season unexpectedly extended with retooling the roster in hopes of being a factor in the Big 12 in 2025-26.

“You have to change. You have to adapt,” Boyle said. “If you’re not willing to adapt and change, this business will eat you up. As I look at my 30-plus year career now as a Division I basketball coach, there’s been a lot of changes. I go back to, ‘Can we recruit young men who have the same value system that we have as a program?’ That you want to coach and you want to be around. As long as I can do that, and I’ve got the energy and the health and everything that it takes to do it, I’m going to do it.

“This team, the wins and losses were not where we want to be. But what an enjoyable group. And what a great, satisfying feeling to finish in the top eight of the league (at the Big 12 tournament) when we finished 16th in the regular season. They never gave up. They stuck together. We didn’t have one knucklehead on the team this year that I did not want to come and coach at practice. That says something about who we’ve recruited. Now we’ve got to continue to recruit at a higher level to have success in this league. We know that. Our players know that. That’s what the next chapter will be after this tournament is over.”

Boyle said last week that starting point guard Julian Hammond III isn’t expected to play after battling through a back injury during the final weeks of the regular season and the Big 12 tournament. Freshman forward Sebastian Rancik also was labeled as questionable due to a knee injury he suffered during CU’s loss against Houston in the Big 12 quarterfinals.

Earlier this week, reserves Courtney Anderson and Harrison Carrington opted for the transfer portal. Anderson, who played in only four nonconference games this season, will not be with the Buffs in Las Vegas. As of Wednesday, Carrington’s status for next week remained uncertain.

Those two departures leave the Buffs with at least one open spot to fill via the transfer portal, assuming Boyle keeps to his previously stated intent to remain at 13 scholarships even after rosters expand to 15.

“I’m extremely excited to be playing, and I think our players are, too,” Boyle said. “We’ll have some guys that won’t play. But I’m looking at it in two ways. Number one, giving our seniors that want to play a chance to play. But also using it as a springboard into next year with the returning players. That’s what I’m excited about.”