Colorado basketball fans have watched RJ Smith shoot his way into the starting lineup.

Yet as is typically the case under head coach Tad Boyle, it’s Smith’s defense that will keep him there.

Following a four-day holiday break, the Buffaloes resumed practice on Thursday ahead of their Big 12 Conference opener against No. 3 Iowa State on Monday (7 p.m., CBS Sports Network). Smith has been one of the pleasant surprises for the Buffs through nonconference play, lighting it up from 3-point range.

After redshirting as a true freshman two years ago, Smith played just seven games last year before blood clots in his leg ended his season prematurely. So far this year, the gradual addition of playing experience is turning Smith’s potential into production.

“I think he’s starting to understand what his job is,” Boyle said. “(Against South Dakota State) we got caught in a rotation and he was in the rotation. He saw it, he recognized it, he just wasn’t quite there quick enough. So he’s coming. He’s coming as a defender. Taking on individual challenges is one thing. But you have to be a great team defender. If you’re not a great individual defender, at least be a great team defender. If we can have a bunch of great team defenders and two or three great individual defenders, now we’ve got a chance. And RJ can be one of those.

“He’s (18) games into his college career. He’s coming at a high rate. He’s shooting the ball obviously very well. In practice he’s playing well. We’re expecting really good things. RJ’s playing himself into a really, really important role with this team, without a doubt.”

Going into the rematch against an Iowa State team that rolled the Buffs by 28 points at the Maui Invitational last month, Smith has been both steady and efficient offensively.

After going 3-for-4 on 3-pointers in a win against Bellarmine last week in the nonconference finale, Smith pushed his season 3-point percentage to a lofty .606 (20-for-33). Since joining the starting lineup the past three games, Smith has gone 10-for-14 (.714) on 3-pointers.

At 6-foot-3 and a sturdy 190 points, Smith also can be a force defensively — quick enough to match up against smaller point guards but also strong enough to check bigger shooting guards. Steals aren’t necessarily a reliable marking point for defensive prowess, but Smith has recorded two steals in each of the past two games after recording only six in the first 16 games of his career.

Smith also owns a solid assist-to-turnover rate of 1.69 (27 assists, 16 turnovers) and recently has shown encouraging signs on the glass, averaging 4.4 rebounds in the past five games after grabbing just nine total rebounds through the season’s first six games.

Yet with less than two-thirds of a season’s worth of playing experience still to his credit, Smith remains a work in progress. His 3-point prowess is certain to draw the attention of Big 12 defenses, and Smith will have to show he is equally capable of attacking that basket after putting up just seven free throw attempts through CU’s 9-2 start.

Like several of his teammates who are thin on Division I experience, Smith still will have to prove it in Big 12 play. Given his steady production since the season tipped off, it’s a challenge Smith is embracing.

“My shot’s been feeling good as of late,” Smith said. “It’s just repetition. I shoot every day, and it’s just taking that and carrying it over to the game. It’s really nothing different from practice to the games. It’s just being confident and knocking down shots.”