Times have changed. Of that simple truth, there is little argument.

Yet one of the simple truths of the Colorado men’s basketball program in 15 seasons under head coach Tad Boyle has been the emphasis on player development. Stick with the Buffaloes for multiple seasons, and players tend to get better. There always are exceptions, but that basic pillar has been sturdy enough to lead to six NCAA Tournament appearances, with a seventh denied only by the COVID-spurred cancellation of the 2020 tournament.

So while the times certainly are a-changin’ in college athletics — pay for play and unrestrained transfer rules tops among them — the developmental approach remains intact as an integral cornerstone of CU’s program.

Associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Mike Rohn has been alongside Boyle since he was hired in 2010. While the recruiting hurdles and overall landscape have changed dramatically in recent years, the basic approach has not at CU.

In a summer in which the Buffs are adding six true freshmen, a young transfer with three years of eligibility remaining tabbed more for his potential than past production (Jon Mani), and another young talent coming off a freshman redshirt season (Andrew Crawford), CU is relying on a familiar formula to turn the program around amid an unfamiliar collegiate landscape.

“Coach’s approach is always going to be taking young guys and developing them. It just is,” Rohn said. “For a couple reasons. One, because that’s how we’ve been very, very successful. Two, because it helps us financially. It’s the hugest part of the equation. He wants these guys to be here (multiple years), and he’s always going to try to make that happen.”

Last week’s addition of Italian/Canadian center Leonardo Van Elswyk pushed CU’s freshman class to six players, as the 7-foot-1 post joins a group featuring guards Josiah Sanders, Jalin Holland, Ian Inman and Isaiah Johnson, along with forward Tacko Ifaola.

On paper, the newcomers resemble two of the more decorated recruiting classes in recent memory from the 2017 group (Evan Battey, Tyler Bey, D’Shawn Schwartz, McKinley Wright IV) and the 2021 class headlined by KJ Simpson, now with the Charlotte Hornets.

Yet when the 2017 group arrived at CU, transferring still required sitting out a season. The careers of Simpson and his classmates ended with the payoffs of NIL and revenue still in their infancy.This year’s group faces no such restrictions at the onset of their careers. If they play well, chances are they’ll be paid well enough to stay. If not, chances are they will seek greener pastures, as former rotation players RJ Smith (DePaul) and Assane Diop (San Diego) did following last season.

From the 2017 class, Bey spent three seasons at CU while Battey, Schwartz and Wright all played four seasons. Simpson played three seasons at Colorado and two other 2021 recruiting classmates, Julian Hammond III and Javon Ruffin, spent four seasons at CU. Seven of the 10 NBA draft picks under Boyle spent at least three seasons in the program, and one of the exceptions, Boston Celtics guard Derrick White, was a five-year collegiate player.

On the heels of just the eighth 20-loss season in team history, Boyle and the Buffs will be testing a proven formula in uncharted territory.

“I wish and hope we can keep them all,” Rohn said. “But that will come down to the spring.”