Anyone that watched the Colorado men’s basketball team struggle through the bulk of Big 12 Conference play understands the Buffaloes must improve in the backcourt.

That’s not the only area in which CU was lagging as it finished last in the 16-team league with a 3-17 conference mark. Yet it certainly was the most glaring.

Help is on the way in a recruiting class ranked 38th in the nation by 247Sports, a group that includes a pair of guards who might be able to contribute immediately in Colorado native Josiah Sanders and Jalin Holland out of Arizona.

But the current backcourt cupboard isn’t completely bare for CU, and RJ Smith and Felix Kossaras showed why down the stretch of the regular season, as well as in the Big 12 tournament.

The players did not share similar roles. Smith was a key rotational player all season, suffering a dismal slump after a torrid start to the season before rallying again late. Kossaras, a true freshman, played sparingly for much of the season but earned increased minutes as the Buffs managed to go 5-5 in their past 10 games.

CU’s season still isn’t over, as it will open play in the inaugural College Basketball Crown against Villanova in Las Vegas on April 1. A guard, particularly a point guard, almost assuredly will be a priority for head coach Tad Boyle once the time comes to sort through options in the transfer portal. But between the incoming freshmen and the flashes shown by Smith and Kossaras, should they choose to return, the Buffs project to at least have a deeper backcourt than the one on display in 2024-25.

“You can definitely see the potential in the team, especially the young guys,” Smith said. “We have a bunch of talented guys and people coming in next year. Now we know what to do to win games in the Big 12.

“It’s my first year playing since my senior year (of high school). I learned a lot. I have to work on my game a lot. Try to facilitate better, try to be a quality guard for this level of play.”

Smith redshirted as a true freshman two years ago, and last year his season was cut short after seven games due to a blood clot issue in his lower leg.

For the first two months of the season, Smith was the biggest pleasant surprise on the team, posting a robust .590 mark on 3-pointers through the first 12 games. Smith struggled during the bulk of Big 12 play, going 4-for-33 from long range over the next 15 games. But he was strong late in the regular season and at the Big 12 tournament, and he will take a 10-for-22 mark from the arc in the past six games into the matchup against Villanova.

Kossaras gradually gained confidence throughout the season and provided a huge bench spark during the conference tournament, grabbing four rebounds (his second-highest total of the season) during a first-round win against TCU before scoring a season-high seven points in CU’s comeback win against West Virginia in the second round. Kossaras scored five of those points and also added an assist during a 17-1 second-half run that turned CU’s nine-point deficit into a seven-point lead.

“Every time I get out on the floor, I just get a little more comfortable,” Kossaras said. “My teammates, my coaches trust me to put me out on the floor and help them.”