Head coach Tad Boyle and his players alike understood that the goal of getting the 2024-25 Colorado men’s basketball team to reach its full potential wasn’t going to conclude after just a few games.

With the first stage of nonconference play nearing an end, that process certainly remains ongoing.

Following an off-day after a solid 83-53 victory against Cal State Fullerton, the Buffaloes returned to practice on Friday to begin preparations for Sunday’s home date against Harvard (noon, ESPN+).

Sunday’s contest will mark the end of an opening four-game homestand before the Buffs head to the Maui Invitational, where they will face a significant uptick in competition with three games in three days, beginning on Nov. 25 against Michigan State.

The Buffs are not yet a finished product. So while the mistakes made during a 3-0 start were plentiful, they also remain largely correctible. It’s much more palatable to learn from wins, and the Buffs have countered their miscues with plenty of encouraging signs on both ends of the floor.

“We’re a team with a bunch of new guys,” CU senior guard Julian Hammond III said. “We have some grad transfers, but we also have some freshmen. We have some guys who didn’t play last year, really. It’s going to take a few games here and there. We just want to come in and play with effort every day. If we’re playing hard and rebounding and not turning the ball over, we can be a really, really good team. It’s just going to take time.”Among the positives so far for CU has been the depth and versatility touted throughout the preseason as a team strength. Different players have stepped into the spotlight, with freshman Sebastian Rancik getting things started with an impressive 13-point showing in his debut. Elijah Malone followed with a 27-point explosion against Northern Colorado, and against Cal State Fullerton it was Andrej Jakimovski’s turn, as the Washington State transfer shot the Buffs into the lead early before finishing with a game-high 17 points.

CU may not be truly challenged on the boards until it gets to Maui but has taken care of business on the glass, posting a dominant average rebound margin of plus-12.4 through the first three games. The defense steered ahead of the curve with the effort against Fullerton, holding the Titans to a .310 shooting mark overall and with a 2-for-17 showing on 3-pointers. The Buffs’ three opponents have shot a combined .374 overall while going 20-for-69 (.290) on 3-pointers.

No doubt, there also have been plenty of headaches, most notably with a turnover average of 18.3 per game. But the early returns on defense and the glass have left Boyle encouraged heading into Sunday’s game against Harvard.

“I’ve been encouraged by our competitiveness. Our coachability. Our guys are trying to do what we ask them to do,” Boyle said. “As a coach, you appreciate that because they’re not fighting us on anything. They understand what we need to get better at. I was really encouraged, especially after the Fullerton game, with our ball movement. I’d mentioned after the first two games, our offense in those games relative to what it looks like in practice, it was back to where it should be.

“We’re going to play a lot of guys. So on any given night, certain guys might play more than others. They can’t have a personal agenda. So I’ve been encouraged by that. And overall I’ve been encouraged by our defense. The one area of our defense that has to get better that’s glaring is our ability to guard the basketball. I think we’re doing a lot of good things and starting to understand how to play together.”