BuffZone writer Pat Rooney talks college basketball as the season ends for the CU women in the second round of the WBIT and the men set their sights on the inaugural College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas.

Open season

Monday marked the beginning of transfer portal season, as it officially opened for college men’s basketball. More than 2,000 players explored the portal last year, and a similar total, at least, is likely in the works until the portal closes again on April 22 (players have to enter by that deadline; they don’t have to be signed by then).

Colorado men’s basketball coach Tad Boyle needs to go shopping for a point guard.

The best of Boyle’s teams at CU have featured premier point guards, from Spencer Dinwiddie to McKinley Wright IV to KJ Simpson. The return season in the Big 12 Conference exposed the Buffs’ shortcomings at that spot.

And certainly that’s not meant as a shot at this year’s primary point guard, senior Julian Hammond III. If before the season anyone had known Hammond would put up averages of 12.9 points and 3.2 assists, with a .375 3-point percentage, most folks would’ve gladly taken it. His assist-to-turnover rate could have been better (1.30), but Hammond was the least of this team’s problems.

I wondered if Hammond’s 104 assists was the lowest total for a team leader in CU’s 15 seasons under Boyle, especially since the Buffs couldn’t buy a 3-pointer (and, in turn, rack up easy assists) for much of the season. However, it wasn’t actually close, with Hammond ranking as only the fifth-lowest total for a team leader under Boyle (Keeshawn Barthelemy had the lowest, with 78 in 2021-22).

Still, the Buffs were sorely lacking a playmaker along the perimeter. Reinforcements are on the way with CU’s incoming freshman class, but turning the keys to the offense over to a rookie like Josiah Sanders is a big ask in the Big 12. The Buffs need an experienced point guard after finishing 10th in Big 12 games in assists (12.9) and last in assist-to-turnover rate (0.87).

Ready to reload

The season ended for the CU women on Sunday with a loss against Gonzaga in the second round of the WBIT. With Frida Formann and Kindyll Wetta reaching the end of their eligibility, it was the unofficial end of an era as the last of the primary players who led the Buffs to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, with back-to-back Sweet 16 berths, said farewell.

During those tournament runs, the Buffs struggled to retain their freshmen. It didn’t necessarily hurt the team, as coach JR Payne managed to maintain a competitive and experienced rotation even without the smooth assimilation of young talent.

CU’s NCAA Tournament streak ended, but unlike previous seasons the Buffs have youngsters to build around moving forward. Prized recruit Tabitha Betson was strong down the stretch. The same can be said of redshirt freshman guard Kennedy Sanders, along with true freshmen Erin Powell and Grace Oliver. Retain that quartet along with forward Jade Masogayo, CU’s leader in total points and second in rebounds, and the Buffs already have the foundation for a competitive rotation.

Lovering appeal

Former CU center Lawson Lovering made a few headlines Friday as reports surfaced he is entering the transfer portal as a graduate transfer, while seeking a medical hardship for a fifth season of eligibility.

If you’re thinking, ‘Didn’t he play four seasons?’ the answer is yes, he did. Lovering played in 27 of 32 games for Utah this season. He played in 33 of 37 games for the Utes last year, and played 34 (all starts) of 35 games in his final season at CU in 2022-23.

Presumably, Lovering is petitioning on the basis of his freshman year at CU, when he played in 18 games before a knee injury sidelined him for the final 15.

Lovering’s situation offers another unintended consequence of the NIL era, as he probably can make more money with another year of major college basketball than in an international pro league.

Typically, players can’t play in more than 30% of their team’s games, with no appearances in the second half of the season, to be eligible for a medical waiver. Lovering obviously surpassed that total, appearing in about 55% of CU’s games in 2021-22.

Lovering doesn’t appear to have a case, but don’t count out a waiver. At some point, somebody will sue to regain a partial season cut short by injury. I have zero idea if Lovering has that sort of plan in mind, but it’s only a matter of time before someone does. The NCAA responded to an eligibility lawsuit brought by a former junior college player by issuing a blanket decree giving former junior college and NAIA players an extra season of eligibility. Eventually, some type of litigation will rewrite the rules of what constitutes a full season.