To compare and contrast Colorado women’s basketball over the past three seasons to the team that stands today would be akin to comparing a bowl of soup to a bowl of cereal.
A sense of uncertainty rapidly spread as 13 players from a 16-member unit that reached the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Tournament walked out of the door and 10 newcomers with no history in Colorado walked through it, half of whom have never played at an upper collegiate level.
Nevertheless, the "bowl" of the Buffaloes: their foundation and purpose, remained the same.
In the program’s 50th season, head coach JR Payne returns for her ninth year at the helm to oversee the Buffs’ roster transformation and transition from the Pac-12 back to the Big 12 conference. CU placed ninth of 16 teams in the preseason Big 12 poll and received no Associated Press Top 25 votes for the first time since the week of January 30, 2023, but Payne remains unshaken in her expectations.
“I don’t really care about preseason rankings, I care more about end-of-season rankings,” Payne said. “On paper, if you didn’t do your research on who we signed in the spring and our freshmen that we had coming in, I think I would have picked us ninth too, but I know our team much better than most.”
While the now-dissolved Pac-12 was arguably the richest with talent of any power conference in women’s college basketball of the past decade, Colorado’s new home has considerably less depth. The Iowa State Cyclones (AP No. 8), Baylor Bears (No. 12), Kansas State Wildcats (No. 13) and West Virginia Mountaineers (No. 16) make up a formidable upper crust, but the departures of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC leave the Big 12 with just two programs (Baylor and Iowa State) that have a winning conference record in each of the past three seasons.
Joining CU as the Pac-12’s outcasts shifting the bulk of their schedule to Central and Eastern time zones are Utah, Arizona and Arizona State. The Utes were the third team left off the preseason AP Top 25, and the Wildcats have always been a tough out.
The Buffs will face two of the Big 12’s four ranked teams twice (West Virginia and Baylor) this season, while Kansas State will exclusively come to Boulder, and Iowa State will be played on the road in early February. Utah is also just a one-time opponent in Salt Lake City on Feb. 12.
Colorado has had an abysmal 61-game losing streak dating back over 20 years against ranked road conference opponents, so from a preseason perspective, having just three of these scenarios is in CU’s favor.
"We always felt like we were in Big 12 country," Payne explained. "We love to recruit Midwest players ... We always say anyone that's been through the snow or worked on a farm is going to be cut from the cloth that we like as far as just being tough and having a good work ethic."
After a summer of adjustment and adaptation, the black and gold got their first taste of competition together in a preseason exhibition against the Colorado School of Mines Orediggers on Sunday.
While it is nearly impossible to decipher the strengths and weaknesses of the unit after just one game against a Division II opponent, Colorado won by an impressive 91-46 final score and left a breadcrumb trail on how they may fare with just three returning rotation players from 2023-24.
Though teeming with unfamiliarity in a game setting, CU did not convey this to be the case at points. While the halfcourt offense was a bit clunky and disjointed, there was a concerted effort to keep the ball flowing around that resulted in open looks out of early Oredigger traps and double-teams. The Buffs had just one turnover until midway through the second quarter and were actively communicative on defense to get out in transition and collect 26 takeaways.
12 of Colorado’s 14-player roster saw the floor against Mines, with 11 of them finding the bottom of the net at least once. One of those who did not play was the Buffaloes’ only returning starter: Frida Formann.
The sharpshooting Danish guard chose to stay amid a mass exodus of talent from Boulder, embracing the myriad of challenges her final collegiate season may present. Formann is poised to take on a primary role in scoring and ball-handling while also becoming the crux of opposing defensive attention.
“Diversifying my shots a little bit more,” the all-time program leader in made 3-pointers mentioned of what she’s working to improve at. “Knowing how to get to my spot more, using my physique more to get to the rim, because people are guarding me are so tight, so there are so many windows to attack … Just decision-making in that space.”
The other returning members of CU’s Sweet Sixteen bunch of last season, Kindyll Wetta and Sara-Rose Smith, may not have the natural gifts to heighten their impact on the box score, but both seniors aim to dedicate their final seasons of college ball to answering whatever bells may toll.
Wetta appears to have the “green light” from Payne in order to relieve Formann and others of their scoring responsibilities and was a diligent offensive initiator against Mines alongside her stellar perimeter defense. Smith, likewise, could be a catalyst to the Buffs’ balance if her shot can fall with more consistency and her prowess on the boards can continue.
“As long as I’m one of those leading voices that my teammates trust, then that’s all I care about,” Smith said of her place within the team that now contains eight international players. “You’re not going to see such a diverse group like this [anywhere], and I think that should really, really excite fans of Colorado basketball.”
Efficiency and fatigue can be causes for concern with greater tasks at hand for the Buffaloes' returners, so Payne and her staff placed an offseason focus on bringing in one versatile, team-centric piece after another.
“In our system that we run, versatility reigns supreme,” Payne explained. “Teams are changing so rapidly that you need players who can play multiple positions because you don’t necessarily know what you’re going to have year-to-year.”
Veteran transfer portal additions, most notably Lior Garzon and Nyamer Diew, stood out against the Orediggers and were the first moves made to follow through on Payne’s mindset.
Garzon, who spent two years each with Villanova and Oklahoma State and was an All-Big East selection in 2021-22 before transferring to Colorado in April, put up 18 points in 20 minutes on Sunday. The Israeli wing flashed stone-cold comfort at all three levels of scoring, both off the catch and the dribble. She was also named to the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award watchlist on Wednesday.
“I just want to win, so if that means I have to dish 12 assists, I’ll do that,” Garzon said when asked about the role she’ll play with her new offense. “[I’ll do] whatever it takes to win the game.”
Diew was added from Iowa State, using her lengthy wingspan and smooth off-ball movement to log an efficient 13-point performance with two steals.
Jade Masogayo (Missouri State) and Ayianna Johnson (Minnesota) held their own in the contrasting playstyles they pose to a made-over frontcourt.
Masogayo had the highest plus/minus (+41) on the Buffs against the Orediggers and displayed a mixed bag of balance, technique and deterrence around the basket despite her slight frame.
Johnson, meanwhile, looked to be tasked with similar duties to CU’s bigs of old, cleaning the glass (5 offensive rebounds) like a Quay Miller while deterring entry passes and fighting for deep post position as an Aaronette Vonleh would contribute. The sophomore’s strength and rim-running ability could act as a countermeasure when Masogayo inevitably is compromised by more physical forwards.
“It felt like home,” Johnson said of her new squad following the exhibition. “I was meant to be here, all my teammates are meant to be here, and I think we’ve created an awesome family here.”
Colorado’s other two transfers, Johanna Teder from former Pac-12 foe Washington State and Emilia “JoJo” Nworie from future Big 12 foe Texas Tech, are intriguing additions to the fold that may need to shake off some rust due to long-term injuries.
Teder was a +29 in 14 minutes against Mines and brought a consistently excellent 3-point touch (33.6%) to the Cougars before an Achilles injury kept her out of last season.
“All of us are just gaining more confidence,” the senior remarked. “I’m adjusting pretty well, and I’m ready.”
Nworie did not play on Sunday and may not present her 6-foot-5 frame on the court soon but has potential as a project-style asset Payne and her staff will divvy away at.
While there were no huge splashes, the black and gold sought out players with power conference experience, especially in its new home of the Big 12.
The Buffs also host a freshman class from high-level high school and worldwide sources.
Kennedy Sanders hails from what has quietly become a basketball factory in Minnesota. While the four-star guard was unable to make the immediate impact of stateside counterparts Paige Bueckers or Ayoka Lee, breaking her foot and being forced to redshirt last season, Sanders watched 2023-24’s group reach the national spotlight and is on a mission to translate her time on the sidelines to the court.
“From Jaylyn [Sherrod], I’ve learned a lot, just watching her control the pace of the game,” Sanders noted of the former Buff. “It was really fun to be around a winning program, so [it’s] definitely something we want this year.”
While Sanders and other newbie guards such as Lova Lagerlid and Erin Powell dealt with first-game jitters on Sunday, leading the Buffaloes in turnovers with two a piece, Tabitha Betson appeared much farther along. Named the Big 12’s preseason Freshman of the Year, the Aussie earned a start in the exhibition, saw time at multiple different positions and displayed the footwork and vision of a seasoned vet.
Grace Oliver also made a youthful impact in the little time she saw off the bench. The Massachusetts-born forward scored six points, had two rebounds and swiped a steal against Mines in just four minutes of action.
With the unforgiving winds of change blowing throughout Boulder, not only is the roster vastly different from before but also the non-conference slate.
Four of Colorado's first six opponents are from the Mountain West, a conference that hasn’t eclipsed one NCAA Tournament bid since 2010. On Nov. 30, CU is at home to face their lone ranked opponent before Big 12 play, the No. 17 Louisville Cardinals.
Amidst it all, the Buffs are gelling at a much quicker pace than just any team in the country would. Wisdom is abundant among the upperclassmen, potential is shimmering from the underclassmen, and the evergreen principle, the “bowl” of the black and gold set to carry on as long as Payne is head coach, endures:
“We want to be the hardest-working, toughest, most disciplined team in the country,” Payne recited. “When we recruited all these guys, whether they were freshmen or transfers, we talked about that. That’s who we are, that’s how we’ve been successful …I think we’re all in for it.”
Colorado begins its regular season on Monday, traveling to Laramie for a bout with the Wyoming Cowgirls. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. MT. The Buffaloes start their inaugural campaign of Big 12 play on Dec. 21 at home against West Virginia.
Cover photo by Remi Krupinski/Sko Buffs Sports
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