ASU Basketball: 2019 Pac-12 Week 1 Power Rankings
By Trevor Booth
5. Colorado Buffaloes
For the first time since joining the Pacific-12 Conference, Colorado did not participate in the postseason. Losses in five of seven games to close the year soured a once-promising start and left the Buffaloes on the outside looking in.
Forward George King exhausted his remaining eligibility, tasking coach Tad Boyle with the challenge of finding his next leader. Fortunately for the ninth-year coach, he won’t have to look very far.
The reins are expected to be handed over to sophomore point guard McKinley Wright IV following an impressive freshman campaign that culminated in being named to the Pac-12 Conference All-Freshman team in addition to earning All-Pac-12 honorable mention.
A jack-of-all-trades, Wright lead the Buffaloes in points (14.9) and assists (5.5) per game a season ago. Despite being just 6-feet tall, his size is misleading. He’s got a quick first step, good enough to shake off most defenders and is equally aggressive in attacking the paint. His 122 free throw attempts were the most on the CU roster by a wide margin.
Beyond Wright, Boyle can expect increased contributions from sophomore Tyler Bey and senior Namon Wright on the wing as well as junior Lucas Siewert in the low post. All three played in at least 30 games last season.
Wright will take on a bigger role, working primarily on the perimeter as a slasher whose range occasionally extends beyond the 3-point line where he shot 33 percent from distance.
Without center Dallas Walton, who is out for the season after sustaining a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, Bey, standing 6-foot-7, and Siewert at 6-foot-10 will be faced with making up for lost size as well as their offensive efforts.
Though this unit may take some time to come together, McKinley Wright IV is a dark horse contender for Pac-12 Player of the Year and will be the glue that holds Colorado together.
– Pekale