BOULDER — With snow becoming more frequent and temperatures dropping, only one thing comes to mind: college basketball is back.

In a year unlike any other, 2020 has brought its share of woes. It feels like just yesterday that college basketball postseason festivities were cancelled out of the blue.

And what was one of the last completed college basketball game, you may ask? A Colorado Buffaloes loss in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament. A loss that completed a five-game skid for the Buffs after a very promising campaign.

Since this was the last time anyone saw Colorado compete, it makes sense to temper expectations for a squad that skyrocketed up rankings during the season just to lose all momentum in the final month.

But there is hope – the 2020-2021 Colorado Buffaloes may just be stronger top-to-bottom than before, and they’re primed to put together another 20-win season and return to the big dance.

Who are the familiar faces?

It would be criminal to not begin this section discussing senior point guard McKinley Wright IV.

Wright, who dipped his toes in the NBA waters, elected to return for his senior campaign. He has been a superstar since his freshman year and has shown improvements across the board in his scoring and playmaking.

However, this season could look different for the Buffs’ leader. He is poised to take over in a way Buffs fans have not yet seen – including a run at some awards. It should be no surprise in Boulder if Wright hoists the Pac-12 Player of the Year Award in March.

This is not only due to his experience, but also because Colorado will have the best backcourt support in some time. Keeshawn Barthelemy took a redshirt year last season to improve his game, primarily on the defensive end, and he’s now ready to complement Wright. The Buffs struggled mightily last season when Wright needed a breather, so Barthelemy will provide key depth and allow Wright to take some rest or play off the ball.

Two key players the Buffs will also bring back this season are D’Shawn Schwartz and Evan Battey, who provide great size and length to the starting lineup and will help insure against any early-season woes from a young team. Schwartz took great strides early last season but cooled off from three during conference play. Still, he averaged 36.7% from deep while being a tremendous wing defender last season. He’ll try to improve upon that number as a senior.

Meanwhile, Battey continues to be one of the most popular athletes in Boulder, bringing both passion and power to the low-post. Battey improved his shooting ability tremendously last season, but still has room to grow in the offense and will look to be a double-digit scorer in his junior season.

Off the bench, Colorado will see forwards Dallas Walton and Alex Strating, as well as guards Eli Parquet and Maddox Daniels, all return – perhaps to a growing role. Walton struggled to get his bearings last season as he returned from knee surgery, but he is now playing without the knee brace that hampered his mobility and should play more meaningful minutes.

Parquet saw increased action late last season because of his perimeter defense, and if he can make strides on the offensive side of the ball, should see solid minutes throughout the season. Daniels, who came into last season as a 3-point threat, averaged 38.2% from deep but only mustered 3 points per game. With some holes in the backcourt from several departures, Parquet and Daniels should both see their talents used more to replace the output.

Who left? Who’s new?

The Buffs did lose a top talent. Tyler Bey – the big-play power forward – has departed to the NBA, after being drafted by the Dallas Mavericks at the top of the second round. While his playmaking ability will certainly be missed, Tad Boyle has already taken steps to replace him.

Jeriah Horne, a graduate transfer from Tusla, joins the roster at 6-foot-7, 220 pounds to take Bey’s place in the starting lineup. In two seasons with the Golden Hurricanes in the American Athletic Conference, Horne averaged 10.6 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game. In his last season, Horne also led the team in three-point shooting (56 3-pointers, 33.9%) as well as in free-throw percentage (86%).

The Buffaloes also lost Shane Gatling and Lucas Siewert to graduation, two players who provided great shooting and playmaking. Still, the incoming cast should be able to bring the same output. Four-star recruit Jabari Walker offers ncredible potential, as the 6-foot-8 true freshman was a top-150 prospect in the nation and should bring a young spark to the team.

Also leaving the Buffaloes in the offseason was Daylen Kountz, who transferred to Northern Colorado. Replacing him in the future will be true-freshman guards Dominique Clifford and Luke O’Brien. Clifford has drawn high praise from Tad Boyle, saying he has similar size and athleticism to guys like Spencer Dinwiddie and Derek White in their freshman years. O’Brien averaged a double-double in high school that includes 26.0 points per game, showing he has the ability to be the focal point of an offense.

Projected starters and conference outlook

The Buffs will most likely begin this season with Wright and Barthelemy in the backcourt, while Schwartz-Horne-Battey takes the frontcourt. With that said, the returning veterans on this team should see a significant role. Parquet, Daniels, Starting, and Walton can all provide a lift in different areas, and will likely see spikes in minutes depending on the matchups.

In a season of mostly conference games, Tad Boyle will need to orchestrate some runs and control the home court. The Pac-12 will see some tough opponents, as Arizona State (No. 18), Oregon (No. 20), and UCLA (No. 22) all found themselves in the AP Preseason Top 25, with Stanford also receiving votes.

Arizona State received a boost with the return of Remy Martin. While Oregon lost the 2019 player of the year, Payton Pritchard, they still bring in a strong recruiting class and a roster mixed with veterans and transfers. UCLA came into their own during conference play under Mick Cronin and returns the majority of their roster that is poised to pick up where they left off as the hottest team in the conference.

The rest of the conference is no slouch, with many coaches around the league considering this season’s Pac-12 to be the deepest in years. The Buffs certainly have their work cut out for them.

What’s next?

With all that being said, the Buffaloes will begin their season by competing in the inaugural Little Apple Classic, where they will face South Dakota on Wednesday and Kansas State on Friday during the week of Thanksgiving.