Colorado Basketball having fun again behind their 'goofy' leader

With all the money that’s exchanged, the massive expectations placed on players and the open forum for criticism that is social media, we often lose sight of what playing sports it all about – having fun.

It’s why you picked up that basketball when you were a kid, it’s why you looked forward to practice, it’s really the root of why we all love sports. And just the way we can lose sight of that, so can the players we cover or cheer for.

Such is not the case for the 2015 Colorado Buffaloes basketball team.

“We have a good group of guys, we like each other a lot, it’s fun when you have guys that you like and then you play together, it’s a great experience,” told senior forward and team leader Josh Scott. “It’s really important, we play this game to have fun, it’s fun when you win and I think it’s also fun when you play together. I think this group plays together and wants everybody else to succeed which is something really special. In years past, I wouldn’t say we didn’t have that but it’s definitely more apparent this year.”

“Seems like it, yeah, absolutely,” added head coach Tad Boyle said of if his team is having fun. “There’s a looseness, especially before practice, after practice, there’s smiles on guy’s faces, they joke around a lot, there’s a genuine togetherness, it’s not just a fake thing.”

Boyle had his team stay home this summer, meaning they spent nearly every day together. Lots of time to reflect on the failure that was last season, to envision success this season and time to come together through the grind of tough offseason workouts.

“We spent a whole lot of time in the offseason together,” Scott said. “You go through so much adversity you kind of have to bond together and it almost forces you to want to care about one another more and want the other person to succeed so the whole group can succeed.”

“It’s huge, absolutely huge,” Boyle said of that togetherness. “Because when things get tough, when adversity hits, when you have those bonds off the court it really helps you stay together on the court.”

So, how much of the improved chemistry is coming from Scott’s leadership?

‘A lot, a lot,” Boyle told. “I think you either have it or you don’t and I think we have it this year, there’s no doubt, it’s his team.”

“That’s the wonderful thing about seniors, they have a heightened sense of urgency, he knows it’s his last go-round,” added the head coach. “I get the sense from Josh that he is kind of cherishing each day, he really appreciates his teammates. I can’t say enough about his leadership with what he’s done with our team to this point,”

And his leadership is probably a good place to start when looking for why they’re having fun again.

“I’m a goof. I’m serious on the court but a goof off of it,” Scott admitted with a laugh. “I think everybody should just be friendly, have fun and be themselves. I think our locker room is a pretty good time.”

Oh yeah and he’s not just having fun, he’s pretty good at this whole basketball thing, too.  The senior forward is 29 for his last 38 from the floor during Colorado’s five-game winning streak. He’s a top 70 player in the nation in offensive rating, true field goal percentage and block percentage and he’s fouling less than two times per 40 minutes.

“Josh does so many different things to help this program in so many different ways,” Boyle said. “I hope he can continue on the pace he’s on because he’s pretty efficient right now.”

Colorado’s only loss on the season consequently came in the only game where Scott hasn’t been extremely efficient, a 5-for-16 performance against Iowa State in the season opener. It was a game in which Scott inexplicably missed many shots he normally makes in his sleep and it may explain why Scott isn’t hiding the fact that he is looking forward to Colorado’s upcoming big games.

“We have a big game because it’s our nest game on Wednesday (Fort Lewis),” he began. “But I think everybody knows who we have on Sunday (Colorado State), I think everybody knows who we have after that (BYU). The next game is the biggest game, but I won’t even lie, I’m very excited for the next week and a half of basketball.”

He’s excited, his teammates are excited and they have Colorado fans excited. The Buffaloes are playing a great brand of basketball, they’re winning  and they’re having fun, much in part to their big, goofy leader.