Report: Two CU basketball starters enter the transfer portal

(UPDATE: Alexander Strating and Isaac Jessup both entered the portal Monday, as well. Jessup was a walk-on but Strating’s departure will open up another scholarship for CU.)

BOULDER — The Buffs will have a new look in the 2021-22 season.

According to Jeff Goddman of Stadium, Colorado basketball players D’Shawn Schwartz and Dallas Walton entered the transfer portal. Schwartz and Walton were seniors this season, but they’ll have one more year of eligibility apiece because of a blanket waiver from the NCAA because of Covid-19.

Colorado’s D’Shawn Schwartz and Dallas Walton are both in the transfer portal, per the portal.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 29, 2021

With McKinley Wright IV’s intentions of heading to the next level already clear, only one more domino remains for Colorado. Jeriah Horne, who transferred to CU from Tulsa before the season, just wrapped up his senior year, as well. Horne could opt to return to CU, enter the transfer portal or take a swing at the pros.

While the losses of Schwartz and Walton sting, the plan was always for them to leave Boulder this offseason, at least until the NCAA announced the waiver.

Both Schwartz and Walton were on scholarships, so the Buffs will now have two scholarships to hand out. Colorado has already offered UT-Arlington transfer point guard Shahada Wells. If the Buffs can’t land Wells, look for them to go after another vet who can fill in for Wright while Keeshawn Barthelemy comes off the bench for another season.

As it stands now, Colorado’s guard rotation would consist of Bathelemy, Eli Parquet, Nique Clifford and Maddox Daniels. True freshmen Javon Ruffin and Julian Hammond could factor in too, as could Luke O’Brien.

Even with the loss of Walton, Colorado’s front court is deep. The Buffs return Evan Battey to the starting lineup, and they’ll also have Jabari Walker and Tristan da Silva, who showed flashes in their first years. Plus, Horne could still return. And Colorado is adding the No. 6 center in the country, per the 247Sports composite, in Lawson Lovering. Quincy Allen, another true freshman, could fit in at the 3.

Here’s my guess:

PG: Barthelemy/Hammond
SG: Parquet/Clifford
SF: Daniels/Allen
PF: Walker/da Silva
C: Battey/Lovering

Colorado is likely to bring in a veteran point guard to push Barthelemy to bench and Hammond out of the rotation. The other scholarship could be used in a variety of ways, but one option would be to shore up the depth at the 2 and the 3. A veteran starting small forward would move Daniels to the bench, where he could spell Parquet and the new starter. Even a bench piece who could take minutes off Clifford’s and Allen’s plates could be valuable.

Losing Schwartz and Walton will sting. Schwartz is exactly who Colorado could be looking for and a Walton/Lovering rotation at center could have been huge for the Buffs. But CU will have a couple of scholarships to work with during transfer portal season, and it could absolutely come out ahead.