Three questions for Colorado ahead of the Little Apple Classic

BOULDER — At last, the day has come.

At 6 p.m., the Colorado Buffaloes will tip-off their 2020-2021 basketball season, taking on South Dakota in round one of the inaugural Little Apple Classic.

While taking on two inferior opponents on paper, the Buffs have a great chance to iron out early mistakes and build chemistry among this fairly young team. With games against South Dakota, Colorado should come away from this week undefeated while still learning a lot about this roster.

Here are three things to watch for this week:

What is the rotation?

The starting five for the Buffs should not shock anyone at tip-off tonight, as McKinley Wright IV and Keeshawn Barthelemy should control the backcourt, with D’Shawn Schwartz, Jeriah Horne, and Evan Battey taking their place as the forwards.

However, the rotation will be incredibly interesting to watch over the course of this week, as Colorado has lots of guys vying for what could be a few minutes.

From the guard spots, expect Eli Parquet and Maddox Daniels to receive attention depending on the situation. Parquet provides a defensive lift, while Daniels has a clean perimeter shot.

From the low-post, expect Dallas Walton to begin regaining his traction in the rotation. Walton was recovering from a knee injury last season and his minutes took a hit, but he should be closer to his freshman form now and he should contribute rim protection and rebounding. Alex Strating has made the most of limited minutes over the course of the last two seasons and could see looks if Horne or Battery get into foul trouble.

Since these are two games that the Buffs should win, it will also be interesting to see if Boyle gives his younger players some minutes. Jabari Walker, the four-star true freshman, has received tremendous praise for his rebounding throughout camp and could see minutes from it. Additionally, Luke O’Brien and Nique Clifford are young guards who could see late-game minutes in a blowout.

Where does the scoring come from?

McKinley Wright is the leader and focal point of this team, but Colorado lost a lot of scoring production with Tyler Bey heading to the NBA and the graduation of Lucas Siewert and Shane Gatling.

While Bey was a special talent, the Buffs do have players who can help bridge this gap.

The only question remains: who steps up?

Evan Battey should see increases in his shot attempts, which should lead to double-digit scoring and more trips to the line. Additionally, D’Shawn Schwartz is a versatile scorer and can become the third playmaker within the starting rotation.

However, Siewert’s presence off the bench was huge for last year’s team. Look to guys like Walton in the post and Daniels from the three as the most likely places to find Siewert’s combination of shooting and post-play.

Still, Keeshawn Barthelemy seemed ready to play last season from an offensive standpoint, as his defensive was what caused his redshirt year. Barthelemy could become the dark horse candidate in scoring behind Wright and create a dynamic backcourt duo.

How does Boyle replace Bey’s defense?

Tad Boyle prides himself on Colorado’s defensive efficiency, but they lost the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year to the Dallas Mavericks.

Perhaps the biggest question mark within this starting five is how Boyle schemes to make up for Bey’s defensive versatility? He led the team in blocks and steals and was able to use his length and size to cover almost every spot on the floor.

While it is unlikely this replacement comes solely from Jeriah Horne, he still has large shoes to fill. All eyes will be on Horne to see if he can create a name for himself defensively and allow the Buffs to take care of business during their trip to Kansas.