Opinions herein do not represent the staff of CU Independent or any of its sponsors.
The Buffs will be just fine without Andre Roberson, but I’m not sure how he will be without the buffs.
Roberson announced Sunday he will forgo his senior year to declare for the NBA draft.
Since his freshman year at CU, Roberson has dominated defense as a top rebounder in not just Pac-12, but in the country. He was a key component to the team in that respect.
As a fan of Colorado basketball, I must admit that I was heartbroken by his decision. He will be leaving the Buffs and may also have ended his basketball career in doing so.
Sure, he was easily CU’s best defender and one of the better players in the Pac-12, but he hasn’t matured enough offensively. He only averaged 10.9 points per game at CU, which may seem like a lot until you compare to some of the other NBA hopefuls.
Michigan guard Trey Burke averaged 18.9 ppg, Duke guard Seth Curry averaged 17.5 and California guard Allen Crabbe averaged 18.4. Roberson would not be able to match up to these guys offensively if he went to the pros.
I will admit that we saw him pick up his offensive game near the end of the season this year, but I am not yet convinced it will it be enough for a team to draft him.
If he decided to stay another year, he would have had the chance to round out his offensive game and ultimately make himself a more sought-after draft candidate.
Out of several polls taken by top-notch sports sources, ESPN.com and CBSSports.com projected Roberson as the 54th pick overall. DraftExpress.com and HoopsWorld.com ranked him at 57. These projections are not the most satisfactory when you consider that only 60 college players are drafted into the NBA.
I believe that if he stayed one more year, he could have easily been a first-round pick in the 2014 draft.
As far as the Buffs go, I’m not worried about their performance without Roberson next year. They will still have Spencer Dinwiddie, Askia Booker and Josh Scott, not to mention the now active redshirt freshmen Chris Jenkins and Wesley Gordon. From what I’ve heard from Head Coach Boyle and several of the players, Jenkins and Gordon two will add a lot to the team next year as defenders and shooters.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Alissa Noe at Alissa.noe@colorado.edu.