Colorado's Cody Williams Enters 2024 NBA Draft; Projected Lottery Pick
Apr 22, 2024
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 14: Cody Williams (10) of the Colorado Buffaloes prepares to take the court against the Utah Utes during the second half of CU's 72-58 win at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Thursday, March 14, 2024. The Buffs advance to the PAC-12 Tournament semifinal with a matchup against Washington State Friday. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
It only took one year for Colorado guard Cody Williams to establish himself as one of the best defensive prospects in the nation, and now he's ready to turn pro.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, who described the freshman star as a "projected lottery pick," reported that Williams declared for the 2024 NBA draft on Monday.
Colorado Buffaloes freshman G Cody Williams – an expected lottery pick -- is entering the 2024 NBA Draft, he tells ESPN. Williams – No. 10 in ESPN’s list of Top 100 prospects – is one of draft’s best defenders, using a 6-foot-8 frame and 7-1 wingspan to his distinct advantage. pic.twitter.com/5hnlEw0eTf
Williams is the younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams. In his lone year with the Buffaloes, he averaged 11.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting 55.1 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from beyond the arc.
While his averages may seem modest, Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony noted that the youngster "was unable to display the best version of himself due to a series of minor injuries last season."
Still, Williams' effort on the defensive end was lauded. Wojnarowski and Givony noted that he "brought an elite level of intensity guarding the best scorer that Colorado faced on most nights." On offense, he "showed an ability to attack in the open floor using his size, long strides, footwork and creativity as a finisher."
In his most recent mock draft, B/R's Jonathan Wasserman projected Williams to land with the Chicago Bulls with the No. 11 pick. However, it was noted that he has a vast draft range.
"He could go in the top five to a patient team that values the two-way wing archetype and wants to bet on more creation and shooting development," Wasserman stated. "He could also slide into the Nos. 10-14 range if enough teams see too lengthy a project based on low-volume perimeter shotmaking and limited off-the-dribble game."
Despite Williams' raw talent on offense, his defensive prowess gives him the chance to be successful at the next level.
KJ Simpson's GW Shot Reminds Fans of Kawhi as Colorado Beats Florida in March Madness
Mar 22, 2024
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 22: KJ Simpson #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes celebrates with his teammates after hitting the game winning shot to defeat the Florida Gators in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 22, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
An epic game winner in March Madness had quite the resemblance to a legendary game winner in the NBA postseason.
10-seed Colorado took down seven-seed Florida 102-100 in the first round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball via a successful two-pointer from K.J. Simpson that took its time along the rim before going through the hoop.
Simpson delivers the dagger after receiving the inbounds pass and it takes one large bounce and then several small caroms before finally settling into the netting and giving Colorado the lead.
The shot had some eerie similarities to Kawhi Leonard's game winning shot for the Toronto Raptors against the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019 during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChT3ewZXTfM
Simpson's shot didn't jump quite as high as Leonard's shot but it had a similar sense of anticipation. Play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan was also notably on both games and had a similarly epic call to Leonard's legendary shot.
Fans took to social media to praise Colorado for the epic moment during the tournament and pointed out how similar it was to the Leonard make.
KJ SIMPSON WITH THE KAWHI GAME WINNER AT THE BUZZER 🤯
Fans, including Rob Gronkowski and Joe Haden, also praised the Buffaloes for providing an entertaining victory and a highlight that will be replayed many times in the future.
March Madness Florida VS. Colorado. What a game. Got me off my couch watching and my nerves twitching the last 4 minutes of the game! Great performance by both teams! Love it
The Buffaloes win its second game of the tournament, as it took out Boise State in a first-four matchup on Wednesday. Colorado will now look to roll once again against two-seed Marquette, who entered halftime of its first round matchup against Western Kentucky down 43-36 before finally pulling ahead to win.
CBB Fans Praise Colorado for Beating Boise State in March Madness; Will Face Florida
Mar 21, 2024
DAYTON, OHIO - MARCH 20: Tristan da Silva #23 of the Colorado Buffaloes drives to the basket as Tyson Degenhart #2 of the Boise State Broncos defends during the First Four round of the 2024 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at University of Dayton Arena on March 20, 2024 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Tristan da Silva scored 20 points and KJ Simpson added a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double to give Colorado a 60-53 win over Boise State to cap the First Four action in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
Colorado's late 11-0 run, which turned a 49-45 deficit into a 56-49 lead, put this game away.
Da Silva kicked it off with a three-pointer shortly before the under-four timeout. Simpson also scored eight more points down the stretch. The play of this run, though, was courtesy of Eddie Lampkin Jr., whose shot clock-beating putback gave Colorado a 54-49 edge with 33 seconds remaining.
Colorado withstood a tremendous rebounding performance from Boise State, which grabbed 41 boards to the Buffaloes' 30. The Broncos also snatched 19 offensive rebounds.
However, Colorado's defense (and Boise State's rough shooting night) led to the Buffaloes' win. Boise State shot just 34.8 percent from the field and made only 2-of-17 three-pointers. The Broncos also went 4:10 without scoring during the Buffaloes' aforementioned 11-0 run.
Chibuzo Agbo led Boise State with 17 points, while Roddie Anderson III added 13.
The First Four is now over, meaning March Madness is ready to get going in earnest. Before then, though, fans and analysts praised Colorado's players and head coach Tad Boyle.
The Pac-12 Swan Song starts off with Colorado beating Boise State.
Buffs are talented enough to win another one against Florida.
THE COLORADO BUFFS MOVE ON! Colorado will face Florida in the Round of 64. The difference? Colorado’s best players — KJ SImpson and Tristan Da Silva showed up, while OMar Stanley, Tyson Degenhart and Max Rice didn’t. Just a poor offensive night for Boise State at the worst…
What a play by Eddie Lampkin from @CUBuffsMBB with just over 30 secs to go in this #playin#MarchMadness game - putting CU up 54-49 over Boise St. Cheering on a fellow @pac12 school for this one!!
Colorado entered tonight with two NCAA Tournament wins to its name since 2012. The Buffaloes are on to Indianapolis to meet Florida on Friday afternoon. Wasn’t pretty, but Tad Boyle’s team shut down Boise State with great defense down the stretch. That’s a unit for the PAC-12!
Man Tristan da Silva is a stud. Just a dude that you bet on. Moves super well without the ball. Shoots it. Just an awesome player. Super high IQ and super skilled
Now Colorado, a No. 10 seed, has moved onto the first round to play No. 7 Florida Gators. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday in Indianapolis.
Sign up to Playthe NCAA March Madness Men's Bracket Challenge, Tournament Run, and Conference Tournament Pick Em.
Oregon Applauded as 'Bid Thief' by CBB Fans After Pac-12 Title Game Win vs. Colorado
Mar 17, 2024
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 16: Jadrian Tracey #22 of the Oregon Ducks calls a play in the first half of the championship game against the Colorado Buffaloes in the Pac-12 basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 16, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
Another bubble has been burst after Oregon took down Colorado 75-68 in the Pac-12 tournament championship game Saturday night.
The Ducks pulled off a huge upset over Arizona Friday night before taking down the Buffaloes to seal their NCAA tournament fate. This year's tournament appearance will be the first for Oregon since the 2020-21 season.
Oregon capped off what has been a crazy night for "bid thieves." NC State beat North Carolina in the ACC Tournament to steal a bid earlier in the night, adding more chaos ahead of selection Sunday.
After the Ducks' win, fans praised the team for the miraculous run in the Pac-12 tournament.
Oregon wins. NC State wins. The American could have two bids. The A10 will have multiple bids. The bid thieves have taken over, and for bubble teams, it is an absolute nightmare of a Saturday. Nightmare!
Bubble city has been bursting with bubbles forcing some TEAMS to take BUBBLE BATHS as UAB- TEMPLE -NC STATE - & now OREGON just blew up Mr Bracketology @ESPNLunardi ‘s brackets!
Now Oregon is heading to the big dance riding the momentum of a huge conference tournament week. The Ducks will look to turn that momentum into wins as begin their NCAA tournament journey.
For Colorado, the Buffaloes could still receive an at-large bid after what has been a solid season, but fans will certainly be nervous heading into selection Sunday.
5-Star SF Cody Williams Commits to Colorado over LSU; Was Recruited by Arizona, More
Nov 9, 2022
Tad Boyle has landed Colorado its first 5-star recruit in at least a decade.
Forward Cody Williams announced his commitment to the Buffaloes on Monday, choosing Boyle's program over a hard push from LSU.
"The program and the players are very connected, and they have built a great culture," Williams told ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi. "I see myself as part of it. I love the staff and Coach Boyle. When Coach Boyle tells you something, you know it is the truth whether it's on or off the court. It is to help you. He is a very genuine person."
Williams is the No. 23 prospect in the 2023 recruiting class and the fifth-ranked small forward, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He's the younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder first-round pick Jalen Williams and arguably comes with a higher ceiling.
Gifted with elite length at 6'8" and athletic fluidity, Williams has the potential to be the best defensive player in his class. He's still very much a work in progress on the offensive end—particularly as a shooter—but his ability to create for himself off the dribble and finish at the rim will give him some leeway as his shot develops.
"I love defense," Williams said. "I am focusing on my defense because most do not give it enough attention. My brother is now getting playing time because he has committed himself to guarding, switching and rebounding."
Landing Williams is nothing short of a massive win for Boyle, who is in his 13th season at Colorado. The program has never come close to landing a prospect of Williams' caliber before, with 2012 forward Josh Scott being the previous top recruit signed under Boyle.
Williams is joined by 3-star shooting guard Courtney Anderson among players in the Buffaloes' 2023 class.
Bennedict Mathurin, No. 2 Arizona Upset by Unranked Colorado 79-63 in Pac-12 Action
Feb 27, 2022
Arizona guard Bennedict Mathurin, left, goes up for a basket as Colorado forward Tristan da Silva (23) defends in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The second-ranked Arizona Wildcats were stunned Saturday in a 79-63 loss to Colorado at the CU Events Center.
Riding a nine-game winning streak that moved them up to No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since November 2017, the Wildcats suffered their first loss since Jan. 25 against UCLA.
Arizona collapsed on both ends of the court in the second half. The Buffaloes had a 47-26 scoring advantage after halftime to earn their first win over a ranked opponent this season.
Tristan da Silva scored a game-high 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Jabari Walker put up a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds in 33 minutes.
Bennedict Mathurin had one of his worst performances of the season. The Wildcats sophomore star scored 12 points and went 3-of-11 from the field.
Saturday was a bad day to be a ranked team in college basketball:
No. 2 Arizona: L at Colorado No. 3 Auburn: L at Tennessee No. 4 Purdue: L at Michigan State No. 5 Kansas: L at Baylor No. 6 Kentucky: L at Arkansas
That list doesn't even include top-ranked Gonzaga, which lost 67-57 to St. Mary's.
Arizona had been steadily moving up the rankings all season as it kept winning and other teams kept losing. Its only losses prior to Saturday were against UCLA and Tennessee, two teams ranked in the Top 20 of the current Associated Press poll.
Since their 75-59 loss to UCLA on Jan. 25, the Wildcats were averaging 81.6 points per game during their nine-game winning streak. They scored at least 83 points in four straight contests.
This game looked like it was going to be more of the same for Arizona in the first half. The offense dropped 37 points through the first 20 minutes.
Things fell apart quickly coming out of the intermission with Colorado scoring on back-to-back possessions to make it a 37-36 game. Da Silva's layup with 17:24 remaining put the Buffaloes up 43-42, a lead they wouldn't relinquish the rest of the game.
K.J. Simpson scored five consecutive points early in the second half that helped Colorado open up an eight-point lead.
Simpson had 13 points total, with 12 coming in the second half. The sophomore guard had more points in this game than he did in the previous two combined (12).
Mathurin and Azuolas Tubelis were the only Arizona players who scored in double figures, but they shot a combined 6-of-20 from the field. The entire Wildcats team had 16 turnovers to 11 assists.
Things don't figure to get easier for Arizona with a game against No. 16 USC on Tuesday. The Wildcats won the first meeting between those two teams, 72-63, on Feb. 5 at McKale Memorial Center.
Colorado will wrap up the regular season on March 5 against Utah at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
Colorado HC Tad Boyle: Boulder Shooting Was 'Another Senseless Act of Violence'
Mar 23, 2021
Colorado head coach Tad Boyle hugs McKinley Wright IV as he heads to the bench near the end of his teams 71-53 loss to Florida State during the second half of a second-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Colorado men's basketball coach Tad Boyle called Monday's mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado, where the school's campus is located, "another senseless act of violence."
Boyle opened his postgame press conference with a statement discussing the shooting after the Buffaloes' 71-53 loss to Florida State in the second round of the 2021 NCAA tournament in Indianapolis:
"First of all, before we talk about this basketball game, I thought about this in the locker room before the game, how the events that took place in Boulder, Colorado, today—and I don't have any details other than to know it was a tragic, tragic situation. It puts basketball in its proper place.
"And win or lose tonight, I just felt an emptiness in my stomach. Another senseless act of violence that we've experienced as a country many, many times. And so it puts this game in perspective. It certainly puts losing in perspective.
"But even if we would have won this game and celebrated going to the Sweet 16, it would have put a damper on it. So my heart goes out to the families that were affected and those that lost their lives."
CNN's Madeline Holcombe reported 10 people were killed when a shooter opened fire inside a King Soopers grocery store. Police said a suspect was in custody but didn't provide any details or a possible motive.
Boyle explained the coaching staff and members of the team started to receive news about the shooting shortly before their game against FSU, but they decided not to discuss it given the limited information initially:
"I talked about it with a couple of my assistants and we felt like it was probably better left—we didn't have any details. There wasn't anything really to talk about, and I talked about it after the game, again, in the perspective standpoint.
"But your team's mental mindset as they prepare for a game, it's sometimes fragile. I didn't want to complicate their minds too much because we had to go play the game. We weren't going to not play the game. So I decided to wait till after the game to address it with them, and I did."
Colorado senior guard McKinley Wright IV said the situation weighed heavily on him:
"I thought about my life and growing up and what I've been through and seeing these people. And what they have to go through now, it sucks. I'm so sorry, and I'm going to pray for their families.
"Basketball is just a game; people lost their lives. That sucks. It's hard to kind of put that in words right now coming off of playing my last game here at CU and that tragedy that went on down in Boulder, it's just terrible."
The Buffaloes, who defeated Georgetown in the first round of March Madness, finished their season with a 23-9 record.
Colorado's Tyler Bey Declares for 2020 NBA Draft; Was Named Pac-12 DPOY
Mar 29, 2020
Colorado guard Tyler Bey celebrates his dunk during the second half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Southern California on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Colorado Buffaloes junior guard Tyler Bey announced that he will forgo his senior campaign to enter the 2020 NBA draft on Sunday:
"Ever since I picked up a basketball, it was a dream to play in the NBA," Bey wrote, in part. "That being said, after talking with my coaches and parents, I've decided that I will be declaring for the 2020 NBA draft."
Bey was voted the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and named to second-team All-Pac-12.
The 22-year-old led the Buffs with 7.0 defensive rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. He was the only player in the conference ranked in the top 15 in rebounding, steals and blocks.
Bey's official announcement comes five days after head coach Tad Boyle relayed Bey and junior guard McKinley Wright IV were entering their names into 2020 draft consideration:
Colorado's McKinley Wright and Tyler Bey will both test the NBA Draft process and keep all options open, per Tad Boyle.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman ranked Bey at No. 30 on his Top 50 Big Board earlier this month:
"Defensive versatility, rebounding instincts (9.1 per game) and efficient finishing (63.7 percent at rim) could earn Bey an NBA role. He even shot 46.3 percent on 41 half-court jumpers and 75.0 percent on free throws, which are encouraging signs for his shooting potential. Bey won't be used to score or create, but he can still build a valuable reputation by contesting shots inside and out, crashing the glass and regularly picking up easy baskets within an offense."
The Buffs finished at 21-11 overall and 10-8 in conference play. The 2019-20 NCAA season was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, as the men's and women's NCAA tournaments were officially canceled on March 12.
Colorado has not made the NCAA tournament since losing in the first round in 2016.
Colorado Upsets Tra Holder, Arizona State to Hand Sun Devils 2nd Straight Loss
Jan 4, 2018
Colorado guard Namon Wright, left, struggles to pull in a rebound as he collides with Arizona State forward Kimani Lawrence during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The No. 4 Arizona State Sun Devils looked like one of the best teams in the country during nonconference play, but the early Pac-12 schedule has been a different story.
The Colorado Buffaloes handed Arizona State its second loss in as many conference games Thursday with a 90-81 overtime victory at the Coors Events Center. The Sun Devils fell to 0-2 in the Pac-12 after winning all 12 of their nonconference contests, including one against Xavier and another against Kansas.
McKinley Wright IV led the way with 19 points, five assists and two steals, helping snap a three-game losing streak with Colorado's first league win of the season. Namon Wright also thrived with 19 points and seven boards behind 7-of-12 shooting from the field.
Despite the loss, Tra Holder impressed for the visitors with 24 points and three steals, while Romello Wright added a double-double with 10 points and 11 boards.
Colorado appeared to be in control down the stretch when Wright's free throws gave it a 73-67 lead with less than 90 seconds remaining, but the Sun Devils clawed their way back and had an opportunity to win at the end.
While Shannon Evans II's potential game-winning three rimmed out, Mickey Mitchell battled for the loose ball and slammed home the tying dunk that forced overtime:
However, Colorado scored the first five points of overtime and never relinquished its lead thanks in large part to clutch shooting from the charity stripe. Seven of the Buffaloes' 22 made free throws came in the final minute of overtime, which prevented Holder and the Sun Devils from making a late charge like they did in regulation.
The fans stormed the floor in response to the overtime effort:
Arizona State is still on the early short list of teams competing for favorable seeding come Selection Sunday in large part because of its impressive victories outside the league, but it needs to get back on track first.
It will have the chance to do just that Sunday when it closes its three-game road trip against the Utah Utes.
Colorado will look to parlay momentum from Thursday into another headlining win Saturday when it faces the Arizona Wildcats.
