Three CU Buffs starters enter NCAA transfer portal

Get ready for a rebuild in Boulder.

After the winningest season in Colorado men's basketball history, the key players who helped deliver it are moving on.

Seniors J'Vonne Hadley, Eddie Lampkin and Luke O'Brien all entered the transfer portal Wednesday.

With fellow senior Tristan da Silva already announcing his intentions to move on, plus junior KJ Simpson and Cody Williams not expected to return and instead enter the NBA Draft, coach Tad Boyle will likely be losing the top six players in minutes from this year's Buffaloes squad that won a program-record 26 games, reached the Pac-12 tournament championship and won two games in the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Boyle.

The losses of close friends da Silva and O'Brien were expected after both participated in Senior Night festivities earlier this month and posted thank you messages to CU fans on social media.

With da Silva now a possible first-round draft pick after his stellar NCAA Tournament, O'Brien is going to use his extra year of eligibility granted by COVID-19 regulations elsewhere.

O'Brien, a Littleton native and Columbine grad, should have no shortage of suitors as a valuable role player for a high-major program or in a much bigger role for a mid-major team. He averaged a career-high 6.7 points per game as a senior and started 18 games, including the last 12 when the Buffs went on a 10-2 run.

Hadley and Lampkin will also use the COVID year elsewhere.

Both were invaluable pieces to this year's CU team, combining for 70 starts (Lampkin came off the bench in the season opener before starting every game the rest of the season).

Hadley came to CU after stops at Northeastern and Indian Hills (Centerville, Iowa) Community College, and he blossomed into a quality starter with the Buffs.

The St. Paul, Minn., native improved in most statistical categories from his junior to senior seasons at CU. This season, he averaged close to 12 points per game, while also grabbing six rebounds and dishing out over two assists per game.

Hadley was an efficient scorer both years, averaging over 53% from the field in his Buffs career. He drastically improved as a shooter this season, shooting 42.2% from 3-point range on over one attempt per game after taking just one 3-pointer in the entire 2022-23 season. He also went from a 56% free throw shooter to an 84% shooter.

Boyle consistently referred to Hadley as the "heart and soul" who did a little bit of everything to help the Buffs win.

Lampkin filled an immediate need as the center for CU in his lone season in Boulder. He came to the Buffs after three seasons at TCU, replacing Lawson Lovering, who transferred to Utah.

The Houston native had the best season of his college career with CU, scoring over 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds per game.

Boyle's team is now at the scholarship limit of 13 heading into next season with three incoming freshmen signed to join the squad this summer.

But once the departures of da Silva, Simpson and Williams likely take place, Boyle will have at least three scholarships available — if not four or five, depending on other potential transfers.

The CU coach has long stated he is not a fan of the transfer portal and prefers to build his team through high school recruiting and developing young players, but the Buffs will likely be forced to bring in a few transfers to stay afloat in a competitive Big 12 next season.

CU has already reportedly shown interest in Colorado Mesa star Trevor Baskin, an Arvada native who scored over 18 points per game this season at the Division-II level and was the RMAC player of the year.