Xavier Talton kept taking shots from behind the arc, and he kept hitting them.
The sophomore guard was one of the most impressive players during the Colorado men’s basketball team’s intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday morning in front of a few hundred fans at Coors Events Center.
“Xavier is going to be an important part of this team and our makeup this year,” CU head coach Tad Boyle said. “To have him making shots is critical.”
Talton unofficially had 16 points, draining four 3-pointers, to help the Black squad to a 77-51 rout of the White team. No official statistics were kept for the scrimmage.
“It definitely was (a confidence booster),” Talton said. “Any time you knock down a couple of shots, your confidence starts to wake up a little bit.”
Talton averaged just 1.5 points per game a year ago, but the Buffs are hoping he can provide an offensive spark this year. He showed that ability on Saturday, while also dishing out several assists.
Also for the Black team, sophomore Josh Scott had 24 points, several rebounds and a couple of blocks and Tre’Shaun Fletcher led all of the true freshmen with 11 points.
Boyle was pleased with how the Black squad played, but also disappointed in the White team.
“You’d like it to be more competitive,” Boyle said. “I thought the White team didn’t have much fight in them today. They got shellacked.”
Junior guard Spencer Dinwiddie led White with 20 points unofficially, and redshirt freshman Wesley Gordon played very well in the paint, scoring 10 points and grabbing several rebounds. In general, however, it wasn’t much of a contest.
Boyle sat at press row observing the scrimmage while his assistants ran the show. Associate head coach Jean Prioleau guided Black, with assistant coach Mike Rohn leading White. The scrimmage was split into two 16-minute halves.
Prioleau and Rohn drafted teams ahead of time. Rohn had the first pick, selecting Dinwiddie.
Black featured three true freshmen — Fletcher, Jaron Hopkins and Dustin Thomas — in the starting lineup, along with Scott and Talton. White had Dinwiddie, Gordon, Xavier Johnson, Chris Jenkins and Eli Stalzer in the starting lineup.
“The difference between the two teams is the Black team guarded and rebounded and moved the ball offensively and the White team didn’t guard, didn’t rebound real well and the ball stuck a lot and there wasn’t a lot of ball movement,” Boyle said. “To give up 77 points in a 32-minute scrimmage is not Colorado basketball. Seventy-seven is too much in a 40-minute scrimmage, so the defense and rebounding pride that we have in ourselves wasn’t there.”
Boyle said Dinwiddie and Johnson could have been more assertive in leading White, but hopes that can be a lesson for the future.
“When things get tough, I thought (Dinwiddie) and Xavier Johnson could have brought them together,” Boyle said. “The tendency is sometimes when you’re one of the better players, you try to do it all by yourself, but collectively your team has to be together and functioning together. Quite obviously they weren’t. That’s a point of reflection for (Dinwiddie) and for XJ and for everybody on that team and an opportunity to learn.”
Freshmen impressive
Each of CU’s four true freshmen had great moments.
Fletcher scored in a variety of ways, with strong drives to the hoop and even a 3-pointer. He also snagged a handful of rebounds.
Thomas was one of the most aggressive players on the boards, at one point out-muscling Gordon for a rebound. He also had a couple of nice passes.
Hopkins had several assists and buried four of his five free-throw attempts, while George King also played well. He had just two points, but was active on offense and defense.
“I thought the two that stood out today were Tre’Shaun and Jaron Hopkins, but I think Dustin Thomas in practice has shown really the most consistency of any of them,” Boyle said of his freshmen. “And George King at times has really played well in stretches. I think all four of them have got the opportunity to really contribute.”
Boyle said it’s too early to decide if any of the four will redshirt this season.
Notable
Later in the day, Tory Miller, a 6-foot-8 forward from New Hampton, N.H., announced on Twitter that he has accepted a scholarship offer to play at CU next year. Recruiting services Rivals.com and Scout.com have both rated Miller a three-star recruit. … Scott dominated in the paint throughout the day, but his most impressive play started on defense. He stole the ball and took it coast-to-coast for a dunk. … Senior center Ben Mills was solid in the middle for Black, scoring seven points and grabbing several rebounds. … Junior guard Askia Booker did not play. He has been battling an illness for more than a week, but should return to the court soon. … Walk-on Brett Brady drained a 3-pointer for Black, drawing a big cheer from his teammates.
Contact staff writer Brian Howell at howellb@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/BrianHowell33.
