As we’ve been talking about for a while now, the future is very bright for Tad Boyle and the Colorado Buffaloes.

They’re losing very few of their key contributors from last season, and they’re getting to add a top-10 high school recruit, another high school recruit ranked in the top 60 (ESPN), and a third ranked in the top 100 (On3), plus a proven starting center in Eddie Lampkins Jr.

Now, the top media outlets around the nation have started to take notice.

In a recent article providing some ‘way-too-early’ rankings for the 2023-2024 season, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello ranked the Colorado Buffaloes as the nation’s 13th-best team.

That’s seven spots higher than ESPN just had the women’s team ranked — who are also losing very few contributors, are adding multiple top-100 recruits, and just reached the Sweet 16.

“We are all the way in on the Buffs’ bandwagon,” Borzello wrote. “They would have been in the top 25 even before Sunday’s commitment from TCU transfer Eddie Lampkin Jr. KJ Simpson and Tristan da Silva, if both return, give Tad Boyle two All-Pac-12 players to lead the way, and he’s adding potential lottery pick Cody Williams, a top-10 recruit. There’s a slew of role players also heading back to Boulder.”

The big X-factors to watch for the remainder of the offseason are, ‘Who else can Coach Boyle lure to Boulder?’ And, ‘Will Da Silva and Simpson both return?’

Considering his injured end to the season, and the fact that he hasn’t garnered much draft buzz, it’s widely expected that K.J. Simpson will simply return, but Tristan Da Silva might be a more complicated case.

Da Silva made first-team all-conference as a junior and showcased high-end play on both ends of the floor. He’s far from being a lottery pick, but he could easily still choose to explore the draft. That won’t be a problem if he decides to return after his exploration, but it could also easily go the way of Jabari Walker.

Walker surprised the Colorado Buffaloes community by deciding to enter the NBA Draft last offseason and was ultimately selected No. 57 overall. That surprise departure caught CU unprepared and was a sizable factor in their disappointing campaign this past season.

Let’s hope history doesn’t repeat itself.