Askia Booker and Spencer Dinwiddie became the highest scoring freshman tandem in Colorado history last season.
Booker, who played in 35 games on the Buffs’ NCAA Tournament team, averaged 9.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21.5 minutes off the bench.
Dinwiddie also set a freshman record for starts (36) and 3-point field-goal percentage (.438) while averaging 10.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
The sophomore guards are being asked to serve as team leaders and to change their on-court roles.
Booker, the sixth man last season, is now CU’s starting shooting guard. Dinwiddie, an off guard as a freshman, is now the starting point guard with the graduation of Nate Tomlinson.
“We are asking a lot of those two young men, and they are very important to this team,” head coach Tad Boyle said during Thursday’s Pac-12 basketball media day at the Coors Events Center. “Right now they are our starting backcourt. Askia Booker and Spencer Dinwiddie are our guys that we need to produce and be consistent and show the younger guys what it’s all about.”
Dinwiddie is listed at 6-6 and still growing. He also added about 10 pounds of muscle to his frame during the offseason.
“I see over people and I shoot over people,” Dinwiddie said of the problems his size will create for defenders. “For the smaller point guards, they don’t really get to contest me.”
Booker, listed at 6-1, is an explosive and versatile player. He expects to guard the opposing point guard on the defensive end and play point guard when Dinwiddie is resting.
“I have improved my shot even more,” said Booker, who shot 40.2 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from 3-point distance last season. “But I think Spencer is our knock-down guy. I think on defense we are athletic this year, our guys are taller. The wing position is pretty much sealed. I don’t think anybody is going to have an easy time getting to the basket on us. I think it is going to be fun.”
The success Booker and Dinwiddie, who are both from Los Angeles, enjoyed last season helped Boyle land Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, Calif.) stars Xavier Johnson and Eli Stalzer.
“I think just their confidence level is much higher certainly coming into their sophomore year,” Boyle said.
Redshirt candidates?
Boyle doesn’t know if any members of the six-man recruiting class will redshirt this season. A decision will not be made until the season opener on Nov. 9 when the coaches decide on a preliminary rotation.
“The good thing is we have some time between now and then to figure it out,” Boyle said. “If everybody stays healthy, I would love to be able to start to redshirt one or two players a year, depending on the situation.”
Quotable
“You’ve got to be able to dance, and I have no skills there,” Boyle on why he didn’t participate on the team’s Gangnam Style parity video.
Notable
Andre Roberson, only a junior, needs 357 rebounds this season to break Stephane Pelle’s program record for career rebounds (1,054 from 199-2003). Roberson had a single-season record 401 rebounds last season. … Dinwiddie was 19-for-22 (86.4 percent) at the free-throw line last season with less than two minutes remaining in games. … When the Buffs open the season against Wofford College they will be looking to improve on Boyle’s 32-4 record at the Coors Events Center.
Follow Ryan on Twitter: @RyanThorburn
