It’s time to start expecting more from Tad Boyle and the CU Buffaloes

Storming the court. Celebrating in style on Senior Night. Notching a signature win for the committee to consider.

Saturday night in Boulder featured all of those things when CU knocked off No. 2-ranked Arizona. It was a sweet victory, one worth savoring.

But the win needs to be put in its proper perspective. It needs to be used to establish the standard for the Buffaloes basketball program.

It was a great win. Rolling to a 79-63 victory over a team that was 25-2 heading into the game is always impressive. But that can’t define the season. That can’t be used to establish that the 2021-22 campaign was a “success.”

Instead, it’s a win that should show what’s possible. It’s a game that should become the norm at Colorado.

Under Tad Boyle, the Buffs have been good. They’re one win away from their ninth 20-win season during his 12 years as CU’s head coach. That’s a level of success that the program had only reached three times in the 40 years prior to his arrival in Boulder.

That’s impressive. And it’s enough for a lot of people; they view asking for more as being greedy or ungrateful.

In reality, however, it’s quite the contrary. It’s actually a compliment to Boyle that expectations need to rise at Colorado.

He’s taken a once dormant program, one that flirted with a tournament invite every decade or so, and turned them into a perennial factor. The Buffs are in the mix almost every single season, knocking on the door and making a claim for a chance to go dancing.

That’s great. But it can no longer be enough.

A decade after leading the Buffaloes to an upset victory in the Pac-12 tournament, it’s time for Boyle to take the program to the next level. It’s time to reach greater heights.

For the past 12 years, the story has been the same at CU. The recap can be written almost before the first game tips off.

See if this sounds familiar. The Buffs win 20 games, reach No. 28 in the national polls and have one or two really nice wins. They sit squarely on the bubble, causing a stressful day for the players and coaches at Boyle’s house on Selection Sunday. If they get into the NCAA Tournament, the celebration is short-lived, as they get bounced in the first weekend. Two months later, a CU player gets selected at the end of the first round of the NBA Draft.

It’s clockwork. Every. Single. Season.

That’s certainly not a bad thing. It can definitely be worse. And it has been for most of Colorado’s basketball history.

But more can also be expected. Things could be better.

There’s no reason why the Buffaloes can’t reside in the top-25 for most of the season. They should start the year there and climb in the rankings with each win.

There’s no reason why CU has to stress every year when the brackets are announced. They should be a shoo-in for the Big Dance on an annual basis, with the only worries being about seeding and opponent.

There’s no reason why Colorado can’t make some noise once the tourney starts. A trip to the Sweet 16 isn’t asking too much.

There’s no reason why the Buffs can’t produce a lottery pick every once in a while. They’re a good enough program on an annual basis, with plenty of NBA products on Boyle’s resume, to attract top talent.

Those should be the goals. Those things should be the standard.

Yes, it’s great that Boyle has helped the Buffaloes rise from the ashes. That’s an amazing accomplishment.

But now that they have, it’s time to ask a simple question: What’s next?

The answer is equally as concise: It’s time to matter.

Colorado should be more than just a program that helps fill out the bracket. They should be a team that can advance, make noise and be a threat in the tournament.

The Buffaloes should be more than a team constantly featured on one of Joe Lunardi’s lists of teams on the brink. They should be an automatic, a school that everyone knows will be dancing.

It’s time to stop with the excuses. CU can reach that level. And Boyle is the head coach to get them there.

Gonzaga is a national powerhouse now, but they weren’t always that way. If it’s doable in Spokane, it’s doable in Boulder.

Texas Tech, Murray State, Houston and Providence were all top-20 teams heading into this past weekend. They don’t have huge advantages over Colorado.

In order to reach new heights, however, the mindset has to change. CU can no longer be content with simply not being lousy. They need to demand more.

The dark days of the program are so far in the rearview mirror that they’re hard to see. It’s time to stop thinking about them, instead focusing on what the destination can be when looking out the front window.

The Buffs can hang with anyone. Boyle is as good of a coach as anyone in the country.

Saturday night’s win over Arizona proved both of those facts. It made a resounding statement.

But that can’t be seen as a pinnacle. It can’t be viewed as good enough.

Instead, the Buffaloes big win needs to be a springboard. It should be the win that launched a perennial contender in college basketball.

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