Question of the day:

Why is Jeff Bzdelik smiling?

It can't be the recent Big 12 basketball coaches' poll. Bzdelik, whose Colorado team finished dead last a year ago in conference play, was a near-unanimous pick to repeat the feat this year.

It can't be that he has a wealth of returning production. CU's top three scorers from a year ago are gone, representing roughly 72 percent of CU's points from last season. As for rebounding, same thing. Four of the Buffs' top six in that department last year are no longer in a CU uniform.

Experience? That cupboard is bare. A quick perusal of this year's Buff lineup shows exactly one scholarship senior, one scholarship junior and a whole raft of underclassmen. In fact, of the 13 players currently on CU's roster, six have never played as much as a second for the Buffs.

As one CU freshman noted Thursday afternoon, "Cory (Higgins, a sophomore) is one of the old guys."

But despite the obvious, Bzdelik sat in front of the cameras and notebooks at CU's media day on Thursday and smiled. Grinned. Acted almost giddy about the upcoming season.

Why?

Simple. The worst is past. Because the Buffs are so young, because the team is now comprised almost completely of players Bzdelik and his staff recruited, there is no residual hangover from the previous regime.

This is Bzdelik's team, the foundation for what he believes will be a very successful program in the very near future. These players wanted to be here and play for him. They came because they believed in Bzdelik, believed in his system — and they turned down some quality schools in the process.

Simply, instead spending half of his time trying to break players of bad habits, Bzdelik can teach the game he loves.

“I feel great about the future,” Bzdelik said. “Our young players are skilled, passionate, coachable, eager and talented.”

Did he mention young? That’s young as in CU’s starting lineup this year could very easily consist of two sophomores — Higgins and transfer Casey Crawford — and three freshmen (take your pick). Young as in there’s a reason the Buffs are picked to reside in the Big 12 basement one more time.

But young also means no bad habits. Young also means they will learn together, grow together, take their lumps together — and sooner than many may think, begin to dish out a few of those lumps to unsuspecting opponents.

“They want to be coached,” Bzdelik said. “They want to learn. They’ll play to win — and nobody gives them a chance to do that.”

Bzdelik has already taken some heat for a non-conference schedule that is, to put it delicately, loaded with teams you’ve never heard of. (Well, not completely true. The second home game is against Montana State, and we know another CU coach who won’t forget that name any time soon).

But it is a schedule that will give his young players a chance at success. For that reason, we’ll give him a pass on such a slate — just once (particularly because next year’s schedule will be dramatically different, starting with a berth in the Maui Invitational).

So what should fans expect from the Buffs this year?

A team that will be fun to watch, at least for those folks who appreciate the fundamentals of sound basketball. A team that will give some teams some fits, and will have its share of rough outings. A team whose inexperience will be evident, but a team whose talent will shine on occasion.

But most of all, it will be a team that is actually establishing a foundation for the future.

It will be worth a look — and a couple of years from now, when Bzdelik’s Buffs are looking at an NCAA Tournament berth, you’ll remember how it started.