At his season-ending press conference on Tuesday, University of Colorado men’s basketball coach Tad Boyle hinted there could be roster defections for the Buffaloes.
On Wednesday night, that possibility became a reality as CU announced that junior Tre’Shaun Fletcher and sophomore Kenan Guzonjic are transferring out of the program.
“After meeting with Kenan and Tre’Shaun individually, both felt they would be best served by finishing their collegiate careers elsewhere,” Boyle said in a statement. “We wish them nothing but the best moving forward in their careers.”
Fletcher played in all 34 games for the Buffs this season and appeared in 88 over his three years with CU. Alternating in the starting lineup for much of the season with George King and Josh Fortune, Fletcher averaged a career-high 7.1 points while shooting .347 (35-for-101) from 3-point range. Although he logged 14 starts, Fletcher did see his playing time decrease as the season wore on. Fletcher played at least 20 minutes in 14 of CU’s first 24 games, but did so only once over the final 10 games.
With the pending injury return of Xavier Johnson and the addition of transfer Derrick White to the rotation, Fletcher likely was facing a further decrease in playing time next season.
Guzonjic, a forward from Bosnia, never got on track after arriving last fall on the heels of knee surgery, which also left him behind the pace in his conditioning. Guzonjic appeared off the bench in six of the first seven games of the season but finished with just 13 games played overall. He made 7-of-19 shots while recording six turnovers and nine personal fouls in 53 minutes.
The transfers open up two scholarships for CU, and Boyle more than likely will use one to try and add a forward during the late signing period. The loss of Guzonjic leaves Wesley Gordon and Tory Miller as the Buffs’ only true post players, while recruiting commit Dallas Walton of Arvada West could be a candidate for a freshman redshirt season.
Pat Rooney: rooneyp@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/prooney07
