After Colorado's loss to Florida State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last March, then-senior point guard McKinley Wright IV held back tears as his time as a Buffalo came to an end.

Wright IV, Tad Boyle and the Buffs had reason to be disappointed.

As far as on-the-court matters were concerned, it was the end of an era.

Wright IV, D'Shawn Schwartz, Dallas Walton, Jeriah Horne and Maddox Daniels had all played their final game in a Colorado uniform; with their departure, leading into the 2021-2022 campaign, CU's roster was about to become defined by youth and inexperience.

But bigger — far bigger — than anything basketball-related was the horrific mass shooting in Boulder on March 22, initial news of which made its way into Colorado's locker room as the team prepared to face the Seminoles.

The senseless act of violence left 10 dead and shook the community of Boulder to its core, serving as a macabre backdrop to the Buffs' attempt to advance to their first Sweet 16 since 1969.

Needless to say, when Wright IV took the podium after Colorado's 71-53 loss, there were a lot of emotions.

“Man, this hurts," Wright IV said. "I’m trying to hold back my tears again right now. I gave this university everything I had for four years."

"...I’m so thankful for Colorado. I’m so thankful for Colorado for welcoming me, a small, 6-foot, skinny point guard from Minneapolis. This university changed my life."

As Wright IV closed the book on his college career, he did so as one of the most successful men's basketball players to come through the University of Colorado.

CU went 84-48 overall in Wright IV's four seasons as starting point guard, during which time he shattered the 37-year-old program record for career assists set by Jay Humphries in 1984.

Wright IV, who racked up 683 career dimes in a Buffaloes uniform, also left his mark on the Pac-12 Conference itself, becoming the first men's hoops player to score 1,800 points, grab 600 rebounds and dish out 600 assists.

All in all, Wright IV etched his name near the top of CU's leaderboards in a multitude of statistical categories, as he ranks second all-time at CU in career games started (130) and minutes played (4,339), sixth in points (1,857) and field goals made (668) and 10th in three-pointers made (133).

In the months after Colorado's exit from the NCAA Tournament, Wright IV's attention turned fully to the 2021 NBA Draft at the end of July.

His college resume was impressive: he'd earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors in three straight seasons, establishing a reputation as a pass-first point guard, adept at creating scoring chances for others as well as rebounding impressively for being 6-foot-0.

But while "heart, not height" doubtless worked at the college level, his modest frame (the T-Wolves roster actually lists him as 5-foot-11) was a knock against him as far as NBA scouts were concerned.

While Wright IV's name ultimately was not called on July 29, shortly thereafter, the Minnesota Timberwolves signed him to a two-way contract with their G League affiliate Iowa Wolves.

For Wright IV, whose hometown of North Robbinsdale is a mere few miles from downtown Minneapolis, his home state Timberwolves had given him a shot at the next level.

"I can’t really complain — I’m blessed and fortunate," he said. "I always thank God for putting me in the position I’m in. It’s crazy being away from my second home, which is CU."

"Four years went by real fast, but I’m thankful for the opportunity coach Boyle gave me and now I’m back home with my Minnesota Timberwolves — hometown team, so I’m happy that they gave me this opportunity, as well.”

Two-way contracts, a relatively new roster management mechanism to debut in the NBA, stipulate that a given player can be active for 50 of their team's 82 regular season games.

Naturally, this allows for a decent amount of movement between the NBA and G League, or, in Wright IV's case, the Timberwolves and the Iowa Wolves.

The NBA allows for each franchise to possess a pair of two-way players; Wright IV's counterpart in that regard is forward/center Nathan Knight.

Throughout the T-Wolves' preseason, Wright IV averaged a bit over seven minutes a night, seeing action against the New Orleans Pelicans, Denver Nuggets and L.A. Clippers.

As Oct. 20 approached, when the Timberwolves would kick off their 2021-2022 regular season against the Houston Rockets, Wright IV remained on roster.

Late in the game, with Minnesota up big, he made his NBA debut.

The first shot he took in the League, a three-pointer at the Target Center in Minneapolis, went in with a swoosh.

“It was a blessing — it was a dream come true," he said. "I was back home in front of my friends and family, made a shot, I was excited, my teammates were excited for me and I felt pretty good. It’s just a blessing.”

That Minnesota currently has a plethora of capable guards such as Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley and D'Angelo Russell has ensured that Wright IV has a lot of resources to observe and learn from.

Beverley, who played oversees in Ukraine, Greece and Russia before debuting in the NBA, is similar to Wright IV in a number of ways, most notably frame, as he stands at 6-foot-1, weighing about 180 pounds.

In addition, Beverley's reputation and track record as a tenacious defender is something Wright IV has looked to emulate, especially given his own proven abilities as a solid perimeter defender while in college, with a Pac-12 All-Defensive Team (2019-2020) selection among his accolades earned in Boulder.

"I take pride in being a lockdown defender — that’s what’s gotten me this far and that’s what’s going to get me on the court in the NBA soon, so, defense is always my No. 1 priority, just trying to get stops and prove that I can guard multiple guys of different sizes — smaller, bigger, whatever the case may be," Wright IV said.

"I always hang my hat on defense, ever since I’ve been playing basketball, and it’s gotten me a long way."

Wright IV was appreciative of the assistance provided to him by the likes of Beasley and Russell, but Beverley, Minnesota's most experienced player and the only one older than 30, seems to have taken a particular interest in helping him out.

"'PatBev,' he’s been my big — he holds me accountable for everything," Wright IV said. "He makes sure I’m in the gym early, he makes sure I’m getting extra reps in on off days, he’ll text me and (is) always checking in on me making sure I’m getting extra work in."

"I’ve learned a lot from (Russell), 'PatBev,' Beasley — all those guys — but 'PatBev' has really put an emphasis on making me his rookie and helping me out throughout the process. He was in a similar position as I am and he knows what it takes, so he’s taking me under his wing.”

Wright IV debuted with the Iowa Wolves last Friday, starting at point guard and logging 33 minutes in an 98-87 win over NBA G League Ignite.

He didn't have the hottest night offensively, going just 4-of-13 from the floor, but he managed to score 10 points, leading the Wolves with six assists while grabbing five rebounds and notching a pair of steals in the process.

Defensively, Wright IV had an interesting challenge in guarding Ignite's Jaden Hardy, a former five-star Class of 2021 point guard from Nevada who received over 30 scholarship high schools coming out of Coronado High School in Henderson.

Hardy opted to pass on playing college hoops and instead join Ignite, a developmental team for elite U.S. high school prospects, former college student-athletes and international players in its second season of operation.

In guarding Hardy, who stands about four-and-a-half inches taller than Wright IV, he held him to 4-of-14 shooting (1-of-8 from long range) and 12 points total.

“I think I did a really good job," Wright IV said. "There weren't many times he scored the ball on me...I think it was a good matchup, a fun matchup and (Wolves head) coach (Jeff Newton) gave me a challenge to be able to guard Jaden. He’s a really talented player. Obviously, he’s a five-star (recruit), a guy that score the ball in all three levels."

Newton, who was named head coach of the Wolves early in September, had a chance to get a feel for Wright IV's abilities over the summer months.

As Wright IV himself alluded to, and with Beverley providing further mentorship at the NBA level, Newton views Wright IV's ability to play solid defense as a major asset that can sustain him as a professional.

“He’s super physical and he’s super athletic," Newton said. "He’s super fast and that carries into all parts of his game. Defensively, with me starting with him in summer league — I haven’t been with him that long — that’s where he made his impact. He’s able to get to the ball, pressure you and he can go rebound."

Around the time his junior season at CU ended and Wright IV began to test the NBA waters, a good deal of feedback he heard from scouts and NBA officials centered around his need to display improved three-point shooting.

Never his forte in college, Wright IV posted a career-best 36.5% make rate from long range as a sophomore, while in 2019-2020, he shot 33.6% from deep.

In his final campaign with the Buffaloes, his three-point make rate stood at 30.1%.

So, Wright IV's first NBA bucket being a three-pointer did contain a sense of irony, given he never shot lights out from deep in college.

At any rate, Wright IV has showed a dedication to bettering himself from beyond the arc.

“I put a lot of time into it," he said. "It felt good for (my first NBA basket) to be able to be a three. I spent my whole summer in Arizona with Phil Beckner, putting a lot of work in with him, working on my three-ball all day. It’s come a long way. I’m excited about the progress but we’ve still got some ways to go.”

The Wolves' next game is this upcoming Saturday at home against Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Miami Heat's G League affiliate.

Moving forward, Wright IV will look to maintain his defensive intensity while also making more of his shots fall.

"For a guy like him, the biggest thing is consistency," Newton said. "I think his shot has made great strides and is in a good place and keeps getting better, but as long as he’s consistent in his work ethic and production on the court as much as he can, he’ll be just fine.”

Suffice to say that Wright IV still has a lot to prove in his young NBA career.

It remains to be seen when he'll next rejoin the Timberwolves, but for now, he seems primed to play heavy minutes in Des Moines, where he can continue to work on a multitude of things to get him ready for his next appearance for Minnesota.

Back in Boulder, it's not uncommon to hear Wright IV's name spoken by Boyle or the many young players on CU's roster, some Wright IV played with, others not.

Wright IV remains in communication with the Buffs — freshman guard K.J. Simpson in particular has reached out to him for tips and film critiques — in doing so, offering up advice to the next generation of Colorado players.

“I got on a Zoom call with those guys a few weeks ago," he said. "It’s just something I wanted to put together — I know they’re a young team...I’m always a phone call or a text away, an Instagram DM — whatever the case may be. Whenever those guys reach out, I’m always going to reply and give them the best advice."

Simultaneously, he'll look to keep grinding, as it pertains to his own game.

"I’ll continue to make plays for others, use my speed out of transition and make open shots, continue to guard — I’m excited for what’s to come.”

All photos in the below gallery, showing McKinley Wright IV in action against NBA G League Ignite last weekend, were snapped by Nigel Amstock/Rivals.