There’s an old saying that every basketball team needs a “glue guy.” Someone to do the little things. You know, set screens, rebound, defend. Not everyone can average 25 points per game.

For Colorado, Luke O’Brien has become that player. As a junior, the Colorado native became a rebounding savant, leading the Buffs in total rebounds despite starting just 10 games. O’Brien improved by leaps and bounds on both ends of the floor as the year went on, earning him honors as the team’s most improved player for the 2022-23 season.

O’Brien fit that glue guy mold perfectly as someone who perfected doing the dirty work on the floor, and he carved out a steady role for himself in the process. But he wasn’t always a guy who naturally excelled in that role.

“In high school I never was that guy. I was always the first shot guy, always had the ball in my hand,” said O’Brien. “So coming here, I was shell shocked because I was like ‘I’m not the guy anymore.’ Especially freshman and sophomore year I kind of got into that role… Junior year, I really embraced it because it really got me on the court, rebounding, guarding, stuff like that.”

During his high school days, O’Brien was the go-to guy. Starting at Columbine High School, he was a two-time conference player of the year and all-state selection. As a senior, he averaged 26 points and 12 rebounds per game as a senior, earning state player of the year honors.