Drawing fouls, finding open teammates, hustling to the rim and working off the glass, point guard Jaylyn Sherrod was a driving force in Colorado’s tenacity last year.

The Buffaloes women’s basketball team had a depth of talent in going 22-9 last season, but as a junior Sherrod was one of the most prominent playmakers, starting all 31 games. She averaged 8.1 points per game, had the second-most steals, 55, and led the team with 117 assists.

Sherrod graduated last year, but she came back to pursue her master’s degree and help head coach JR Payne and the Buffs reach another NCAA tournament.

“One of the big reasons of coming back was because I believe in coach J because she believed in me,” Sherrod said. “I think that was just important and that loyalty will always be there and when I look back over my career I just, in a sense, kind of get like this ‘wow’ of like how far it’s been and how quick it’s been.

"It’s been a journey and it’s one that I’m grateful for. It’s one that has taught me a lot and I’ve grown a lot in this process.”

Another year of growth lies ahead for Sherrod -- without the leadership of former seniors, she’s growing into her leadership role. Also, she’ll have to make strides offensively to compensate for departed scorers Mya Hollingshed (14.1 ppg) and Peanut Tuitele (7.4 ppg).

Early into preseason practice, the Buffs are working to build off of last season’s momentum. They are missing some key contributors, including the aforementioned players as well as starting guard Lesila Finau, but most of that roster is back and Payne wants everyone to take a step forward.

“We’re still in the figuring out process, but I think everybody has to step it up,” Sherrod said. “I know coach J talked to us about how this year nobody can take that step back and say, ‘I’m gonna take this step back and let somebody else have it.’ We don’t have the space nor time for that this year so I think it’s just everybody doing a little bit more and producing a little bit more.”

Last season Sherrod pushed herself on the court and a previous leg injury flared up at times, limiting her minutes. Every healthy year is a gift for athletes and Sherrod prioritizes her regimen to maintain her progress.

“Staying healthy is my ultimate goal this year,” she said. “It’s just been a process and it’s a continuous process, but by January I’ll be two years out of surgery so hopefully it’ll continue to go as well as it has been.”

While focusing on her body’s well-being, she aims to increase her percentages during practice to become a more reliable shooter.

As one of the four seniors on the Buffs, she is also trying to be that leading voice and set the team's expectations for the younger class.

“I think personally always getting to the basket, drawing fouls and facilitating for my teammates is something that I’ve been pretty good at over my career,” she said. “But, I think right now growing this year has been a big step leadership-wise for me just because I am the senior and I’ve been here for four years and I’ve got a lot of experience.”