Parquet and Walton have potential to be 'x-factors' for Colorado in 2020-21

Tad Boyle likes to use the phrase 'x-factor' when describing the impact his players can have for the Buffs if they are on their game.

With the extent of this year's team's success handcuffed in some senses to the ability of CU's younger depth — namely Keeshawn Barthelemy and the three true freshmen on roster — increased pressure will be on Colorado's veterans to be stalwart in their roles and contributions.

Junior guard Eli Parquet comes to mind as a vet who has seen extended time in the past but still has room to up his game.

Boyle in the past has crowned him the team's most effective perimeter defender and it should go without saying that Parquet's defensive credentials are well in order.However, it's on offense where Parquet could use a boost.

Parquet was named by his teammates CU's Most Improved Player at the end of the 2019-2020 campaign, in which he averaged just south of three points and 12 minutes per game.

That said, during the final month or so of the season, Parquet's minutes per game were closer to 20.

Heading into this year, Boyle says he could see Parquet becoming more of a regular offensive threat for the team.

“Eli has worked as hard on his jump shot as any player we’ve had over this last offseason," Boyle said. "He’s gotten a lot of reps up, his release looks really good...looking at our stats in practice and the way he’s shooting the ball, he is shooting it in a position where we want him to take open shots and he’s capable of making open shots. I believe that."

But Boyle still wants Parquet to be top-notch defensively and bolster McKinley Wright IV, whose defense Boyle has long believed to be underrated and under-appreciated, on the perimeter and in general.

"What I want Eli to really, really dial into, is that — what this team needs on the perimeter — we’ve got McKinley Wright, who I’d consider a defensive stopper," Boyle said. "But we need a second defensive stopper."

"Is that going to be Keeshawn? Is it going to be Eli? Is it going to be one of the younger guys, D’Shawn (Schwartz), Maddox (Daniels)? I think Eli has the ability to be that lockdown defender and a guy that can make open shots and make a play off the bounce. We know how athletic he is but defensively, he can be a game-changer if he chooses to be.”

While Parquet seems in position to be more of a multidimensional contributor for Colorado, there is also senior 7-footer Dallas Walton, who appears to be the healthiest, mentally and physically, to date since his third ACL tear in the 2018-2019 preseason.

“I’m feeling good," Walton said. "With those injuries came a lot more attention to detail as far as my strength, my strength process and my rehab process in making sure I’m staying on top of them consistently. Coming into this year, I’m not wearing my brace anymore. My legs feel strong and I was able to do everything I needed to do this summer to make sure that I went into the season feeling good.”

Boyle sees Walton ditching the leg brace as a sign that his mental recovery from the ACL tear has now matched his physical recovery.

"As long as you have a brace on, you’re not full or ready to go because of the mental aspect of that (ACL) injury that you're not over yet," Boyle said. "I don’t discourage the brace — to me, that is totally up to Dallas or whoever the student-athlete is, in terms of wear it or don’t wear it — that’s an individual choice. But as a coach, I know when the brace is not there, (the player) is mentally 100%. Dallas was physically 100% last year but I don’t think he was mentally 100% last year."

When Walton was a redshirt freshman, he notably shot 7-of-7 from the floor and scored 15 points against No. 14 Arizona.

Even more noteworthy was that the vast majority of the game saw him squared up against Deandre Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft who averaged 18.2 points per game this past season for the Phoenix Suns.

Walton only played in about six minutes per game in 2019-2020, but Boyle is still confident that he's still got what it takes to be a big part of Colorado's identity and success this season.

"He’s a mentally tough kid — you don’t (tear) three ACLs and come back from all three of them if you’re not mentally tough. He’s 7-foot tall, so it takes a little bit longer, but Dallas is a key x-factor for this year’s Buff team without a doubt.”

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