Tristan da Silva ready to help CU basketball reach new heights
Tristan de Silva delivered with the Buffs in desperate need of a big win Sunday in Brooklyn.
The senior star played his best game of the season, scoring 22 points to go along with 10 rebounds and a career-high nine assists, fueling a monster second half that propelled the Buffs to a 90-63 win over then-No. 15 Miami.
In the absence of freshman star Cody Williams, who missed Sunday’s game with a wrist injury and has not practiced all week, da Silva was facilitating and initiating much more in the game against the Hurricanes. As a result, the senior could be in for more ball handling duties during Friday’s contest against Northern Colorado.
Regardless of what his usage has looked like throughout the season, which has included quiet halves and a full game where he didn’t miss a shot, da Silva isn't focused on the individual numbers.
“At the end of the day, I’m gonna do whatever it takes to make sure that our team is performing the way we need to to win our games,” da Silva said on Thursday. “So I’m not too concerned with this role, that role. I don’t think about it that way. I feel like I had a lot of simple plays out there last weekend, and I made them. When I was sharing the ball like I was, trying to find people at the rim, you know, those are easy buckets. I trust every one of my teammates to make plays.”
Now, some people may argue that da Silva remaining involved in the offense is what can propel the Buffs over the top and help them meet the lofty expectations that they have set for themselves this year. The program hasn’t made a Sweet 16 since 1969, and it is looking to clear that bar after reaching the Round of 32 in 2021.
Sunday da Silva showed why he can be a key cog in that machine. His ability to score both with the jumper and off the bounce, while also setting his teammates up and impacting the game on the glass make him one of Colorado’s key pieces. For the most part, da Silva has had an excellent start to his senior season, ranking second on the team in scoring (16.2 PPG) and assists (2.9 APG), and he is third in rebounding (5.6 RPG). However, in the Buffs’ two losses, da Silva scored just 19 points and shot 5 for 20 from the field. Sunday, he showed just how dominant he can be, even against premier competition.
“He’s very smooth,” said Eddie Lampkin Jr., who transferred to Colorado before the season. “You can tell he’s been in the game. You know, it’s because they play professionally growing up, so you can just tell the type of stuff he do is always smooth. He’s just so smooth to the game. He’s a vet.”
The relative inconsistencies for da Silva can partially be chalked up to having several teammates who can handle the ball and run the offense. Point guard KJ Simpson has become a star in his junior season, leading the team in scoring (19.4 PPG) and assists (4.4 APG). Williams is continuing to emerge when healthy, as evidenced by his breakout games against Florida State and Colorado State. Julian Hammond III has become a reliable contributor as the backup point guard off the bench, and as a starter in Williams’ absence.
However, da Silva isn’t bothered in the slightest by having a ton of guys who can run the show.
“The more the merrier,” he said. “As I said, we all trust each other out there. We’re all confident in each other’s abilities. … It’s gonna be different people on different nights.”
These are good problems to have, ones that come with the territory when you have a team talented enough to garner the aforementioned expectations. But after the sky was falling just a week ago, after a sloppy loss to Florida State and a disheartening performance against their archrivals in Fort Collins, the Buffs are right back on schedule.
Sunday’s win over the Hurricanes puts the Buffs at 7-2 with a great chance to be at 9-2 heading into Pac-12 play. They currently sit one spot outside of the top 25 and have a marquee win on their resume that could be crucial come Selection Sunday. But Selection Sunday isn’t where they want this season to end. With more performances like da Silva had last weekend, the Buffs can reach new heights under Tad Boyle.