D’Shawn Schwartz, three other Buffaloes enter transfer portal

The Colorado Buffaloes will lose at least four players to the transfer portal. As reported by Justin Guerriero of CUSportsNation.com, D’Shawn Schwartz, Dallas Walton, Alexander Strating and Isaac Jessup have entered the transfer portal.

Schwartz and Walton were senior starters who will be granted a fifth year of eligibility due to pandemic-related regulations; Walton could potentially be granted a sixth year if he requests a medical redshirt after missing 2018-19 with a torn ACL. Strating is another senior who will have one year to carve out rotation minutes wherever he ends up. Jessup, the younger brother of Golden State Warriors guard Justinian, will have four years to play after walking-on at CU.

Schwartz will be dearly missed after starting 99 games at Colorado. His defensive intelligence and rebounding ability were always there at a high level, while his scoring ability, albeit inconsistent, carried the Buffs at critical junctures. He was unreal in Colorado’s overtime win over Dayton, scoring 20 points and hitting the buzzer-beater to win the game. His tip-dunk against USC was another high-point, as that last-second play got the Buffs to the Pac-12 title game. Rumors suggest that he might transfer to George Mason, where former Buffs assistant Kim English is the head coach and Nate Tomlinson is rumored to be joining.

Walton was a part-time starter who made an impact with excellent touch and dexterity for a 7-footer. He struggled with knee injuries, tearing his ACL twice in high school before tearing it again after his redshirt freshman season. When he was healthy he was capable of going head-to-head with a number of elite big men, from Deandre Ayton as a freshman to Evan Mobley as a senior. He would have been a good player to bring back, but there was a strong chance he would lose minutes to Jabari Walker and incoming freshman Lawson Lovering.

Strating was an unsung hero who led by example. He was the most trusted 11th man in the country, and though he didn’t score a single point in 2020-21, Tad Boyle knew he would be there if the Buffs needed smart defense and effortful rebounding. The ground-bound Dutchman is a great guy to have around and should have plenty of offers to play real minutes at a mid-major program.

Also of note, Guerriero mentioned the possibility of Jeriah Horne returning to the Buffs. He was a graduate transfer this past season, but will have a sixth year of eligibility remaining, should he exercise that option. Boyle appears welcome to this idea, as Horne is a terrific veteran presence whose scoring ability made life easier for the entire Buffs offense. Unlike Walton, he would be assured of playing time, most likely as a starter. Walker and Lovering will get their minutes, but having Horne alongside Evan Battey would assure the Buffs an elite frontcourt.