Colorado Buffaloes To Return To March Madness After Transfer Portal Haul?

Due to a disappointing second-round WBIT exit and another year of double-digit departees, Payne needed to grab her pickaxe and helmet to dig up more buried potential. They did just that, bringing in five transfers, the last three of which completed the team's roster for the fall.

Colorado's first two transfers were strong guards from established, upper-echelon programs, Claire O'Connor from the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Zyanna Walker of the Kansas State Wildcats. In recent weeks, the Buffs shopped with a Big East blemish in the DePaul Blue Demons, the American Conference's North East Mean Green and the Atlantic 10's Rhode Island Rams.

Maeve McErlane was the first of the final three to commit on April 30. The 5-10 guard who spent the last three campaigns with DePaul did not play a season ago due to injury, but was a solid contributor before that. As a sophomore in 2023-24, she averaged 4.6 points, 2.9 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game in 25.5 minutes a night for the Blue Demons.

McErlane is a strong yet inconsistent spot-up shooter. During her sophomore run, she buried seven 3s en route to a career-high 26 points against the Alabama State Hornets and made five against the No. 9-ranked UConn Huskies.

Her ceiling with the Buffs likely relies on whether those performances can pop up more often. If McErlane's shot wasn't falling, she struggled to contribute elsewhere and has just two career performances with more than five assists.

On the same day McErlane committed, North Texas guard Desiree Wooten joined her. The 5-8 Dallas native was a dynamite stick on both ends with the Mean Green, logging 11.5 points and 1.8 per game as a redshirt sophomore last season.

Wooten snagged second-team All-AAC honors and was an All-AAC Defensive Team selection. Her ability to improvise in the halfcourt is especially intriguing for a Colorado group that rarely generated its own shots in 2024-25.

"Dez is a great addition to our Buffs' backcourt," Payne said in a release. "She is a dynamic scorer who can create for herself and others. Adding another All-Conference Defensive player will be a huge asset going into next season. I can't wait to see what Dez will do on the court this season as she has a world of potential."

As a certified bucket-getter and pesky defender, Wooten may be a lock to lead the Buffaloes at point guard alongside Walker of KSU. The pair could lock down the perimeter while bringing much-needed pace and hustle to the offense.

The final addition to Colorado's squad was Rhode Island forward Anaëlle Dutat. The 6-0 Frenchwoman averaged 7.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals last year as a junior with the Rams. She had a 17.8 Player Efficiency Rating and a 97.5 offensive rating for one of the A-10's most well-rounded front courts.

Dutat is the third all-conference defender to be added to the Buffs' roster through the portal, joining Walker and Wooten. In 2023, Dutat was named the Best Defensive Player in the FIBA U19 World Cup after compiling 9.0 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.6 steals for fourth-place France.

On the glass, Dutat poses a major threat. She collected a career-high 17 rebounds against the St. John's Red Storm and is 10th in RIU history with 679 career boards. Dutat had 10 double-digit rebound performances last season and has 25 for her career.

While undersized for her position, Dutat boasts razor-sharp skills that can remedy the Buffaloes' recent frontcourt losses in Sara-Rose Smith, Grace Oliver and Ayianna Johnson. She added a 31.8 percent 3-point shot to her arsenal last season after not attempting from beyond the arc as an underclassman.

The Buffs now have a 14-deep roster of five transfers, five freshmen and four returners. O'Connor, Walker, McErlane, Wooten and Dutat have filled several gaps of what Colorado may need to remain fierce in the hotbed Big 12 Conference. They'll have to adjust to Boulder, but a few-but-proud crop of returners in Masgayo, Tabitha Betson, Kennedy Sanders and JoJo Nworie should help them along swimmingly.

If Colorado hopes to return to March Madness, its transfer additions will be vital. Wooten and Walker will buzz around all 94 feet of the CU Events Center hardwood, O'Connor and McErlane will be waiting in the wings for long-distance shots and Dutat will work around the paint, all ready to guide the Buffs back to the promised land.