(Author’s note: There was no available Average Length of Possession (APL) for CU’s exhibition with Australia, so I measured it myself for the first 70 possessions of the game. I stopped when the Buffs had to start forcing shots early in the shot clock in the final two minutes, down five points. The final stat is not official.)
College basketball is the only version of the sport played with a 30-second shot clock.
Yet, the Colorado Buffaloes had to play like the professionals in their four-exhibition trip to Australia this summer.
“The game is different here [Australia],” CU head coach Tad Boyle told the ESPN+ broadcast of his team’s contest versus the Australian Boomers. “The 24-second shot clock and the FIBA rules are different than what we’re used to. It’s been a nice change.”
Boyle added that his staff’s goal of “slowing down” the game for his young team, including six freshmen, will be made easier by the trip abroad, which is only allowed every four offseasons.
However, the game against the Boomers didn’t seem too fast for the youthful Buffs, as they only lost by six points and scored 87 points on 43.4% shooting from the field in their lone televised contest of the trip. Colorado posted solid numbers in the first two affairs, versus Hoop City and the Gold Coast Rollers (NBL1 North), as well.
Of course, the Buffs will look slightly different by November and are sure to use more of the NCAA’s 30-second shot clock; Boyle has never had an Average Length of Possession (APL) shorter than 16.6 seconds (2022-2023) in his tenure with the Buffs, according to KenPom. Yet, Colorado’s offense was productive in just 14.8 seconds per possession (70 possessions) against Australia, offering even more optimism for the 2025-2026 Buffaloes’ offense and their ability to play at a fast pace. CU’s APL versus the Boomers would have placed them No. 18 among NBA teams last season (according to Inpredictable), between the New Orleans Pelicans (APL: 14.4 seconds; No. 25 Offensive Rating) and Minnesota Timberwolves (APL: 14.7 seconds; No. 8 Offensive Rating).
While the shortening of possession length against Australia was 1.8 seconds less than Boyle’s shortest APL with Colorado, which was natural, it was 3.1 seconds shorter than the 17.7-APL (180th percentile) the 14-21 Buffs posted last season. CU’s half-court offense often stalled this past year, as it struggled to hit 3-pointers (32.1% 3P%; 27th percentile, according to CBB Analytics) and drive the ball, creating over-dribbling and side-to-side passes on the perimeter. The Buffs often had to rely on their fastbreak opportunities, as they scored 14.8% of their points (74th percentile).
In the brief first glance at the new developing squad, though, Colorado’s quick offense was led by UC Riverside transfer point guard Barrington Hargress, who played nearly 30 minutes, dishing five assists to one turnover, and handled the shorter clock quite well for a player arriving from a school that had an 18-second APL last season (231st percentile). The general handling of the quicker clock from the Buffs was impressive, but especially from the freshmen, such as backup PG Isaiah Johnson, even though the majority of whom had never played with any shot clock less than 35 seconds.
The solid showing was made possible by Hargress, Johnson and the other guards – and forward Sebastian Rancik, who helped bring the ball up – as they handled Australia’s press and managed to find open shots for their team despite the Boomers’ attempts to hinder CU’s organization of sets. Colorado still had 16 turnovers amid the quicker play, including a shot clock violation, though there were only a handful of rushed possessions at the end of the clock. For the most part, the Buffs were able to find desirable shots, as they pushed the ball and shot nearly 44% from the field.
Yet, it was the 3-point shooting coupled with the guard play that helped Colorado’s offense stay neck-and-neck with Australia’s. The Buffs shot 11-of-25 (44%) from deep, with all 11 makes assisted – CU’s other three assists led to mid-range jumpers.
With a 30-second shot clock, having a high 3-point percentage is desirable but not a necessity as teams hope to find easier (closer) shots in the longer possessions. For example, just eight of the 32 Division-I teams that shot 37% or above from 3-point range last year made the national tournament, and just four of the top 10. In the NBA, six of the seven teams that shot 37% or better from the perimeter made the playoffs, as the 24-second shot clock allows for fewer open looks inside and forces teams to take more 3s; an open look isn’t guaranteed later in the possession, so less desirable 3-point shots are more relied on, though when the clock runs late, the ball is often on the perimeter. So while CU’s 3-point mark versus the Boomers could have been a spontaneous high despite the offseason emphasis on shooting, and perimeter shot-making may not be as prevalent in terms of NCAA postseason success – CU still only attempted 25 3-pointers – the shot-making on almost every type of look and clock scenario (inside-out pass, side-to-side pass, late-clock, early-clock, etc.) offered a fold to the Buffs’ offense that opened up the rest of it, along with optimism for the NCAA season.
With the shot-making, quick pace of play and efficient setting up of action, the Black and Gold found favorable driving lanes between the 3-pointers and transition buckets. From Hargress and Johnson to Jalin Holland, multiple Buffs were able to get in deep for layups or draw fouls. While there wasn’t much one-on-one isolation play, a difference in ability from last year’s team in driving the ball helped CU’s offense produce with less time on the shot clock.
Naturally, one 40-minute showing three months before the season tips off won’t tell the whole tale, especially in an exhibition with differing rules and an unusual talent pool of competition.
Yet, while the Buffaloes also came up short against the Boomers, even with a matching defensive effort in terms of impressiveness, Colorado’s offense managed to produce against older, professional competition despite six seconds less to work with per possession. CU featured multiple improvements from last year, whether initiating the offense faster and with security, or applying more rim pressure and converting on more 3-point looks.