7-foot Cheyenne star commits

BOULDER» Apparently Lawson Lovering liked what he saw in Boulder over the weekend.

Just two days after completing an official visit at the University of Colorado, Lovering, a 7-foot junior from Cheyenne Central High School, announced Monday night his commitment to join coach Tad Boyle’s program. Lovering is the first commitment for CU’s freshman class of 2021.

Lovering averaged 19 points and eight rebounds last season and has been scouted by the CU coaching staff since his freshman season. He has played club basketball with Exum Elite out of Salt Lake City and has received other offers from Baylor, Colorado State, San Diego State and Nevada. In the past month, Lovering also visited St. Mary’s and Santa Clara.

On paper, the Buffs will have four open scholarships available for the 2021 class to replace this season’s junior class of McKinley Wright, Tyler Bey, D’Shawn Schwartz, and Maddox Daniels, though Bey and Wright could be candidates to turn pro after the forthcoming season. Dallas Walton, also a 7-footer, officially is a fourth-year junior this season, but he has indicated an interest in applying for a sixth season via a medical hardship. If he does, and it’s accepted, the 2021-22 CU team could feature a pair of 7-footers for the first time in program history in Walton and Lovering.

Like most high-schoolers boasting above-par height, Lovering will need to get stronger before mixing it up inside in the Pac-12, but he also is young for his class and does not turn 17 until May. According to Lovering’s father, he has added 10 pounds to his lengthy frame since July.