Parquet is 1 of 2 returning seniors

BuffZone.com

With young players set to take over the bulk of the rotation and a promising recruiting class on the way, there perhaps is no veteran player more worthwhile for the new generation of Buffaloes to emulate than Eli Parquet.

Parquet hits the floor every day with quiet intensity. His offense has improved throughout his Colorado basketball tenure, but Parquet gladly brings a defensefirst mentality to the court. That approach led to first team Pac-12 All-Defense honors for Parquet.

For a program that counts defense as one of its basic tenets, Parquet might be considered a prototype for head coach Tad Boyle’s system. Next year, Boyle and the CU coaching staff wants Parquet to do more than simply set a steady but quiet example.

As one of just two returning seniors on the 2021-22 roster alongside Evan Battey, Parquet will be challenged to take on a bigger leadership role with the Buffs, particularly after losing McKinley Wright IV.

Battey and Wright, both vocal players, have carried the leadership role for the Buffs in recent seasons. Battey’s voice certainly still will be heard, but his alone can’t do the job. According to Boyle, that’s Parquet’s biggest offseason challenge.

“Obviously with the way he plays, with his effort and energy and ability to guard, I think he’s earned his teammates’ respect. A first team All-Pac-12 defender, that’s a step in the right direction,” Boyle said. “But my thing is you cannot lead unless you’re vocal. And Eli is not the most vocal guy. That’s an area that we’re really challenging him with, to become more vocal on the floor and in the locker room. As he goes into his senior year hopefully he can embrace that and do that.

“I do not believe you lead by example. If you play hard and you set a great example, that’s great, but that doesn’t equate to leadership. Leadership has to happen through communication and through verbal ways. Evan has always been verbal. McKinley was extremely verbal. Eli needs to become more verbal, and if he does I think he and Evan will be a tremendous leadership tandem together.”