{"id":2300,"date":"2026-07-05T17:35:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T17:35:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=2300"},"modified":"2026-07-05T17:35:01","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T17:35:01","slug":"rider-portela-getting-acclimated-with-colorado-basketballs-large-freshman-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=2300","title":{"rendered":"Rider Portela getting acclimated with Colorado basketball\u2019s large freshman class"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…<\/strong><\/div>\n
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When Rider Portela joined the Colorado Buffaloes, he was projected as the only freshman in CU\u2019s 2026 recruiting class.<\/p>\n

Read more Unbearable heat suspected in 19 New Jersey deaths as high temperatures give way to thunderstorms<\/a><\/p>\n

Seven months later, when Rider went through his first official workout at Colorado, his face was just one of many in what grew into a bloated rookie class.<\/p>\n

Portela\u2019s journey to Boulder might not quite qualify as the sort of thing that is becoming a dying breed in college basketball, but in an era of massive roster overhauls every spring, landing early signees out of high school no longer is the norm.<\/p>\n

Signing early also is a different prospect for recruits, who rarely stay with the program they originally pledged with for the duration of their careers. CU last four-year player was guard Julian Hammond III, who graduated after the 2024-25 season, and the Buffs won\u2019t have another unless anyone from the current trio of sophomores \u2014 Jalin Holland, Ian Inman and Josiah Sanders \u2014 remains at CU through the 2028-29 season.<\/p>\n

Only time will chart the course of Portela\u2019s career. But the rookie wing says he didn\u2019t sign with CU last November as a short-term partnership.<\/p>\n

\u201cI definitely want to be here all four years,\u201d Portela said. \u201cMy dad\u2019s definitely built that in me. I\u2019m not one of those people that just kind of chases money or fame or anything like that. I kind of want to chase just getting better. I feel like this place is perfect for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Colorado Music Festival hits 50-year milestone with star-studded summer lineup<\/a><\/p>\n

The son of a coach, Portela was the only recruit signed by the Buffs on the annual November signing day. CU\u2019s rookie class grew dramatically during the spring, though, as head coach Tad Boyle added Alex Dickeson, Chase Hill, Eric Jacobsen, Amir Jones, Goc Malual, and Luke Mirhashemi. Seven of the 15 players on the Buffs\u2019 roster are freshmen, and that doesn\u2019t include transfer David Gomez, who played just two games as a freshman at Charlotte last year before suffering a season-ending foot injury.<\/p>\n

Like his fellow freshmen, the summer workouts with the Buffs marked new ground for Portela. Yet unlike his new classmates, this summer has marked the first time Portela hasn\u2019t been coached by his father.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s a little different, but it\u2019s really new and I like it,\u201d Portela said. \u201cMe and my dad\u2019s relationship grew over time, both with that father-son and coach-and-player. Going here, I think coach Boyle is kind of like my dad, and that really contributed to me coming here. He\u2019s a great coach and always on the players to get really better. And he\u2019s a defensive guy too, which is what I really bring to the table. That\u2019s what my dad saw, and I think it\u2019s what coach Boyle sees as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Born and raised in Arizona, the 6-foot-6 Portela fits the mold of the bigger, versatile wings favored by Boyle during his 16 seasons as CU\u2019s head coach. While it\u2019s far too soon to predict which of the rookies might have an opportunity to crack the rotation, Portela has used the summer sessions to get acclimated to his new home.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been eye-opening a little bit, but at the same time it\u2019s really been helpful,\u201d Portela said. \u201cJust getting better here on my own, kind of seeing who I really am and who I can really be. The game\u2019s a lot faster, but I\u2019ve gotten better at that. I\u2019m not saying I\u2019m there right now, but I know I will be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Complaints and violations mount at Colorado\u2019s understaffed nursing homes and assisted living facilities<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rider Portela was the only prospect signed by Colorado on signing day in November 2025, but by the time he officially joined the Buffaloes he was part of CU’s seven-player freshman class.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nRider Portela getting acclimated with Colorado basketball\u2019s large freshman class - Colorado Springs Moverss<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=2300\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rider Portela getting acclimated with Colorado basketball\u2019s large freshman class - 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