Colorado Basketball

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Colorado Basketball

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February 4th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs looking for rare road win v. struggling Baylor (6:00 p.m., MT, Peacock) 

Colorado (13-9, 3-6) at Baylor (12-9, 2-7)

Tip: Wednesday, 6:00 p.m. MT
Watch: Peacock (Rich Hollenberg, Mike O’Donnell)
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 390, SXM App 980
Live Statistics: https://buffs.me/3NQK7O5

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 13-9 overall and tied with TCU and Cincinnati for 10th in the Big 12 Conference standings with a league record of 3-6. The Buffaloes snapped their season-long six-game skid with an 87-61 victory over TCU on Feb. 1st.

ABOUT THE BEARS: Baylor is 12-9 overall and 2-7 in the Big 12. The Bears return home after earning their second conference win on the road against West Virginia 63-53. The Bears are averaging 84.0 points per game, shooting 48.1 percent from the field. Baylor is second in the Big 12 in offensive rebounds per game with 13.24. That mark is also good for 36th in the country. On defense the Bears are allowing 75.4 points per game, and have held opponents to 43.2 percent shooting. Baylor defends the rim well with 4.7 blocks per game, good for fourth in the Big 12. With the success on the offensive glass, Baylor is also third in total rebounds per game with 39.29. That mark is third in the Big 12 and 44th nationally.

THE SERIES: This will be the 29th meeting between Colorado and Baylor with the Buffaloes holding a 17-11 advantage. The teams met for the first time in 12 years last season in Colorado’s first year back in the Big 12. Colorado took that meeting 76-74 in Boulder. Baylor holds a 6-3 advantage in Waco. Colorado’s last win there came on March 1, 2003 in a 72-59 victory.

From the Daily Camera … Prior to a much-needed, sigh-of-relief victory against TCU, Colorado basketball coach Tad Boyle described this week as the most critical of the season.

After snapping a six-game losing streak, CU’s third-longest in 16 seasons under Boyle, with the victory against the Horned Frogs on Sunday, the Buffaloes cleared the first hurdle of the week. The next one arrives on Wednesday, as the Buffs make their first visit to Baylor since rejoining the Big 12 last year.

“I’m hoping it gives them confidence and life and understanding of how good we can be if we play together, if we play with energy and toughness,” Boyle said. “All the things I’ve talked about at times this year that we haven’t done. When we do it, and they see the difference in the results, you’d like to think they’re like, ‘Hey, this is a lot more fun,’ coming off a 30-point beatdown at Iowa State.”

Despite the six-game losing streak and a 3-6 mark in the Big 12, the Buffs remain among four teams with three league wins, essentially sitting in a four-way tie for ninth in a league that awards byes in the conference tournament for the top eight finishers. Baylor and Saturday’s opponent at home, Arizona State, begin the week with two Big 12 wins, making this week a window of opportunity for a Buffs team that faces a pair of ranked teams on the road next week in No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 16 BYU.

Baylor has struggled and enters the matchup as arguably the most disappointing team in the Big 12, although the Bears are coming off a solid road win at West Virginia that snapped a four-game losing streak.

The Bears generated their biggest headlines this season with the midseason addition of former second-round NBA draft pick James Nnaji, but the 7-foot center has made a minimal impact, averaging just 10.1 minutes, 1.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in eight appearances off the bench.

Baylor has not yet won a Big 12 home game, going 0-4, although three of those losses occurred against a few of the league’s best in Iowa State, Houston and Texas Tech. But the Bears also have lost twice to the TCU team the Buffs dominated on Sunday.

… Continue reading story here …

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February 1st – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs snap six-game losing streak with an 87-61 rout of TCU

From CUBuffs.com … A new look Colorado snapped a six-game losing streak with three new starters as the Buffaloes outpaced TCU 87-61, Sunday afternoon at the CU Events Center.

Tad Boyle‘s Buffs improved to 13-9 overall and 3-6 in Big 12 play. TCU dropped to 13-9 and 3-6 in the Big 12.

After an extended stretch of struggles, Boyle made a big change to the starting lineup. Today, he featured four true freshmen, including three who made their first career starts in Jalin Holland, Fawaz “Tacko” Ifaola, and Josiah Sanders.

The four freshmen who started, plus Ian Inman and Alon Michaeli, who came off the bench, combined for 43 points.

Five Buffs scored in double figures, with Sebastian Rancik leading the way with 17 points. Isaiah Johnson finished with 16, Bangot Dak had 14, Sanders set a new career-high with 12, and Barrington Hargress added 10 points.

Xavier Edmonds led TCU with 13 points and 12 rebounds before having to leave the game in the second half after a flagrant two foul.

The Buffs took a 13-point lead at the break off a strong first half. Colorado opened it up in the second half, pushing the lead to 20 points with 13 minutes remaining, and as much as 28 points. TCU never came closer than 23 in the last 10 minutes.

Colorado controlled the game defensively. TCU shot just 33.3 percent from the field and 21.7 percent from deep. There were six instances during the game when the Buffs forced TCU into four consecutive missed shots.

On the offensive end, Colorado tied its season-high with 24 assists on 35 made baskets. Four of the five starters finished with at least four assists, led by Sanders, who set a new career-high with six.

… Continue reading story here …

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Buffs looking to break six game losing streak against TCU (noon, MT, TNT)

From CUBuffs.com …

TCU, Sunday, February 1, 2026
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 12:02 p.m. MT
Watch: TNT/truTV (Alex Faust, Chris Spatola, Nabil Karim)
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke) https://sxm.app.link/SXM973
Listen Online: Sirius XM 383, SXM App 973
Live Statistics:http://statb.us/b/611129

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 12-9 overall and tied with Arizona State for 12th in the Big 12 Conference standings with a league record of 2-6. The Buffaloes have dropped their last six, their longest stretch of the season, and eight of their last 10.

Despite the recent slide, Colorado matched its win total from the 2024-25, 31-game regular season (12-19) by the mid-part of this campaign. The Buffaloes are just one win away from matching their conference win total from a year ago. Colorado would finish with 14 overall wins after a pair of wins in the Big 12 Championship (14-21).

Colorado ranks among the top 50 teams in the nation in a few categories. The Buffaloes are second in the Big 12 and are 27th in the nation in free throw shooting at 77.2 percent. The Buffaloes also sport top 50 national rankings in turnovers allowed (33rd, 9.9 topg), assist-to-turnover ratio (32nd, 1.6) and free throws made per game (50th, 17.8).

ABOUT THE HORNED FROGS: TCU is 13-8 overall and tied with Cincinnati for ninth in the Big 12 standings at 3-5. The Horned Frogs head to Boulder after losing 79-70 at home to No. 10 Houston. The Horned Frogs are averaging 79.5 points per game, shooting 46.3 percent from the field. TCU is third in the Big 12 in fast break points at 15.4, a mark also good for 28th in the country. On defense, the Horned Frogs are allowing 70.8 points per game, and have held opponents to 43.1 percent shooting. TCU defends the rim well in part because they are second in the conference and 19th in the nation in blocks per game at 5.1. They create 14.3 turnovers per game which is third in the conference.

THE SERIES: This will be the eighth meeting between Colorado and TCU with the Buffaloes holding a 4-3 series edge. The teams met three times last season, the first games as conference opponents. Both teams won their respective home games during the regular season with the Buffaloes taking 69-67 decision in the opening round of the Big 12 Championship. Colorado’s two wins over TCU last season came within a four-day span. The Buffaloes won the regular season meeting on Senior Day in Boulder, 76-56, on March 8, 2025.

… Continue reading story here …

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January 30th

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs not competitive in 97-67 loss to No. 8 Iowa State – “There are good teams in this league; we’re not one of them”

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado fell behind early Thursday, and the Buffaloes never recovered, dropping a 97-67 decision to 8th-ranked Iowa State at the James H. Hilton Coliseum.

Tad Boyle‘s Buffs losing streak extended to six games as they fall to 12-9 overall and 2-6 in Big 12 play. The Cyclones improve to 12-0 at home and are now 19-2 overall, 6-2 in conference play.

This one got away from the Buffaloes early. Iowa State used a 30-1 run to build a 30-4 lead eight minutes in. Iowa State took a 52-29 edge into the break, and the Buffs never mounted a serious threat in the second half as Iowa State steadily built its lead, pushing it to as much as 37.

Isaiah Johnson led the Buffs with a game-high 24 points, scoring 15 of those in the first half. Barrington Hargress added 11 points.

Milan Momcilovic led the way for Iowa State with 16 points. Six total Cyclones scored in double figures.

Iowa State shot 61 percent (35-for-57), including 10-for-21 from 3-point range. Colorado hit just seven of its 24 attempts from beyond the arc, and the Buffaloes were dominated on the boards, 33-22, the first time this year Colorado has lost the rebound battle.

The Buffs were also outscored 46-28 on points in the paint as well as bench points, 40-17.

“I knew what we were getting into, I’m not sure (our players) did,” Boyle said. “We tried to prepare for it the last two days in practice in terms of the physicality and toughness we had to play with to have any success tonight. Our players learned what a top 10 team in the country looks like tonight in Iowa State.”

… Continue reading story here …

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January 29th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena …

Buffs 17.5 underdogs to No. 8 Iowa State (5:00 p.m., MT, FS1)

From CUBuffs.com …

Iowa State, Thursday, January 29, 2026
Hilton Coliseum, Ames, Iowa
Tip: 5:01 p.m. MT
Watch: FS1 (Tim Brando, Nick Bahe)
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 385, SXM App 975 https://sxm.app.link/SXM975
Live Statistics:https://buffs.me/3ZGyBY1

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 12-8 overall and 2-5 in Big 12 play, tied for 10th in the conference standings as one of four teams with that league record. The Buffaloes have dropped their last five, their longest stretch of the season, and seven of their last nine.

Despite the recent slide, Colorado matched its win total from the 2024-25, 31-game regular season (12-19) by the mid-part of this campaign. The Buffaloes are just one win away from matching their conference win total from a year ago. Colorado would finish with 14 overall wins after a pair of wins in the Big 12 Championship (14-21).

Colorado ranks among the top 50 teams in the nation in a few categories. The Buffaloes top the Big 12 and are 24th in the nation in free throw shooting at 77.2 percent. The Buffaloes also sport top 50 national rankings in turnovers allowed (32nd, 9.9 topg), assist-to-turnover ratio (31st, 1.6) and free throws made per game (49th, 18.0).

ABOUT THE CYCLONES: No. 8 (AP)/9 (Coaches) Iowa State is 18-2 overall and 5-2 in the Big 12. The Cyclones return home where they are 11-0. ISU is on a two-game winning streak that includes a 84-71 win over Oklahoma State and an 87-57 win over UCF. The Cyclones are averaging 85.6 points per game, shooting 50.7 percent from the field. Iowa State is second in the Big 12 in field goal percentage and is one of only 21 teams in the country to shoot over 50 percent. The Cyclones lead the Big 12 at 40.3 percent from deep and are one of only six teams to shoot above 40 percent. On defense the Cyclones are allowing 64.9 points per game, and have held opponents to 41.7 percent shooting. They are third in the conference and 15th in the nation in scoring defense in part due to forcing turnovers. They create 16.2 turnovers per game which leads the conference and is ninth in the country and their 9.5 steals top the Big 12 and rank 15th nationally. With the success on both sides of the ball they have an average scoring margin of 20.7 points per game the second highest in the Big 12 and the sixth highest in the country.

The Cyclones are led by the duo of Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson. Momcilovic a junior forward leads them in scoring with 18.8 points per game, good for eighth in the Big 12.  He uses his 3-point shot, leading the country at 54.1 percent. Jefferson  a senior forward fills up the stat sheet. He averages 17.4 points per game, leads the team with 7.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game, and adds 1.5 steals per game. He leads the country as one of three players to post two triple doubles. Senior guard Tamin Lipsey is the other Cyclone to average double figure scoring with 13.2 per night. Lipsey makes his mark on the defensive end. He leads the Big 12 and is 21st in the country with 2.4 steals per game. He has taken care of the ball as well leading the conference and is third in the country with a 4.8 assist-to turnover ratio.

THE SERIES: This will be the 152nd meeting between Colorado and Iowa State, which is the second most played series in program history trailing only Kansas. Iowa State holds a 81-70 series lead, winning a trio of meetings a season ago, first a nonconference tilt at the Maui Invitational, then in the conference opener in Boulder on Dec. 30, and finally a meeting in Ames on Feb. 18. Iowa State holds a 49-18 lead in Ames. Colorado’s last win at Hilton Coliseum was a 54-52 overtime decision on Jan. 22, 2005.

… Continue reading story here …

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January 24th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena …

Buffs lose fifth straight, falling at home to UCF, 95-86 – “You can’t let a team hit 15 (3-pointers) on your home court”

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s defense struggled against UCF, allowing 15 3-pointers as the Buffaloes dropped a 95-86 decision Saturday afternoon at the CU Events Center    

Tad Boyle‘s Buffs fell to 12-8 overall and 2-5 in Big 12 play while the Knights improved to 15-4, 4-3.

The Buffs trailed by as many as 15 points with 6:48 left in the game, and, as in the past few games, Colorado mounted a late rally but couldn’t get closer than six points. UCF built its lead back up to double figures before a last-second basket cut the final difference to nine points.

“We want to take away three-point shooters,” Barrington Hargress said. “Some of the shooters got off. No. 11, Carmelo (Pacheco) had three in the first half. So that’s a shooter on our scout. So some of it was our defense, some of it was shots that we were willing to live with. But either way, you can’t let a team hit 15 (3-pointers) on your home court.”

Colorado had three 20-point scorers with Hargress, Isaiah Johnson, and Sebastian Rancik scoring 20 points. This was the first game with three 20-point scorers since February 9, 2014, against Washington. Bangot Dak added 11 points and nine rebounds.

Riley Kugel led the way for the Knights, scoring 22 points off six 3-pointers.

UCF shot over 60% from the field and from the 3-point line, both the highest marks allowed this season. The Knights finished with 15 makes from deep, which is the second most allowed this season.

“UCF played their tail off tonight,” Boyle said. “We didn’t do anything to slow them down or shut them down by any means. When the team comes in your building and shoots 61% and out rebounds you by nine and you miss 27 shots. We only had four offensive rebounds. So we have to get better.”

… Continue reading story here …

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CU looking to snap four-game losing streak with home game v. UCF (1:00 p.m., MT, ESPN+)

From CUBuffs.com …

ABOUT THE KNIGHTS: UCF is 14-4 overall and 3-3 in the Big 12, arriving in Boulder on a two-game losing streak that includes setbacks against  No. 9 Iowa State (87-57) and No. 1 Arizona (84-77). The Knights are averaging 83.7 points per game, shooting 47.8 percent from the field. UCF uses the offensive glass to its advantage. They average 13.3 offensive rebounds per game which ranks third in the Big 12 and 37th in the country. A third of the scoring for UCF comes off the bench, averaging 25.5 bench points per game, which is fifth in the conference. The Knights are allowing 76.5 points per game, and have held opponents to 44.1 percent shooting. Coupled with the success on the offensive glass, the Knights out rebound teams by 6.5 per game. That is the second best mark in the Big 12.

The Knights have four players who average double figures in scoring. Senior guard Riley Kugel is the front man with 14.6 points per game. He is followed by fifth year guard Themus Fulks (13.7 ppg), junior forward Jordan Burks (12.7 ppg), and senior forward Jamichael Stillwell (12.3 ppg). Fulks along with his scoring gets other people involved averaging 7.2 assists per game which is second in the Big 12 and seventh nationally. On the glass, Stillwell is third in the conference with 3.4 offensive rebounds per game.

THE SERIES: This will be the fifth meeting between Colorado and UCF and the third as conference opponents. The series is tied 2-2 after the teams split last season with both winning at home. Colorado claimed the last matchup 76-63 on February 15 last year to snap a 13-game losing streak and gave the Buffs their first Big 12 win of the year. Colorado holds a 2-0 series lead in Boulder with the other win coming in 2007.

… Continue reading story here …

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January 21st 

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs battle, but fall to No. 19 Kansas, 75-69 – Boyle: “I love our fight. We’re not catching many breaks, and that’s just the way it is”

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado battled with No. 19 Kansas late into the night on Tuesday, but the Jayhawks outlasted the Buffaloes to the final whistle, 75-69, at the CU Events Center.

The loss drops the Buffaloes to 12-7 overall and 2-4 in Big 12 play, while Kansas moves to 14-5 overall and 4-2 in conference play.

The late-night tipoff didn’t dissuade fans from coming out on Tuesday. A season-high crowd of 8,356 stuck around well into the night. Colorado student tickets also sold out for the first time since hosting Colorado State last season (Dec. 7), and for the first time in a conference matchup since playing Arizona on Feb. 10, 2024.

“It meant a lot having the student body there,” Isaiah Johnson expressed after the game. “It helped us with our energy. It’s great to see everybody come and support us, and we need that every game.”

Colorado was led by Johnson, continuing his standout freshman year with a game-high 19 points. Johnson has now led the Buffs in scoring nine times this season and continues to climb up the CU freshman scoring list. He became just the 14th CU rookie to score 300 points, jumping into 13th with 304 points.

Barrington Hargress and Alon Michaeli also hit double figures on the night. Hargress finished 6-for-15 from the field with 17 points, while Michaeli totaled 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting.

“Tough loss for the Buffaloes,” head coach Tad Boyle noted. “Kansas was better tonight. Obviously, they out-rebounded us. I love the fight of our guys. I love the fight of this team, and we cannot lose that, and we will not lose that. You know, it starts with me, but I love our team, I love our guys, I love our fight. We’re not catching many breaks, and that’s just the way it is.

“Honor Huff banks in a 3 at West Virginia when we’re up six with a couple of minutes to go. And tonight, Darryn Peterson does it. We had our chances, you know, I thought we had some really good looks offensively in the second half, but hey, we got to play better. We got to play better.”

… Continue reading story here …

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January 20th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena …

Buffs wearing black in late night tilt against No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks (9:00 p.m., MT, ESPN) 

From CUBuffs.com …

The Jayhawks are led by freshman guard Darryn Peterson who leads the team in scoring with 22.2 points per game, but has only been able to play in nine games due to injury. He scored 26 points in only 23 minutes against Baylor. He has scored over 20 points in six of his nine games and has yet to score less than 16 points in a game. Kansas has three other players averaging double figures in scoring: senior guard Tre White (14.9), sophomore forward Flory Bidunga (14.2), and senior guard Melvin Council Jr. (13.2). Bidunga leads the defense with 2.6 blocks per game, that mark leads the Big 12 and is eighth in the country. On the other side of the court he is efficient, making 65.5 percent of his shots, good for second in the Big 12 and 10th in the nation.

THE SERIES: This will be the 167th meeting between Colorado and Kansas, the most played series in program history. The series dates back to January 1931 and was played annually from 1947 through 2011 when the teams were together in the Big Seven/Big Eight/Big 12 Conferences. Last season the Jayhawks swept the season series including a 71-64 win in Boulder. Kansas holds a 126-40 all-time lead in the series including a 41-27 advantage in Boulder.

… Read full story here …

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January 17th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena …

Buffs fall on the road, 72-61, to West Virginia – Boyle: “We didn’t string together enough stops”

From CUBuffs.com … With continuing rebounding struggles and a slow start for the second-straight game, Colorado fell to West Virginia 72-61, Saturday evening at Hope Coliseum.

The loss drops Tad Boyle‘s Buffs to 12-6 and 2-3 in the Big 12, and West Virginia improves to 12-6 and 3-2 in conference play.

Barrington Hargress led the Buffs in scoring with 15 points and added five assists. Colorado had three other players reach double figures in scoring. Isaiah Johnson, in his first career start, had 12 points, Bangot Dak added 11, and Sebastian Rancik finished with 10 points.

Treysen Eaglestaff was the front man for the Mountaineers, scoring a game-high 22 points, shooting 9-of-14 from the field. West Virginia registered four players with more than 10 points and four with at least six rebounds.

After trailing for most of the first half and early in the second, the Buffs used a 12-2 run to take their first and only lead of the game 43-42 with 13:37 left in the game. The rest of the game, West Virginia outscored Colorado 30-15 before a last-second 3-pointer from Johnson.

“We didn’t string together enough stops,” Boyle said on the momentum after taking the lead. “That’s the whole key with West Virginia; you’ve got to string together stops. The best way to score on them is in transition. You can’t score on them in transition if you’re taking the ball out of the net.”

In what has become a common theme for Colorado this season, the team struggled on the glass. West Virginia outrebounded the Buffs by 16. In the first half of the 12 missed shots, the Mountaineers secured offensive rebounds on half of them.

“We have to guard better,” Boyle said. “Because we hang our hat on defense and rebounding. The problem is there’s no hook there. There’s no hook to hang it on. West Virginia can hang their hat on their defense, and it showed tonight. We can’t. We can’t hang our hook on our rebounding; they can hang, that’s the bottom line.”

To keep the game close, the Buffs got out in transition, scoring 11 points compared to only five for West Virginia.

… Continue reading story here …

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Buffs taking on Mountaineers in CU’s first ever game in the state of West Virginia

From CUBuffs.com …

ABOUT THE MOUNTAINEERS: West Virginia is 11-6 overall 2-2 in the Big 12 and returns home to Morgantown after falling to No. 7 Houston on the road 77-48. The Mountaineers are averaging 73.2 points per game, shooting 45.1 percent from the field. West Virginia attempts 23.9 3-pointers a game and hitting 36.6 percent from long range, both numbers ranking sixth in the Big 12. Defensively, the Mountaineers are allowing 63.2 points per game, and have held opponents to 40.4 percent shooting. They are second in scoring defense in the Big 12 and seventh in the nation. They don’t accomplish that by forcing a high number of turnovers, they sit at 12.1 per game which is 11th in the Big 12. They force missed shots, their field goal percentage defense is fourth in the conference.

THE SERIES: This will be only the third meeting between Colorado and West Virginia on the hardwood. Both of the matchups came last season with the two teams splitting the series. The Mountaineers took the first game 78-70 in Boulder, but the Buffaloes claimed the rematch in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament 67-60. This will be Colorado’s first ever game in the state of West Virginia.

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January 15th 

… CU in the Arena … 

Same song, different venue in CU’s 77-68 loss to Cincinnati – “We lost this game in the first half, there’s no doubt about it”

From CUBuffs.com … A slow start doomed Colorado Wednesday night against Cincinnati, as the Buffaloes fell to the Bearcats, 77-68, at Fifth Third Arena.

Tad Boyle‘s Buffs fell to 12-5 and 2-2 in the Big 12 while the Bearcats improved to 9-8 and 1-3 in conference play.

The game mirrored the last outing against Texas Tech in Boulder. The Buffs got down big, this time as much as 21 early in the second half, and just like before, a furious run gave Colorado a chance.

Throughout the second half, Colorado chipped into the lead. Down 12 points with four minutes left, an 8-0 run cut the lead to four with 1:27 remaining. Cincinnati wouldn’t make another basket but hit nine free throws to ice the game and the fend off the Buffaloes’ comeback attempt.

“Cincinnati was the tougher team tonight, and that was evident from the jump,” Boyle said. “We wanted to really come out and be the ones to throw the first punch and get them on their heels, but they did to us, and we knew this was going to be a physical game. We knew they’d be aggressive. We lost this game in the first half, there’s no doubt about it.”

Freshman guard Isaiah Johnson led the team in scoring with 18 points, 16 coming in the second half. Bangot Dak added 12 points and a team-leading seven rebounds and four assists, while Barrington Hargress contributed 14 points.

Cincinnati was led by Baba Miller, who finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. Moustapha Thiam was the only other Bearcat in double figures and finished with 15 points to go along with two blocks and two steals.

Turnovers were the swing factor of the game. Colorado finished with 17 that led to 30 points for Cincinnati. That compares to only 10 turnovers that led to 18 points from the Bearcats.

“They’re (Cincinnati’s defense) in the ball, they’re showing hard on ball screens, they weren’t trapping, but they were getting their hands on passes,” Boyle commented on the turnovers. “We were getting passes deflected that turned into steals, so it was just their pressure. We knew the pressure was coming. We talked about it. You have to attack pressure, and you have to attack it under control. That’s how you end up with 17 turnovers, and they have 30 points off those, and that’s the game. It’s the points off turnovers. Their defense won the game, and our softness, which I’ve used that word, unfortunately, a lot with this team on offense, cost us the game.”

The Buffs outshot the Bearcats from the 3-point line, making seven on 35 percent shooting compared to only three makes on 19 percent for Cincinnati. But the Bearcats made 24 free throws to only 11 for Colorado to make up for the margin.

… Continue reading story here …

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January 14th

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs in Cincinnati for the first time since 1981 (5:00 p.m., MT, Peacock) 

From CUBuffs.com …

ABOUT THE BEARCATS: Cincinnati is 8-8 overall 0-3 in the Big 12, returning home after dropping two games on the road including a heartbreaking 73-72 loss to then No. 25 UCF. The Bearcats are averaging 73.6 points per game, shooting 42.5 percent from the field. Cincinnati attempts 28.5 3-pointers a game which ranks second in the Big 12, but only makes 31.1 percent which is last in the conference. Due to the high volume, Cincinnati makes 8.9 per game which is good for fourth in the Big 12. Defensively, the Bearcats are allowing 65.8 points per game, and have held opponents to 40.7 percent shooting. Cincinnati forces 14.6 turnovers per game, ranking fourth in the Big 12 to only 12.5 committed for a 2.1 turnover margin.

The Bearcats are led by senior forward Baba Miller who leads the team in scoring with 12.7 points per game. Miller controls the glass with 8.4 defensive rebounds per game which is second in the country and leads the Big 12. In total rebounds Miller averages 10.6 per game, good for ninth in the nation and second in the conference. Cincinnati has two other players who average double-digits in points: graduate guard Day Day Thomas (12.4) and sophomore center Moustapha Thiam (11.4). Thomas leads the team shooting 45.1 percent from 3-point range. His prolific shooting ranks fourth in the Big 12 and 17th in the country. He shoots that clip on 2.5 3-pointers a game which is the 10th most in the conference.

THE SERIES: This will be the 10th meeting between Colorado and Cincinnati and the second in 43 years. Cincinnati holds a 8-1 advantage, winning the first seven before the Buffaloes picked their lone win, 79-65, on Dec. 18, 1982, at the CU Events Center. Cincinnati has won all three matchups on its home court with the last win coming on Dec. 28, 1981, an 87-76 victory.

Colorado and Cincinnati met six times in the 1960s, an era where both program enjoyed success on a national level. The teams battled in consecutive NCAA Midwest Regional Finals in 1962 and ’63, with the Bearcats winning both over the reigning two-time Big Eight champions. Cincinnati’s 1962 team won its second-straight NCAA title and fell just short of a three-peat in 1963, falling to Loyola Chicago in the NCAA championship game.

… Continue reading story here …

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January 11th 

… CU in the Arena … 

CU’s furious rally against No. 14 Texas Tech comes up just short, with the Buffs falling, 73-71

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado staged a furious second half rally Saturday but the Buffaloes came up just short against Texas Tech, dropping an 73-71 decision at the CU Events Center.

Tad Boyle‘s Buffs fell to 12-4 and 2-1 in the Big 12, and the Red Raiders improved to 12-4, 2-1.

After trailing by as much as 24 points early in the second half, the Buffs, sparked by a 20-3 run, rallied back. Down five, Sebastian Rancik hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to two points. After getting a stop, Colorado had a chance to win the game on a Barrington Hargress 3-pointer, but the shot rimmed out.

“We had no timeout,” Hargress said on the final shot. “We were really focused on getting that stop and giving ourselves a chance to either put the game in overtime or get the win. We took care of that part. Then, Isaiah and I were looking to get a good shot up.”

Colorado was led by freshman Isaiah Johnson, who scored all of his 21 points in the second half and shot 13-13 at the free-throw line. Hargress scored 17 points, and Rancik added 13 points and eight rebounds.

Texas Tech had four players in double figures, led by Donovan Atwell, who made five 3-pointers. JT Toppin filled the stat sheet with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists. LeJuan Watts also had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

The stretch to end the first half and start the second led to a big deficit, but in the final 13 minutes of the game, Colorado outscored Texas Tech 36-15. In the first half, the Red Raiders made eight 3-pointers on 47.1%, but in the second half, they were held to 21.4% on three makes.

“We found out when we took our trip to Australia that we have a really competitive team that won’t budge for anything,” Boyle commented on the comeback. “It took us a while to wake up, and the biggest thing we talked about after the game was that if we can be that competitive team you guys saw in the last six minutes of the game, we can play with anybody. So, that really has to be our consistent approach.”

As has been a common problem so far this season, Texas Tech finished with 16 offensive rebounds and converted them into 10 second-chance points.

“This year’s Achilles heel is our inability to finish possessions,” Boyle said. “It’s not about winning and losing to me, I told myself that I’m not going to let my emotional state be dictated by wins and losses. I’m going to let my emotional state be dictated by how our team is executing, how we are, how we execute, and every game plan is to finish possessions when we get our stops. You don’t get an offensive rebound unless a shot goes up and doesn’t go in. So when they shoot it and it goes in, that’s a basket. There’s no offensive rebound when they shoot it and miss it. Now there’s either a defensive rebound or an offensive rebound. Our problem is too many offensive rebounds for the opponent, and it’s happened all year.”

… Continue reading story here …

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January 10th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs taking on No. 14 Texas Tech in “Gold Rush” game / Alec Burks to be honored

Texas Tech, Saturday, January 10, 2026
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 5:05 p.m. MT
Watch: CBS Sports Network (Chris Lewis, Chris Walker, Brandon Baylor) https://buffs.me/454HT3o
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 383, SXM App 973 https://sxm.app.link/SXM973
Live Statistics:http://statb.us/b/611127

ABOUT THE RED RAIDERS: Texas Tech is 11-4  overall 1-1 in the Big 12 and ranked No. 14 in the country, heading to Boulder after dropping its first conference game on the road to No. 7 Houston 69-65. The Red Raiders are averaging 83.7 points per game, shooting 46.8 percent from the field. Texas Tech attempts 29 3-pointers a game and makes them at a 37.7 percent clip, both numbers ranking second the Big 12. With the high percentage on that many attempts they make 10.9 per game which leads the conference and is 14th in the country. Defensively, the Red Raiders are allowing 73.3 points per game, and have held opponents to 44.3 percent shooting. Texas Tech averages 6.7 steals and 3.6 blocks per game and commits the second fewest turnovers in the Big 12 with 10.9 per game.

The Red Raiders are led by the duo of  junior forward JT Toppin and sophomore guard Christian Anderson. Toppin leads team with 20.9 points per game which ranks fourth in the conference and 20th in the nation and 10.9 rebounds per game which ranks second in the Big 12 and ninth in the nation. Anderson averages 19.6 points per game  and 7.5 assists per game which leads the Big 12 and is fourth in the country. Texas Tech has two other players who average double-digits in points: junior forward LeJuan Watts (13.4) and senior guard Donovan Atwell (11.4).  Atwell makes his presence known from beyond the arc. He has put up the third most 3-pointers in the Big 12 with 114 and has made 48 which is fourth in the conference and 27th in the country on 42.1 percent shooting which is seventh in the conference and 39th in the nation.

THE SERIES: This will be the 33rd meeting between Colorado and  Texas Tech and the first in Boulder since the Buffaloes’ departure to the Pac-12 in 2011. Colorado holds an 18-14 series lead, winning two of the last three played in Colorado. The last game in Boulder was a 101-90 Buffaloes win on Mar. 6, 2010. Colorado holds a 10-3 advantage in Boulder.

… Continue reading story here …

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January 8th

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs hold off Utah, 85-73, to open Big 12 play 2-0 – Tad Boyle: “The ceiling of this team is still higher than where we’re playing”

From CUBuffs.com …  Colorado’s Bangot Dak recorded his fourth career double-double, and the Buffaloes held off Utah down the stretch Wednesday to collect an 85-73 win at the CU Events Center, giving the Buffs a 2-0 start in the Big 12 for just the third time.

Tad Boyle‘s Buffs improved to 11-3 overall and 2-0 in Big 12 play. The Utes lost their third in a row, falling to 8-7, 0-2.

Dak finished the game with 16 points and tied his career-high with 12 rebounds, with three blocks and one steal for the game. Sebastian Rancik led the team with 19 points. Off the bench, Isaiah Johnson added 12 points, and Alon Michaeli tallied 10 points.

Don McHenery led the Utes with 24 points, and Terrance Brown added 16 points. After halftime, the Buffs held the scoring duo to only 10 points combined.

The Buffs led by 10 points at multiple points throughout the game, but couldn’t push the lead further. After Utah cut the lead to two points, 69-67 with 3:58 remaining, Colorado finished the game on a 16-6 run, playing strong on both sides of the ball to win by double-digits.

On defense, the Buffs used a zone defense more than they had at any point this season but held Utah to shooting 39.4% from the field and 31.3% from 3-point range.

“It helps us get into our press, try to speed their guards up, and to take some time off the clock, and then it’s just a different type of defense,” Rancik on the zone. “Like Coach [Boyle] always says, to play any defense, you just have to play hard. It’s the same as man, just a little of a different concept.”

A big difference came from the bench. Colorado outscored Utah 33-8 in bench points led by Johnson and Michaeli as well as nine points from Josiah Sanders.

“I think Josiah [Sanders], Jalin [Holland], Isaiah [Johnson], and Alon [Michaeli], those four guys coming off the bench are pretty darn good,” Boyle commented on the bench. “I think the depth of this team is one of the strengths of this team. Our bench is huge, and Isaiah is a big part of that, but he’s not the only part of that. I’m really pleased with him. I say this all the time, but the ceiling of this team is still higher than where we’re playing.”

New Director of Athletics Fernando Lovo attended his first official athletic event in front of Buff Nation and spoke to the faithful at halftime. He told the fans, “When we are united in our purpose and aligned in our vision, there is absolutely no limit to what we can achieve here. We’re going to lock arms shoulder to shoulder, and we’re going to have some fun. We’re going to win some games, win some championships, and we’re going to make this great state proud.”

… Continue reading story here …

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January 7th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs open Big 12 conference home slate against 8-8 Utah (7:00 p.m., MT, ESPN+)

From CUBuffs.com …

Utah, Wednesday, January 7, 2026
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 7:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke) https://buffs.me/4qi59Dm
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 381, SXM App 971 https://sxm.app.link/SXM971
Live Statistics:http://statb.us/b/611121

ABOUT THE UTES: Utah is 8-6 overall and heads to Boulder after dropping its first conference game at home to No. 1 Arizona 97-78. The Utes are averaging 80.9 points per game, shooting 47.0 percent from the field. Utah makes 15.9 free throw’s per game which ranks seventh in the Big 12. Defensively, the Utes are allowing 79.8 points per game, and have held opponents to 46.5 percent shooting. Utah forces 10.6 turnovers per game and allows teams to shoot 34 percent from the 3-point line.

Junior guard Terrence Brown leads the Utes at 21.8 points per game which ranks third in the Big 12 and 12th in the NCAA. Brown also leads the team with 4.1 assists per game, 1.86 steals per game, and 89 made free throws which lead the Big 12 and 14th in the country. The Utes have two other players who average double-digits in points: 5th year guard Don McHenry (18.1) and junior forward Keanu Dawes (12.4).  Dawes makes an impact on the defensive side of the ball with 7.0 defensive rebounds per game. He has the second most defensive rebounds per game in the Big 12 and 12th in the country so far this season.

THE SERIES: This will be the 64th meeting between Colorado and Utah with the Buffaloes holding a 35-28 advantage. Utah won the only matchup in 2025, a 72-59 decision in Salt Lake City. Colorado won two of three meetings in 2024 in the final year of the Pac-12. The teams split their regular season series, both winning at home. The Buffaloes won the rubber match with a 72-58 decision in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament. Colorado holds a 23-7 series lead in Boulder.

BD CAREER BLOCKS: With his next blocked shot, junior Bangot Dak will enter Colorado’s career top 20 in that category. He enters the Utah contest with 72 over 72 career games (1.0 bpg), just one behind Jermyl Jackson-Wilson (2006-09), currently in 20th place with 73. Dak is 13 blocks away from entering the top 15.

… Continue reading story here …

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January 3rd – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena …

Buffs bounce back with a road win in their Big 12 opener, take down Arizona State, 95-89

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s Barrington Hargress scored 17 points in the first half and Isaiah Johnson scored nine of the Buffaloes’ final 13 points to secure CU’s first Big 12 road win since rejoining the league last season.

Colorado snaps a two-game losing streak and improves to 11-3 on the season and opens 1-0 in the Big 12.  ASU falls to 9-4 overall and 0-1 in league play.

To clarify, it’s not CU’s first conference road win in that stretch, just in the Big 12, as CU was 0-10 a year ago in road league games.  CU did win the final two road conference games against the Oregon schools in the 2023-24 season. It’s the Buffs first win in a road conference opener since beating ASU back in the 2019-20season.

Johnson led the Buffs in scoring with 19 points, hitting 7-of-8 from the line and two from behind the arc.  Sebastian Rancik had a stellar game, as well, scoring 18 points, hitting 12-of-14 from the line, including the final two to ice the game.  Hargress’ 17 points in the first half allowed the Buffs to take a 48-38 lead into the break.

All nine Buffs that played scored four or more points, with Jalin Holland scoring seven, Felix Kossaras, Elijah Malone and Alon Michaeli six apiece and Josiah Sanders rounded it out with four points.

Dak added 10 rebounds for his third career double-double, and Sanders led the way with five assists in the game.  Sanders and Johnson each had two steals, Johnon’s second one key in the final minute of the game, and Rancik added six rebounds and led the way with two blocks.

In a physical game that saw 49 fouls called between the two teams, the Buffs used a 13-3 run mid way through the first half to turn a tied game (14-14) into a 27-17 lead.  The Buffs held that lead in double figures into the second half before ASU began to chip away, briefly taking two leads late in the game before Johnson had his late flurry of points to allow the Buffs to hang on for the victory.

… Continue reading story here …

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Buffs looking to bounce back in first Big 12 road game (at Arizona State, 3:00 p.m., MT, ESPN2)

From CUBuffs.com …

Arizona State, Saturday, January 3, 2026
Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz.
Tip: 3:05 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN2 (Dave Pasch, Sean Farnham) https://buffs.me/493gG3z
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 391, SXM App 981 https://sxm.app.link/SXM981
Live Statistics: https://buffs.me/3MZGk0A

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado enters the Big 12 Conference portion of its schedule with a record of 10-3. The 10 wins during the nonconference season are the most for the Buffaloes since the 2019-20 season (11-2).

After an 8-0 start, Colorado’s best in 76 years, the Buffaloes have dropped their last two and three of their last five, coming off an 86-81 setback against Northern Colorado on Dec. 28. Colorado, which was 9-2 during the nonconference schedule a year ago, didn’t win its 10th game last season until Feb. 15.

Colorado’s offense has been strong during nonconference play, ranking among the nation’s best in several categories. The Buffaloes are 26th in the nation in field goal shooting at 50 percent, which also ranks third in the Big 12 Conference. Colorado is 41st in the nation, and fifth in the Big 12, in 3-point percentage (.377).

ABOUT THE SUN DEVILS: Arizona State is 9-4 overall and starts conference play on a two-game losing streak after falling to a Oregon State 78-75 at home and UCLA 90-77 on the road. The Sun Devils are averaging 80.0 points per game, shooting 46.4 percent from the field. ASU has been solid at getting to the free throw line, they are second in the Big 12 in free throw attempts per game with 25.5. Defensively, the Sun Devils are allowing 75.2 points per game, and have held opponents to 43.8 percent shooting. Arizona State has had success taking care of the ball with a 3.2 turnover margin which is fifth in the Big 12.

Senior guard Moe Odom leads the Sun Devil’s at 16.2 points per game. Odom also is third in the Big 12 with 6.2 assists per game, that ranks 19th in the NCAA. The Sun Devils have two other players who average double-digits in points: senior guard Anthony Johnson (13.6) and freshman center Massamba Diop (13.2).  Diop makes an impact on the defensive side of the ball with1.46 blocks per game. He has the 10th most total blocks in the Big 12 so far this season.

THE SERIES: This will be the 31st meeting between Colorado and Arizona State with the Buffaloes holding a 16-14 edge in the series. The Sun Devil’s took both games last season in the first meetings in the Big 12. Arizona State holds a 10-4 advantage in Tempe although three of those Colorado wins have come in the last five trips

… Read full story here …

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December 28th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Bad omen? Buffs fall to Northern Colorado, 86-81, in final non-conference game

From CUBuffs.com …  Colorado’s defense collapsed in the second half Sunday as the Buffaloes gave up 49 points after halftime, allowing Northern Colorado to take an 86-81 win at the CU Events Center in the final nonconference game of the season for both teams..

Tad Boyle‘s Buffs dropped their second straight game to fall to 10-3 while Northern Colorado improved to 10-3.

After starting the game ice cold on the offensive end, the Buffs, led by freshman guard Isaiah Johnson’s 19 first-half points, kept the game close at the break, but the defense went away in the second half. The Bears shot 73.9% from the field after halftime, only missing six shots in the second half.

“In the first half we were 5 for 22 at the rim,” Boyle said. “To get 22 shots at the rim in a half is really good. That means you’re getting the ball inside. You’re getting shots at the rim, that’s what you want as a coach. Now, when you don’t finish those it’s tough, and we didn’t finish the ball well tonight, and that shows up in our field goal percentage. We shot 39% from the field. They shot 52%. I asked myself, ‘How’s it a five point game?’ I feel like we should have lost by 25 with those numbers, but they shot 73.9% in the second half. You ain’t beating anybody doing that.”

Colorado still had a chance to force overtime, trailing by three points with 23 seconds left. The Buffs got two looks from deep by Sebastian Rancik, followed by Johnson, but both shots drew iron; the Bears rebounded and hit two more free throws to finish the scoring.

Johnson finished the game as the Buffs’ leading scorer with a career-high 25 points and added eight rebounds. Three other players reached double figures with 18 from Barrington Hargress, 16 from Bangot Dak, and 14 from Rancik.

Quinn Denker was the game’s leading scorer with 33 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, filling up the stat sheet.

Coupled with the second half defensive struggles, UNC made 11 3-pointers on 52% from deep to only seven on 30% for the Buffs.

“We need to stick to our principles,” Hargress said. “We’re letting teams shoot 21 threes and hit 11. They hit 11 tonight. So we want to keep it to 6. Allowing teams too much freedom and not making their best players feel uncomfortable. 33 (Egan Sheilds) with six free throws, so I mean, he was getting to his spots whenever, we’ve got to be better with just being disruptive.”

… Continue reading story here …

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CU taking on Northern Colorado in final non-conference game 

From CUBuffs.com …

ABOUT THE BEARS: Northern Colorado is 9-3 overall and heads to Boulder on a two-game losing streak after falling to a different in-state rival Denver, 86-79 at home and No. 19 ranked Texas Tech on the road 101-90. The Bears are averaging 86.9 points per game, shooting 50.7 percent from the field, both of which lead the Big Sky Conference. UNC has been solid at sharing the basketball, leading the Big Sky in assists per game with 18.2 per night, which is also 35th in the country. Defensively, the Bears are allowing 75.8 points per game, and have held opponents to 45.7 percent shooting. UNC is also toward the top of the Big Sky in team 3-point defense, holding teams to just 28.5 percent from deep.

Graduate guard Quinn Denker leads the Bears at 17.3 points per game which ranks third in the Big Sky. Denker also leads the Big Sky in assists per game with 6.1, which is 22nd in the nation. The Bears have two other players who average double-digits in points: senior forward Brock Wisne (16.8) and graduate guard Zach Bloch (13.3). Bloch has made a name for himself as a 3-point shooter. He leads the conference and is fourth in the country at 51.9 percent from deep. He makes 3.33 3-pointers a game which leads the conference and is 20th in the NCAA.

THE SERIES: This will be the 44th meeting between Colorado and Northern Colorado in a series that dates back to a 35-20 Buffaloes win on Jan. 25, 1918. Colorado holds a 25-18 edge in the series and has won the last 13. All 18 of UNC’s wins in the series came in the 1920s and 1930s when the schools were rivals in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Buffaloes won three-straight during the 1936-37 and 1937-38 seasons as Colorado was transitioning over to the Mountain States Conference and putting the series on a 41-year hiatus. The series resumed for one game – a 78-56 CU win on Dec. 16, 1978 – before another 25-year pause. The two teams have met nine times since 2004, including a 90-88 double overtime Colorado win on Nov. 8, 2024. Head coach Tad Boyle is 7-0 against UNC, the program he coached from 2006-10.

… Read full story here …

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December 21st 

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs fall to Stanford, 77-68, in Hall of Fame game: “We got punked tonight. Really disappointing”

From the Daily Camera … With the semester break in full swing, the Colorado men’s basketball team traveled to Phoenix one day earlier than it normally would for a road trip to escape the brutal winds that have been pummeling the Front Range.

The extra day in the desert heat didn’t prevent the Buffaloes from going ice cold. Or from getting pummeled by Stanford.

CU suffered through its worst turnover game of the season, was outrebounded for the first time this season, and endured a cold-shooting second half. It all proved far too much to overcome, as the Buffs suffered a 77-68 defeat against Stanford on Saturday night in the Naismith Hall of Fame Series.

The Buffs had won the final seven matchups against the Cardinal before the programs left the Pac-12 Conference, but it was Stanford that prevailed in the teams’ first neutral-floor matchup in 74 years.

CU had outrebounded nine of its first 11 foes and were even on the glass in the other two, but Stanford posted a 35-28 rebounding advantage despite the Buffs owning a plus-four rebounding edge at halftime.

“We got punked tonight. I don’t think there’s any other way you can say it,” CU head coach Tad Boyle said. “You don’t have to look at anything more than just the rebounding column to see why Stanford won and Colorado lost. Really disappointing. I’ve been saying this for while, we’ve been just trying to outscore people all year long. And we’ve done a good job of that for the most part. Until we have the mindset and the toughness to grind out a game like this…we’re not there yet, because we can’t guard and we can’t rebound.”

Stanford had only three offensive rebounds at halftime but added nine more in the second half, which was two more than CU recorded for the entire game. Stanford became the fifth team in the past seven games to record at least 10 offensive rebounds against the Buffs, and that led to a 12-9 advantage on second-chance points.

CU also committed a season-high 18 turnovers, getting whistled for three traveling calls in the first half to dampen what otherwise was a strong opening frame for the Buffs, who shot .519 before halftime while taking a 35-33 lead at the break. The Cardinal finished with a lopsided 23-6 advantage on points off turnovers.

… Continue reading story here …

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December 20th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs take on Stanford (8-2) in Hall of Fame tournament in Phoenix (6:00 p.m., MT, ESPNU)

From CUBuffs.com …

Stanford, Saturday, December 20, 2025
Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, Ariz.
Tip: 6:05 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPNU (Roxy Bernstein, Corey Williams) https://buffs.me/4jfTp1O
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 382, SXM App 972 https://sxm.app.link/SXM972
Live Statistics:http://statb.us/b/610259

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 10-1 overall, winners of its last two after an 84-73 decision over Portland State on Dec. 17 at the CU Events Center. The Buffaloes are off to their best start through 11 games since the 2015-16 team was also 10-1 en route to an 11-1 start. Colorado, which was 9-2 during the nonconference schedule a year ago, didn’t win its 10th game last season until Feb. 15.

Colorado’s offense has been strong during nonconference play, ranking among the nation’s best in several categories. The Buffaloes are 17th in the nation in 3-point shooting at 39.7 percent, while also not relying on that shot. Colorado is attempting the 26th-fewest 3-pointers in the nation at only 18.1 per game.

Overall, the Buffaloes are shooting 51.5 percent from the field, ranking third in the Big 12 Conference and 18th in the country. Colorado is averaging 88.0 points per game, ranking fifth in the Big 12 and 32nd in the nation.

ABOUT THE CARDINAL: Stanford is 9-2 overall and heads to Phoenix on a two-game winning streak after beating UT Arlington 76-60 at home. The Cardinal are averaging 81.7 points per game, shooting 44.5 percent from the field. Stanford has been solid getting to the foul line, leading the Atlantic Coast Conference in free throw attempts with 25.6 per game. Defensively, the Cardinal are allowing 72.0 points per game, and have held opponents to 46.2 percent shooting. Stanford is also toward the top of the ACC in turnovers forced, ranking third at 15.0 per game.

Freshman guard Ebuka Okorie leads the Cardinal at 21.0 points per game which ranks second in the ACC and 18th in the entire country. Okorie also leads Stanford in minutes per game, field goal percentage,  and assist-to-turnover ratio. The Cardinal have three other players who average double-digits in points: Chisom Okpara (15.4), Benny Gealer (11.0), and AJ Rohosy (10.5).  Graduate forward Rohosy leads the team on the glass with 68 total rebounds this season. Gealer is the top 3-point shooter, making 2.36 per game, the ninth most in the ACC.

THE SERIES:  This will be the 32nd meeting between Colorado and Stanford with the Buffaloes holding a 20-11 series lead. Colorado dominated the series during the Buffaloes 13-year run in the Pac-12, winning 17 of the 21 meetings from 2012-24, including the final seven. Stanford has the advantage two neutral court meetings. The first was a 46-35 decision in the 1942 NCAA Final Four in Kansas City. The other neutral site meeting was also in Kansas City, on Dec. 29, 1951, in the Big Seven Christmas Tournament, a 62-60 Stanford win.

… Read full story here …

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December 18th 

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs struggle to take down Portland State, 84-73, before a crowd of 101: “A good win in a very unique environment”

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado freshman Isaiah Johnson scored 20 points off the bench and helped spur a late 11-2 run that lifted the Buffaloes to a hard-fought 84-73 win over Portland State Wednesday evening at the CU Events Center.

Due to high winds, power outages throughout Boulder and the surrounding area, as well as potentially hazardous road conditions, the decision was made by CU Athletics and the CU Division of Public Safety to play tonight’s game without fans. The announced attendance of 101 fans consisted of family and friends of players from both teams.

“Kind of a weird night tonight for the Buffaloes,” CU Coach Tad Boyle said. “It took me back a few years ago when we played in this building with hardly anybody here — except there weren’t even as many fans as there were tonight. It was basically just some employees and family friends.

“It was a good win in a very unique environment, more like a scrimmage than a basketball game. But we beat a good team — that’s a good basketball team we beat — so you’ve got to take that, be proud of it, and move on.”

Bangot Dak had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and Alon Michaeli was one point shy with nine points and 10 rebounds of his own.  Barrington Hargress scored 15 points and Sebastian Rancik 12 to hit double figures.  Seven Buffs had seven or more points with Josiah Sanders scoring nine points and Felix Kossaras seven.

Hargress dished out six assists and Rancik led the defensive effort with four steals.  Hargress and Johnson both added three steals and Dak led the team with two blocked shots.

Colorado trailed the first 12 minutes of the game and except for a 17 second span late in the first half, never trailed after that point, but were also unable to build a double-digit lead until the final minutes of the game.  The majority of the second half was played with CU holding a two to five point advantage.

“We finally got some stops strung together down the stretch, and that allowed us to take it from two or three points to eight or 10, and then we were able to hold them off,” Boyle said.

The Vikings were led by Jaylin Henderson and Terri Miller Jr., who scored 23 and 16 points, respectively, and at one point in the second half scored 18 of 20 of the Vikings points to keep them in the game.

… Continue reading story here …

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December 17th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs taking on Portland State (without fans) (7:00 p.m., MT, ESPN+)

From CUBuffs.com … Due to high winds, power outages around Boulder, and potentially hazardous road conditions, tonight’s men’s basketball game against Portland State will be played without fans. If you are planning on attending tonight’s game, the CU Events Center will not be open.

Fans with paid tickets to tonight’s game will be issued a single-use promo code by end of day Monday, December 22 for tickets to the game against University of Northern Colorado on December 28 at 1 p.m. For questions about tickets, please contact cutix@colorado.edu

The game will be broadcast at 7 p.m. on ESPN+ and on KOA Radio 850 AM and 94.1 FM.

Tip: 7:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Jerry Schemmel)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 385, SXM App 975
Live Statistics: http://statb.us/b/611114

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 9-1 overall after rebounding from its first loss of the season, defeating UTSA, 88-64, on Dec. 13 at the CU Events Center. The Buffaloes are off to their best start through 10 games since the 2015-16 team was also 9-1 en route to an 11-1 start.

Colorado’s offense has been strong during nonconference play, ranking among the nation’s best in several categories. The Buffaloes are third in the nation in 3-point shooting at 41.8 percent, while also not relying on that shot. Colorado is attempting the 24th-fewest 3-pointers in the nation at only 17.9 per game.

Overall, the Buffaloes are shooting 51.8 percent from the field, ranking second in the Big 12 Conference and 14th in the country. Colorado is averaging 88.4 points per game, ranking fifth in the Big 12 and 31st in the nation.

ABOUT THE VIKINGS: Portland State is 6-3 overall and comes to Boulder after beating George Fox 94-50 at home. The Vikings are averaging 83.1 points per game, shooting 48.7 percent from the field. Portland State has been solid on the offensive glass, leading the Big Sky Conference in offensive rebounds with 13.6 per game.

Defensively, the Vikings are allowing 69.8 points per game, and have held opponents to 40.6 percent shooting which leads the Big Sky and ranks 70th in the nation. Portland State is also the Big Sky’s top team in turnovers forced with 14.6 per game.

Senior forward Teri Miller Jr. leads the Vikings at 17.5 points per game, and senior guard Jaylin Henderson is right behind averaging 17.0 points per game. The duo accounts for 34.5 points a night which is about 40 percent of the Vikings offense. Henderson leads the conference and ranks 15th in the nation in assists at 6.4 per game. Senior center Tre-Vaughn Minott controls the offensive glass with 3.8 offensive rebounds a game, good for 15th in the country and first in the conference. Two other players average double digits for the Vikings with Minott having 11.1 and junior guard Keyon Kensie Jr. with 10.3.

THE SERIES: This will be the first meeting between the Buffs and the Vikings.

… Continue reading story here …

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December 13th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs roll past UTSA, 88-64, to run record to 9-1: “We have to do a better job of finishing”

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado used a big second-half run to post an 88-64 win over UTSA Saturday afternoon at the CU Events Center.

Rebounding from last week’s loss to Colorado State, Tad Boyle‘s Buffs improved to 9-1 overall — 7-0 at home — while the Roadrunners dropped to 4-6.

After a close first half, Colorado figured it out in the second, behind senior guard Barrington Hargress, who scored 10 of his season-high 23 points in the final 20 minutes. Two other Buffs reached double figures with Sebastian Rancik adding 15 points and Bangot Dak scoring 10 of his own.

“Just the aggression, and then our teammates were being very open with one more [pass] so it was big,” Hargress said on his big scoring game. “Teams have played me a little bit loose from three lately, so I wanted to be aggressive, and I feel like I’ve been shooting it well in practice. So I was aggressive today.”

Colorado used an extended 17-3 run to take control of the game in the second half. A Josiah Sanders fastbreak layup at the 12:39 mark pushed the Buffs’ lead to 61-42, and the Roadrunners never cut the deficit below 15 again.

The Buffs controlled the game inside and on the break, outscoring UTSA 42-28 on points in the paint and 23-5 on fastbreak points. They also outrebounded the Roadrunners 48-34.

“We were plus (14) on the glass,” Boyle said. “We held them under 40% from the field, those are two important numbers for us. We got like 50% of our misses in offensive rebounds. I know in the first half we had 11 offensive rebounds and only four second chance points, I think we only had eight, but we got 50% of our rebounds, which means we got more possessions. That’s a good thing, so we have to do a better job of finishing when we get offensive rebounds, whether that’s going back up with it or kicking it out for a three, because that’s the best time to get a three. So we’ll figure that out as we watch the film, but overall, I was really on our guys about not offensive rebounding against Colorado State. We were much better tonight.”

Defensively, Colorado improved drastically from its previous outing against Colorado State, holding UTSA to 39.1% shooting on 25-of-64 shots and 33.3% from deep while forcing 16 turnovers, 10 of which came in the first half.

Jamir Simpson led the way for UTSA with 19 points, six rebounds, and five assists.

… Continue reading story here …

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Buffs looking to rebound against UTSA 

From CUBuffs.com …

UTSA, Saturday, December 13, 2025
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 2:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke) https://buffs.me/4a9tzdj
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Jerry Schemmel)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 391, SXM App 981 https://sxm.app.link/SXM981
Live Statistics:http://statb.us/b/611125
Series Record: CU Leads, 4-0 (1.000)
Last Meeting: W, 92-77  (December 22, 1995 at Boulder, Colo.)
Streak: Won 4       Last 10 Meetings: 4-0

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 8-1 overall, falling for the first time this season with a 91-86 setback at Colorado State on Dec. 6. Despite the loss, the Buffaloes are off to their best start through nine games since the 2018-19 team also began 8-1.

Colorado won its first eight games in a season for the first time in 76 years. The 8-0 start tied for the second-best in school history, last achieved in the 1949-50 season.

Colorado’s offense has been strong during nonconference play, ranking among the nation’s best in several categories. The Buffaloes are fourth in the nation in 3-point shooting at 41.0 percent, while also not relying on that shot. Colorado is attempting the 16th-fewest 3-pointers in the nation at only 17.3 per game.

Overall, the Buffaloes are shooting 52.1 percent from the field, ranking third in the Big 12 Conference and 13th in the country. Colorado shot an impressive 62.1 percent from the field at Colorado State, the highest percentage in a loss since the Buffaloes shot 64.5 percent (20-31) at Oklahoma on Jan. 21, 1978. Colorado’s 62.1 percent from the field was the best on the road since shooting 66.7 percent at Texas Tech in a 70-62 win on Dec. 28, 1985.

Colorado is averaging 88.4 points per game, ranking fifth in the Big 12 and 30th in the nation. The Buffaloes scored 86 at Colorado State, their most on the road in regulation since scoring 98 at Washington on Jan. 24, 2024. It’s the most in a loss, in regulation, since a 95-90 setback at Iowa State on March 2, 2011.

ABOUT THE ROADRUNNERS: UTSA is 4-5 overall and comes to Boulder on a two-game skid following a 97-55 setback at No. 12 Alabama on Dec. 7. The Roadrunners are averaging 72.6 points per game, shooting just under 40 percent from the field. UTSA has been solid on the boards, ranking 24th in the nation in rebounds at 42.2 per game. Defensively, the Roadrunners are allowing 71.1 points per game, and have held opponents to 38.1 shooting which leads the American Athletic Conference and ranks 23rd in the nation. UTSA is also the AAC’s top 3-point defensive team allowing just 28.5 percent.

Graduate guard Jamir Simpson leads the Roadrunners at 18.8 points per game, accounting for one-quarter of the team’s scoring. He leads UTSA with 27 3-pointers and is one of four Roadrunners with at least 10 steals. Six players average between seven and nine points for the Roadrunners. Freshman guard Dorian Hayes is second on the team in scoring at 8.7 points per game and 3-pointers (22). Junior guard Austin Nunez tops the Roadrunners in assists (22) and averages 8.6 points per game. Freshman forward Kaidon Rayfield leads UTSA in rebounds at 7.1 per game while pitching in 7.8 per contest.

THE SERIES: This will be the fifth meeting between Colorado and UTSA and the first in 30 years. The Buffaloes have won all four previous meetings, the last a 92-77 decision at the CU Events Center on Dec. 22, 1995.

… Read full story here …

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December 6th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs fall from the ranks of the undefeated with tough 91-86 loss to Colorado State

From the Daily Camera … For the second straight visit to Colorado State, the Colorado men’s basketball team found itself in an epic battle.

And for the second consecutive time, the Buffaloes fell just short.

CSU’s Kyle Jorgensen recorded a go-ahead three-point play with 1 minute, 18 seconds remaining and Rams guard Josh Pacarelli capped his big game with a clutch late jumper, leading the Rams to a 91-86 victory Saturday afternoon at Moby Arena.

It was the first loss for the Buffs, who fell to 8-1, and their second consecutive road loss at CSU.

Colorado State led 48-41 at halftime and pushed its lead to 13 points before the Buffs caught fire, scoring 16 consecutive points in what turned into an 18-1 run. The teams traded leads down the stretch, but after Isaiah Johnson gave CU an 85-83 lead with 1:46 left, Jorgensen’s three-point play retook the lead for the Rams for good.

Jorgensen also knocked down two free throws with 21 seconds to play.

Pascarelli finished 8-for-10 on 3-pointers with 26 points.

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Undefeated Buffs take to the road to face 6-2 CSU (3:00 p.m., MT, CBS Sports Network)

From CUBuffs.com …

Game 9 – Colorado State, Saturday, December 6, 2025
Moby Arena, Fort Collins, Colo.
Tip: 3:05 p.m. MT
Watch: CBS Sports Network (Jack Gordon, Tre Demps)
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 387, SXM App 977
Live Statistics: https://buffs.me/4oCCfMR

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 8-0 for the first time in 76 years after rallying to defeat California Baptist 78-70 on Dec. 1 at the CU Events Center. The 8-0 start is tied for the second-best in school history, last achieved in the 1949-50 season. The Buffaloes still have a way to go to reach the all-time record. Colorado’s 1941-42 team started the season 14-0 en route to its first of the program’s two NCAA Final Four appearances.

Colorado’s offense has been strong during its winning streak, ranking second in the Big 12 Conference in 3-point shooting (.416) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8), third in overall field goal percentage (.509) and fourth in scoring (88.8 ppg). The Buffaloes are sixth in the nation in 3-point percentage and 19th in assist-to-turnover ratio.

The Buffaloes have also gotten to the free throw line in bunches. Colorado’s 21.9 free throws made rank eighth and 29.1 attempts per game rank 11th on the early-season NCAA Division I leaderboard.

ABOUT THE RAMS: Colorado State is 6-2 overall, winning two of three games at the Battle 4 Atlantis event in the Bahamas last week. The Rams are a great offensive team, averaging 84.0 points per game. CSU leads the nation in 3-point shooting, hitting on 45 percent of its attempts from deep. The Rams are third in the country in free throw shooting at 81.4 percent.

Sophomore forward Kyle Jorgensen leads Colorado State at 14.9 points per game, hitting 64.4 percent from the field and 52.0 percent from 3-point range. The Rams’ top three scorers are within six points of each other. Junior guard Josh Pascarelli is averaging 14.4 points per game and leads the team with 27 3-pointers made. Junior forward Carey Booth averages 14.1 points and tops the Rams in rebounding at 7.4 per game.

THE SERIES: This will be the 133rd meeting between Colorado and Colorado State with the Buffaloes holding a commanding 93-39 series lead. Colorado has won four of the last five encounters, including a 72-55 decision nearly one year ago in Boulder on Dec. 7, 2024. Colorado State won the last meeting at Moby Arena, and 88-83 classic on Nov. 29, 2023, in a match up of two eventual NCAA Tournament teams. Colorado holds an 37-29 all-time series advantage in Fort Collins.

… Read full story here …

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December 2nd

… CU in the Arena …

Buffs overcome double-digit first half deficit, down previously undefeated Cal Baptist, 78-70

From CUBuffs.com … A 16-0 Colorado run spanning more than seven minutes in the second half enabled the Buffaloes to fend off a feisty Cal Baptist squad 78-70 Monday night at the CU Events Center.

In the only Division I match-up of the day between undefeated teams, the Buffs were the ones able to improve to 8-0 on the season, hitting that mark for the first time in 76 years since the 1949-50 season.  The Lancers fell to 7-1 on the season.

“They’re a well coached team,” CU coach Tad Boyle said. “Obviously, they’re 7-0 coming in here, just like we were. We were lucky to get out of here with a win, we were not ready to play from the get go, for whatever reason.  I knew how good they were, Coach (Danny) Manning did the scout, he knew how good they were, but I don’t think our players, for some reason, were ready to play.”

Isaiah Johnson led the way offensively for the Buffs with 17 points, regularly getting to the free throw line where he hit 9-of-11 from the stripe.  Four Buffs hit double figures with Sebastian Rancik and Barrington Hargress both scoring 12 points and Alon Michaeli 11.  Defensively, CU was paced by Bangot Dak, who struggled a bit offensively but had eight rebounds and a pair of blocks.

The Buffs, averaging over 90 points per game, managed to hit the 78-point mark despite scoring just nine points in the first 12 minutes of the game.  CBU built a 14-point first half lead before CU cut it to just two at the half, 34-32.

“I don’t know how, I’ll have to watch it, but I don’t know how we were down two at halftime,” Boyle said. “I felt like we should’ve been down 20 if we play like that. I’d rather learn from wins than losses, but each game gets a little tougher, and we haven’t played in a true road environment since Australia over the summer, but we’re sure going to get one Sunday (at CSU).”

Even after CU’s 16-0 run opened up a 12-point lead with 5 minutes to play, Cal Baptist would not got away, as they quickly cut the lead to five points less than a minute later, 64-59.  The Lancers’ Dominque Daniels Jr. wouldn’t go out without a fight, as he hit a 3-pointer with 2:11 left and a layup with 1:22 left to make it a four point game with just over a minute left before CU was able to hit all six of its free throws in the final 31 seconds of the game to hold on for the win.

… Continue reading story here …

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December 1st – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs taking on dangerous (7-0) California Baptist (7:00 p.m., MT, ESPN+)

… Buffs are one of 25 undefeated teams remaining in college basketball (along with California Baptist). In the latest polls, CU received one vote in both the AP and in the coaches poll … 

From CUBuffs.com …

California Baptist, Monday, December 1, 2025
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 7:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke) https://buffs.me/3XWWhXg
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Jerry Schemmel)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 385, SXM App 975
Live Statistics:http://statb.us/b/611113

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 7-0 for the first time in six years after claiming the 2025 Acrisure Holiday Classic title in Palm Desert, Calif. The Buffaloes defeated San Francisco in the first game, 79-69 on Nov. 27, and then just over 24 hours later defeated former conference rival Washington, 81-68, for its ninth multi-team event preseason tournament and first since 2019-20.

Overall the seven-game winning streak is Colorado’s best since an eight-game run at the tail end of the 2023-24 season where the Buffaloes set the single-school record for wins with 26. Colorado will be looking for its first 8-0 start to a season since 1949-50.

Colorado’s offense has been clicking, ranking third in the Big 12 Conference in scoring and field goal percentage and first in assist-to-turnover ratio. The Buffaloes are averaging 90.3 points per game, the 31st best mark in the nation. Colorado is 11th in NCAA Division I in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9) and 25th in field goal percentage (.516).

ABOUT THE LANCERS: California Baptist is 7-0, the best start to a season in the program’s NCAA Division I era. CBU started off a five-game road trip in fine fashion, defeating Oregon State, 75-69 on Nov. 29. The Lancers will also face BYU and Utah on this trip. CBU averages 75.4 points on 45 percent shooting. The Lancers are one of the best rebounding teams in the nation, ranking fourth in the country in rebounding margin (+14.3) and 17th in offensive rebounds at 15.0 per game. CBU allows 63 points per game, ranking 18th in the nation.

Graduate guard Dominique Daniels Jr leads California Baptist at 17.8 points and 4.5 assists per game. Senior guard Martel Williams averages 15.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Williams led the Lancers against Oregon State with 19 points. CBU has five players averaging at least five rebounds per game led by Thomas Ndong (7.3 rpg) and Jonathan Griman (7.0 rpg).

THE SERIES: This will be the first meeting between Colorado and California Baptist.

… Read full story here …

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November 28th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs blow 17-point halftime lead; recover to defeat Washington, 81-68, to run season record to 7-0

From ESPN … Bangot Dak had 15 points and 11 rebounds, four teammates reached double digits in scoring, and Colorado defeated Washington 81-68 on Friday in the championship game of the Acrisure Holiday Classic.

Isaiah Johnson scored 13 points, Alon Michaeli 12, and Sebastian Rancik and Felix Kossaras 11 each for the Buffaloes (7-0). Barrington Hargress had eight assists.

Quimari Peterson scored 18 points for Washington (5-2) and Desmond Claude added 14 points.

Colorado led throughout the first half and the score was 47-30 at halftime. Washington scored the first seven points in the second half. A couple of minutes later a 15-1 run by the Huskies tied the score at 52 with about 11 1/2 minutes left but the Huskies never took the lead.

Kossaras hit two 3-pointers for the Buffaloes, helping them go ahead 62-55 and moments later a 6-0 run had the Buffs back in charge, 72-61. The Huskies were 4 for 13 shooting and attempted only two free throws in the final eight minutes.

In the opening minutes of the game, Colorado scored the first seven points and also led 11-2.

A layup by Rancik made it 20-9 with 12 1/2 minutes remaining in the half and Colorado led by double digits the rest of the half. Colorado outshot Washington 55%-28% in the first half.

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November 27th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena …

Isaiah Johnson scores 17; Barrington Hargress 15 as CU defeats San Francisco, 79-69

From ESPN … Isaiah Johnson scored 17 points, Barrington Hargress added 15 points and Colorado beat San Francisco 79-69 on Thursday in the Acrisure Holiday Classic.

Johnson completed a three-point play with 11:47 remaining to give Colorado the lead for good at 54-51. Sebastian Rancik added a 3-pointer at 5:24 for the first double-digit lead of the game at 71-61.

Hargress made a contested shot in the lane while being fouled and he added the free throw to give Colorado a 74-66 lead with 2:22 left. Hargress added a jumper from the free-throw line with 1:19 left for a nine-point lead and he threw a lob to Bangot Dak on Colorado’s next possession to make it 78-67.

Elijah Malone and six-foot-11 Bangot Dak each had 13 points for Colorado (6-0), which is off to its best start since the 2019-20 squad opened 7-0.

Junjie Wang and Ryan Beasley scored 13 points apiece for San Francisco (5-2). Tyrone Riley IV added 12 points and Guillermo Diaz Graham 10.

Wang scored 10 points in the first half to help San Francisco take a 37-35 lead at the break.

Up next

Colorado: Advances to the championship game on Friday against the winner of Washington vs. Nevada.

San Francisco: Faces the loser on Friday.

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Buffs (5-0) a 1.5-point underdog to University of San Francisco (5-1) at Holiday tournament 

From CUBuffs.com …

 San Francisco, Thursday, November 27, 2025
Acrisure Arena, Palm Desert, Calif.
Tip: 12:05 p.m. MT
Watch: CBS Sports Network (Justin Kutcher, BJ Taylor)
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 387, SXM App 977
Live Statistics:http://statb.us/b/608084

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 5-0 for the first time in six years after its 95-79 win over UC Davis on Nov. 21, which capped off a five-game home stand to open the season. The Buffaloes will be looking to move to 6-0 for the first time since the 2019-20 team won their first seven.

Colorado’s offense has been clicking, leading the Big 12 Conference in scoring, field goal percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio. The Buffaloes are averaging 94.4 points per game, the 13th best mark in the nation. Colorado is 18th in NCAA Division I in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9) and eighth in field goal percentage (.534).

For the first time in school history, Colorado has scored at least 80 points in each of the first five games of a season. The 1985-86 season was the only time the Buffaloes had scored at least 80 in the first four.

Colorado has scored at least 90 points in the last four games. It’s the first time the Buffaloes have scored at least 90 in four straight since the 2023-24 team did it four times in mid December that season.

ABOUT THE DONS: San Francisco is 5-1 overall and has won its last four, including a 77-65 win over Minnesota on Nov. 22 in a neutral site game in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Dons average 80.7 points per game, shooting 48.3 percent from the field. USF averages 10.5 3-pointers per game, leading the West Coast Conference and ranking 40th in the nation. The Dons are 17th in the country in 3-point percentage (.412). Defensively, the Dons allow 65.3 points per game while opponents shoot 38.3 percent. Like Colorado, USF gets good production from its bench at 39.2 points per game.

Junior guard Ryan Beasley leads San Francisco at 16.0 points per game shooting 51.9 percent from the field. Junior forward Mookie Cook averages 13.3 points and 5.8 rebounds off the bench while shooting 63.3 percent. Junior David Fuchs is USF’s top rebounder at 6.5 per game while pitching in 10.3 points on 52.9 percent shooting.

THE SERIES: This will be the sixth meeting between Colorado and San Francisco with the Dons holding a 3-2 edge. It’s the first meeting since Dec. 3, 2014, when the Buffaloes took a 72-55 decision in Boulder. The most notable game in series history happened on March 18, 1955, in NCAA Final Four semifinal game. Led by the legendary Bill Russell, San Francisco defeated the Buffaloes 62-50 en route to the 1955 NCAA championship.

PRESEASON TOURNAMENTS: Colorado has won eight preseason tournaments – also called MTE’s or multi-team events – most recently the 2019 MGM Resorts Main Event in Las Vegas by defeating Wyoming (56-41) and Clemson (71-67). Four of Colorado’s preseason tournament titles have been won on a neutral court.

… Continue reading story here …

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November 22nd 

… CU in the Arena … 

Bangot Dak leads Buffs past UC Davis, 95-79 – “We wore them down”

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado used a late second-half run to outrun UC Davis 95-79, Saturday night at the CU Events Center.

With the win, the Buffaloes improve to 5-0, their best start since 2019-20. UC Davis falls to 4-2.

Five players scored in double figures for Colorado. Junior Bangot Dak led the way for the second-straight game with 18 points on 8 of 10 from the field. Sophomore Felix Kossaras had a career-high 17 points with a personal-best three 3-pointers. Sebastian Rancik had 15, Barrington Hargress just missed a double-double with 13 points and nine assists. Alon Michaeli pitched in 10 points off the bench.

UC Davis guard Marcus Wilson led all players with 21 points.

“Another good win,” Colorado head coach Tad Boyle said. “I think UC Davis is good. I think they’re going to win a lot of games this year. They’re well coached. They got good players. I thought our depth kind of wore them down a little bit tonight. People are going to see this score that weren’t here tonight, and they’re going to say, ‘Oh yeah, Colorado took care of UC Davis, as they should have and it was an easy victory.’ It wasn’t easy.

UC Davis held a four-point lead midway through the second half, but Colorado outscored the Aggies 36-16 over the final 9:35 to secure the win. The Buffaloes shot 59.6 percent in the game and shared the ball with a season-high 24 assists on 34 made field goals.

UC Davis had it going on offense as well. The Aggies shot 51.7 percent, making 31 of 60 attempts, and hit all nine free throws.

Colorado used its depth and pace to wear down the Aggies during the stretch run. While the Buffaloes shot well the entire game, they were exceptional at the end. Colorado made 65.5 percent from the field in the second half and made 13 of 15 attempts during that final 20-point run.

“We wore them down,” Boyle said. “I thought our depth really showed down the stretch. I think their lack of depth the altitude is real. There’s no doubt about it. And so that’s why  playing at a pace that we need to play at is so important for teams that come in, especially from sea level. A big part of the game tonight, for sure.”

… Continue reading story here …

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November 21st – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs looking to remain undefeated against 4-1 UC Davis (7:00 p.m., MT, ESPN+)

From CUBuffs.com …

UC Davis, Friday, November 21, 2025
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 7:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke) https://buffs.me/3XE90ho
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Jerry Schemmel)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 387, SXM App 977
Live Statistics:http://statb.us/b/611124

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 4-0 for the third straight season following its 94-66 win over Alabama State on Nov. 17. The Buffaloes will complete their season-opening five-game home stand against UC Davis, looking to begin 5-0 for the first time since 2019-20.

Colorado’s offense has been clicking, averaging 94.3 points per game ranking second in the Big 12 Conference and 21st in the nation. The Buffaloes are hitting 51.9 percent from the field, which is third in the Big 12 and 27th in the country.

Colorado has scored at least 90 points in the last three games and has started the season with four games scoring at least 80 points. It’s the first time the Buffaloes have scored at least 90 in three straight since the 2023-24 team did it four times in mid December that season. It’s the first time scoring four-straight in the 80s to begin a season since 1985-86 when that Buffaloes’ squad started with four wins at home.

Colorado shot a season-high 53.6 percent from the field against Alabama State, marking the first time since 2009-10 the Buffaloes have shot at least 50 percent in four-straight games to open the season. The percentage against Alabama State was the team’s best since shooting 56.6 percent against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 13, 2024. Colorado is 120-11 since 2010-11, the Tad Boyle era, when shooting at least 50 percent.

ABOUT THE AGGIES: UC Davis is 4-1 overall having won its last two and coming off a solid 75-71 road win at Nevada on Nov. 18. The Aggies are averaging 78.2 points, shooting 46.6 percent from the field. Defensively, UC Davis allows 69.6 points on 40.5 percent shooting. The Aggies top the Big West Conference and are a top 100 team nationally in steals (9.2) and turnovers forced (16.8) per game.

Junior guard Nils Cooper leads UC Davis at 18.5 points and 2.8 steals per game while hitting 68.4 percent from the field, including 6 of 9 from 3-point range. Cooper played against Colorado in 2023-24 with Pepperdine, scoring 10 points with five rebounds and three blocks in the 91-66 Buffaloes’ win. Junior guard Connor Sevilla is averaging 17.0 points, shooting 55.3 percent overall and 88.9 percent from the line. Graduate forward Niko Rocak leads the Aggies in rebounds (5.8 rpg) and blocks (14) while pitching in 7.8 points per game.

THE SERIES: This will be the first meeting between Colorado and UC Davis.

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November 18th

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs open with a 32-9 first half lead, coast to 94-66 win over Alabama State

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado took care of business Monday night as the Buffaloes rolled past Alabama State, 94-66 at the CU Events Center.

Tad Boyle‘s Buffs improved to 4-0 with the win, while the Hornets dropped to 2-2.

Leading 11-8, Colorado broke the game open with a 23-3 run that spanned over nine minutes of game time. The Buffs built as much as a 29-point lead in the first half and led by as much as 15 the rest of the way.

Junior Bangot Dak led the way for Colorado by filling the stat sheet. He finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, three blocks, and two steals as well as setting a new career-high in free throws made, shooting 8 of 9. Sophomore Sebastian Rancik added 14 points and five rebounds while also knocking down 10 of 10 from the line.

“I feel like the past couple of games we had, I haven’t been showing my effort, besides the first game,” Dak said. “I’ve been struggling offensively, so if I get myself going defensively, I can get myself going offensively. So that helped me tonight.”
The freshmen trio of Isaiah Johnson, Alon Michaeli, and Josiah Sanders each put in 10 points off the bench.

Asjon Anderson led the Hornets with 15 points.

Colorado finished with a season-best 20 assists while shooting 30-for-56 from the field (53.6 percent), including 6-for-16 from long range. The Buffs also had a 46-33 edge on the boards while holding the Hornets to 36 percent shooting (24-for-67).

“We knew we had to be on point defensively,” Boyle commented. “I thought in the first half our defense was terrific. We made some strides in that area. We got a little complacent on defense in that second half and gave up 44 points. There’s some things to build on, and that’s the one thing you want to do. We were able to play a lot of guys which I was hoping that we could. We have to build some depth here in November, because you never know what’s going to happen as this season rolls on. A good win with 20 assists, 11 turnovers. Really good numbers for this group offensively. I thought we really shared the ball extremely well tonight. That’s the thing I was most pleased with.”

… Continue reading story here …

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November 17th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs taking on 2-1 Alabama State, 7:00 p.m., MT, ESPN+

From CUBuffs.com …

Alabama State, Monday, November 17, 2025
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 7:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke) https://buffs.me/4oLBh1H
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Jerry Schemmel)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 388, SXM App 978
Live Statistics:http://statb.us/b/611112

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 3-0 for the third-straight season and fourth time in the last five years after a 97-88 win over Providence on Nov. 11. The win over the Friars, out of the Big East Conference, came on the heels of a pair of wins over Big Sky Conference schools in Eastern Washington (102-97 OT) and Montana State (84-78) in the season opener.

Colorado’s offense has been clicking, averaging 94.3 points over the first three games while shooting 51.4 percent from the field. Both marks rank third among Big 12 Conference teams and also in the top 35 in the nation.

ABOUT THE HORNETS: Alabama State is 2-1, embarking on its first of 12-straight games away from home. The Hornets have won their last two, after a season-opening loss at Florida State. Alabama State is averaging 88.3 points while shooting 46.3 percent from the field. Defensively the Hornets have allowed 81.0 points per game with opponents shooting 42 percent. Alabama State is averaging 12.3 steals per contest.

Senior guard Asjon Anderson leads Alabama State at 18.3 points, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Backcourt mate Micah Simpson is averaging 15.3 points and 3.3 assists per game. Junior guard Tyler Byrd is averaging 10.0 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 58 percent from the field.

THE SERIES: This will be the first meeting between Colorado and Alabama State.

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November 15th

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs improve to 3-0 with 97-88 win over Providence

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado freshmen combined for 45 points as the Buffaloes outlasted Providence 97-88 Friday night at the CU Events Center.

Tad Boyle’s Buffs improve to 3-0 while Providence falls to 2-2 on the season.

Colorado led for all but two minutes and 11 seconds, but couldn’t break the game open. The Buffs used the free-throw line to ice the game, with 15 of the final 18 points coming at the charity stripe, and it was an efficient effort as they made 15 of 16 attempts over the final four minutes.

Freshman forward Alon Michaeli led the way for the Buffs with a team-high 20 points, shooting 5-of-5 from the line, while guard Barrington Hargress put up his first double-double at Colorado and the second of his career with 15 points and 11 assists. Elijah Malone chipped in 17 points and seven rebounds, and freshman guard Isaiah Johnson finished with 15 points, scoring 13 in the second half.

“Look, his 11 assists, the one turnover we see his assist-to-turnover ratio in practice,” said Boyle on Hargress’ performance. “I thought Barrington really played within himself. Here’s a guy who averaged 20 points a game and had the burden of scoring the ball the last two years on his team at (UC) Riverside, and that burden has been lifted off him. He’s obviously capable of shooting the ball. We saw that tonight. His mid-range game is pretty elite.”

Jason Edwards led the way for the Friars with 24 points and six assists. Oswin Erhunmwunse made his presence felt on the defensive end with seven blocks and five rebounds.

Colorado dominated in the paint, scoring 54 points inside, shooting 19-of-33 on layups and dunks. CU also used 15 second-chance points on 12 offensive rebounds to control the pace of the game.

Though the final point total might not look like it, Colorado’s defense improved tonight from the opening two games. After failing to hold the opponents below 50% shooting in either half in the first two bouts, the Buffs held Providence to 29-of-65 (44.4%) from the field and 6-of-25 (24%) from deep. Both are the lowest marks for an opponent this season.

“I felt like our scouting report defense took a major step forward tonight,” Boyle said. “So that’s the good news, now we have to talk about playing defense without fouls, because now again, some nights are going to be like that, and Providence has really good guards. They know how to score and how to get to the free throw line. We have to figure out now how to guard without fouling, and when we figure that out, we have a chance to be pretty good. But again, the other thing I like about our team is just our attention to the scouting report tonight, and you could see it, you could sense it, you could feel it. It’s one of the things about coaching this team, their willingness and their desire to get better. We got better tonight defensively, even though 87 points doesn’t look like it, but I thought we took a step in the right direction.”

… Continue reading story here …

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November 14th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs a 1.5-point home favorite at home against Providence Friars (7:00 p.m., MT, ESPN+)

From the Daily Camera …

Providence Friars at CU Buffs men’s basketball

TIPOFF: Friday, 7 p.m., CU Events Center.

TV/RADIO: ESPN+/KOA 850 AM and 94.1 FM.

RECORDS: Providence 2-1; Colorado 2-0.

COACHES: Providence — Kim English, 3rd season (35-35, 69-64 overall). Colorado — Tad Boyle, 16th season (314-204, 370-270 overall).

KEY PLAYERS: Providence — G Jason Edwards, 6-1, Gr. (17.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.3 apg, .436 FG%); G Jaylin Sellers, 6-5, Gr. (16.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, .486 FG%); G Stefan Vaaks, 6-7, Fr. (16.7 ppg, 13-for-13 FT); G Corey Floyd Jr., 6-4, R-Sr. (11.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, .500 FG%); G Ryan Mela, 6-7, So. (11.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, .583 FG%); F Jamier Jones, 6-6, Fr. (10.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, .722 FG%). Colorado — G Isaiah Johnson, 6-1, Fr. (20.5 ppg, 5-for-9 3-pointers, 16-for-18 FTs); F Sebastian Rancik, 6-11, So. (18.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 17-for-19 FTs); G Barrington Hargress, 6-1, R-Jr. (12.5 ppg, 3.5 apg, .524 FG%); F Bangot Dak, 7-0, Jr. (10.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg, .471 FG%); C Elijah Malone, 6-10, Gr. (8.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.5 apg, .556 FG%).

NOTES: With Boyle and English colliding, it will mark the first time Boyle has faced a former  CU assistant as the head coach of the opposition since Rodney Billups’ Denver Pioneers visited Boulder on Nov. 14, 2017. … Providence has scored 100 points in consecutive games for the first time since early in the 2008-09 season. … CU led the Big 12 in turnovers last year but has averaged just 9.0 through the first two games, which included five extra minutes of play during last week’s overtime win against Eastern Washington. … The Buffs host Alabama State on Monday (7 p.m., ESPN+).

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Not only is it the first matchup between CU and Providence, but it is the first time the Friars have played any game in the state of Colorado. … The Providence program has been mourning the loss of former Friars legend and NBA coaching standout Lenny Wilkens, who passed away earlier this week. Wilkens is a three-time inductee into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame — as a player, a coach, and as an assistant coach for the 1992 US Olympic Dream Team. … The Friars were picked fourth in the 11-team Big East in the preseason coaches’ poll. … Once again, CU’s usual radio tandem of Mark Johnson and Scott Wilke will handle the call on ESPN+, while Jerry Schemmel handles the radio broadcast.

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November 8th – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Buffs need overtime to defeat Eastern Washington, 102-97

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado drained 11 3-pointers, and the Buffaloes outlasted Eastern Washington in overtime Saturday afternoon for a 102-97 win at the CU Events Center.

Tad Boyle‘s Buffs improved to 2-0 with the win, while the Eagles dropped to 0-3.

The Buffs trailed 68-67 with 6:32 remaining in the game but rallied to lead by three points with 19 seconds remaining. The Eagles, though, rallied to force overtime, hitting a 3-pointer with just three seconds left on the clock to tie the game at 85-85. The Buffs couldn’t get the potential game-winner to go down in the final seconds of the second half.

Sebastian Rancik led the way for Colorado, scoring a team-leading and career-high 24 points, going 11-of-12 from the free throw line. Freshman Isaiah Johnson added to the hot start to his career with 17 points off the bench. Barrington Hargress added 14 points, and freshman Alon Michaeli put up 10 points off the bench in his first career game.

Isaiah Moses led the Eagles with 30 points, including the game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation.

The Buffs struggled to slow down the Eagles, who shot nearly 60% from the field and 56% from behind the arc. But in the second half, Colorado forced eight turnovers, leading to 11 points.

… Both teams struggled to get stops, keeping the game close. The Buffs turned defense into offense, scoring off turnovers to retake the lead 67-66.

Leading by two points, Johnson drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key to push the lead to 75-70 with 3:25 remaining.

Only leading by one, Rancik kicked it out to Kossaras for his first 3-pointer of the game and the team’s ninth for a 79-75 lead.

Following free throws from Michaeli and a 3-pointer from the Eagles, the Buffs led 81-80. Hargress responded by putting in a runner in the middle of the court to lead 83-80. But just as it had been all game, Eastern Washington responded with a Moses layup to keep the game at a one-point lead.

In the bonus, the ball found Rancik, who hit both free throws to put the Buffs up 85-82 with 19 seconds remaining.

Eastern Washington’s Moses followed that up with a deep 3-point shot with 3.1 seconds to tie the game at 85. Rancik had a shot at the buzzer that missed, pushing the game to overtime.

After making a free throw for the opening points of overtime, Kossaras was called for an offensive foul on the following possession, fouling out of the game.

Following a foul and an ejection of the Eagles’ Straton Rogers, the Buffs got four free throws and made them all with Johnson and Rancik splitting them, giving a 90-85 lead.

The Eagles responded by making two straight shots, including an and-1 by Johnny Radford, to tie the game up at 90-90.

Needing a basket, Johnson knocked down another 3-pointer, this time on the right wing. After a block by Malone, he took his turn behind the arc off a pass by Hargress to the left corner to give the Buffs a 96-90 lead.

Rancik iced the game at the free-throw line, keeping the Buffs ahead for good.

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November 3rd – Game Day!

… CU in the Arena … 

Freshman Isaiah Johnson scores 24 second half points to lead Buffs to season opening 84-78 win over Montana State

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado overcame a seven-point second-half deficit Monday night, led by true freshman Isaiah Johnson’s 24 second-half points, to outlast Montana State 84-78 in the season opener at the CU Event Center.

Colorado improved to 14-2 in season openers and 16-0 in home openers under head coach Tad Boyle.

With the game tied at 62 with 7:09 remaining, Johnson scored 16 of the next 18 points for the Buffs, including the game-winning free throws to put Colorado up for good.

All of Johnson’s game-leading 24 points came in the second half. He went 6-of-7 from the field, 2-of-2 from deep, and 10-of-12 from the line all in the final 20 minutes.

“I just kept wanting to be aggressive,” Johnson said on the second half. “My teammates, my coaches, they kept telling me to be aggressive, even though I struggled in the first half.”

Johnson was one of five true freshmen to see minutes, along with Jalin Holland, Fawaz “Tacko” Ifaola, Ian Inman, and Josiah Sanders, who all made contributions.

Four other Buffs reached double-figures in points, transfer Barrington Hargress and returners Bangot Dak, Elijah Malone, and Sebastian Rancik. Malone added 13 rebounds for his first double double of the season and his second at Colorado.

“Ian Inman didn’t get minutes in the second half,” Boyle commented on the freshman class. “He’s going to be a hell of a player. Jalin Holland, really good defender, not afraid or scared of anything or anybody. He’s going to be a terrific player. Josiah Sanders,  tough, strong, a good finisher. I want to play more guys regular minutes. I really shrunk the rotation in the second half there. Taco [Fawaz “Tacko” Ifaola] came in, got two rebounds for us. This freshman class is going to be special. It’s going to be special. We got to hold them together. This is going to be a fun team to watch grow and develop. And I told them, I’d rather grow and develop after a win than after a loss.”

Patrick McMahon led Montana State in scoring with 24 points, including 20 of his own in the second half.

Colorado’s offense improved in the second half after struggling to end the first half. After shooting just 42 percent on the first half, CU shot 62 percent in the second half to finish the game 27-of-52 (51.9%).

… Continue reading story here …

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CU taking on Montana State in the 2025-26 season opener

From CUBuffs.com …

Game 1 – Montana State, Monday, November 3, 2025
CU Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
Tip: 7:01 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+ (Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke) https://buffs.me/4ny9znq
Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM (Jerry Schemmel)
Listen Online: Sirius XM 380, SXM App 970
Live Statistics:http://statb.us/b/611122

OPENERS: Colorado is 87-35 (.713) in all-time season openers and has won its last nine. The Buffaloes are 13-2 under head coach Tad Boyle and 40-5 in overall season openers since 1980-81.

The Buffaloes are 98-24 (.803) all-time in home openers, have won their last 17 and 23 of their last 24. Boyle’s teams are 15-0 in home openers.

NONCONFERENCE NUMBERS: Colorado is 136-41 (.768) in nonconference regular season games under head coach Tad Boyle including an 89-24 mark (.788) since the beginning of the 2014-15 season.

Colorado is 104-8 (.929) in nonconference home games under Boyle, a record which includes a 7-2 mark in postseason action.

RIGHT AT HOME: At the CU Events Center, the Buffaloes have won:
– 14 of their last 21
– 27 of 35 (27-8)
– 40 of 53 (40-13)
– 63 of 84 (63-21)
– 76 of 99 (76-23)
– 91 of 116 (91-25)
– 103 of 131 (103-28)

In the Tad Boyle era, Colorado is 204-47 at home (.813). The Buffaloes are 517-198 (.723) all-time at the CUEC. The Buffaloes have won at least 10 games at home each of the last 16 seasons.

EXHIBITION RECAP: Colorado used a huge second half to run away with a 92-66 exhibition win over Grace (Ind.) College, Oct. 19 at the CU Events Center.

After trailing by three points at halftime, the Buffaloes surged ahead with a dominant 58-point second half. The Buffaloes capitalized on Grace’s 20 turnovers, converting them into 21 points, while also outscoring Grace 46-24 in the paint. The Buffs’ bench contributed 40 points to secure the win.

… Continue reading story here …

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October 28th 

… CU in the Arena … 

Bangot Dak, Sebastian Rancik plan to lead CU Buffs out of Big 12 basement

… Buffs open the 2025-26 season on Monday, November 3rd, against Montana State … 7:00 p.m., MT, ESPN+ … 

From the Daily Camera … It has been just seven months since Bangot Dak and Sebastian Rancik last took the floor at T-Mobile Center.

In that time, the entire universe of Colorado men’s basketball has transformed around the pair of young, versatile forwards.

Only four rotation players remain for the Buffaloes from when Houston eliminated them in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Conference tournament at T-Mobile Center in March. Role players a year ago who were still finding their footing as significant contributors at the power conference level, Dak and Rancik returned to T-Mobile Center on Wednesday, taking another step in their respective evolutions as leaders of coach Tad Boyle’s program by representing the Buffaloes at the Big 12 men’s basketball media day.

“For me, I’m just trying to be more vocal and kind of lead by example,” Dak said. “I’m trying to show my best effort on the court regardless of what’s going on and show that regardless what the situation is I’m trying to play through it, trying to fight through it. Other than that, I’m just trying to be a leader.”

Rancik’s last memory of T-Mobile Center is a painful one, as he exited the loss against Houston with a knee injury. He recovered in time to take part in CU’s summer workouts, but by then Dak  had suffered an offseason knee injury that kept him on the sideline for the Buffs’ exhibition tour of Australia.

Rancik has been slowed lately by a sprained ankle, which kept him out of Sunday’s exhibition win against Grace College. Yet none of the physical setbacks have prevented the duo from ascending into leadership roles that often were lacking last year as the Buffs limped into a last-place finish in the Big 12.

“With both Bangot and Sebastian, they both have personalities that kind of lend themselves to leadership in that you can’t lead if you’re not willing to open up your mouth,” Boyle said. “Sometimes, opening up your mouth in difficult situations — whether that’s after a tough loss, whether that’s when your team is not performing at the level you need them to — both those guys aren’t afraid to do that. That’s what you need to start to become a leader. It doesn’t end there for sure, but it starts there. And they both have that.

“The younger players kind of look to those guys as guys they want to emulate and follow.”

… Continue reading story here …

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October 26th 

… CU in the Arena … 

Tad Boyle responds to arrest of CU Buffs basketball legend Chauncey Billups

From the Daily Camera … Only nine months ago, Colorado announced plans to unveil a “Wall of Honor” at the CU Events Center.

Affixed to the northwest wall of the arena, the “Wall of Honor” was created to honor the best of the best in the history of Colorado men’s basketball. CU head coach Tad Boyle wanted the honorees — or, in the case of a couple of the older former players, their families — to be in attendance for the unveiling of their framed jerseys.

Five of the 10 were revealed last season. Five others remain dark for future celebrations. One of those yet-to-be-unveiled frames belongs to Chauncey Billups, possibly the greatest player in CU history.

Arranging a time for Billups to visit the Events Center for that type of event has been problematic due to his duties as the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. At the moment, Billups’ job is no longer filling his time. But a night in Boulder celebrating his accomplishments in a Colorado uniform probably isn’t happening any time soon.

After a pair of off days, Boyle’s Buffs resumed practice Friday, about 24 hours after the bombshell news that Billups had been arrested in a sweeping FBI probe targeting illicit and allegedly fraudulent high-stakes poker games. A separate investigation targeted the selling of insider information to manipulate NBA prop bets.

Like the rest of the Colorado basketball community — not just at CU, but across the state — Boyle was shocked by the news.

“I feel awful,” Boyle said. “I’m shocked. You never want to see your friends go through something like this.”

In a bit of a head-shaking coincidence, the Buffs held a program-wide meeting Friday morning with a former FBI agent, who educated a CU team that features seven freshmen on the perils of getting involved with organized gamblers as college athletes. The lecture has been part of the Buffs’ preseason routine for years, and Friday’s session was scheduled three weeks ago.

Boyle said the fact it occurred the day after the shocking news regarding Billups had his young team sitting a little straighter in their chairs during the session. At this point, Billups has only been charged in conjunction with the probe of the illicit poker games. But an anonymous alleged co-conspirator in the probe into the selling of insider NBA information matches Billups’ basketball background.

“Obviously it was a timely meeting, but we didn’t do it because of what just happened. What happened kind of brings everything to light,” Boyle said. “Hopefully we got our guys’ attention. It’s shocking. They can try to get to young college athletes in various ways, and our players have to understand how that happens. We’ve got to do our best to educate them to hopefully not make bad decisions.”

… Continue reading story here …

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October 16th 

… CU in the Arena … 

CU picked to finish 15th in Big 12 preseason poll

From the Big 12 … Fresh off an appearance in the NCAA Championship game, Houston was picked as the favorite in the Big 12 men’s basketball preseason poll. This is the Cougars’ first time sitting atop the preseason poll, after checking in at No. 2 in each of their first two seasons as part of the Big 12.

Texas Tech’s JT Toppin was named Preseason Player of the Year, returning to Lubbock after capturing postseason player of the year honors in 2024-25. Toppin is the second Red Raider to be named Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, and first since the 2003-04 season. The Dallas native averaged 18.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.

Kansas’ Darryn Peterson was picked as the Preseason Freshman of the Year, becoming the 10^th Jayhawk to earn that distinction. The Naismith Trophy High School Player of the Year, he comes to Lawrence after averaging 30.4 points per game at Napa Christian High School. The Canton, Ohio native was a McDonald’s All-American that was tabbed as the No. 1 recruit in the nation by 247Sports.com and On3.com.

LeJuan Watts joined Toppin as Red Raiders to earn preseason distinction as Preseason Newcomer of the Year. The Washington State transfer averaged 13.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for the Cougars in 2024-25. The Fresno, California native is the fourth Texas Tech player to be voted as the Conference’s top newcomer in the preseason, and the first since 2020.

Toppin and Peterson were joined by BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Houston’s Milos Uzan as unanimous selections to the preseason All-Big 12 Team. Richie Saunders (BYU), Emanuel Sharp (Houston), Joseph Tugler (Houston), Tamin Lipsey (Iowa State), P.J. Haggerty (Kansas State) and Christian Anderson (Texas Tech) complete the 10-man team. Lipsey is making his second consecutive appearance on the Preseason All-Big 12 team.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team or student-athletes.

Preseason Poll

1. Houston (14) – 224
2. BYU (1) – 204
3. Texas Tech – 200
4. Arizona (1) – 179
5. Iowa State – 170
6. Kansas – 163
7. Baylor – 137
8. Cincinnati – 120
9. K-State – 117
10. TCU – 90
11. West Virginia – 79
12. Oklahoma State – 77
13. Utah – 50
14. UCF – 39
15. Colorado – 37
16. Arizona State – 34

Preseason All-Big 12 Team
AJ Dybantsa, BYU*
Richie Saunders, BYU
Emanuel Sharp, Houston
Joseph Tugler, Houston
Milos Uzan, Houston*
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Darryn Peterson, Kansas*
P.J. Haggerty, K-State
Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
JT Toppin, Texas Tech*
*-unanimous selection

Preseason Player of the Year: JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Preseason Newcomer of the Year: LeJuan Watts, Texas Tech
Preseason Freshman of the Year: Darryn Peterson, Kansas

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