Biggest Takeaways From Colorado Basketball's Key Big 12 Win Over Utah

BOULDER — Coming off a shaky finish to nonconference play, the Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball team has so far impressed in its early Big 12 slate.

After besting the Arizona State Sun Devils in Tempe over the weekend, coach Tad Boyle's Buffs returned home and beat the Utah Utes, 85-73, in their Big 12 home opener on Wednesday. Colorado held Utah to under 40 percent shooting and produced four double-digit scorers, improving to 12-3 overall (2-0 Big 12).

Takeaways Colorado Basketball Big 12 Win Utah Utes Buffaloes Barrington Hargress Tad Boyle Isaiah Johnson Bangot Dak Rancik — Jan 7, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes forward Bangot Dak (8) and forward James Okonkwo (32) reach for the tip off in the first half at CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

"Good team victory," coach Tad Boyle said. "I feel like the ceiling of this team continues to be higher than where we're playing. We had that thing to a 10-point game multiple times in the first half. By the second half, we couldn't break it open."

Below are a few key takeaways from Colorado's second win to open Big 12 play:

Bangot Dak Does It All

Forward Bangot Dak continued his strong start to the season with a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double — his fourth of the season. The junior hit two 3s and also recorded two assists, three blocks and a steal.

"I've shown I can do it. I just have to keep doing it consistently," Dak said. "If I keep doing it consistently, I feel like that's when I'm taking it to another level."

Rough On The Boards

Going up against an undersized Utah team, Colorado could have been a lot better on the boards. The Buffs still won the rebounding battle 41-35, but Utah starters Don McHenry, Keanu Dawes and James Okonkwo combined for 10 offensive boards.

Bench Holds Strong

Colorado's bench was again strong, outscoring Utah 33-8. Isaiah Johnson, Alon Michaeli and Josiah Sanders combined for 31 points and Jalin Holland had four rebounds.

"I think Josiah and Jalin and Alon, those four guys (including Johnson) coming off the bench is pretty darn good," Boyle said. "I think the depth of this team is one of the strengths of this team."

Elijah Malone's Struggles Continue

Center Elijah Malone's final college season went from bad to worse on Wednesday, as the graduate student totaled only one rebound and didn't see the court after committing his fourth foul with over 11 minutes remaining in the second half.

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Early Big 12 Momentum

Momentum is everything in college basketball, and Colorado has found some early in conference play. As Boyle touched on, the Buffs' next step is to play with a high level of effort for the length of an entire game.

A greater challenge awaits the Buffs on Saturday as Colorado will host the No. 14 Texas Tech Red Raiders at 5 p.m. MT (CBS Sports Network).

"We gotta get better tomorrow," said forward Sebastian Rancik, who led the Buffs with 19 points. "It's the same game plan as every game. We got to go out and compete and play hard for 40 minutes."