Biggest Takeaways From Colorado's Much-Needed Home Win

The Colorado Buffaloes faced the Oklahoma State Cowboys at home and secured a much-needed win to keep any NCAA Tournament hopes alive. Colorado coach Tad Boyle did a solid job preparing his team for this game, but it will take more consistent efforts the rest of the season to be successful.

Feb 21, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes forward Sebastian Rancik (7) pulls in a rebound in the second half against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Overall Team Effort

This was one of the better performances in Big 12 conference play for the Buffaloes as a team. There were a few key statistical areas that stood out to make this performance possible.

The first being the three-point shooting. The Buffaloes went 11-27 from three against the Cowboys’ 5-23 from beyond the arc. This means Colorado was plus six in three pointers and generated 18 more points, which is a large margin to overcome for Oklahoma State.

Colorado was also able to capitalize on 15 Oklahoma State turnovers that resulted in 20 points. The Cowboys forced 11 Buffaloes’ turnovers but were only able to get 11 points off those turnovers. In this game, Colorado simply did a better job capitalizing on the opportunities it generated than Oklahoma State did.

Lastly, the Buffaloes did a great job moving the ball around to create good quality shots as they had 20 assists for the game. The Cowboys became stagnant on offense, resulting in only eight assists and fewer tough looks at the rim.

Colorado, in these three categories, was able to do enough to separate itself from Oklahoma State to have a solid team win as the end of the season approaches.

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Feb 21, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes forward Bangot Dak (8) blocks the shot by Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Christian Coleman (4) in the first half at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Key Individual Performances

There were several individual performances that stood out for the Buffaloes on Saturday night.

The first being forward Bangot Dak, who recorded 17 points, seven rebounds, one steal, and two blocks. Dak provided a solid presence inside and made it tough for the Cowboys all night long.

Fellow forward Sebastian Rancik stood out as well with seven points, 10 rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Rancik did a solid job securing rebounds on the defensive end and contributing on offense when he could.

In the backcourt, guard Barrington Hargress had a great all-around performance. Hargress totaled 16 points, eight assists, four rebounds, and three steals. Hargress was a consistent force for Colorado on offense all night as he went 3-6 from three and was helping teammates to get solid shots with his eight assists.

Additionally, on defense, Hargress was able to make it difficult for the Oklahoma State guards to generate consistent offense with constant pressure on the perimeter, which was capped by his three steals.

full team effort 🤝 pic.twitter.com/hiqbQawbsD
— Colorado Men's Basketball (@CUBuffsMBB) February 22, 2026

Colorado’s bench also showed up to play against the Cowboys. Forward Alon Michaeli added 12 points and five rebounds and guard Ian Innman added eight points. In smaller contributions, center Elijah Malone added two points, and Jalin Holland added four points.

Feb 21, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Isaiah Johnson (2) reacts to a score in the second half against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

NCAA Tournament Hopes

Colorado’s NCAA tournament hopes are very dim as of now, but picking up a win against Oklahoma State is a good sign moving forward. The Buffaloes do have two opportunities to boost their resume coming up.

The Buffaloes play on the road against second-ranked Houston and at home against number four-ranked Arizona. If Colorado can win one of these games, it would be great momentum heading into the Big 12 tournament. In the tournament, the Buffaloes would likely need a deep run or to win the whole tournament to make it to March.

This is the time of year when the intensity of college basketball picks up, and if Colorado wants to extend their season, it must raise their level of intensity and performance.