Colorado Guard Barrington Hargress Speaks Candidly About the Buffaloes' Development

Colorado Buffaloes guard Barrington Hargress gave an update on how the Buffs' returners from the 2025 freshmen class have been developing during the offseason.

Jan 7, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Barrington Hargress (24) and guard Jalin Holland (11) celebrate defeating the Utah Utes at the CU Events Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Colorado Buffaloes star guard Barrington Hargress is expected to take the reins of the Buffs’ offense as a leader in 2026. He is one of five returning players from Colorado’s 2025 roster and is far and away the most experienced.

Three of those fellow returners are from Colorado’s 2025 freshman class, which exceeded expectations in its first year. Hargress offered status reports on their development during the offseason in an interview with Colorado Buffaloes on SI on Thursday, speaking on how he’s seen them grow from a leadership perspective.

How the Colorado Buffaloes’ returners have grown as a unit

Jan 3, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Barrington Hargress (24) in the huddle with teammates against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When discussing Colorado’s returning guard unit as a whole, Hargress revealed that they’ve worked relentlessly to get better during the offseason. Since the Buffs’ season ended unceremoniously in a first-round loss in the College Basketball Crown, their returning group hasn’t slowed down whatsoever.

“We’ve all basically been here since the season ended,” Hargress told Colorado Buffaloes on SI's Liam Howard. “We’ve taken little breaks at times for like a week, but we’ve all been in the gym just grinding together, seeing what we can do, seeing how we can play off of each other...They’ve all come back with a really big chip on their shoulder, and we’re ready to do some damage.”

How Josiah Sanders has grown this offseason

Jan 10, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Josiah Sanders (5) shoots the ball in the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When talking about Sanders, Hargress pointed to his offensive efficiency as the area in which he’s made the most strides.

“Seeing Josiah get more comfortable with his decision-making and the shots that he takes is going to be a big thing for him,” Hargress said. 

Sanders making offensive strides is great news for Buffs fans, as his efficiency was the main thing holding him back in 2025. He shot just 46.4 percent from the field and 12.5 percent from 3-point range. Sanders made it clear during his high school days that he’s a capable scorer when he finds his shot, so if he can find it once again this summer, he should grow immensely in the coming campaign.

How Ian Inman has grown this offseason

Jan 29, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Ian Inman (0) shoots against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Inman’s biggest struggle in 2025 was that he was often one-dimensional. He was an excellent shooter from 3-point range and could go on streaky scoring runs out of nowhere. However, he struggled to score on the interior and left much to be desired defensively. 

Colorado coach Tad Boyle has been open about wanting to see Inman make strides in those areas in 2026, but Hargress claims he’s already begun doing so.

“Allowing Ian to grow as a full scorer and as a better defender, which are things that he’s really focused on and made really good strides in,” Hargress said.

If Inman wants to carve out a starting role, he’ll have to become a more versatile player. But if he continues along the trajectory Hargress has described, he should have no problem doing just that.

How Jalin Holland has grown this offseason

Jan 3, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Jalin Holland (11) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Holland already emerged as an elite defender as a freshman and now looks to take his defensive game to the next level in 2026. He also has room to grow offensively, as he averaged just 4.9 points per game on 38.9 percent shooting. Hargress claimed that Holland has identified those areas as ones in which he can improve, and that he’s been working hard to do so during the offseason.

“With Jalin, it’s about giving him the confidence to be an All-Big 12 defender while also being a very savvy scorer and being very aggressive,” Hargress said.

Holland certainly has all-conference potential; he just needs to grow the composure to perform with more consistency and versatility.

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