Colorado Basketball's Biggest Keys to Turning the Corner in the Big 12

The Colorado Buffaloes had an up-and-down season in 2025, but what can they take from that into next year?

Feb 7, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Tad Boyle reacts during the first half against the Arizona State Sun Devils at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Coach Tad Boyle and his Colorado Buffaloes had a season of highs and lows in 2025, but they laid the foundation for the future of the program.

Here are three key takeaways Boyle and the Buffs can make note of from this season, and what they need to do to implement them in 2026.

Let Barrington Hargress cook

Mar 10, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Barrington Hargress (24) shoots the ball over Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Mekhi Ragland (13) during the first half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

With Colorado’s leading scorer, guard Isaiah Johnson, leaving Boulder in the transfer portal, the Buffs will need a new star for the 2026 season. Fellow guard Barrington Hargess cemented himself as that next man up this season.

Throughout the year, he played his role perfectly. He fit in as a secondary scoring option who also fed the ball to Johnson with efficiency, averaging 14.7 points per game and 4.5 assists. 

Though Johnson’s departure is a major blow to the Buffaloes’ offense, Hargress will be happy and prepared to step into the role of the primary scoring option.

"Barrington is a leader who is crucial to what we do as a team because he makes everyone around him better," said Boyle after Hargress’s return was announced. "He is a top-tier point guard in the Big 12, the best conference in college basketball, and is the perfect player to build a squad around.”

In 2026, the only goal Colorado should have offensively is to let Hargress do his thing. While his pass-first mentality worked for the purposes of the 2025 team, all restrictions should be off for 2026.

Buffs need a big man

Feb 11, 2026; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes center Fawaz Ifaola (25) in the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

The Buffaloes struggled to find rebounding production for the second-straight year since losing Eddie Lampkin Jr. to the transfer portal after the 2023 season. 

While forward Bangot Dak pulled down 6.5 rebounds per game, the next highest average was fellow forward Sebastian Rancik at just 5.6. The Buffaloes’ only two true centers, Elijah Malone and Fawaz ‘Tacko’ Ifaloa, only averaged 3.0 and 2.1 rebounds per game, respectively.

Especially with Dak and Rancik transferring out this offseason, the Buffaloes badly need a true center with good rebounding ability and the size to compete with other centers in the Big 12. The conference is known for dominant play around the rim, and if the Buffaloes continue to be out-rebounded on a nightly basis, they will continue to finish the season with a poor record in conference play.

Have to close out big games

Feb 11, 2026; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Tad Boyle reacts in the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

One of Colorado’s biggest weaknesses in 2025 was its ability to win close games. Single-digit losses to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Tournament, Oklahoma in the College Basketball Crown, to then-No. 22 BYU in overtime on the road, to then-No. 19 Kansas and to then-No. 14 Texas Tech are evidence of this.

Wins in those games would’ve completely changed the complexion of the Buffs’ season, and might have changed the decisions of their star players to head elsewhere next season.

While struggling to close out games like those is to be expected from teams with as many freshmen as the Buffaloes had this season, those players now have a season under their belts and need to start coming through when it’s most needed in those close games.

If the Buffaloes can learn from and improve upon those three takeaways, the sky is the limit for the 2026 squad.

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