Colorado Freshman Poised for Big 12 Tournament Break Out

The Colorado Buffaloes were able to pick up a huge win on Wednesday night against the Kansas State Wildcats, 79-70. One particular player contributed, resulting in a career-high in scoring.

Ian Inman’s Performance

Colorado guard Ian Inman has been figuring out his role as a freshman throughout the season, which can have its ups and downs. However, against the Wildcats, he was able to have one of his best games of the season.

Feb 11, 2026; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes center Fawaz Ifaola (25) visits with Colorado Buffaloes guard Ian Inman (0) 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

On Wednesday night, Inman recorded 17 points and five rebounds off the bench. In both keys for Colorado against Kansas State, Inman had solid contributions. He added five rebounds on defense to help secure stops and jumpstart the offense.

For Inman’s scoring, most of it came from beyond the arc, as he went 5-7 from three. This is incredible, as by himself, Inman matched the Wildcats’ three-point total.

17 pts | 5 3PM | 5 reb vs. K-State

all career highs for @ian_inman2 🔥 pic.twitter.com/10qN41Jr6X
— Colorado Men's Basketball (@CUBuffsMBB) February 26, 2026

Throughout the season, Inman has struggled to get his offense going, but recently, against solid teams, he has had some solid performances. Against Baylor, Inman had 10 points. Against Texas Tech, Inman recorded 12 points, versus Oklahoma State, Inman totaled eight points.

With Inman figuring out his role as a freshman, this could mean a bright future for the Colorado basketball program. Can Inman help the Buffs make a run in the Big 12 Tournament?

Colorado’s Win Against Kansas State

Thanks in part to Inman's breakout performance, the Colorado Buffaloes were able pick up another win, which can give them some confidence heading into a very tough stretch at the end of the season. It was definitely a team effort, with both starters and players off the bench contributing.

Feb 14, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Barrington Hargress (24) as seen during the second half against the BYU Cougars at the Marriott Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images | Aaron Baker-Imagn Images

At one point, Colorado led by as much as 22 points, which showed that the Buffaloes can be a solid team in the Big 12 if they can put it all together. The two key areas in which Colorado was able to have a significant advantage were three-point shooting and the rebounding battle.

With the game continuing to develop, the value of three-pointers has become much more evident. In many cases, if one team is hot and the other team is cold, that could result in a blowout just by the sheer volume of threes made.

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The Buffaloes were able to hit 9-25 from beyond the arc, and the Wildcats went 5-23 from deep. This means that Colorado created an advantage of 12 points from three, which was a key factor in being able to pull out the victory.

Kansas State is a team that consistently generates a lot of its points from behind the three-point line, which shows that Colorado’s defense on the perimeter has taken a step in the right direction. This effort was led by guards Barrington Hargress, Jalin Holland, and Isaiah Johnson, who were tenacious all night long.

Feb 25, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes forward Bangot Dak (8) during the second half against the Kansas State Wildcats at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

On the rebounding side, the Buffaloes had 43 rebounds compared to Kansas State’s 36. More importantly, Colorado was able to keep the Wildcats limited to nine offensive rebounds while pulling down eight of their own.

In a game where Kansas State struggled to get going from three, limiting their second-chance opportunities did great things for the Buffaloes’ defense. On the interior, forwards Bangot Dak and Sebastian Rancik were major keys in limiting the Wildcats’ second-chance opportunities, allowing the transition offense to get going after securing the stop, which led to 14 fast-break points.

Next up for Colorado, the Buffaloes face No. 5 Houston on Saturday at 10 a.m. MT.