Colorado Coach Tad Boyle Gets Real About Abrupt Big 12 Tournament Exit

The Colorado Buffaloes battled against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Tuesday night in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. However, the Buffaloes ultimately fell short as they lost to Oklahoma State 92-83.

Colorado Coach Tad Boyle shared his thoughts after a tough end to the season.

Colorado Buffaloes Coach Tad Boyle Thoughts 2025 Season Big 12 Tournament Press Conference Bangot Dak Barrington Hargress — 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

What Tad Boyle Said

“Tough loss, it’s never easy when it’s over with. I told these guys a couple weeks ago, when the season’s over, it's over quickly. One day you’re playing, the next day you’re not. Today we were playing, and tomorrow we’re not. So we’re heading back home. It’s not a good feeling,” said Boyle.

A season in every sport can go very quickly, and that is the case especially in college basketball when the season can ultimately come down to one game or one play. The Buffaloes experienced that feeling tonight.

While going on a run in the conference tournament might have been unlikely, some signs were pointing in the right direction for forward Sebastian Rancik to return from injury for the next game.

Future of the Colorado Program

“This is the first time we lost in the first round, which is not a good feeling. But it can help us if we let it marinate, let it sink in, let it put a chip on our shoulder for next year as we move forward cause we got a lot of young guys on this team and in this program. We got better as the year went on. I’m really proud of these two guys to my right and to my left. Barrington and Bangot. Not only for the way they played tonight, but the way they played all year, and what they have given to this program. Barrington in the first year he’s been here, and Bangot in the three years he’s been here,” added Boyle.

While this is not the result that Colorado was hoping for, there is still reason for optimism in Boulder. This team showed plenty of flashes throughout the 2025 season, highlighted by freshman Isaiah Johnson, who set a new record in freshman scoring at Colorado.

This was a group that showed fight, especially near the end of the season, no matter who they were playing. Junior Forward Bangot Dak and junior guard Barrington Hargress were also key contributors, as mentioned by Coach Boyle this season.

Dak brought consistent rebounding on defense and an ability to create offense when the Buffaloes needed. Hargress added solid perimeter defense and shooting on the outside to generate some juice when Colorado needed a push. Dak and Hargress both have a good chance to be back and help the program continue in the right direction.

Freshmen Isaiah Johnson and Ian Inman could also be back to build on their 2025 campaigns and develop as leaders for the Buffaloes. Guards Josiah Sanders and Jalin Holland as well as forwards Alon Michaeli and Fawaz Ifaola were all freshmen as well who carved out roles for themselves this season and, with a full offseason, could become even better.

Sophomore forward Sebastain Rancik proved to be a crucial piece for the Buffaloes on the interior as a rebounder and as someone who could help alter shots at the rim. Colorado also missed his offense as someone who could space the floor and knock down shots.

The key loss will be center Elijah Malone as he is the lone gradiuating senior that will be leaving the program. Malone brought a solid physical presence at the center position and was able to stretch the floor at times. Malone will be missed, but now Coach Boyle will need to find more size in the recruiting process to replensih the front court depth and size.

Why Colorado Lost

“These are guys I’ll go to war with, I’ll live with. We hate losing. This was a winnable game, but we didn’t get it done tonight. We didn’t play well enough when we had to. We got nobody to blame but ourselves, so credit goes to Oklahoma State, they played much better than us tonight,” stated Boyle.

This game again came down to the Buffaloes lacking multiple players on the interior who could dominate the boards and get stops at the rim.

The Cowboys outrebounded Colorado 44-34 while also grabbing 15 offensive rebounds. Part of the reason this is so disappointing is that the same thing happened on Saturday against Arizona. The Buffaloes have simply not been able to box out and dominate the rebounding battle like good teams should be able to.

On the defensive side, Colorado allowed Oklahoma State to score in the paint at will. The Cowboys scored 40 points in the paint, to Colorado’s 30. Without Rancik, it has become very clear that the Buffaloes lack front-court depth, and teams have been exploiting that weakness.

Nonetheless, Colorado has to be proud of the effort it displayed this season and has hopes for a bright future. Coach Tad Boyle will continue to develop this team in hopes that next year they can make a deeper run in the Big 12 Tournament and get to the NCAA Tournament.

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