Colorado Buffaloes Looking to Stop the Bleeding Against TCU

This Colorado Buffaloes losing streak has an awfully familiar stench.

Colorado coach Tad Boyle's Buffs (12-9, 2-6 Big 12) are nosediving in conference standings and fan perception after a sixth straight loss. They'll get a chance to finally send that crowd home happy on Sunday against the TCU Horned Frogs (13-8, 3-5 Big 12).

Colorado Reeling From Blowout In Ames

Jan 29, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Barrington Hargress (24) sets the offense against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

When Colorado forward Sebastian Rancik opened the scoring with a 3-pointer last Thursday, no one anticipated what came next. The No. 8 Iowa State Cyclones scored 30 of the next 31 points, running Boyle and Co. out of Hilton Coliseum.

ISU won 97-67, handing the Buffaloes their most lopsided loss since a 47-point thumping at Arizona on Jan. 4, 2024. Objectively, it was one of the hardest L's to swallow of the Boyle era, as Iowa State put Colorado in its place in every form or fashion.

Freshman guard Isaiah Johnson was the only Buff with more than 11 points, scoring a game-high 24 on 7-of-13 shooting. He's up to 16.6 points per game, 18.8 over his first four starts.

Several freshmen got solid exposure, including center Fawaz Ifaola, who Boyle is hoping can replace the struggling Elijah Malone. The 7-foot Nigerian played a career-high 15 minutes, notching three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey (3) and forward Blake Buchanan (23) put high pressure on Colorado Buffaloes forward Bangot Dak (8) during the first half in the Big-12 men’s basketball on Jan. 29, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ISU shot 61 percent from the field and 48 percent from deep in its third straight win. Six Cyclones scored double figures, led by freshman guard Jamarion Batemon's 17 off the bench. Star forward Milan Momcilovic had 16 points.

Colorado was outshot by 18 percentage points and out-rebounded by 16 in defeat. The Buffaloes are now running out of time to lick their wounds, but have a winnable game up next.

Last season, TCU was the only team Colorado beat twice. The Buffs won back-to-back games against the Horned Frogs, at home to end the regular season and in the first round of the Big 12 tournament. They didn't surge offensively but made plays in big moments to come away victorious.

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TCU Taking Punches

Jan 28, 2026; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs forward David Punch (15) controls the ball during the game at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

TCU enters Sunday looking to end that trend, especially star forward David Punch. He scored a season-high 19 points against Colorado in Fort Worth last year, but shot a combined 4-for-16 in the latter two games.

Punch is playing the best basketball of his life as a sophomore. He leads TCU with 14.7 points 7.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game and had consecutive 20-point performances for the first time less than two weeks ago. The 6-7 wing isn't a long-range threat, but he shoots 55 percent from the field with excellent defense.

Junior forward Xavier Edmonds joins him in the frontcourt, averaging 12 points and 5.3 boards a night. The 6-8 junior college transfer is averaging 19.7 points on 63 percent shooting in his last three games.

Jan 14, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; TCU Horned Frogs forward Xavier Edmonds (24) looks on during the first half against the BYU Cougars at Marriott Center. | Aaron Baker-Imagn Images

Iowa transfer guard Brock Harding is TCU's distributor, averaging 6.3 assists to just two turnovers per game this season. The Horned Frogs turn teams over at the third-highest clip in the Big 12 as well, with Harding plucking a team-high 1.9 steals per game.

TCU ranks around the middle of the pack in most other statistical categories, having lost five of its last seven games. The Frogs' last win outside the state of Texas came on Nov. 28, though their Big 12 road losses have come by an average of 4.3 points.

They're a feisty bunch, but one weakness Colorado can exploit is at long range. TCU has the Big 12's second-worst 3-point percentage (34), so the Buffaloes should pack the paint to fluster Punch and Edmonds.

Betting Odds

Per DraftKings Sportsbook, TCU is -115 and a 1.5-point favorite against Colorado. The over/under is set at 153.5.

Colorado vs. TCU Prediction

Jan 29, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Colorado Buffaloes forward Bangot Dak (8) dunks against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

TCU is a must-win for Colorado to even think about significant postseason competition. The Horned Frogs are tough to plan for, especially for a team with weaknesses so glaring. That said, the Buffs can and will find a way on Sunday, halting their slide by a score of 81-78.

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