How Colorado Men's Basketball Can Salvage Its Disappointing Season

The wheels have just about fallen off a once-promising season for the Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball team.

Coach Tad Boyle's bunch dropped its sixth straight game on Thursday evening to the No. 8 Iowa State Cyclones and now sits No. 86 in the NCAA's NET Rankings, making any March Madness hopes particularly slim. With 10 regular season games remaining, including four against ranked Big 12 opponents, things won't get any easier for Colorado (12-9, 2-6 Big 12), either.

Colorado Men's Basketball Salvage Season Buffaloes Tad Boyle Big 12 Standings Bangot Dak Elijah Malone Isaiah Johnson Boulder — Jan 29, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Tad Boyle watches his team play the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

“At some point you’ve got to look yourself in the mirror,” Boyle said Thursday, per BuffZone. “There’s good players in this league. There’s good coaches in this league. There’s good defenses in this league. We’re just not one of them."

Moving forward, Boyle's focus should be on developing his young core and maximizing the little victories within each game. Building confidence hasn't been easy with the losses piling up, but there's still a lot to like about Colorado's freshman class.

Below are three ways Colorado can salvage its so-far disappointing season:

Maximize Tacko Ifaola's Development

The Elijah Malone experiment has run its course. During this six-game losing streak, the former junior college transfer has proven nearly unplayable, totaling only eight points and seven rounds while struggling to stay out of foul trouble.

Boyle certainly isn't gaining much from keeping Malone on the floor, and it's now time to consider giving freshman center Fawaz "Tacko" Ifaola increased playing time. After six underwhelming minutes from Malone on Thursday, Boyle gave Ifaola a career-high 15 minutes of action and was rewarded with three rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals.

Keep Isaiah Johnson, Other Freshmen Happy

Keeping standout freshman point guard Isaiah Johnson in Boulder and out of the transfer portal will be critical for Colorado this coming offseason. The rookie has far exceeded outside expectations with his team-high 16.6 points per game and could become one of college basketball's best players next season if he can take another step forward defensively.

"To see what he's doing bodes well for his future," UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said of Johnson last weekend, per CU. "He plays with poise and plays a lot older than he is. As a freshman, nothing's fazing him, so I think the young man is going to be terrific."

Other freshmen Boyle will likely want to keep out of the portal include Ifaola, Alon Michaeli, Josiah Sanders and Jalin Holland.

MORE: Colorado Transfer Receiver Adds New Dimension to Buffaloes Offense

MORE: Deion Sanders Causes Controversy with Fines for Colorado Players

MORE: The Most Impactful Transfer Portal Addition For Colorado

Rebound The Rebounding

Unlike previous Boyle-led teams, rebounding has been a major issue in January. The Buffs are averaging a Big 12-worst 31.5 rebounds per game in conference play with Malone and others struggling to clean the glass.

Fixing Colorado's rebounding woes will be difficult considering the lack of size on Boyle's roster, but things will only get worse if the Buffs can't become a more physical team.