What We Learned From Colorado Men's Basketball's Loss to UCF Knights

Another strong offensive effort went to waste on Saturday afternoon in the Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball team's loss to the visiting UCF Knights.

Now losers of their last five, coach Tad Boyle's Buffs allowed UCF to shoot over 60 percent from the field and from deep in a 95-86 defeat. Knights guard Riley Kugel was particularly dangerous, hitting 6-of-8 shots from beyond the arc in a 22-point outburst.

Learned Colorado Men Basketball UCF Knights Big 12 Barrington Hargress Isaiah Johnson Tad Boyle Bangot Dak Sebastian Rancik — Jan 24, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; UCF Knights guard Riley Kugel (2) during the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Colorado now stands 12-8 overall (2-5 Big 12) while UCF improved to 15-4 (4-3 Big 12).

Below are three key takeaways from Colorado's Saturday afternoon loss at the CU Events Center:

Rebounding Woes Remain

Forward Bangot Dak was again Colorado's lone impactful rebounder, totaling nine of the Buffs' 23 boards. While there weren't many rebounds made available, no other Buff had more than three.

Meanwhile, UCF totaled 32 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end. Center Elijah Malone played in only six minutes before exiting and forward Sebastian Rancik largely struggled against UCF's bigs.

“Central Florida played their tail off tonight. We didn't do anything to slow them down or shut them down by any means," coach Tad Boyle said, per CU. "The team comes into your building and shoots 61% and outrebounds you by nine and you miss 27 shots. We only had four offensive rebounds. So we have to get better."

Barrington Hargress On All-Conference Track

If Colorado can manage to regroup in conference play, point guard Barrington Hargress could be on track for an all-conference nod. The UC Riverside transfer hit 6-of-8 shots from the field and was 5-for-6 from the stripe in a 20-point performance. However, due to foul trouble, Hargress totaled only two second-half points.

“I just have to be smarter on the floor and to not put myself in these positions to have to sit these long stretches and have my team play without me for this long," said Hargress, who averages 13.9 points per game. "I sat on the bench for some time at the beginning of the second half, which was pretty valuable. Just being smarter will allow me to stay on the floor."

Freshman Isaiah Johnson and Rancik each scored 20 points as well to help lead Colorado's offense.

MORE: The Six Colorado Transfers Who Still Need A Portal Home

MORE: Colorado Buffaloes’ Way-Too-Early Starting Offense Is Full of Surprises

MORE: Deion Sanders Calls Out NCAA For 'Ignorant' Timing of Transfer Portal Window

3-Point Defense Adjustments Needed

Colorado's ineffective 3-point defense was perhaps the most concerning aspect of Saturday's loss. The Knights nailed 15 shots from deep, including 10 in the first half, against a Buffs defense that looked lost beyond the arc.

“We want to take away 3-point shooters," Hargress said. "Some of the shooters got off. No. 11, Carmelo (Pacheco) had three in the first half. So that's a shooter on our scout. So some of it was our defense, some of it was shots that we were willing to live with. But either way, you can't let a team hit 15 in your home court."

Colorado will next visit No. 9 Iowa State on Thursday.