One Reason for Optimism for Colorado Buffaloes Basketball

Following a close loss on the road, 90-86, to the 22nd-ranked BYU Cougars, Colorado Buffaloes coach Tad Boyle seemed to be in good spirits.

Jan 20, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Tad Boyle during the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Tad Boyle’s Postgame Thoughts

"Tonight we fought like a team I’m proud of representing," Boyle said at the start of his postgame press conference.

After a poor performance on the road, this was a great bounce-back for the Buffaloes against a very good team in BYU. In these close games, the margins are very slim, with the smallest of mistakes becoming major mistakes.

“Sometimes basketball comes down to a make-or-miss game. Most games don’t, but some games do. And tonight, you know, BYU made the open shots when they had them down the stretch. And we didn’t," Boyle added.

When on the road, it is crucial to be able to hit open shots late in games. Colorado was unable to hit those shots, but showed a tremendous amount of resilience and character that their past performances on the road did not show.

“But our guys fought, and I can live with that. No moral victories, but I can live with the fight we had," said Boyle.

This was a great sign for the Buffaloes against a great team on the road, and they will look to make this a more routine performance in future road games.

Feb 14, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; BYU Cougars forward Tyler Mrus (2) fouls Bangot Dak (8) of the Colorado Buffaloes during the second half at the Marriott Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images | Aaron Baker-Imagn Images

Takeaways for the Colorado Buffaloes

Colorado played a solid game overall, but BYU still had a few key advantages as the Buffaloes were once again out-rebounded 46-39. The good news is that BYU was limited in offensive rebounds as they only had eight, and Colorado grabbed nine.

Additionally, Colorado was at a disadvantage in the three-point makes. BYU went 11-22, and the Buffaloes went 9-32. When on the road, it is vital to match three pointers and get great quality looks from beyond the arc, but unfortunately, that was not the case in this matchup.

In the future, Colorado also has to do a better job at the free-throw line. The Buffaloes shot 61 percent as they went 11-18. Leaving points on the board is very difficult to overcome on the road.

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Feb 14, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; Isaiah Johnson (2) of the Colorado Buffaloes drives while being defended by BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa (3) during the second half at the Marriott Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images | Aaron Baker-Imagn Images

Improved Offense

Offensively, the team had a much better performance. Forwards Bangot Dak and Sebastian Rancik combined for 24 points. The backcourt also had a great game behind guards Isaiah Johnson, Jalin Holland, and Barrington Hargrees, who combined for 56 points.

Johnson emerged as the top scorer with a team-high 27 points. The contributions from the other four starters were a welcome sight for Johnson, and if they can continue to make shots, this offense can be sustained in tough road environments.

Feb 11, 2026; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders forward Josiah Moseley (5) blocks Colorado Buffaloes guard Jalin Holland (11) from going to the lane in the second half at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

This performance against BYU showed some positive signs for Colorado with five games left to go. The Buffaloes clearly can compete on the road and get significant offensive contributions from the whole starting lineup.

However, the team does still need to improve its free-throw shooting and place more emphasis on being a team that dominates the rebounding battle to earn extra possessions.

While the season is almost over and NCAA Tournament Hopes may be dwindling, the Buffaloes still have two road opportunities in the Big 12, to show their grit and determination as a team that will fight for a full 40 minutes.