Tad Boyle Sends Powerful Message With Colorado Men's Basketball Lineup Change

BOULDER — Following a difficult month of January, Colorado men's basketball coach Tad Boyle made a surprising change to his starting lineup for the Buffs' Sunday afternoon game against the TCU Horned Frogs.

For the first time this season, forwards Bagot Dak and Sebastian Rancik and center Elijah Malone were pushed to the bench, presumedly due to inconsistent play amid Colorado's six-game losing streak. Boyle replaced the three with a trio of first-time starters in freshmen Josiah Sanders, Jalin Holland and Fawaz "Tacko" Ifaola.

Tad Boyle Message Colorado Men's Basketball Lineup Change Josiah Sanders Isaiah Johnson Tacko Ifaola Jalin Holland Bangot Dak — Jan 29, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) watches Colorado Buffaloes guard Isaiah Johnson (2) score during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Boyle's move accomplishes at least two needed goals by sending a message to his older players and allowing his freshmen an opportunity to grow. Freshman guard Isaiah Johnson earned his fifth straight start and Barrington Hargress also remained in the starting five.

After taking an early 10-7 lead over the Horned Frogs, the Buffs' three new starters were replaced by Dak, Rancik and Malone.

Tacko Ifaola Starts Over Elijah Malone

Malone's ineffective play finally earned him a spot on the bench — at least to start Sunday's contest. Heading into the Buffs' 22nd regular season game, the former junior college forward was averaging only 5.0 points and 3.2 rebounds. He played only six minutes in Colorado's Thursday evening loss at Iowa State.

Conversely, Ifaola has seen his minutes increase slightly amid Malone's decline. The 7-footer from Nigeria totaled a conference play-high three rebounds against Iowa State while playing in a career-high 15 minutes.

Jalin Holland Impresses in First Career Start

Holland, a former four-star prospect from Arizona, was arguably the most energetic new starter in the first half. His hustle resulted in five points, three assists, one steal and a team-high five rebounds in the first half.

"Jalin is a good defender. He's a willing defender," Boyle said last month, per CU. "He's a guy who I do think takes a little bit of pride there individually. But Jalin is a freshman. He's not to the point yet where he can start calling out his teammates."

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Josiah Sanders Shines Offensively

Sanders also made the most out of his starting opportunity in the first half with eight points — two shy of his career-high 10. The Colorado native also totaled an offensive rebound and an assist in the game's first 20 minutes.

"I like to play hard," Sanders said before the season. "I like to do whatever the team needs to win. I played a lot on the ball in high school, but now I'm looking to do whatever the team needs, whether that's crashing the boards, sprinting to the corner, doing whatever I can to help the team succeed. That's where I'm at."

Colorado leads TCU 38-25 at the half. Another strong 20 minutes would give the Buffs their first win since beating Utah on Jan. 7.