Takeaways From Colorado Men's Basketball's Win Over Kansas State

BOULDER — The attendance numbers may be down, but the CU Events Center is returning to a place of dominance for the Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball team.

One year after finishing a mediocre 11-7 in Boulder, the Buffs improved to 13-4 on their home court via an 79-70 win over the Kansas State Wildcats on Wednesday. Colorado has now won four straight at home with only one more regular season matchup at the CU Events Center remaining.

Takeaways Colorado Men's Basketball Win Kansas State Buffaloes Wildcats Barrington Hargress Isaiah Johnson Tad Boyle Big 12 — Feb 25, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Members of the Colorado Buffaloes dance team perform before the game against the Kansas State Wildcats at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Still, things often got a little too close for comfort against a struggling Kansas State team, as the Wildcats rallied to within three points of Colorado late in the second half.

"The epitome of winning ugly, you saw it tonight on display," coach Tad Boyle said. "Not too happy about it. I told our guys in the locker room, it's my job to make sure we live in the truth, and I call it like I see it."

Colorado improved to 16-12 (6-9 Big 12) while Kansas State, which fired coach Jerome Tang only 10 days prior, fell to 11-17 (2-13 Big 12).

Below are a few key takeaways from Colorado's second straight win:

Everybody Eats

Outside of the 17 turnovers, there's a lot to like about Colorado's offensive numbers. Five Buffs scored in the double-figures, and the team shot 43.1 percent from the field. Plus, Colorado dished out 16 assists, including seven from Isaiah Johnson.

For a team that's still working to develop depth, Wednesday's scoring numbers are certainly encouraging.

Ian Inman's Strong February Continues

Freshman Ian Inman's strong February continued on Wednesday with a career-high 17 points, including 15 from 3-point land (5-for-7). Including Wednesday, the former three-star prospect from Texas has reached double-figures in three of Colorado's past six games while shooting (10-21) from the field.

"It's just sticking to my grind," Inman said. "I've always been a grinder on and off the court and stuff like that. (Graduate manager) Tyson (Gilbert) has helped me a lot with stuff like that, getting extra reps and stuff like that. For me, it's always been sticking to my grind, sticking to my mentality, and ultimately, when my time comes, producing."

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Elijah Malone Not Featured in Rotation

Once expected to be a key veteran on a young Colorado team, center Elijah Malone didn't see the floor on Wednesday. Malone's benching comes after he fouled out of Saturday's win over Oklahoma State in just five minutes.

Freshman center Fawaz "Tacko" Ifaloa saw six minutes of action, and forwards Bangot Dak and Sebastian Rancik each played just under 30. With a smaller lineup, Boyle asked his guards to help in the rebounding department, and Johnson answered with a career-high nine boards.

Colorado will next visit the No. 5 Houston Cougars on Saturday (10 a.m. MT, ESPN2).