Colorado Assistant Coach Tyson Gilbert Points Out Buffaloes' Biggest Offseason Leaders

As the Colorado Buffaloes have navigated team chemistry in summer workouts with 10 new players on their roster, veteran players have been looked at to take charge of the group. While Barrington Hargress is the only returning veteran who played meaningful minutes in 2025, the coaching staff has looked to incoming vets to lead alongside him.

Newly-promoted assistant coach Tyson Gilbert has had his finger on the pulse of this emerging leadership throughout the offseason. In an interview, he shared the three veteran leaders who have emerged for the team and how they have impacted their teammates.

Guard Barrington Hargress

Hagress is the Buffaloes’ returning vet, and he looks to build on what was an excellent 2025 campaign.

“Barrington has been great,” Gilbert said. “He had one of the best seasons in Colorado history last year. He’s just a selfless dude; I mean, a four-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio is incredible. And he’s brought that same mindset of trying to portray his selflessness to the rest of the program, and you see it in these guys.”

Even with Hargress’s historic performance last year, the coaching staff will still be looking to him to take on an even bigger role in 2026. He could very likely become Colorado’s leading scorer while still assisting at a high rate, which would achieve that goal.

Center Noah Feddersen

colorado buffaloes north dakota state bison march madness ncaa tournament cu buffs men's basketball leadership tyson gilbert — Mar 18, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; North Dakota State Bison forward Noah Feddersen (34) shoots a free throw during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Feddersen has brought a championship mindset to the Buffaloes that they have been rallying around during summer workouts. The way he has applied the lessons he learned from winning a conference championship and taking a trip to March Madness in 2025 to his teammates has made him a fantastic leader early in his Colorado career.

“With Noah, he came from a winning program at North Dakota State,” Gilbert said. “His habits are great and you can see that for sure.”

Feddersen’s perspective is centered around the current stage of the Buffaloes’ season. Although there aren’t as many eyes on summer workouts, he cites it as the most important piece of a tournament team’s season.

“The biggest thing is that you don’t get [to March Madness] at the end of the season; you get there right now,” Feddersen said. “[You get there] by working hard in the summer and then having a solid season through and through, game by game. You don’t get there in the last week of the season; you’ve got to work every day, every week, every month, keeping your head down until you lift it up in March and see the results.”

Forward Justin Neely

Neely is the Buffaloes' most historically productive incoming transfer, and he’s been producing just as much in practice since arriving in Boulder, according to Gilbert.

“Justin, he’s a worker,” Gilbert said. “He competes, and that competitive edge that he brings to practice is huge for us. I think that’s really going to help us.”

Colorado freshman forward Rider Portela cited Neely as the leader who’s had the biggest impact on him. In addition, he also credited his work during practice, speaking about his ability to keep his teammates on track in practice in an exclusive interview.

How the Colorado Buffaloes’ leaders have impacted their teammates

colorado buffaloes guard josiah sanders leadership offseason workouts ncaa men's basketball sports tyson gilbert tad boyle cu — Feb 7, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Josiah Sanders (5) celebrates defeating the Arizona State Sun Devils at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Regardless of how good these players are as leaders, their efforts would be for naught if they didn’t have a profound impact on their younger teammates. But according to Gilbert, Colorado’s younger players have bought into the shared mindsets of the team’s veteran leaders. As a result, they’ve looked for ways to lead in their own right.

“The young guys are really taking hold of the way that they compete and the way that they are trying to lead the group,” Gilbert said. “Everybody is here for the same goal, and you can really tell with this group and how they get after it every day.”

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