KANSAS CITY, Mo. — During his postgame news conference following what likely was a season-ending loss against Oklahoma State, Colorado head coach Tad Boyle took a moment to laud the play, and character, of the Buffaloes’ starting backcourt.
Barrington Hargress delivered everything CU could have asked for as a point guard, but he voted for Isaiah Johnson as team MVP for the Buffs’ year-end awards. Johnson scored more points than any freshman in program history, yet he voted for Hargress.
Unless the Buffs reverse course and accept a potential bid to the NIT, they will begin the process of turning the page from the 2025-26 season, which came to a discouraging end with a 92-83 defeat against Oklahoma State in the first round of the Big 12 tournament on Tuesday.
“They’re selfless guys and they really help each other,” Boyle said. “Isaiah’s freshman year, a lot of thanks goes to Barrington. Barrington’s elite assist-turnover ratio, part of that goes to Isaiah. These guys are really good together.”
Now the challenge for Boyle and the Buffs is keeping them together.
At the beginning of the campaign, weeks before preseason practice even started, Boyle the bulk of the young talent on the roster. That work now begins in earnest.
Boyle said he intends to hold his end-of-season, one-on-one meetings with the players this week, before the Buffs scatter for spring break. CU loses only one senior to graduation, Elijah Malone, and in the transfer portal era the Buffs are certain to have at least a few roster departures.
Yet after going from a 3-17, last-place finish in the Big 12 a year ago to this year’s 7-11 league mark with an 11th-place finish, the Buffs are progressing within one of the toughest conferences in the nation. But that progress would get derailed by a massive roster overhaul.
“In today’s world, coaches have nothing to do with it, other than saying here’s the plan. And the plan hasn’t changed,” Boyle said. “These kids came to Colorado because we recruited them here. They came here for a reason. And either they’re going to stay here for a reason or they’re going to leave. The ball’s in their court. What I do, I’m going to do what I’ve always done and just be honest with them, lay it on the line. But they’re the ones that make the decisions. Not the coaches.”
While the challenge of player retention might begin with Hargress and Johnson, it certainly doesn’t end there. Junior forward Bangot Dak improved immensely as a rebounder and scored a career-high 22 points in two of the final three games. Sophomore Sebastian Rancik missed the final three games due to injury but finished as the Buffs’ third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder. And the freshman wing trio of Jalin Holland, Josiah Sanders and Ian Inman logged significant minutes while only scratching the surface of their potential.
“Bangot, he got better and better. Our whole team got better,” Boyle said. “Jalin Holland got better, Josiah Sanders. So the future of this program is as bright as itap ever been. If we can keep these guys together. Thatap the challenge we have now. We’ve known that all year long. Now letap see what we can do. But itap going to be up to them. I’m going to do everything I can do, and our school’s going to do everything it can do. Itap going to come down to what they want to do. But I love these guys. They’ve been a joy to coach.”
