Colorado goes into the final week of the season, and into preparations for 2026-27, without three of its most productive players.
On Monday morning, CU men’s basketball coach Tad Boyle confirmed forward Sebastian Rancik is opting to leave the program via the transfer portal. Rancik’s exodus follows the transfer portal departures of Isaiah Johnson and Bangot Dak, leaving the Buffs without three of their top four scorers as well as their top two rebounders as they head to Las Vegas for the College Basketball Crown.
Boyle said the remaining 12 players on the roster will be in uniform when the Buffs face Oklahoma on Wednesday night at MGM Grand Arena (6 p.m. MT, Fox Sports 1), although more departures certainly are possible when the transfer portal opens on April 7.
“They’re going to move on, and we’re going to move on. Onwards and upwards,” Boyle said of the departing trio. “After the crown, I’ll kind of sit down with the other 12, really 11 scholarship players, and I feel really good about five to six of them coming back. The others, itap really kind of up to them.
“Thatap the one thing about this time of year. Coaches don’t always determine everything. Players determine what they want to do and where they want to go. If they want to stay, if they want to leave. Itap just the nature of the business right now.”
While the Buffs announced over the weekend that standout point guard Barrington Hargress intends to return to CU for his senior season, the loss of Johnson, Dak and Rancik leaves Boyle with a wealth of production to replace during the offseason.
Asked if he feels confident CU made competitive offers to that departing trio, Boyle said only, “I can’t speak for them. I’ve had conversations with every one of them and their families and the people that are important to them. We’re moving on. I’m not concerned about the guys that aren’t coming back. I’m concerned about the guys that are coming back, and I’m concerned about building next year’s roster to be competitive in the Big 12 Conference.”
Rancik played in 29 games, starting 26, before missing the final two games of the regular season, plus the Buffs’ loss against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 tournament, due to an injury. He ranked third on the team in scoring (12.3) and second in rebounding (5.6). After recording more turnovers (27) than assists (21) as a freshman in 2024-25, Rancik turned that around this season, finishing with 57 assists against 50 turnovers.
Rancik shot .404 overall and .331 on 3-pointers, although he struggled to a .299 mark on 3-pointers during Big 12 play. Rancik posted the first three double-digit rebounding games of his career during a four-game stretch in February, recording the first and, ultimately, only double-double of his CU career with 17 points and a career-high 11 rebounds . He finished the season with a .860 mark at the free throw line (111-for-129), which ranks sixth in program history.
